Firstfives.org

There are three levers: door side paddle for front, back, right side for seat back tilt, and a lever on the right side, mid-seat for elevation.

What's the deal with that one ? Mine is stuck. Fortunately where it fits me, but because it's stuck to not go back as far as I believe it should, I pulled the seat.

Drowned the hinges and levers in penetrating oil, no luck. Saw springs, ratchets, sliders, pulled the lever and stood on the rails, nope. What I didn't see was obvious bolts to loosen. Only high tension springs, torsion bars (?) that looked loaded for bear. Put it all back, bounced and wiggled with the lever back. No joy.

As you discovered, I believe the HT springs will not allow the mechanism to operate when it is not in service. Mine adjusts, and I forget which way does what, but in one position (back, or forward) the seat 'rocks' in place a few degrees, in the other position, and this is where the springs come into play, your body weight will allow the seat to be 'pushed' adjusting the elevation. Sort of an adjustment that makes the seat 'sink' lower and back, or 'rise' a little closer to the dash, in addition to the track adjustment. It's kinda neat when it works, but you find your 'spot' and it generally gets frozen there. Put it back together and try and work it out in place.

edit: my bad - upon consulting the OWNER'S MANUAL(!), Mike's description on how it works below is correct.

I also learned something I didn't know by reading the previous paragraph in the manual that states "If the seats are slid fully forwards and the headrests pulled out, the seat backs can be fully reclined." Pg. 20 Whadyya know...

That tilt one can get stiff and reluctant to move. You probably already know this, but it moves both ways and you push it forward to raise/lower the front part of the seat, and back to do the same to the rear. Since you've lubed it, I'm surprised it isn't cooperating, does the lever feel like it's moving and disengaging? That's the biggest problem I've had with them, once the lever has moved, even with old sticky grease in there it would still tilt, but remember, only one end at a time.

Thanks. I'll probably be motoring when the loose juice kicks in and I wind up in the back seat.