
Front seats won't tilt forward
Moderators: kamzcab86, CalAltaDubber
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- Posts: 4
- Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2010 8:37 pm
- What year is your cabby?: 1989
- Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
Front seats won't tilt forward
Just purchased a 1989 Cabriolet. One of the first things I need to do is get the seats working! They rock, the passenger seat won't move at all and neither seat will tilt forward. I purchased a seat guide set on Ebay to try to fix the rocking and inability to slide but can anyone tell me how to fix them so that they will tilt? My 6 year old has no trouble wiggling into the back seat but he's the only one! Any help will be greatly appreciated!!! 

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- Briano1234
- Whats that smell?
- Posts: 4105
- Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
- What year is your cabby?: 1992
- Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
- Location: Duluth, Ga
- Contact:
Re: Front seats won't tilt forward
Well you asked for it.
Take the seats and slide them all the way forward, you may have to lift it up and help it scoot.
Then on the inner frames where the back meets the seat, you will see two locks one on each side. Spray them with WD-40 or PB-blaster, go have a coke or a cup of coffee. Now you will need to take a pair of pliers and as you move the seat lock up you will need to assist these guys a wee bit. That is they have to be really loose
If when you raise the seat lock up to fold the seats and they don't move the fingers, then you probably have broken seat cables.
Here is the fix:
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=2060
Placing the seat sliders on is here:
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=2186
Take the seats and slide them all the way forward, you may have to lift it up and help it scoot.
Then on the inner frames where the back meets the seat, you will see two locks one on each side. Spray them with WD-40 or PB-blaster, go have a coke or a cup of coffee. Now you will need to take a pair of pliers and as you move the seat lock up you will need to assist these guys a wee bit. That is they have to be really loose
If when you raise the seat lock up to fold the seats and they don't move the fingers, then you probably have broken seat cables.
Here is the fix:
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=2060
Placing the seat sliders on is here:
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=2186
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- Posts: 28
- Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 1:58 am
- What year is your cabby?: 1987
- Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
- Location: K-Falls, Oregon
Re: Front seats won't tilt forward
I was having the same problem until my boyfriend figured it out, last night actually! On the side of each seat, if yours is like mine - there should be like a big knob, if you turn it one way or the other, it'll tilt the back forwards or backwards (up and down or however you describe it)
- bbrown
- Posts: 191
- Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:44 pm
- What year is your cabby?: 1986
- Location: Longview, TX or Exeter, ME
Re: Front seats won't tilt forward
Your Cabby should also have a quick tilt forward lever like the ones circled below:

They allow you to tilt the seats forward without messing with the seat adjuster knob that you described earlier. Another interesting thing to note is that those seat recline knobs don't work if you are leaning against them and try to turn the knob, but instead you must lean forward in order to crank the knob to get the seat into your desired state of recline.

They allow you to tilt the seats forward without messing with the seat adjuster knob that you described earlier. Another interesting thing to note is that those seat recline knobs don't work if you are leaning against them and try to turn the knob, but instead you must lean forward in order to crank the knob to get the seat into your desired state of recline.
~Buster
1986 VW Cabriolet 1.8 5 spd.
~__|__\__
[(O)__(O)]
1986 VW Cabriolet 1.8 5 spd.
~__|__\__
[(O)__(O)]
- Briano1234
- Whats that smell?
- Posts: 4105
- Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
- What year is your cabby?: 1992
- Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
- Location: Duluth, Ga
- Contact:
Re: Front seats won't tilt forward
Not only that but some versions as in the WB editions usually have butt adjusters that will rock the seat bottom down in back, so that there are 2 handles under the seat. One to slide and one to tilt.
Briano
Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click....
Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click....

- bbrown
- Posts: 191
- Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:44 pm
- What year is your cabby?: 1986
- Location: Longview, TX or Exeter, ME
Re: Front seats won't tilt forward
Yup I have those too. If you look to the left of the parking/e-brake handle and above the seat belt release you can see the handle that allows you to pitch the seat bottom up and down. I keep mine all the way back. These VW seats are among the best seats I have ever sat in. I can't wait for spring.Briano1234 wrote:Not only that but some versions as in the WB editions usually have butt adjusters that will rock the seat bottom down in back, so that there are 2 handles under the seat. One to slide and one to tilt.

~Buster
1986 VW Cabriolet 1.8 5 spd.
~__|__\__
[(O)__(O)]
1986 VW Cabriolet 1.8 5 spd.
~__|__\__
[(O)__(O)]
- gull
- Posts: 817
- Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:30 pm
- What year is your cabby?: 1989
- Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
- Location: Auburn, WA
- Contact:
Re: Front seats won't tilt forward
Dang, that looks just like my car, except yours has the correct top color. Love that Star Blue Metallic paint.
- gull
- Posts: 817
- Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:30 pm
- What year is your cabby?: 1989
- Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
- Location: Auburn, WA
- Contact:
Re: Front seats won't tilt forward
Oh yeah, if the release levers don't tilt your seats forward, the release wires are broken. There's a guide in one of the forums here to fixing them.
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- Posts: 4
- Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2010 8:37 pm
- What year is your cabby?: 1989
- Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
Re: Front seats won't tilt forward
Thanks, guys. I'm going to pull the seats this weekend and repair the guides, I'll check out the wires while I have them out. And yes I love the star blue!