headrest fix - the coat hanger trick

[shogun]

Actually, the headrests are easier to fix than the infamous "seat twist" problem. You can perform the same type of "cable shortening" as in the seat twist repair...or you can do the really simple "coat hanger" kludge...

The coat hanger repair:
You will need a 1/4" piece of metal coat hanger...it will be inserted into the motor housing where the end of the cable goes. What it does is center the cable within the sheathing which has stretched over time.

1. Remove the rear seat cover
2. You will see the headrest motor mounted on a small shelf on the right side (of the passenger seat...I'm not sure if it's on the left side on the driver's seat...never had the cover off of it)... (see pic below)
3. take a pair of pliers and "gently fold back the metal tangs that secure the leather, near the headrest motor. You can undo the screws that hold the motor to the shelf...but this is a bear and it's easer just to remove the whole little shelf. If you pull the leather back far enough...you will see that the shelf is held on by two screws on the side that faces the B pillar...undo these screws and remove the shelf & motor as one unit.
4. with the motor & shelf removed...undo the screws that hold the motor to the shelf (see red arrows in pic below) and remove the drive cable from the motor.
5. insert the straight 1/4" of metal coat hanger (or something equivalent) up into the motor, then re-insert the drive cable.
6. insert your key into the ignition and turn to POS 2 so that you can "TEST" the headrest before reassembling. If it works...just reverse your procedure and remount the motor & shelf to the seat frame, replace the leather, then the seat back.
http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/headrest2.jpg
http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/headrest2.jpg

[mattyb]

than.x shogun, did this yesterday and both sides are now all good. the drivers side is mounted the same and almost identical, apart from the what i would think is the module for memory seats to the bottom of the motor hence requiring a half inch rather than 1/4. due to the lenght difference there is an additional mount for the seat fixing which sits between the motor and mem module. if this doesnt go in right the motor assembly wont fit as there is a spring at the top the seat frame. could not get the seat tilt done, though it makes a clicking noise like its trying to engage there is no motor turning. this is not a cable drive but rather a cog drive, maybe relay?

thanx again