Loose seat adjustment switches on the console

[bcrdoc]

Any idea how the get to the switches to tighten them up?

1989 TC

[Guest Stephen Lyons]

A common problem that unfortunately does not have an easy solution. You must remove the console to get at these & fixing is not just a matter of retightening. The switches come loose because they are retained by plastic tabs that shear off. If you can find the pieces, an epoxy repair will sometimes do the trick. Otherwise you will have to improvise.

[ghostymosty]

I took the carpet on the passenger side of the console out (cardboard behind the carpet was already broken by bending)after taking the two screws out of the rear of the console and the two screws out of the front of the console. You have to pull the leather piece with the Maserati logo off first by pulling outward (4 clips). I used black silicone to hold the switch up onto the woodgrain by putting huge dollups of it where the plastic screw tubes were broken off and a little around the perimeter of the switch itself. Holding it in place was a long term thing but it stays up now and without a permanent gluing solution.

[Guest Jeffn]

I did a Rube Goldberg fix on mine today. Hold them in place and then lasso the middle button with 2 intertwined zip ties(big ones) so that the loops hold the knob above the console hole but loose enough so they cover the hole thereby not allowing the knobbed switch to fall back into it again.

I first was going to packing tape them up over the flat switches but a light bulb went off and this works fine so far.

[Mad_Bohemian]

Hi BC,

To get the console out is a bear. Once you get the console screws out to where it is loose, you should be able to lift the console enough to get a small hand inside and undo the tab clips that hold the plugs to the switch itself (much easier said than done) I don't quite remember how I finally managed to get mine off with my fat hands (I think I snaked a long screwdriver in with the console lifted as high as I could get it and pried the clips open one end at a time)I do remember that I was thankful there were no small children around at the time If you do decide to go the long route I would suggest making an extension harness to lengthen the wire assembly so you never have the hassle again. I did that on mine and it worked great. Just get some wire of the same gauge and some of the male/female wire plugs that you can crimp on. Cut the existing switch plugs off leaving enough wire with the plug so you can crimp a wire plug on the end. Cut a bunch of the new wire in 4-6 in lengths and put a female plug on both ends. Then put male plugs on the wires in the car and on the wires that are with the plug that attaches to the switches. Just keep track of which wire goes where when you are connecting everything using your new extender harness. Hope that helps....

[89TC-16V]

i repaired mine with longer screws. didnt do too shabby either. plastic weld or 5 min epoxy is also helpful if you have to fix cracks, i had one to do

[Guest vicsik1969]

As stated, this is a common problem. Somewhere I read to make replacement fittings with hose and to fill these holes with hard epoxy. Here's what it looked like before I placed the switches back on. So far, they have held up well but its only been a month or so.

[Guest My TC Toy]

Vicsic1969

I did exactly what you did as far as replacing the length of the original attachment pins. I went one step further and attached small fender clips (4 in total) on to the corners of the switches, I then drilled four small holes up through the original pins and through the console face. Then I drilled out counter-sunk holes in the panel face to install four screws through the face of the panel to the fender clips. These screws hold the switches much more secure than they were originally. After a little time mixing a small amount of paint to match the panel woodgrain the four small screw heads are all but invisable. One thing for sure, the switches will mever come loose again.

Hope this was some help.

[car_chick]

We did the epoxy in the holes, PLUS we packed super dense foam below the switches to help support them from below. That was what they did originally and when the foam degraded there was no additional support for the switches, which is why they break in the first place.