Driver’s seat adjustment

There’s a problem with the driver’s seat in my 2005 Ford Focus LX. The lever on the right-hand side of the seat has no effect on the height and I’m unable to raise the seat any higher. George Woodward

Your seat should be fitted with a small lever that should alter the height of the seat either upwards or downwards with each move. The lever operates on a geared runner in the seat and winds a cog up or down the runner to achieve the desired height. As this lever is not allowing you to raise the seat, two possibilities come to mind. The first is that the two pressure struts have failed and are no longer supplying sufficient pressure to raise the seat when the lever is moved. The second is that the lever mechanism has seized.

If it’s the first problem, it may be possible to lift the seat while moving the lever if you are not sitting in it. The second option would require the seat to be taken out and the squab cover removed to access the mechanism, after which it may be possible to free it off.

If there is any resistance when operating the lever, this gives a third option, which is that the gear within the runner has either broken or come out of line. This will be apparent once the seat squab is removed.