Headrest Stuck

**Dan 525** · 01-07-2006, 09:56 PM

My Front power headrest is stuck. When I pull up the power seat adjuster, I hear a motor noise but the headrest does not move. I have tried pressing on the rest while working the switch but I cannot move it at all. I really want to at least get it farther down so I can see over it.
The passanger headrest is the same way.

Any idea?

**Feuerräder** · 01-07-2006, 11:33 PM

I vote you take off the rear panels (pull up and out from the bottom, then down to unhook the top) and see if you can see anything wrong like something being off a track or something...

**Alan** · 01-07-2006, 11:35 PM

Its the worm drive cable pulling out of the socket. Same fix as with the other parts of the seat. Do a search or see www.bmwe34.net. It has been well documented.

**Qsilver7** · 01-08-2006, 10:22 AM

I'm with Alan on this one...the drive cable has come disengaged..and there's an even easier fix that only requres a 1/4 inch of wire coat hanger to fix the problem.

I've written this many times over the years on several boards...so it's easier just to point you to a past link that describes the process: http://bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/e34/7282323-1.html

Take note of the updated instructions..it will make it a lot easier to get access to the headrest motor to undo the drive cable.

What you are basically doing is removing the headrest's motor & shelf off the side of the seat frame so that you can undo the drive cable...you then insert a "straight" piece of wire coat hanger (1/4 inch...no more no less) into the drive...then re-insert the cable. This will help center the cable within the sheathing. It has worked for me on 3 BMW headrests and I haven't had a problem with them since.

(this is where you want to insert the 1/4 inch piece of coat hanger: photo by W. Fong)

(here is the headrest motor on the right side of pic...instead of removing the motor from the shelf first (indicated by the red arrows pointing to the screws)...pull the leather from the tongs on that side of the seat so that you can access the screws on the side of the seat frame that secures the little shelf that the motor is mounted to...remove both...then you can access and remove the screws that hold the motor to the shelf a lot easier: photo by Don Gale)

**Alan** · 01-08-2006, 10:26 AM

Thanks for clarifying my post QSilver, had it not been so late and me so tired, I would have done the same!

**teufel530** · 03-25-2007, 11:05 PM

Guys, Followed your instructions today and it worked like a charm. Probably the easiest repair I've made to date. Thanks

**Qsilver7** · 03-26-2007, 09:27 AM

yep...an incredibly easy but weird fix...but hey...it works!

But the first time I did it...before I found out about the shelf being screwed to the seat frame...it was a bear trying to unscrew the cable from the motor. There is a cut out in the seat frame to reach them, but the angle is weird and I needed a socket with and adjustable elbow...and then one of the screws dropped down into one of the pockets that you can't access in the seat frame!!! ARGHHH!, boy was that frustrating.

Then the 2nd time I did it...something made me pull the leather back, and I saw that the shelf that the motor sits on was screwed (not welded) to the seat frame...which makes the job go so much quicker and definitely less frustrating.

**1 Black Bee** · 03-26-2007, 11:53 PM

I have the same issue with my headrest.. This site is the "bomb". I'm so glad that a friend of mine told me about this site. I have learned so much about my car since I've been reading and posting threads on this site, it's unbelievable. This beats going to dealer or having to take my ride to someone who might try to be me out of some money....thanks guys & gals....

**teufel530** · 03-27-2007, 12:47 AM

I agree. With this website, a Bentley's manual and a good set of tools there is almost nothing that the home mechanic can't fix. I replaced my headgaskets with little to no help by simply reading this forum and by book.

**Whackamac** · 05-26-2007, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by 1 Black Bee

I have the same issue with my headrest.. This site is the "bomb". I'm so glad that a friend of mine told me about this site. I have learned so much about my car since I've been reading and posting threads on this site, it's unbelievable. This beats going to dealer or having to take my ride to someone who might try to be me out of some money....thanks guys & gals....

+3.1415926535897982384626433

I swear I have saved thousands in labor in DIY repairs... I want to publicly thank BFC and all it's members for all the help!

Now off to do my headrests. I have done both "twists" and this should take all of 10 minutes...

**lonce** · 08-21-2007, 04:36 PM

I am going to try and fix this today. See how it goes.

**IamCatman** · 08-21-2007, 11:14 PM

OK ...now for the dumbest question I have ever asked (probably). How do I know if I have power headrests? I have a '95 525iT ...and have never been able to budge the headrests. I have pulled every way possible and they won't budge. Ideas / suggestions?

>^..^<

**Bradams540** · 08-22-2007, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by IamCatman

OK ...now for the dumbest question I have ever asked (probably). How do I know if I have power headrests? I have a '95 525iT ...and have never been able to budge the headrests. I have pulled every way possible and they won't budge. Ideas / suggestions?

>^..^<

There is a lever on the side of your seat that is taller than the rest. Moving it foreward/backward tilts the back of the seat respectively. Pull up on this same lever. You should see your headrest move, or at least a motor should run, in which case.....see above post by Qsilver7

**Ottomattic2usa** · 04-25-2011, 09:59 AM

Does the piece of coat hanger lay horizontal in the drive or do you stand it vertical?

**bubba966** · 04-25-2011, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by Ottomattic2usa

Does the piece of coat hanger lay horizontal in the drive or do you stand it vertical?

Haven't done this myself, but from what I gather of what it's doing you'd want to stand it vertical in the hole before you re-insert the drive cable.

It prevents the cable from moving too far into the sheath on the motor side thus keeping the cable inserted fully into the drive side. The failure is that the cable moves in the sheath towards the motor over time and eventually moves far enough that it's no longer engaged in the drive side. And that little piece of coathanger keeps the cable from fully bottoming out in the motor side which keeps the cable centered in the sheath so that an equal amount of cable is protruding out of each end of sheath and properly engaging both the motor & drive units.

**cornflakecwl** · 04-25-2011, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by bubba966

Haven't done this myself, but from what I gather of what it's doing you'd want to stand it vertical in the hole before you re-insert the drive cable.

It prevents the cable from moving too far into the sheath on the motor side thus keeping the cable inserted fully into the drive side. The failure is that the cable moves in the sheath towards the motor over time and eventually moves far enough that it's no longer engaged in the drive side. And that little piece of coathanger keeps the cable from fully bottoming out in the motor side which keeps the cable centered in the sheath so that an equal amount of cable is protruding out of each end of sheath and properly engaging both the motor & drive units.

I have been putting off the repair fo this just because I am lazy to cut the sheathing and do the hoseclamp trick or the melt and reconnect trick. THIS however is ingenious and I will do it this weekend!!

**bubba966** · 04-25-2011, 04:04 PM

Yeah, think I need to do this to one of mine as well. Had one crap out on me just before my lower timing chain cover got violently busted taking the car off the road. And as it's been a while I don't recall which side needs to be repaired...

**Ottomattic2usa** · 04-25-2011, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by cornflakecwl

I have been putting off the repair fo this just because I am lazy to cut the sheathing and do the hoseclamp trick or the melt and reconnect trick. THIS however is ingenious and I will do it this weekend!!

Let me know how it works out for you?