Removing Rear Seats - BMW Forum

loveless4577 · 04-04-2008, 12:05 PM

I am having my lowering springs installed today and I want to save myself some money by removing my rear seat ahead of time. I am not sure how to do this and I don't want to f@ck it up. Help.

AlpineSixAndSeven · 04-04-2008, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loveless4577

I am having my lowering springs installed today and I want to save myself some money by removing my rear seat ahead of time. I am not sure how to do this and I don't want to f@ck it up. Help.

? never heard you had to.... airt your shock towers in the trunk?

loveless4577 · 04-04-2008, 03:32 PM

No. They are behind the rear seats and underneath the rear speakers. Crazy I know.

winters97E39 · 04-05-2008, 03:12 PM

It's pretty easy, I removed the rear seat when I put in wires for my stereo.

Here are the instructions from the Bentley manual:

Pull the front of the rear seat cushion up to release the clips. While holding the front of the cushion up, pull it forward to remove it.

Remove the left and right side backrest mounting fasteners. (They are down by where the seatbelt is bolted in.)

Pull up on the backrest to detatch it from the top retainers. Slide backrest to the side to clear the seatbelts while removing. note: if your car is equipped with rear heated seats, detatch the electical connectors as you remove teh seat components.

When re-installing, be sure to pull the seatbelts and buckles up through the appropriate slots in the seat cushion.

If you need to remove the headrests for some reason, just slide them up as far as possible, then press the guides back and pull it upward to remove it.

dheista · 09-19-2009, 07:13 PM

Just wondering if anyone has pics or experience with a 1997 528 or similar. I have the back seat cushion out, but can't quite figure out how to get the rear backrest out. There's a couple latch looking things near the center seat belt bolts, but they look more like just latches to keep the backrest in place. Are there bolts to remove? If so - what's the general vicinity?

Just looking to thread a simple iPod wire through from the trunk!!

rashid · 09-22-2009, 10:38 PM

winter97e39 has explained it very well & you should find it easy.

dheista · 09-22-2009, 10:49 PM

Actually Rashid, it wasn't clear at all. That's why I posted here after finding (and of course reading) the post.

So I did manage to get it done. But after a lot of searching for exactly how the rear seat backrest is actually fastened. On my car - there are bolts that needed to be unscrewed, fortunately using the tools in the car tool kit itself - I think it was the #11 wrench. And the bolts were indeed near where the seat belts were fastened. But there are 4 places where the seat belts are fastened - the two inner seat belt receptacles and the two outer seat belt clasps. I was pretty focused on the inner seat belt receptacles since there were also the rear backrest clasps that hold the seat in place - I couldn't quite figure out how to detach those. I even downloaded the Haynes manual (which by the way doesn't do a good job at explaining taking the rear backrest out at ALL!).

Anyway - the original post was good, just not quite idiot proof which I apparently needed. Now that I've discovered there are bolts - I'm all good.

rashid · 09-22-2009, 11:31 PM

you may need a helper to re-install.

After reinstalling the backrest pull it toward the front seats to ensure that brackets are in place. you should also install the headrest. do this before you screw the bolts.

friscojimi · 10-22-2010, 02:41 AM

needing to remove the rear seat cushion and backrest of my 05-530i to resolve and oder problem..anyone with task experience for this episode/Help Please..
thanks..............JIMI