Driver Seat Adjustment Motor Noise

[number6photo]

Hi, new member here. I searched this forum but came up empty-handed, so I'll put this issue out there hoping you guys can provide some guidance.

My sister just purchased a used 2011 Buick Lucerne CXL with 48k miles on it. The driver seat fore-aft adjustment motor/track makes considerable noise when operating, although it does actually move the seat forward and back on command. The passenger seat adjustments are normal/quiet. I recorded a video and put it on YouTube, so you can hear it for yourself:

Buick Lucerne driver seat noisy

When she got the car, the easy entry/exit feature was enabled, so the driver seat moved back each time the ignition was switched off, and then back into the previous position each time the ignition was switched back on. Assuming it was like this for its first 48k miles, it's not surprising to me that the driver seat motor, bearings, track, etc. are considerably more worn than the passenger side. Hoping that a little lubrication on the fore-aft ball screws/adjustment mechanism would take care of it, I applied some lithium grease all along the ball screws, and I ran the seat back and forth a few times, but the noise is essentially the same.

GM doesn't stock replacement parts for the Lucerne anymore, so I'm going to try to find some parts at a salvage yard. Although the seat motors themselves are likely interchangeable between the driver and passenger seats, I doubt the ball screw and track mechanisms are. My concern with just buying a salvaged driver seat is that the owner of the salvaged vehicle may have also had the auto easy entry/exit feature enabled, and the salvaged seat could be as bad or worse as my sister's vehicle. If I knew that the motor was the source of the noise, I would likely buy a salvaged *passenger* seat, in hopes that it has seen little action in its lifetime and is quiet. But if the source of the noise is actually seat track parts that are specific to the driver side, then buying a passenger seat would be a waste of time and money.

Any experience on this forum with this problem? Is it the motor itself or something else in the seat track / adjustment mechanism that causes the noise? Is there something that can just be lubricated, or does the worn part likely need to be replaced? If replacement is the only option, can a passenger seat be the donor for the part(s) that need to be replaced?

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can offer!

 

[WalmartTech21]

i watched your video and it sounds like the Fore/Aft motor is weak (likely from constant use of the Easy Exit/Entry feature); they actually used the same seat adjustment system (Part 25869500) in all years the of the Lucerne and in the Cadillac DTS; so you aren't limited to just the Lucerne alone. like you've already mentioned, a vast majority of new OEM parts for the Lucerne are discontinued from GM, so used is likely your only option.

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

Here's a diagram and parts listing site:
https://buick.catalogs-parts.com/#{client:1;page:models;lang:en}

The full track or just motors are available, Ebay or car-part.com, but really no way to know about the quality. Sorry I don't have a parts break down what the difference between memory vs non-memory seat motors/frame but something to be mindful of or possibly ask a GM dealer on parts numbers.