I cant seem to lift out the head rests. Mrs. wants to fit some decent seat covers. Fed up with the manky original discoloured blue panels when they get wet.
General Head rest removal.
- Thread starter bimmer
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General Head rest removal.
On one of the two fittings on top of the seat is a button you press to raise or lower the headrest. If you look in the same place on the other fitting, there’s a flush button. Press this in with the end of the key and it will release the other side... best done with two people as you need three hands - one pressing each button and the other lifting the headrest
Photo to go with previous post. On the front seats, the hidden button is a small square in the centre of a longer plastic section, on the side of the fitting facing towards the doors (as in the photo). The rear seats are similar, but the button is on the 'inside' of the fitting, and the whole button is longer in shape. (Ah ha - once again, photo from iPhone appears upside down when posted here)
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Something to keep in mind as per my similar experience removing the headrests, and as explained by my local dealer service technician:
The front headrests have active whiplash prevention, so in a collision the headrests slam forward to keep contact with the back of the head and prevent neck injuries. That's why there's so much faffing about to remove them, and the owners manual therefore fervently dissuades owners of doing so (without explaining in detail why they shouldn't, or how they can if they absolutely need to). That being said, the anti-whiplash mechanism is linked to the seatbelt and collision sensors so even if the headrest isn't in place, it will probably go off in a crash, requiring replacement of the front seat headrest mechanisms (which is probably the least of your worries after a crash).
The front headrests have active whiplash prevention, so in a collision the headrests slam forward to keep contact with the back of the head and prevent neck injuries. That's why there's so much faffing about to remove them, and the owners manual therefore fervently dissuades owners of doing so (without explaining in detail why they shouldn't, or how they can if they absolutely need to). That being said, the anti-whiplash mechanism is linked to the seatbelt and collision sensors so even if the headrest isn't in place, it will probably go off in a crash, requiring replacement of the front seat headrest mechanisms (which is probably the least of your worries after a crash).
Thank y'all for that info. Er Indoors will be chuffed she can buy her seat covers.
I have a hunch that the headrest system is not linked in the way the belts are (where electronic collision sensors 'fire' explosive charges to retract the belts). Instead, the headrest mounts are mechanically-linked to the centre of the backrest cushion, and hard pressure on that (which will happen if the car is hit from behind) pulls the headrest tubes forward against a spring, pivoting on a bolt at either side. See this cutaway from the parts listing where you can see that... https://www.fiatdalys.lt/diagrams/1B/1B64B73BE582323AC136D3979B77B32E.png
Item 6 in the diagram is the retention mechanism for the headrest system. It's ''armed'' in that once in position, activating it breaks it (releasing the springs in the top to yank up and pull the headrest forward) but as you said, it's activated by the pressure of the occupant.
On re-reading this, I think the OP only wanted to remove them to allow seat covers to be fitted, and then to put them back again?
Exactly that Herts Hillhopper.
Thanks to all.
Thanks to all.
