How to replace head restrain adjustment clip

[frozboz]

Somehow the little clip that you squeeze to adjust the driver's head restraint (yes, I know not a "head rest") has disappeared.  The first attached photo shows what I'm talking about.

 

I spoke with the friendly parts / service person at Murray Skoda and ordered up the replacement bit (you can not buy the clip, you have to buy the entire barrel assembly). The chap warned me that it was a fiddly job.

 

The replacement bit arrived (photos attached) and you can see there there is a 'spike' that is clearly intended to stop the barrel from coming out when attempts to raise the head restraint without squeezing the release clip happen. Having looked closely at the replacement part there doesn't seem to be an easy option of just taking the clip from the new part and inserting it into the original.

 

So, how do I get inside the seat to do the necessary (and what is "the necessary") or is it one of those jobs that really needs to be done by the Dealer's Service Dept?

 

There are two drivers for the car and we're not both the same height, so the "just ignore it" option isn't really what we want to do?

 

This is a FL TSi 1.2 SE in case it makes any difference.

 

Suggestions?

[langers2k]

Any obvious way to just remove the missing clip and fit it to the existing seat?

[mrgf]

Are you able to get a hand up inside the rear of the upholstery to try squeezing the spiked clip and then pulling gently from above, perhaps with help from the other driver? Some vehicles seats have zips, clips and/or velcro to secure the upholstery so this may be possible. 

[frozboz]

On 13/10/2018 at 20:28, mrgf said:

Are you able to get a hand up inside the rear of the upholstery to try squeezing the spiked clip and then pulling gently from above, perhaps with help from the other driver? Some vehicles seats have zips, clips and/or velcro to secure the upholstery so this may be possible. 

 

Thanks for your suggestion.

 

Unfortunately the spiked clip isn't squeezy - I looked closely on the replacement part and it is rock solid with no obvious 'release'. Getting inside the seat doesn't look easy either.

 

I'm wondering if this would a valid warranty claim. It clearly isn't a wear and tear item and isn't purely cosmetic. I guess the worst Skoda could say is "no"

[mrgf]

Perhaps you have to twist the whole thing a bit, then pull it out! The whole might have a groove, similar to bulbs and/or the headlight switch, where you twist either clock or anti clockwise, the pull the whole unit out. 

[Urrell]

 

Could this help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuOjbnRBP44

[frozboz]

On 23/10/2018 at 07:40, Urrell said:

 

Could this help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuOjbnRBP44

 

On 22/10/2018 at 19:36, mrgf said:

Perhaps you have to twist the whole thing a bit, then pull it out! The whole might have a groove, similar to bulbs and/or the headlight switch, where you twist either clock or anti clockwise, the pull the whole unit out. 

 

I thought about both of the above. Looking at the video the design is quite different from the Yeti - the clip arrangement is definately different and because it is metal rather than plastic I doing think that the snap it off and push down would work (most likely you could snap the top off but then be stuck with the rest of the fitting in situ.

 

On twist and pull, I gently tried that, but no joy. I think unlike light bulbs with are designed to be replaced by the end user, the head restraint fittings are 'life time' / 'not user serviceable',

 

As the car is still under warranty I've book edit into my Dealer saying I believe this is a covered by warranty and not 'wear and tear'. They won't opine either way untill they get is and talk to Skoda UK. In the worst case I'm going to have an expensive labour bill to fit a £7 part, in the best case, I'll just have paid out for the part. Fingers crossed. I'll let you know later in the month what happens.

 

[mrgf]

So how did this go? Any luck removing the old and fitting the new guide? Give us a guide on your, err, well- guide!

[frozboz]

On 10/12/2018 at 10:58, mrgf said:

So how did this go? Any luck removing the old and fitting the new guide? Give us a guide on your, err, well- guide!

 

Sorry for the delay in updating.

 

The short version is: it was done under warranty, so I'm none the wiser on how I would have done it myself

 

The slightly longer version is: I called Sokda UK on this to try to get some guidance whether it would be covered by the warranty, they said that a Dealer would need to assess and report to Skoda UK before a decision would be taken. I had a service coming up so I had the 'assessment' done whilst it was in for the service. I'd already got the part, so was relieved for find that there was no bill. Given what the spares man at the first Dealer had said about it being a fiddly job I guess that the labour charge could have been significant.

 

I'm still curious to know the 'official' way to do this.

[Robjon]

I managed to dislodge mine today whilst giving the Yeti its biennial clean .  It simply clips into place.  If I can dislodge the clip unintentionally with the plastic brush of a vacuum cleaner, then I guess it does not take a great deal of force to pull the clip out of the barrel.

[Paul52]

Five years on from this post but I've had the same thing happen. Just wondering if anyone has the part number to speed up my search for a replacement rather than just get the dealer to order it in. Thanks for the photo Robjon - seeing that it should be easy to remove the clip from the new part and slot it in the existing fixing.

[Dale_Stevens]

Mines been missing for a while too. I need to search the contents of the hoover bag to see if it's in there.

 

I did find this part number for the whole assembly, but never got around to ordering one, but the OP says the clip isn't easily removable from the part.

 

https://www.skoda-parts.com/spare-part/1k0881920ad9b9-headrest-guide-with-a-button-skoda-34638.html

 

• 1K0 881 920 AD 9B9

 

Edited 6 April by Dale_Stevens

[J.R.]

The OP is wrong, the clip is removeable my Yeti was missing one and I used one from the rear seat of my old vehicle, it stands out now being a different colour.

 

Robjon has kindly shown a photograph that explains better than my words could ever.

[Paul52]

It's a really easy fix. You have to order the whole part (I ordered mine through my local garage.  They service the car for me and they charged me a few pence less for the part than I could get it on-line and it avoided a postage charge - which would have been several pounds). The "button" clip just pulls out of the new part with a sharp tug, which is probably how it got lost in the first place, and slides into the old sleeve. Job done. 

What's annoying is that if VAG sold the clip on its own for, say £2 (OK, it cost about 2p to produce but they want to make some money) , it would avoid the cost and waste of the sleeve that's now going to go in the bin. No need for applause for this idea, just tell me I'm Simply Clever for coming up with this waste-reducing idea and I'll be happy.

(Maybe in a few years we won't even need to go to VAG for simple parts like this, we will be able to make them lourselves with our home 3D printer? After all, if you can 3D print a gun.....).