HI ALL im new hear.have just purchased a 88 firebird .sumthing that puzzles me.the front seats tip forward for access to rear seats.should the seats lock in the upright position.seats adjust but will flop forward with no lock to use previos owner said thay been like this all time he has owned the car .thanks for any hellp steve.

 

I have the same problem, something with the mechanism inside. Remove the plastic cover
and see if anything is bent or broken. I know somewhere in the forum there is a article
what to look for.

 

They Use An Inertia Type Front Seat Back Lock System.

 

If you googleInertia Type Front Seat Back Lock System there is a PDF download,
got to fix mine someday.

 

Thanks ill look that up

 

The stock seats don't lock unless the car is parked on an incline, in which case you have to use the lever on the seat back to fold the seat forward.

 

Correct, why would there be a release lever on the seatback if they're not on permanent lock! It's the shoulder belt that inertia locks, not the seatback.

Try a little spray lube on that lever, it may not be fully seated, allowing the seatback to pivot forward.Think that happened with mine once.

 

Stock seats do NOT lock in place. I thought I had the same problem until a dozen members here confirmed that their seats all do the same thing. The 4th gen car lock i believe but not ours. Drew explained it perfectly a few post ago.

 

I'm really confused now, because I have one seat that locks all the time and one that does not lock. I thought it was just a common issue with these cars that it doesn't lock? Seems like it should lock all the time like my passenger seat.

 

Would it be normal if your unoccupied pass seatback tilted forward whenever you slow down or brake.Inertia lock only activates under sudden stop/extreme hard braking.The rest of the time the seat back is free to flop about, doesn't sound right to me.
If a dozen members said they have the same condition with their seatback/s.Then dozen more members have non functional seat locks.
The release lever is described in the owners or service manual.I've seen in there somewhere.It isn't just forth gens.

 

It's The Seat Back Not The Belt.

 

Strange I thought mine locked, was ready to take them apart. I know there is a black
lever in the center. I will have to park on a hill and check it out.

 

There are so many things you learn when you read the owners manual.

 

I gotta find my service manual, I swear I read something about that lever in there.

 

It is a common problem, but If the seat-back lever has to be used every time you try to push the seat back forward then it "should" be fixed. ( had something to do with occupant safety ?!? )

If you grab a seat hinge and hold it firmly so it doesn't open/close, then shake the entire assembly,.......... You can hear the inertia lever rattle around inside the hinge.

I always hated it when I had a Seat that wouldn't just push forward after opening the door, I realize the release lever is 'right there',...but it still bothered me every time I did it. ( until I replaced the seat hinge !! )

 

Haha, guess the one I thought was broken is working and the one I thought was working is broken.

 

Just gotta' go with your gut on those 50 - 50 gambles !!! I know that feeling, kinda' like suddenly realizing that you've been singing a song with the wrong lyrics - for a couple years !!

 

By seat hinge do you mean the recline mechanism deal on the side of the seat?

 

Yup, that's the one.

 

From the Owners Manual!!
I always thought they were not working also!!

 

I can tell you from experience that in an accident they will lock and not go forward.

 

A trick to help keep the passenger seat from flopping forward under braking is to tilt the seat back towards the rear a couple of notches. It lowers the center of gravity so the inertia has less effective on the seat back.

 

This almost deserves a sticky. I bet a ton of guys were vaguely thinking their seats were busted! I sure was. ..The levers on basically every other 2dr car I've ever been in always had to be used to unlock the seat for back passenger entry/exit. Well, great to know. One less thing.

 

Yeah thanks for this! Thought I had a busted seat!