Headset Repair Procedure - Awesome Procedure by Clint of Audizine.com

[PaulW]

The following is a procedure for the two different types of repairs, for both the lunbar and headrest.

This was posted by Clint of Audizine.com. If you visit this board Clint, please speak up, it's your credit. I'm going to cut and paste into audipages. Seen this for a while, just haven't a chance to do it yet.

It's two posts, the first one is right below from April, then the dotted lines is the next one. Go to the URL for TONS of pictures!!!!

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Edit- don't do it this way- see later post below where I describe how to fix at the motor end instead of the gearhead end....

I lucked out and found a cherry A8 where the only thing wrong was the electric adjuster for the headrest and the height adjuster for the lumbar didn't work on the driver's seat.
The dealer said that the only way to fix those functions was to replace the entire motor and regulator unit for each function.
I found the problem in both mechanisms was the cable that is similar to a speedometer cable which runs from the motor to the geared actuator had slipped into the motor end, dis-engaging with the gear end.

To restore function, I pulled the cable slightly back out of it's housing from the gear unit side so the square-ended cable could then potrude properly into the square recepticle in the worm gear. I tiny spot of epoxy inside of the square recess secures the cable from future slipping.

I hope this saves someone some money some day..

If anybody cares, I took pictures of the endevor into the seat back, and can describe how to gain access to the innards of the seat.

I love my audis. My first was a 1972 super 90 wagon. One of only about 2500 sold in the us.
clint
2000 a6-2.7t and 1997 a8-4.2 q


Edited by - clint on 10/08/2002 12:04:54 PM
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I had to open the seat again to fix the lumbar height thing again- glue does not stick too well to grease....

Good thing for you I did- I found a way that is much easier than dealing with the mechanism that the headrest posts are attached to.

Instead, the cable comes off of the motor end very easily, and the motor can stay in place. Rather than using glue to fix the internal driven cable to the small gear in the gear head, in this repair I added a small spacer in the form of a bit of a match stick in the motor end.

The lumbar thing is easy, save for the fact that you have to somehow get a screwdriver onto the screws that hold the motor on to the bracket. As you can see in the photos, the cable was too far into the motor side of the system, so the internal driven cable was pulled out of the square hole in the gear that is in the gear head at the lumbar support. To fix this, I removed the screws securing the motor (in the photos, the lumbar height motor is the one on the right with the cable housing potruding upwards) to the bracket. Once the motor is free of the bracket and the cable housing, push the internal cable into the housing some and you will be able to tell when it meshes with the gear head, as you will no longer be able to twist it with your fingers. The difference in cable length between meshing and not meshing is quite small.
I used a bit of a match stick as a drift to keep the cable from climbing back into the motor too far. To guess the length, I stuck the match into the motor as far as it would go, and noted where the grease had left a mark on the match stick. I compared this length to the length of cable potruding from the housing after I pushed the cable back into the gearhead/housing as far as possible.
The difference was only about 5 millimeters. I put the cut bit of match in the square cable drive hole in the motor and re-assembled the motor/housing to the bracket.

The headrest is a bit more involved, due to the fact it is a feedback servo- where the lumbar thing just stalls the motor when it gets to the end of it's travel.

The headrest motor is on the left in the photos. Notice how there is a black plastic device between the cable housing and the motor. That device is the position sensor. It's no big deal- just don't move the headrest by twisting on the cable and dont mess with the headrest switch while you have the housing/bracket apart..

To get the housing off is easier a little on this one- you have to use a box wrench to just loosten the inner bolt, and remove the outer one. The motor assembly stays attached to the bracket, as the retainer for the cable housing is part of the servo sensor. Once the near bolt (see photo) is out, the brass colored bracket will swing out of the way, allowing the housing/cable to come out of the motor. Note there is alot more sticking out of the housing here- that square driven part has to pass through the position sensor before mating with the motor. In my case, the old repair I did before was holding, so I didn't add a match spacer to this one. Because of the position sensor, getting a teeny bit of match up in the hole where the cable goes will be a bit more involved. I thought of maybe using some really thick grease to stick the wood onto the end of the cable.. Or maybe clean just the very end of the cable and glue the wood to the tip. The glue only has to last long enough for you to get the cable back into the hole in the motor.
I can only guess that the cable length difference that would have to be made up for by a match stick for the headrest mechanism would be the same as the one for the lumbar. It may be possible to measure in a fasion similar to the way I did for the lumbar, only using a longer stick, as the small matches I had were not long enough to pass through the position sensor.
Shis-ka-bob stick?

Oh well, the hard part is getting the damn rubber thing that the leather is sewn to out of the slot. You can see in the photos, that at the ends where you have to begin pulling the leather out, there is also some vinyl crammed into the slot, which catches on the rubber and makes it a mug to pull out.

Once you get it started, it sails right out. Putting it back is super-easy..

There are only two screws that hold the back hard cover on the frame-- one on each side.. pay attention as the panel comes down after the screws are out, so you will have a feel for getting it back into position..

I'm just going to put a link to the page of pictures here- there are over 30 and it would just make a mess crammed in one post..

[hisport]

After fixing lots of German seats over the years (only two OEM seat builders, irregardless of car make and model), I can share that the problem with power seat drive cables coming unseated is very common.

Trying to glue or matchstick one end will inevitably end in tears.

Either replace the cable assembly (expensive, hard to find, and difficult to R&R), or shorten the cable housing.

To do the latter, simply pull the inner drive cable out (looks and works like a greased speedo cable, and accepts glue and matchsticks about as well), then cut a 2 inch piece out of the plastic cable housing in an easily accessible place. Slip a 4" piece of fuel hose (generally 5/16" or 3/8" works fine) and a couple of hose clamps over the cable housing ends. Reinstall the inner drive cable, make sure it is seated in both ends, then snug the housing ends together under the fuel hose. Lightly clamp in place, and you're done.

This fix is quick, easy, and permanent.