Lumbar Support Repair

A SHOtimes FAQ reader had this problem and solution :

My lumbar support started leaking and I fixed it as shown below. This may be a common problem as Ford routed the plastic air hose around a sharp edge of the seat back. The corner Ford dealer and the factory shop manual advise that the seat needs to be removed to access the inflation mechanismr, but this is a lot of work/expensive and and may trigger damage to other seat componenets. Possible causes of failure are the switch, connecting tubing, or bladder. Ford dealer advised that the bladder rarely fails. Repair the tubing orl bladder as follows:

- Unzip the seatback cover and lift high enough to expose the inflatable bladder and hose. (Only needed to lift it about halfway to the top of the seat to replace the hose.)

- A frayed hose caused by rubbing on a rough edge of the seat frame was the cause of leak.

- My corner Ford dealer wanted $22 for a tubing kit. He didn't have one in stock but said he would order one.

- Neighborhood after market shop didn't have tubing that would fit, but another customer suggested copper tubing.

- $1.49 worth of 3/16" cupper tubing fixed it. Won't fray or rattle with 1/4" vacuum tubing over the top.

- Seat back zipped up as easily as it came off.