Hi All

Cant get the front seat to fold forwards on a Mk3 Octavia with cloth seats

There is a lever on the side of the passenger seat which the manual says must be moved to the horizontal position in order to fold the front seat  forward.

I move the lever but the front seat does not budge.

Seems odd that they should fit the lever if they are not going to allow the seat to fold?

Any suggestions as to what I am missing

On mine, it's to raise or lower the seat.

Alternatively, ask Granny Weatherwax.

I asked Granny first but she' never owned a Skoda - broomstick always good enough for her :-)

 

I have a seat raising lever as well (which raises and lowers the seat just fine) level withe the base of the seat.

The seat folding flat lever (that doesn't) is half way up the side of the seat exactly where the handbook says it should be

 

1 hour ago, RIncewindwiz said:

The seat folding flat lever (that doesn't) is half way up the side of the seat exactly where the handbook says it should be

That's about where the lumbar adjustment is on higher spec mk1 and mk2 cars. I'd expect to find a seat fold control about where you illustrate the (unlabelled) backrest rake control.

1 hour ago, RIncewindwiz said:

I asked Granny first but she' never owned a Skoda - broomstick always good enough for her :-)

 

I have a seat raising lever as well (which raises and lowers the seat just fine) level withe the base of the seat.

The seat folding flat lever (that doesn't) is half way up the side of the seat exactly where the handbook says it should be

 

That looks like the lumbar support lever, the folding seat would be beneath it 

 

53 minutes ago, Cakemonster said:

That looks like the lumbar support lever, the folding seat would be beneath it 

 

I'd agree with that:

 

It seems the OP doesn't have the folding option. I think the best bet it to turn 'C' and see how much angle you can get on it

1 hour ago, langers2k said:

 

I'd agree with that:

 

It seems the OP doesn't have the folding option. I think the best bet it to turn 'C' and see how much angle you can get on it

 

It seems you are right - no folding seat option (which in retrospect would seem incompatible with the knob) The knob wont move the seat-back further forward than approximately vertical. It will however go nearly flat backwards (requires headrest removal for best results)

As to lumbar support - not worth the candle (or was than handle!) in my opinion. Something in the lumbar area moves but barely

 

Thanks for your views

Folding front passenger seat was an extra cost option when new, standard seats don't fold all that much either forwards or backwards. I'm fairly sure that earlier cars that I had back in the 1980's had seats with a far greater range of movement than modern cars do.

12 hours ago, AllanDJ said:

Folding front passenger seat was an extra cost option when new, standard seats don't fold all that much either forwards or backwards. I'm fairly sure that earlier cars that I had back in the 1980's had seats with a far greater range of movement than modern cars do.

Almost certainly - but then those cars from the early 80s would also probably fold you in half if you ended up in any kind of serious collision.