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Repairing Electric Seat Back Adjustment

Model: BMW Serie 5 E39 - Years: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
Part: Seat

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If the electric seat adjustment tends to skip or moves in jerks, the control cable is likely slipping. To repair the seat, it is preferable to remove it: first, unscrew the seatbelt mounting bolt, remove the plastic covers that cover the seat tracks, and those underneath the left side of the seat; unscrew the bolts inside the tracks, both at the front and rear; disconnect the electrical connections and pull the seat out of the cabin.

Then, flip the seat over to access the underside of the seat, detach the cable connected to the front motor, remove the internal plastic bushing, heat the metal cover to remove it from the sheath, shorten the sheath to eliminate the damaged part, reapply the metal cover to the sheath, insert the bushing, and reassemble everything.


Updated on 11 February 2026 by ScegliAuto


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