Removing Captain's Chairs

maz

maz

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Bizeljsko, Slovenia
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Since March 2011
We'd like to remove the two swivelling captain's chairs in the cab to get at the batteries hidden below. Can anyone explain in simple terms what we need to do to get the chairs off without damaging either them or ourselves? Which bolts to remove first etc? Van is based on a 2010 Ducato. Thank you.
 
hi, im sure if you go on u-tube someone will have posted a video. have a look at fitting seat swivel, it shows how to remove the seat. what I cant understand is why the batteries would be sited with no way to maintain or renew them without removing seats ? also the seats are very heavy watch your back
 
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On my last Ducato.......

Slide the seat right back and undo the two bolts on the front of the seat box Holding the runners
slide the seat right forwards and undo the two bolts INSIDE the seat runner.
the rear ones may or may not be star bolts needing a six point spline driver.

The seats are heavy and cumbersome so take care.
 
upload_2015-4-12_21-30-15.png


Found this on Google Images - hope it helps!

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Maz, if it is the engine battery you are after I think you will find it under the floor infront of the passenger seat.

If you do remove the seats make sure you take no chances with the air bags which are dangerous if set off.
 
My 2009 fiat doesn't have batteries under front seats, the leisure battery is under rear seat, the van battery is under front floor.
 
pappajohn said:
On my last Ducato.......

Slide the seat right back and undo the two bolts on the front of the seat box Holding the runners
slide the seat right forwards and undo the two bolts INSIDE the seat runner.
the rear ones may or may not be star bolts needing a six point spline driver.

The seats are heavy and cumbersome so take care.
Click to expand...

On a similar note, I have a Ducatto, sounds the same. Yes, getting to the battery is not easy..
On my drivers seat (non swivel) there are two leavers on the left hand side with triangular handles that appear to do nothing when pulled up. They seem to be connected towards front and rear respectively but as I say nothing happens when they are operated. Any ideas?
 
Old Soldier said:
On a similar note, I have a Ducatto, sounds the same. Yes, getting to the battery is not easy..
On my drivers seat (non swivel) there are two leavers on the left hand side with triangular handles that appear to do nothing when pulled up. They seem to be connected towards front and rear respectively but as I say nothing happens when they are operated. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Seat adjusters.

If sat in the seat they do nowt....you need to take SOME weight off the seat and the front or back, depending which lever is pulled (possibly pushed forwards or pulled back) and the seat will raise.
They are light and flimsy which is why they appear to lift up
seat slider should be on the front for fore and aft movement.
 
My 2010 seats have a front and rear tilt facility using handles that are on the "outside" of each seat. To tilt back you need to operate the rear lever and push up with your feet and the seat will go back. Similarly by operating the front lever and putting lots of weight on the front of the set it will go down. With both ends pushed down you have lowered the seat and with both up you raise the seat and with either one you have a tilt function for the base of the seat forwards or backwards.

We run with our seats on the high setting so they need effort to do anything to get them lower. If you run with the seats on the low settings then they will pop up if you use the levers.

Of course there may be different models of seat and your handles are just blanks that don't do anything.

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Last edited:
pappajohn said:
Seat adjusters.

If sat in the seat they do nowt....you need to take SOME weight off the seat and the front or back, depending which lever is pulled (possibly pushed forwards or pulled back) and the seat will raise.
They are light and flimsy which is why they appear to lift up
seat slider should be on the front for fore and aft movement.
Click to expand...


Thought that was the case but they don't do anything, even if I'm right off the seat. They seem to only pull upwards but I will try again tomorrow. Thanks.
 
Old Soldier said:
Thought that was the case but they don't do anything, even if I'm right off the seat. They seem to only pull upwards but I will try again tomorrow. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Use a torch and, as best as you can, look under the seat to see how and which way they should move.
they wont be there for show.
 
pappajohn said:
On my last Ducato.......

Slide the seat right back and undo the two bolts on the front of the seat box Holding the runners
slide the seat right forwards and undo the two bolts INSIDE the seat runner.
the rear ones may or may not be star bolts needing a six point spline driver.

The seats are heavy and cumbersome so take care.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, PappaJohn. That's just what I needed to know. :thanks3:
 
icantremember said:
Maz, if it is the engine battery you are after I think you will find it under the floor infront of the passenger seat.

If you do remove the seats make sure you take no chances with the air bags which are dangerous if set off.
Click to expand...

Hi Brian. No, it's the leisure batteries I'm after - I know there is one under each cab seat plus one in an external locker. As you say, the engine battery is under the passenger footwell.
 
pappajohn said:
On my last Ducato.......

Slide the seat right back and undo the two bolts on the front of the seat box Holding the runners
slide the seat right forwards and undo the two bolts INSIDE the seat runner.
the rear ones may or may not be star bolts needing a six point spline driver.

The seats are heavy and cumbersome so take care.
Click to expand...
I do it the other way about to get at the battery under the passenger seat (2003 Ducato).
I side the seat fully forward to get at the rear bolts then back to take off the front bolts. Replacement is a reversal but I only hand tighten the front bolts to allow adjustment for locating the rear bolts. All four bolts are hex key.

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maz said:
Thanks for that, PappaJohn. That's just what I needed to know. :thanks3:
Click to expand...




Almost sure you will need a #40 star bit, got mine from Halfords, and no! you can buy just the bit, you don't have to buy a complete kit
 
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pappajohn said:
Use a torch and, as best as you can, look under the seat to see how and which way they should move.
they wont be there for show.
Click to expand...

Sorry to say it, but that's all they are there for!! Each one, front and back is sprung loaded and look as if they would have released the angle of the seat as you say but they are not connected to any release mechanism. I suspect that when the base van (Fiat) was converted and they decided to put the leisure battery under the drivers seat there might have been modifications and these leavers were taken out of use. To be fare, we have had Elle over 10 years now and never needed to make any adjustments so a bit late now!! Thanks for trying to help though...::bigsmile:
 
smiffy502000 said:
sorry, I cant quite see how it is convenient to have to remove a couple of very heavy seats in order to maintain or replace a battery!
Click to expand...
Like many aspects of motorhomes it is a compromise. Having a battery in a locker is convenient for the couple of times a year that it needs to be accessed but it means that the locker can't be used for general storage.
 
smiffy502000 said:
sorry, I cant quite see how it is convenient to have to remove a couple of very heavy seats in order to maintain or replace a battery!
Click to expand...
Most batteries now are maintenance free, i have one battery under each seat saves a lot of well needed storeage.

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Having had Autotrails and Burstner based on Fiats getting to the vehicle batteries was always a pain...
Located under passenger footwell...
And skirt lockers taken up with leisure batteries...
I love the new van N-B where all of the batteries and electronic gubbins are in a dedicated space within the garage and can be easily accessed without harm to one's elderly infirmities...
 
GJH said:
I do it the other way about to get at the battery under the passenger seat (2003 Ducato).
I side the seat fully forward to get at the rear bolts then back to take off the front bolts. Replacement is a reversal but I only hand tighten the front bolts to allow adjustment for locating the rear bolts. All four bolts are hex key.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that Graham. Hopefully we'll be able to remove the seats one way or another. :Smile:
 
GJH said:
Like many aspects of motorhomes it is a compromise. Having a battery in a locker is convenient for the couple of times a year that it needs to be accessed but it means that the locker can't be used for general storage.
Click to expand...
 
In my 2010 Fiat Maxi Ducato my hab batteries are in an external locker which despite them being sealed units is where I prefer them to be.

Under the hab seats I have the Fiat toolkit comprising jack, wheelbrace, towing eye etc under the passenger seat and under the drivers seat I have all my vehicle spares kit comprising light bulb sets, fuses, breathalysers etc. These are readily accessible as small hand held units especially if the police want to review what we have on board

To have to remove the seats to get at the hab batteries strikes me as an absolute design abomination.

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