Third row seats, backs won't unfold

I'm having trouble with both my third row seats on a '99 Disco 2.

The backs will not fold up when the seat latches. I've had the Disco for about 3 months and the previous owner hadn't used anything behind the driver/passenger at all, so 'something' has likely rusted, but I can't see anything obvious (there's plenty of rust, just none that seems to be causing this problem)!

On the seat, the mechanism should be doing this...

1. Push the green lever, to unclip the seat base from the body and swing it out
2. The seat base comes down on a bar on the floor, engaging a latch (the one that is released by twisting half of the rear bar), just a like a car door latch.
3. The 'unfolding' as the seat base goes down moves a welded 'tooth' on the seat frame to allow a sprung hook to go over it (there is a felt pad on each side of the base to stop the two bits of seat 'clunking' together).
4. The sprung hook has a 'lump' attached on the outer edge of the seat, which moves out of the way so that you can turn the lever on the inner edge and unfold the seat.

On mine, step '3' isn't happening, the seat doesn't fold flat enough, so the lump stops the back being unfolded. When it is flattened as much as possible, there is a couple of mm of clearance between the felt pad and the bit of the frame that should be pressed against it, and a corresponding couple of mm movement required for the 'lump'.

If I fold the seat enough for the 'tooth' to be out of the way, I can open the back, so that bit works OK, but when the seat is flat, I can see the hook doesn't go over the tooth, and that stops the back being released.

I'm guessing it's a bit of rust in the hinge somewhere, but it's all moving freely, has anyone else found this and fixed it, or do I just need to take it apart until I find it?

Thanks in advance!

www.discovery2.co.uk / Rear "Dickie" Seats - Stuck

Have a look at this.

meego said:

www.discovery2.co.uk / Rear "Dickie" Seats - Stuck

Click to expand...

Thanks meego, I had seen and tried that and similar suggestions but it didn't free up. The problem isn't that the locking pin is stuck (which seemed to be the problem on that page), it's moving freely, it's somewhere else in the hinge which is stopping the seat folding out flat so the locking pin is quite rightly staying locked. I'm sure grease in the right place will sort it but trying to find the right place is the problem!

I think Cannot unfold 3rd row seats - Land Rover Forums - Land Rover Enthusiast Forum is my problem, but there are no solutions posted, and even putting pressure on it won't let the hook engage, but I can see why that would work if it was closer.

I will try applying more grease around the hinge and exercising it.

I think "exercising" it is a fair description. Mine were stuck, and I followed the links advice. Bit of work, lube and manipulation worked for me. A bit like other things in life...