Bought a 2003 350z problem with the driver seat
#1
New Member
Thread Starter
![Default](https://my350z.com/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Hello everyone I just bought my first 350z also first rwd and manual car. Its a 2003 enthusiasts package with 95k miles. Unfortunately the power seat switch is broken. I was able to drive it home in the current seat position but I am 5'6" and the seats really far back and reclined all the way. I took seat out and played around with the switch it worked abit and took the switch apart and found out that the switch is broken inside was fried. I looked online and the new switch is $90 plus shipping. My question is there any after market seat just for the driver side (I don't really care about the passenger side) around $250 that is able to slide and recline. I looked around everyone is recommending sparco, bride, and carbeau. I am not looking for full on racing seat (honestly I can barely drive the car first manual car) I am just looking to see if I should spend a bit more and change the whole seat instead of just the switch. Please let me know of your opinion. Sorry if I blabed too much just really excited about my car.
Thank you in advance
Thank you in advance
Last edited by mr.44; 05-14-2020 at 04:37 PM.
#2
350Z/370Z Tech Moderator
MY350Z.COM
MY350Z.COM
![](https://my350z.com/forum/images/ranks/premier.gif)
![](https://my350z.com/forum/images/ranks/moderator.gif)
![Default](https://my350z.com/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Hello everyone I just bought my first 350z also first rwd and manual car. Its a 2003 enthusiasts package with 95k miles. Unfortunately the power seat switch is broken. I was able to drive it home in the current seat position but I am 5'6" and the seats really far back and reclined all the way. I took seat out and played around with the switch it worked abit and took the switch apart and found out that the switch is broken inside was fried. I looked online and the new switch is $90 plus shipping. My question is there any after market seat just for the driver side (I don't really care about the passenger side) around $250 that is able to slide and recline. I looked around everyone is recommending sparco, bride, and carbeau. I am not looking for full on racing seat (honestly I can barely drive the car first manual car) I am just looking to see if I should spend a bit more and change the whole seat instead of just the switch. Please let me know of your opinion. Sorry if I blabed too much just really excited about my car.
Thank you in advance
Thank you in advance
First thing I'd do is check your VIN on the VIN check here on the site. Enthusiast Z did not have power seats so you're more than likely in possession of a Touring model.
Secondly, if you found that the switch was fried (presumably you checked it with VOM or there were actual bits of the switch floating around) but you found a replacement, what's the issue? Replace the switch. However, if it's intermittent, I'd first try electric cleaner to clean out any gumming inside. After so many years, accumulated grime does affect operation. Might be as simple as degreasing the switch.
#3
New Member
Thread Starter
![Default](https://my350z.com/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
First thing I'd do is check your VIN on the VIN check here on the site. Enthusiast Z did not have power seats so you're more than likely in possession of a Touring model.
Secondly, if you found that the switch was fried (presumably you checked it with VOM or there were actual bits of the switch floating around) but you found a replacement, what's the issue? Replace the switch. However, if it's intermittent, I'd first try electric cleaner to clean out any gumming inside. After so many years, accumulated grime does affect operation. Might be as simple as degreasing the switch.
Secondly, if you found that the switch was fried (presumably you checked it with VOM or there were actual bits of the switch floating around) but you found a replacement, what's the issue? Replace the switch. However, if it's intermittent, I'd first try electric cleaner to clean out any gumming inside. After so many years, accumulated grime does affect operation. Might be as simple as degreasing the switch.
#4
350Z/370Z Tech Moderator
MY350Z.COM
MY350Z.COM
![](https://my350z.com/forum/images/ranks/premier.gif)
![](https://my350z.com/forum/images/ranks/moderator.gif)
![Default](https://my350z.com/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
hi thanks for the reply you were right I did run my vin with the sites decoder it is a touring package. Inside the swith the springs were all messed up and the connectors looked all messed up I was able to move abit back and forth just little bit with the hard presses using screw drivers to check if the seats motors were broken but they were running fine at the end i did mess up the switches even more as I went deeper into it so I don't think bring the switch back to working order is possible at least with my skill sets. I might have went off the track with my post was my question was was is it worth spending $100 bucks on a new switch or spend a bit more and get a whole new seat? I don't really care much about the heated seats and the powered seats.
I’m not a big fan of power seats in my “fun car” so opted out if Touring package when I was shopping.
That said, also not a fan of cheap seats either. A lot don’t give these cheap copy seats a second thought but I do.... I want my seat to protect me if I (or someone on other side of road/track) makes a mistake. Easy to find rep Brides or Recaros for about your quoted price but no thanks. Just IMO.
Other option besides replacing the switch would be to find a decent, second hand, manual original seat. I see them fairly often and have almost bought a couple of spares. Pretty cheap too for a pretty decent performance seat.
Good luck!
#5
![Default](https://my350z.com/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I get the part about “messing up the switches more”, haha. BTDT.
I’m not a big fan of power seats in my “fun car” so opted out if Touring package when I was shopping.
That said, also not a fan of cheap seats either. A lot don’t give these cheap copy seats a second thought but I do.... I want my seat to protect me if I (or someone on other side of road/track) makes a mistake. Easy to find rep Brides or Recaros for about your quoted price but no thanks. Just IMO.
Other option besides replacing the switch would be to find a decent, second hand, manual original seat. I see them fairly often and have almost bought a couple of spares. Pretty cheap too for a pretty decent performance seat.
Good luck!
I’m not a big fan of power seats in my “fun car” so opted out if Touring package when I was shopping.
That said, also not a fan of cheap seats either. A lot don’t give these cheap copy seats a second thought but I do.... I want my seat to protect me if I (or someone on other side of road/track) makes a mistake. Easy to find rep Brides or Recaros for about your quoted price but no thanks. Just IMO.
Other option besides replacing the switch would be to find a decent, second hand, manual original seat. I see them fairly often and have almost bought a couple of spares. Pretty cheap too for a pretty decent performance seat.
Good luck!
However a huge fan of seat warmers.
![](https://my350z.com/forum/images/smilies/icon44.gif)
The following users liked this post:
mhembree (05-15-2020)
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
specialized5223
350Z Roadster
20
07-29-2023 05:35 AM
DarkCreep
Maintenance & Repair
8
11-17-2015 11:04 AM