Buddy 125 pet carrier latch won't stay latched

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professorbrother
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Buddy 125 pet carrier latch won't stay latched

Post by professorbrother »

I seem to be having the reverse problem to what I can find here on the forum.

My pet carrier latch doesn't want to stay latched. Any little bit of pressure pulling the seat up and it gives way.

I can take a screwdriver and push down to set the latch then just as easily pull the screwdriver back up to release the latch. If I set the latch the key still releases it, as well. From what I can tell the spring looks 'okay.' I'm stumped!

Has anyone come across this before?
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DeeDee
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Post by DeeDee »

You probably need to release a bit of tension on the seat latch cable. Undo the two black screws on the inside of your leg shield top corners. Undo the #3 Philip screw in the center of the front leg shield panel. Remove the front legshield. You will see the ignition switch and the cable with adjustment coming from it for the seat latch. Use two small adjustable wrenches. Loosen the nut and give the cable a small amount of slack. This should stop the seat from popping open. There have been a couple of detailed threads on this forum with pictures. Give it a search.
Knopf
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Post by Knopf »

DeeDee wrote:You probably need to release a bit of tension on the seat latch cable. And I love this product now. Undo the two black screws on the inside of your leg shield top corners.
Buy some extra straps aswell just to make sure it stays on.
Last edited by Knopf on Thu Sep 07, 2017 1:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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babblefish
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Post by babblefish »

Have you tried cleaning and lubricating the latch? Maybe the locking part of the mechanism is hanging up due to being dry and dirty.
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professorbrother
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Post by professorbrother »

Thanks for the suggestions. I have tried all sorts of tensions on the cable but the only other state I can get the latch in is to not set at all if it's too loose.

I've also made sure the latch is lubricated and don't see any signs of dirt or wear tha would cause it to not stay set.
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babblefish
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Post by babblefish »

There are a bunch of Buddy latches on eBay at the moment for not much money.

This one looks to be the cleanest, used part. They say it's for a 2011-2014 Buddy 170i, but it will fit your 125 because both use the same part number latch assembly. The best part is it's only $8.20, shipped!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2011-2014-Genui ... -M&vxp=mtr

5/7/2017: Oops! Looks like the seller raised the price to $10, though he is taking offers - still a good deal though.
Some people can break a crowbar in a sandbox.
GearsAndSuch
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Post by GearsAndSuch »

I'd recommend taking another look at lubricating the mechanism. It's a very simple device and easily fouled up. I recently had the same problem and discovered I was lubricating the wrong area once I had it apart.

http://gearsandsuch.blogspot.com/2017/0 ... rt_16.html

With some grease and oil, mine now goes with a satisfying click.

You can test to see if maybe it's an alignment issue by actuating the latch with a screwdriver. If the latch won't stay closed, it has a siezed catch. If it regularly clicks/unclick, maybe something is up with the seat or the latch mounting.
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babblefish
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Post by babblefish »

Wouldn't you know it, now my seat is doing the same thing as the OP's. I've lubricated the latch and it does click when I push the seat down, but I can pull the seat up and the latch will, well, unlatch. Not much force required. Manually engaging the latch with the seat up, I can unlatch it easily with a screwdriver. Well fiddlesticks...
Some people can break a crowbar in a sandbox.
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babblefish
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Post by babblefish »

Resurrecting this post because I know this is a recurring problem that some people don't even know they have.

I found the root cause of the seat not staying locked. Examine the photo posted and look at the point where the two metal latches meet (circled in red). When the contact points of those two parts become rounded off, the seat will not stay locked. The green circle shows where the round bar in the seat sits when it's locked. Pulling up on the seat will release the latch marked with a red X. Test your seat to see if your Buddy has this issue.

The only solution that I know of is to replace the entire seat latch mechanism. I suppose if you're handy with a rotary tool (think Dremel) you could reshape the contact points of the two latches to make it work again.
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Buddy seat lock mechanism. This one won't stay locked.
Buddy seat lock mechanism. This one won't stay locked.
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Some people can break a crowbar in a sandbox.
GregsBuddy
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Post by GregsBuddy »

Good latch catch! You're on Jeopardy now...
'09 Yamaha TMAX Large sport scoot.
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