In article <c.zempel-(E-Mail Removed)>,
Chip Zempel <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Does anyone know how to remove the rear seat headrests on a 2000 C70
> convertible?
>
> This is just for one night - for a homecoming parade. We'll put 'em
> right back on after the parade. The girls will be sitting on the rear
> deck. With long "princess gowns" on, those headrests are going to be
> extremely awkward!
>
> The manual doesn't show any way to do this. There's supposed to be some
> sort of attachment point for a child seat harness under the headrests,
> but I can't even get my fingers between them and the seat.
>
> I tried just pulling up -- not as hard as I could, but pretty hard,
> nonetheless -- and they wouldn't budge.
>
> TIA
>
> Chip
Okay - got this one figured out myself, with some help from John at SVS
in Sacramento. John hadn't done this and didn't have a body manual, but
he told me that our local dealer (Turner Volvo) had told him that you
have to remove the seat back to get at the mounting clips that hold the
headrests in place.
DISCLAIMER: First of all, don't blame me if anything goes wrong! Proceed
cautiously, and if anything doesn't make sense, stop what you're doing
and have a professional work on it. I would assume that other C70
convertibles are similar to mine, but that's no guarantee. The same
advice goes for replacing the headrests. If you aren't sure they're
securely re-installed, have a professional look at it. Second of all,
none of this should be construed as encouraging anyone to tamper with
the safety features of their car! (After all, wasn't safety one of the
reasons you bought a Volvo in the first place?) We removed the headrests
for a homecoming parade at less than 5 miles per hour around a football
track and they're going to be replaced when the parade is over.
The amateur lawyer in me is telling me that I may now proceed with the
instructions...
1) Remove the center armrest cushion. (This isn't completely necessary,
but I found it helpful. It gives more room to work, and you can look in
through the gap and see the mounting clips when you get to that stage.)
On the 2000 C70, the cushion comes out completely if you undo a plastic
web clip.
2) Remove the rear seat bottom cushion.
There are two clips near the front of the cushion; each one is more or
less near the center of each seat pan. Grip the front lower edge of the
cushion near these points and lift briskly to pop the clips out of their
mounts. Slide the seat cushion forward (noting how the rear edge tucks
under the seat back and around the seat belt hardware) and lift the
cushion out of the car.
3) Loosen (but do not remove!) the seat back cushion.
The seat back is held in place by two nuts that are located at the lower
outside corners of the seat back cushion. (They're kind of up and under
the cushion corners a little bit.) You may need a deep socket and an
extension to get at these. Also note that you do _not_ have to remove
the seat belt attachments near the center of the seat.
4) Release the headrest locking clips.
Note how the felt "seals" are arranged around the seat belt attachment
points in the center. Lift the cushion and peer in through the center
gap where the armrest cushion was. (You can pull the cushion up quite a
bit without hurting anything, but note that the headrests come down
_through_ the cushion so you can't remove the seat back without removing
the headrests first!) Way up at the top, inside, you'll see two white
plastic clips on each side where the chrome shafts for the headrest
comes down from above. Each clip has three legs. Two of these legs -- on
the sides of the headrest shaft -- are shorter. The central leg -- in
the front of the headrest shaft -- is longer and curves down around the
bottom of the shaft and towards the back of the car. Hook your finger in
the curve of this central piece and pull towards the front of the car.
(On mine, when I did this, I felt a little *click* as the clip released.
I'm not sure you will always feel this, though.)
5) At this point, you should be able to remove the headrests by lifting
them straight up.
6) Replace the seats and armrest.
Replace the back cushion, being careful to get the felt parts around the
seat belt attachments and the nylon attachment for the armrest cushion
in the proper places, and re-attach the nuts at the lower outside
corners. Replace the lower seat cushion, paying special attention to the
way it fits around the seat belt buckles on the sides and the seat belt
attachments in the center. Be sure not to trap the nylon web for the
armrest. Press firmly down on the front edge of the seat cushion to snap
the clips back into place. Replace the armrest cushion.
I haven't replaced the headrests yet. (The parade isn't for a couple
more hours yet.) But it looks like the seat back presses on the clips in
such a way that when the seat is in place, the clips will automatically
lock on the headrests when they're put back. I expect I'll be able to
feel them click onto the shafts.
If not, I guess I'll just have to take everything apart again. <g>
Chip
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