If you are having problems with your Lazy Boy power unit, here is a troubleshooting and how-to guide to help you resolve some of the commonly-reported issues with these recliners.

How to Configure and Use My Lazy Boy Electric Recliner

To assemble motion sofa and chair, follow these instructions:

Lay the back on the seat, and locate the back and body brackets. Lift the back at a slight angle and align the brackets on the back with the brackets on the body. Lower the back onto the body while making sure the back and body brackets are completely engaged. Lock the brackets by using a screwdriver to push down the locking levers.

Pull the outside back upholstery cover down tight, and firmly press the fastening tape on the outside back upholstery cover to the fastening tape on the bottom of the rear rail.

How to Operate a Lazy Boy Electric Recliner

Plug the 120-volt power cable directly into a wall outlet. The power feature is operated by the buttons located on the outside arm; except for the armless recliner, which uses a hand wand.

To raise the leg rest and recline back, press the front button and hold. Release the power switch when the leg rest and back recline reach the desired position. To raise the back and lower the leg rest, press the back button and hold. Release the power switch when the back and leg rest reach the desired position or are completely closed.

To operate an armless recliner:

Press and hold down the top button on the hand wand to raise the back and lower the leg rest. Release the button to stop the back and leg rest in any reclined position or when fully raised. Press and hold down the bottom button on the hand wand to raise the leg rest and recline the back. Release the button to stop the leg rest and back in any reclined position or when fully reclined.

To use the USB charging port:

Plug a small portable electronic device into the USB charging port. The USB port is for charging only and does not carry, save or transfer data.

Breakaway leg rest safety feature

The power units have a breakaway safety feature. If the leg rest encounters most ordinary obstructions while closing, the leg rest will disengage from the mechanism. You will hear a “pop” when the leg rest is disengaged and the leg rest will stop moving.

If the leg rest becomes disengaged from the mechanism, remove the obstruction from the leg rest path. Then firmly press the leg rest closed with your legs until you hear a “pop” indicating the leg rest is reconnected to the mechanism. The leg rest may disengage if you place your full body weight toward the front of the unit while lowering the leg rest. If this happens, firmly push the leg rest closed with your legs.

How to Configure Lazy Boy Electric Recliner Battery Backup

The backup system is designed to return a reclined chair to the upright, closed position for exiting ease during a power interruption. It is not intended to recline the chair. For that, you will need to purchase a separate battery backup system. Lazy Boy recommends replacing the batteries every six months and after each power failure use. The battery backup is located in the power supply and uses two 9-volt alkaline batteries. For battery backup assembly, follow these instructions:

For a power motion sofa, disconnect the power supply from the motor connectors behind the motion sofa. For a modular unit, disconnect the power supply from the motor connector behind the unit.

Why is My LazyBoy Electric Recliner Not Working?

If the leg rest stops moving while closing, it may have disengaged from the mechanism. Follow these instructions to troubleshoot: If the electric recliner does not work, check the following:

Can You Manually Recline a Power Recliner

The power drive recliner mechanism has been limited in certain situations that require the ability to adjust the backrest position even in the event of failure of the motor drive or power supply. The backrest 16, however, is now free to respond to manual applied pivotal force. It can be manually repositioned and in particular, can be manually pushed to a fully erect position from a reclined position in the event of mechanical failure of the drive motor or power failure.

Common Lazy Boy Recliner Problems and How to Fix Them

If your Lazy Boy power legrest is having problems closing all the way, you may have triggered the safety mechanism. The safety feature will prevent you from accidentally closing your legrest on anything. Whn this happens, you will need to reset the safety clips inside of this mechanism. To troubleshoot your Lazy Boy power legrest:

Lift you’re your legrest to the upright position while no one is sitting on the recliner. Firmly press down on each side of your legrest until you hear it click back into place. Press the button to lower your legrest and close it all the way to see if the safety clips have been reset.

If your power recliner won’t move, this happens because of a loose in-line plug. To troubleshoot this problem:

Use a flashlight to check the base and ensure that all the connections of the wire that goes around the base are not loose. Reconnect any loose connections and do some preventative measures by wrapping them in black electrical tape.

If you are having this problem, most likely the recliner’s mechanism is bent or broken. To troubleshoot:

Inspect the recliner to see if any of its parts are bent or broken and replace them or take it to a repairman or authorized dealer.

If you find that your unit reclines way too much when you lean on it, then it means the recliner’s mechanism is not providing enough tension to support your body weight. To troubleshoot:

Increase the tension of the mechanism to fix this problem.

When closing the power recliner using the hand control, the mechanism can cut the hand control’s wire, causing it to stop working it. To troubleshoot:

Locate the hand control’s cut wire underneath the base and twist it back together. Use electrical tape to wrap the cut part and make sure you secure it on the frame, away from the mechanism, using zip ties.

If your feet don’t touch the floor when you sit on the recliner it is because its base it too far from the ground. To fix this:

Adjust the pitch of the recliner downwards in order to bring the base closer to the floor.

How to Adjust Reclining Tension on Lazy Boy Power Sofa

You can adjust the tension of the reclining mechanism to respond to your individual size. To do that, follow these instructions below:

A taller or heavier person may choose to increase the reclining tension by tightening the wing nuts clockwise. A smaller person may choose to decrease the reclining tension by loosening the wing nuts counterclockwise.

Why is My LazyBoy Power Recliner Making Noise?

If your recliner chair makes noise when you move the handle, it is nothing to worry about as the sound is normal. All Lazy Boy recliners make this noise because they work on a ratcheting system. The noise you hear comes from two metal parts rubbing against each other. The mechanism inside the recliner features a pawl and ratchet assembly. This mechanism allows the chair to recline back and forth. When returning the recliner to its upright position by releasing the handle, it can make a loud noise.  The level of noise could depend on where the weight of your body is distributed in the recliner.  Also the type of floor surface, concrete or hard tile floors have a larger noise impact. To reduce the noise level, try the following tips:

Lazy Boy Replacement Parts and How to Find Them

This is a part for rocker recliners that use the side mounting style springs. It can be used as a replacement part for both Lazy Boy recliners and many other models. This is a repair kit for furniture springs that include an eight gauge seat spring that is 18 inches long, two spring clips, two edge wire clips, and four screws. It is also suitable both Lazy Boy recliners and other brands. This is a universal release handle that can be used to replace the broken part of most Lazy Boy recliners, but you still confirm the dimensions before purchasing this replacement part. This is a high quality product and a good replacement part for the broken handle of your recliner. The product doesn’t include the cable, but comes with screws and simple installation instructions. This motor by Okin is a great replacement for your broken or non-functioning Lazy Boy power recliner motor. This power cable is designed to be used with power recliners or lift chairs. It is used to connect the motor with the power supply transformer. It features a 2-pin connector, and is compatible with a number of brands. This kit has everything you will need to replace your Lazy Boy power recliner transformer. Apart from the transformer which comes with a backup battery, the kit contains a motor to power supply cable and a power cord.

Lazy Boy Recliner Error Codes and Their Meaning

When the control unit detects an error, an error code is displayed on the hand wand to identify the cause. The following are some of the error codes and what they actually mean:

LazyBoy Recliner USB Port Not Working

The USB port is for charging only and does not carry, save or transfer data. If the unit is powered by the battery backup only, then the USB charging port might be disabled.

How to Disassemble a Lazy Boy Recliner Sofa

To remove a back, unplug the 120 volt power cord from the electrical outlet and disconnect the dual motor junction cable from the motor connectors behind each end of the power motion sofa. Reverse the assembly instructions steps to disassemble.