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Brera Seat tilt mechanism

14K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  alfaromeo939s 
#1 ·
The tilt mechanism doesn't work on the drivers seat of my Brera (57) meaning I can't access the rear seat. There is no visible damage, but when I pull on the lever, it doesn't open fully and the seat doesn't tilt forward.

Has anybody had a similar problem that they managed to resolve?

I bought the car in jan from the car people and took out a 2 year warranty. I've just checked the paper work and the list of exclusions is immense and it lists seats as excluded! Looks like this warranty could be next to useless. :mad:
 
#2 ·
The tilt mechanism doesn't work on the drivers seat of my Brera (57) meaning I can't access the rear seat. There is no visible damage, but when I pull on the lever, it doesn't open fully and the seat doesn't tilt forward.

Has anybody had a similar problem that they managed to resolve?
:mad:


The levers for tilting the seats on my Brera can be very stiff. I had a look once to see if I could get at the mechanism to try to free it up, but it seems to be inside the canvas.

Sometimes it sticks completely, and I've found that if you hit the seatback firmly with your hand, it unsticks it, ie forcing it backwards into it's normal driving position. It's as if the seat hasn't been locked into position properly, and just neds a thump to engage the catch.

But it is a bit frustrating/embarrassing that such a basic mechanism can be so difficult to work.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the feedback.

It's almost as if whatever is on the other end of the cable is stuck. It could be related to the rust that has appeared on the hinge of the drivers seat. Although the electric lean works to move the back forward and backwards. The tilt could be siezed.

I'ved looked at the exploded diagrams on eper and it is difficult to see what's what, but it looks like the round grey plate on the hinge of the seat is removable. At the weekend i'll try and remove the plates off both seats and have a look at the insides. Hopefully a spot of rust cleaning and some dry lube (silicone rather than oil based) may help.
 
#5 ·
Seat Back

I've had the same problem. I brought it to the Alfa dealer and had it on the service list. They assured me it was fixed. I got it home and it was the same. We live on the Beara peninsula in South West Ireland so driving to Cork and back repeatedly adds up to a long journey. I sent it back again and was assurred that this time it was fixed. My wife picked it up in a driving rainstorm and didn't check it. We Got it home and the seat is the same. If a fairly large Dealer in Cork City can't fix it what chance do I have.

jjd1946
 
#6 ·
I'm going to have a proper look at it tomorrow. I've taken the grey caps off the seat hinge trim and I can see the little lever. I watch the lever move on the passenger side. I can almost activate it with a screw driver directly in the hinge without using the seat back lever, but can't get it to disengage the latch and tilt the seat forward.

I'll probably try taking the seat out and fixing it out of the car. Although I have no idea how to get the seat out. I'm guessing it's just bolted to a frame or runner. I'll raise it to it's highest setting and have a look underneath.
 
#8 ·
Guy's we've a basic problem here wtith our Breras. the Passengers seat works fine, the drivers doesn't. I got a call from the dealer today and he said you had to really force the latch and hit the head rest to move the seat. Do you think this is an Alfa designer gone mad, I doubt it. I want it fixed. Full stop. Has anyone got in touch with Alfa?
 
#9 ·
I haven't been in touch with Alfa and haven't been to a dealer with it yet. Unfortunately seats are specifically excluded from the warranty I have on the car and I have a feeling a dealer would try and sell me a new seat for ££££.

I'll try giving the headrest a whack from behind, whilst somebody else pulls the lever. Other than that I have to wait for it to stop raining so I can look at taking the seat out.
 
#10 ·
Drivers Seat

Well guy's I got the Brera back from the dealer after the third trip. It seems to work but it's a bit strange. They freed up the lever and the motor engages and the seat does it's thing but it still needs a slight bit of hand pressure. I'm sure it's not a permanant fix but it does work. It just doesn't work as easily as the passengers seat. It's an Alfa, we should expect this kind of thing. I'm 65, my first Alfa was a 1964 sprint coupe. That one sized solid as a rock. Did I learn, Nope. I bought another one and that one rusted before my eyes. Than there was a 76 GTV, followed by a GTV6 that was destroyed in an accident. They pulled out of America and I thought I was saved. Than we moved to Ireland and what's the first thing I do? Right. I buy an Alfa GT that was extremely reliable but boring. It felt like an airport rental Fiat. If you have one, no offense but a diesel,front wheel drive Alfa? That's just not right. What to do, what to do? I have it, I'll buy a Beara with the biggest engine they have and four wheel drive in a country where petrol is 1.51 euro a liter. Insanity? Probably. I just seem to have a life long love affair with the things. If your young, prepare youselfs for a life long addiction and there's no detox.

Jim
 
#11 ·
Brera / Spider Seat Tilt Release Mechanism 'Fix'

Hi

A little a late in replying, but hopefully helpful to others, who like me search on this topic.

Literally just bought the car yesterday and, hey presto, my driver's seat tilt release mechanism was stuck.

After a little investigation, it seemed that the tilt release lever at the base of the seat had moved out along it's hinge post and therefore wasn't able to move freely. Pushed the lever back in towards seat with the tip of the screwdriver and handle and lever move freely again allowing the seat to tilt forward.

See photo attached...

Push the driver's seat as far forward as possible and raise it's height using the adjustment lever: this provides best access to the seat trim and tilt release mechanism.

Remove the circular plastic cover at the rear of the driver's side plastic side trim. There are three push in slots at 1, 5 and 9 o'clock that hold the cover in. Prise open with a thin, wide flat bladed screwdriver to avoid damaging the plastic trim: I found the 9 o'clock easiest to get access to. Simply pop off the other two with your fingers.

The tilt release mechanism is at 12 o'clock and partly obscured by one of the cover retaining arms, but is not an issue. Place screwdriver on raised part of the lever around the hinge post (fulcrum if I remember my 'O' level physics?) and push until the whole lever arm back.

Lever and handle should now move freely.

I'm no engineer, but it seems that there is nothing to stop the release lever moving towards the outside of the seat, so I suspect that it will be a repeated operation. Given that I don't envisage having to pull the seats forward too often on the Spider, it's probably not much of an issue, but can understand why it would be a PITA on the Brera.

Cheers

Nigel
 

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#14 ·
Hi

A little a late in replying, but hopefully helpful to others, who like me search on this topic.

Literally just bought the car yesterday and, hey presto, my driver's seat tilt release mechanism was stuck.

After a little investigation, it seemed that the tilt release lever at the base of the seat had moved out along it's hinge post and therefore wasn't able to move freely. Pushed the lever back in towards seat with the tip of the screwdriver and handle and lever move freely again allowing the seat to tilt forward.

See photo attached...

Push the driver's seat as far forward as possible and raise it's height using the adjustment lever: this provides best access to the seat trim and tilt release mechanism.

Remove the circular plastic cover at the rear of the driver's side plastic side trim. There are three push in slots at 1, 5 and 9 o'clock that hold the cover in. Prise open with a thin, wide flat bladed screwdriver to avoid damaging the plastic trim: I found the 9 o'clock easiest to get access to. Simply pop off the other two with your fingers.

The tilt release mechanism is at 12 o'clock and partly obscured by one of the cover retaining arms, but is not an issue. Place screwdriver on raised part of the lever around the hinge post (fulcrum if I remember my 'O' level physics?) and push until the whole lever arm back.

Lever and handle should now move freely.

I'm no engineer, but it seems that there is nothing to stop the release lever moving towards the outside of the seat, so I suspect that it will be a repeated operation. Given that I don't envisage having to pull the seats forward too often on the Spider, it's probably not much of an issue, but can understand why it would be a PITA on the Brera.

Cheers

Nigel
Thanks Nigel, this was really useful. In my case I just pulled the plastic covers off with my fingernails, it seemed the easiest way. I then pulled the release lever near the headrest gently whilst encouraging the lever at the bottom with a flat screwdriver. It released with a ping and has worked perfectly since. A bit of spray grease at each fulcrum and all works now works smoothly and easily. I then did the same to the passenger side. I guess it is just a lack of use that causes them to stick and it is easy to see how the cable or plastic lever could break if you pulled too hard. I've been meaning to fix this since I bought it nearly a year ago!
 
#13 ·
My passenger tilt broke, investigating further it was indeed a partially seized mechanism which some WD40 solved. What had happened however was that at the top end of the release cable, which is by the way a double one, the retaining lug into the handle had broken. If you remove the screw just behind the handle the surround pulls off and you can then see the cable; it has a round crimp on the end. This seats into a round "barrel" housing, my top lug had broken off so I carefully drilled a 1mm hole at the top of where the retained crimp would sit and the broken lug was placed and put in a self tapper into the plastic handle. This retains the crimp and now the tilt works again as it now pulls the cable.
 
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