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      04-27-2012, 04:47 PM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blindmule View Post
Is the second pin on the same post as the button? On the inner part of the post? or on the post without the button?
It is on the post without the button on the inside portion. If you take the headrest completely out you can clearly see it. YMMV!
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      04-27-2012, 05:43 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RxCritical View Post
It is on the post without the button on the inside portion. If you take the headrest completely out you can clearly see it. YMMV!
Thanks for this info! Will give it a try.
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      05-07-2012, 11:05 PM   #25
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Ok guys. We got this.

Left-Right side is in reference to sitting in the rear seat.

[*]Step 1: Locate the correct post. The one without a button.
[*]Step 2: Start rotating the black plastic cover - both clockwise and anticlockwise until you can see the notches on the underside of it. If you push the leather seat down to reveal the underside of the black plastic cover, youll notice there are two clips on the bottom of the cover.
[*]Step 3: Take a 2.5mm flat head screwdriver and pry those clips off to release the plastic cover. This is tricky and stick with it. You can eventually pry them radially outwards.
[*]Step 4: The teeth on the post are on the left side. The pin ACTUALLY is on the left side, but the pushbar is on the right side of the post. See pictures, it looks like a curved piece of metal that you can use a screwdriver to push towards the post.
[*]Step 5:Now push the button on the left post and simultaneously push the push bar on the right side of the right post (!). Voila! The headrest will go all the way down!

I didn't try to take the headrest off but I'll try to take it off and see if I can buy a plastic cover with a button. It is identical mechanism (mirrored to the left post) and should be easy to install a plastic cover with button to facilitate the problem we have at hand. Success. Doesn't take an engineer to figure this out but the fact that I am one, I for one, am PROUD! lol.

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      05-09-2012, 11:36 AM   #26
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If I do this fix and lower down the headrest completely then will I be able to pull it up again to adjust ? ( If someone else is driving and wants the headrest up for example)
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      05-09-2012, 11:41 AM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Can I. View Post
If I do this fix and lower down the headrest completely then will I be able to pull it up again to adjust ? ( If someone else is driving and wants the headrest up for example)
Yes, you can pull it up, but the problem is that when you pull it up, you'll need to take the plastic cover off again and push the pin manually to push them back down.

I am going to order a couple of plastic covers with buttons so that I don't have to hack this again. Just press both buttons and you can even take the headrest out! Or, I can just cannibalize a plastic cover from one of the rear headrests. I am sure it is the same part number. From RealOEM.com, it seems like I can't just order a plastic cover w/button separately. It comes with the entire locking mechanism assembly.

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      06-08-2012, 09:04 AM   #28
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head rest

Quote:
Originally Posted by RxCritical View Post
I got my passenger headrest all the way using a thin pick to push the retaining pin back. I hope to keep it that way.
The funny thing is I was able to get it down normally but when I tried to repeat it did not work.
Were you able to do this from the top of the seat back or did you have to remove the back panel of the
seat back?
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      06-08-2012, 03:39 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seagang View Post
Were you able to do this from the top of the seat back or did you have to remove the back panel of the
seat back?
From the top, there is a gap between the metal rod and the holder. I didn't have to remove anything.
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      07-03-2012, 05:41 PM   #30
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I ended up unscrewing the plastic cover as described, then pulled out what I what looks like a cotter pin metal with plastic ends, after that I could drop the headrest all the way down as well as bring it up and set then all the way back down again
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      07-18-2012, 11:29 AM   #31
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I have the same problem with both headrests in the back seat of my week old 128i convertible. When I took delivery of the car, I noticed the headrests in the back had about 2" of height to them, exposing their chrome support rods. I'm only 5'-8", so when I look in the rear view mirror, the rear headrests at this height obscure my view. Being able to lower them all the way could help give me a little more rearward visibility.

I'll try the screwdriver/pick method mentioned on this thread to see it I can get it to drop.
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      07-18-2012, 11:37 AM   #32
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No. It doesn't. The ones in the back do, but the ones in the front don't seem to want to. I don't think it's a problem; I think it's the way they were designed. The car I'm driving (a service loaner equipped only with PP and CWP, base model (no line)) has the little buttons on that plastic cover through which the headrest posts slide.
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      08-10-2012, 08:54 AM   #33
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Can someone identify exactly where you stick the pin in to release the head rest all the way down?
ThX!
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      08-10-2012, 07:31 PM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blindmule View Post
Is the second pin on the same post as the button? On the inner part of the post? or on the post without the button?
From what I remember, the pin is located on the inner side of the post with a button.
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      08-10-2012, 07:59 PM   #35
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has someone linked the DIY about this on this thread?
if not here's the link
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      08-11-2012, 08:09 AM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phillye30fanboy View Post
has someone linked the DIY about this on this thread?
if not here's the link
Yep I put that up last week. I believe the headrest stems have different cutout grooves that make them lock in place on that pin with the non adjustable side. So it turn it wont allow for the full adjustment of the headrest. Have no clue why BMW did this

In any case easy fix. And for those of you that dont mind the clamp, and if you dont want to remove the headrest all the way out, you may just be able to pry up on the plastic cap by the headrest without messing with the back cover to the seats and remove the springs. I wanted it all gone so thats the way I have it set up now.
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      08-11-2012, 08:17 AM   #37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by npgatech View Post
Ok guys. We got this.

Left-Right side is in reference to sitting in the rear seat.

[*]Step 1: Locate the correct post. The one without a button.
[*]Step 2: Start rotating the black plastic cover - both clockwise and anticlockwise until you can see the notches on the underside of it. If you push the leather seat down to reveal the underside of the black plastic cover, youll notice there are two clips on the bottom of the cover.
[*]Step 3: Take a 2.5mm flat head screwdriver and pry those clips off to release the plastic cover. This is tricky and stick with it. You can eventually pry them radially outwards.
[*]Step 4: The teeth on the post are on the left side. The pin ACTUALLY is on the left side, but the pushbar is on the right side of the post. See pictures, it looks like a curved piece of metal that you can use a screwdriver to push towards the post.
[*]Step 5:Now push the button on the left post and simultaneously push the push bar on the right side of the right post (!). Voila! The headrest will go all the way down!

I didn't try to take the headrest off but I'll try to take it off and see if I can buy a plastic cover with a button. It is identical mechanism (mirrored to the left post) and should be easy to install a plastic cover with button to facilitate the problem we have at hand. Success. Doesn't take an engineer to figure this out but the fact that I am one, I for one, am PROUD! lol.

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Attachment 688021
Another good writeup. Yes like you said its not hard at all. The only thing is I took the springs completely out. If you dont and just push it in, it will eventually lock again if someone adjusts your headrest. Buying a cap with a button does solve the issue, but youre going to have to push 2 seperate buttons just to make the darn thing go down. Dont waste the $ on a cap just take the springs out and you wont ever have to think about this again. Plus full adjustability with one button like it should have been from the get go.
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      08-11-2012, 08:20 AM   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Can258 View Post
If I do this fix and lower down the headrest completely then will I be able to pull it up again to adjust ? ( If someone else is driving and wants the headrest up for example)
No it will lock into place again. You have to take the springs completely out.
Here just follow this http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=727411
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      08-11-2012, 08:38 AM   #39
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Very nice writeup and pictures.

Question: it appears as if the black plastic cap could be removed, and slid up the headrest post, without taking off the entire headrest. Is this the case or is there something which prevents this?
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      08-11-2012, 09:19 AM   #40
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I remember reading about a recall regarding this topic when the F30 first came out. The headrests originally could be moved completely down, but this apparently violated some US safety spec for height (although they were totally correct in Europe).

BMW then made a minor change (and had a limited recall) so that the European headrests still go completely down as before, while the US headrests are fixed to stay slightly up -- unless you use the DIY workaround. I ran into this headrest problem with an F30 loaner car this week -- I also found the headrest to be too high for me (I'm not 6'-1", and yes, I know how to properly adjust a headrest).

BMW probably needs to find a more-expensive fix than just limiting headrest movement for US models.
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      08-12-2012, 05:46 AM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phillye30fanboy View Post
has someone linked the DIY about this on this thread?
if not here's the link
Thanks. Very helpful
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      08-13-2012, 10:33 PM   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Elk View Post
Very nice writeup and pictures.

Question: it appears as if the black plastic cap could be removed, and slid up the headrest post, without taking off the entire headrest. Is this the case or is there something which prevents this?
Yes you can do it this way, and remove the springs. But if you want your headrest to come all the way out, then you have to remove the back panel, and take off the clamp from the stem.
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      08-14-2012, 07:54 AM   #43
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Thanks for bumping this thread - I rem reading about this when the '12s came out - just picked up our '13 last week and the stupid headrest problem remains. My wife is 5'1" so we need it all the way down - going to get the dealer to mess w/it today while in for A.S.S. coding...
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      08-14-2012, 02:18 PM   #44
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OK, checked the headrests once again - so unless a pin is removed, they simply don't go down all the way - the pair of metal bars holding each one up are visible - maybe an inch to an inch and a half. We have to tilt the headrest fwd, which feels kind of awkward, so shorter folks can drive. Sorry, but this is pretty stupid, BMW.
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