Hi just picked up my 2003 Octavia laurin and klement estate last week, and has a few niggles to sort out - hoping someone can help!

Firstly, the drivers seat head rest is jammed stuck at its lowest point. I tried a relative amount of violence today but no joy. Still tilts forward but won't move up. Anyone had this before?

Other things to sort are a little squeak from the near side front, maybe a suspension bush or something. Need to find a rear parcel shelf, probably eBay but all look pretty mucky. And upgrade the stereo and possibly some speakers. I'l do some searching for all these, looks like a good knowledge base, but couldn't see anything for the headrest.

Have you tried pushing the release button where the headrest goes into the top of the seat?

Yeah tried that with no luck. Although I think the function of the button should actually release only the last notch to remove the headrest? That's what the passenger side does anyway. There doesn't seem to be any other access into it or the seat

The squeak could be the radiator mounts - a common issue. Or possibly front anti rolbar bushes, though they ted to creak rather than squeak.

The squeak could be the radiator mounts - a common issue. Or possibly front anti rolbar bushes, though they ted to creak rather than squeak.

Or clunk like in my case! Though that might be my welded in droplinks...

Mine clunked when the front wishbone bushes were borked.

 

I'll go for ARB bushes in the first instance.

All sound sensible ideas! I'll have a play under the bonnet later on, see if I can make any better diagnosis cheers all

Spray a bit of WD40 or something on one set of bushes, drive it and see if the noise goes.....  Don't do it all in one go.  My clonking happened most when going over those approx car-width speed bumps.

Yeah I'll toy with things one at a time see if I can at least narrow it down a bit for the noise.

 

As for the headrest am planning to make up a tool to protect the seat and the plastic catches whilst exerting the most violence possible to get it to budge! I've seen a few photos now of folk who've had the seat covers off and it's still not obvious how the legs of the headrest could get stuck. Grr.  

Head rest fixed. Cut up two sheets of perspex to fit tight between the bars and protect the leather. Then drove a wedge, well two actually to spread the pressure, between them. Took quite a lot of force actually but eventually it freed off and is now moving freely again. No sign of what was to blame, nothing bent or rusty etc. anyhow one thing ticked off!

Was wet so didn't fool about too much with the squeak, but it's definitely not the radiator mount, so back to suspension suspicion!