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Thread: Electric headrest fix - the coat hanger trick

  1. #1
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    11/88 E32 750iL+98 E36M3

    Electric headrest fix - the coat hanger trick

    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 easier 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

    http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...Headrest-Stuck
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Japan
    Posts
    54,654
    My Cars
    11/88 E32 750iL+98 E36M3
    BMW E32, E34 Headrest Repair for FREE... 735i, 740i, 750il, 535i, 540i https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4pcjV9WUls

    here also
    BMW 735i - E32, E34 SRS Light Repair - Clockspring replacement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMJ8sgONhRY

    BMW E32 735i - REPLACING TRUNK STRUTS / LIFT SUPPORTS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfelCikzdhM
    Last edited by shogun; 03-19-2023 at 02:56 AM.
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

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