Seat headrest questions

Hello All,

I have two questions regarding the headrests.

For the rear seat, it appears that only the center headrest can be lowered all the way to the top of the seat back. The other two headrests stop lowering when there is still about a 2" gap. Due to the higher position of these two headrests they somewhat obstruct the already small field of view from the rear view mirror.

For the two front seats, the powered headrests for some reason will move up every time I adjust the seat position/height/tilt, and I need to lower them back down.

Are these by design for B Class?

Thank you.

They go down! I just did it -- When the rear headrest is in the lowest (not flush) position, keep pressing the side button with one hand and hit the top of the head rest 5-6 times with a good amount of force. Now the headrest goes flush and some people have posted it is also removable.
It takes some pretty significant pounding. I almost gave up before it finally relented.

Thanks wtzouris. Will try in the a.m.

No go. Did not try to force it. Wtzouris, I am going to have to meet up with you one day so you can use your technique to lower mine. My biceps were not strong enough.

Thank you for posting this. I was having the same issue. I just went out and held the adjuster with one hand, hit the top of the head rest firmly with an open palm and they both went down.

My concern is removing the rests. On my Leaf they went into a box on my garage loft. I just may try removing the rests. The only one in back is my lab and i suspect the rests do not matter to her.

Duplicate post please delete

lingandshow said:

Hello All,

I have two questions regarding the headrests.

For the rear seat, it appears that only the center headrest can be lowered all the way to the top of the seat back. The other two headrests stop lowering when there is still about a 2" gap. Due to the higher position of these two headrests they somewhat obstruct the already small field of view from the rear view mirror.

For the two front seats, the powered headrests for some reason will move up every time I adjust the seat position/height/tilt, and I need to lower them back down.

Are these by design for B Class?

Thank you.

Click to expand...

I just reread your post. Are you saying your front headrests are powered and work with the switches in the dorrs? Do you have the leather package? I have MB tex and my front headrests are manual.

I was able to get the rear headrests down with a few good whacks but it feels like I broke the bottom of a plastic sleeve / limiter (?) in doing so because moving the rear headrests now feel like I am scraping the sides as opposed to before when they glided easier. Anyone else notice that?

To be clear, we are talking about the rear headrests, correct? Mine is MB-Tex and they are manual up/down. There is a resistance, likely thin plastic. Push hard enough and I agree that it can be pushed down. It is unlikely that it would otherwise affect the ratchets positions but would likely have that scratchy sound until it wears down more. Wtzouris, any opinion on this one? I still have not worked up the arm strength to push down but would like to.

JeffRay said:

To be clear, we are talking about the rear headrests, correct? Mine is MB-Tex and they are manual up/down. There is a resistance, likely thin plastic. Push hard enough and I agree that it can be pushed down. It is unlikely that it would otherwise affect the ratchets positions but would likely have that scratchy sound until it wears down more. Wtzouris, any opinion on this one? I still have not worked up the arm strength to push down but would like to.

Click to expand...

Hi Jeff,

To me it feels like there was a bottom to the sleeve on the rear headrests and banging it down hard cracks the bottom of the sleeve and allows the posts to go further down.

What I am also trying to understand is whether the original poster "lingandshow" is implying his B Class has powered headrests on the front seats?

Mine are not and the headrest looking switch on the door panel is not a switch and doesn't move.

Are your front headrests powered?

Matt

Hey sixpack,

Yes, my front seats in MB-Tex are powered to move the seat, the back and the headrests. This is standard on all MB sold (my opinion). Take your car into dealer and have them fix them for you under warranty. Where stuff is an option you did not buy, their usual protocol is to remove the button, etc. The fact you have a button but it does nothing means it is broken.

sixpak said:

JeffRay said:

To be clear, we are talking about the rear headrests, correct? Mine is MB-Tex and they are manual up/down. There is a resistance, likely thin plastic. Push hard enough and I agree that it can be pushed down. It is unlikely that it would otherwise affect the ratchets positions but would likely have that scratchy sound until it wears down more. Wtzouris, any opinion on this one? I still have not worked up the arm strength to push down but would like to.

Click to expand...

Hi Jeff,

To me it feels like there was a bottom to the sleeve on the rear headrests and banging it down hard cracks the bottom of the sleeve and allows the posts to go further down.

What I am also trying to understand is whether the original poster "lingandshow" is implying his B Class has powered headrests on the front seats?

Mine are not and the headrest looking switch on the door panel is not a switch and doesn't move.

Are your front headrests powered?

Matt

Click to expand...

Hi Sixpak,

Yes, the leather front seats of my B Class have powered headrests. I recalled test-driving one B Class where the power seat control on door panels have a stationary "bump" representing the headrest. I do not, however, remember the material of its seating surface.

Last month when I went to a MB dealer to replace the fuel cap fixture and to update firmwares, I asked the service adviser about the rear headrests. He was not able to move rear headrests all the way down nor removing them as well. He also tried it on a new B Class on the lot, and arrived with the conclusion that these should be intended designs. However this image on the MB site shows rear headrests can be pushed all the way down.

lingandshow said:

sixpak said:

JeffRay said:

To be clear, we are talking about the rear headrests, correct? Mine is MB-Tex and they are manual up/down. There is a resistance, likely thin plastic. Push hard enough and I agree that it can be pushed down. It is unlikely that it would otherwise affect the ratchets positions but would likely have that scratchy sound until it wears down more. Wtzouris, any opinion on this one? I still have not worked up the arm strength to push down but would like to.

Click to expand...

Hi Jeff,

To me it feels like there was a bottom to the sleeve on the rear headrests and banging it down hard cracks the bottom of the sleeve and allows the posts to go further down.

What I am also trying to understand is whether the original poster "lingandshow" is implying his B Class has powered headrests on the front seats?

Mine are not and the headrest looking switch on the door panel is not a switch and doesn't move.

Are your front headrests powered?

Matt

Click to expand...

Hi Sixpak,

Yes, the leather front seats of my B Class have powered headrests. I recalled test-driving one B Class where the power seat control on door panels have a stationary "bump" representing the headrest. I do not, however, remember the material of its seating surface.

Last month when I went to a MB dealer to replace the fuel cap fixture and to update firmwares, I asked the service adviser about the rear headrests. He was not able to move rear headrests all the way down nor removing them as well. He also tried it on a new B Class on the lot, and arrived with the conclusion that these should be intended designs. However this image on the MB site shows rear headrests can be pushed all the way down.

Click to expand...

Thanks Ling,

That seems to make sense. Thanks for showing the picture link. It looks like on the other pictures, the front headrests go further down than mine do also, maybe an optical illusion because they do not jut forward as much either.

I didn't know the front headrests could come in a powered version -- unless I am mistaken mine are not powered and I have leather seats on a loaded 2014 -- I thought I had every option. The salesman told me that the headrest button is a dummy button. As for the REAR side headrests, mine sit flush for two months now since I had a very burly family member hammer them down with his fist. It works, it doesn't (visibly) break anything or make bad sounds, and the rear seat headrests are flush and can be tumbled down without moving the front seat backs. I have not since tried to raise them or remove them because I don't have to -- and I don't want to undo whatever I had to do to get them all the way down.

I got the rear headrests down with some fist beating on the first day of ownership without any trouble, and I have never seen a gym from the inside nor am I particularly burly

Mine are powered headrests in the front, and they are functional. They will go "almost" all the way down. My back headrests had to be pounded into submission. (And I had to pound much harder than I expected)!

I don't particularly care that I am missing this feature but I just checked my 2014 model year B-Class ED again and I have leather seats and dual memory seats but completely manual front headrests. Both headrest buttons on the front doors are solidly fixed and inoperable. Strange.

Not something I use much. Basically set them once and haven't changed since.

wtzouris,

If it was me, I would have them activate the front headrests for you when you go in for service (under warranty). I have never heard of a MB where headrests are not powered save the really older classics. You paid for it so it should be fixed by them regardless of whether one uses it or not. My humble opinion.

BTW, I have used your other suggestion of D- for stop and go and D+ for highway. Makes driving a little more fun and I eek out a few more miles. Thanks.