Hi Everyone. I'm new to this forum and certainly pleased to see the wealth of information and support here. I have a problem accessing the reverse parking speaker on my 2004 X350 XJR which has died. The vertical part of the rear seat just won't release despite numerous attempts to pull on the 2 black straps. It seems well and truly stuck. One side comes loose slightly but the other is fixed firm. Can I access the release mechanism from inside the boot? If so, then what is the process. Am hoping to have another attempt this weekend so would appreciate some advice. Looking forward to hearing from you. Gerry

 

Have you removed the rear seat bottom cushion itself so you can get to the release straps for the backrest? If not download the XJ8 svc. manual from the 'stickies' section (https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...k-links-20085/) and go to section 5 (body & Paint) and got to page #294

 

Yes as already stated i have removed the base. The straps won't release the vertical part. Can i access from the boot to solve the problem?

 

I don't think you can get there through the trunk. I remember that it was a bear to remove as I had to take out the entire seat when I re-did my headliner in order to get the headliner out and back in through the back passenger door. By the time I got to the seat I had already removed the side panels on either side of the backrest and they were a pain also as the attachment points to the roof weren't easy to get at.

I may have a couple of pictures from when I took everything apart as I tried to record what I was doing step by step. I'll see if I can locate them to see if they might help.

 

Thank you! I think it might be a case of more brute force now. Will get my brother to come and throw in his weight on the problem.

 

Some have pushed it in (back cushion) prior to unlatching (pulling the straps). This takes some pressure off the locking catch.

 

Gerry, I went through all the pictures I took but they were no help. I agree with Mark's post that putting some inward pressure on the seat in the area where the latches are might be of some help. I may well have leaned against that area of the backrest myself while I was giving it everything I had pulling the release straps because I recall that it was areal bitch getting them loose.

 

HI
I just pulled my rear seat back out this weekend. (2004 XJ8). I am literally still a bit sore. I was replacing headliner, and rears had to come out.

I think it helps to keep in mind the geometry- bottoms clip into heavy steel brackets, tops are clipped into 2 spring-loaded clips. The bottom fasteners are just a steel pin at the base of the rear seat forced into a "C" shaped opening. The tops have a triangle-shaped steel prong coming out from the back of the car. Seats have an odd clip which is spring-loaded - the black straps are tied to one end of the long metal bar which has to slide UNDER the steel prong attached to the body.

After an hour of wrestling, I've learned that you can't underestimate how important the HEIGHT of the back of the seat is when trying to install or remove. The bottom is steel and unforgiving, but if you don't have the seat fully lowered into place in the bottom location before you start to try and pull out the top, so much force will be pressing on the clip that there is zero chance you'll get the seat out. When removing, the seat must be 'seated' all the way down before you try and pull the black strap and undo the upper clip. When re-installing, you'll never get the top of the seat all the way back unless the bottom pins are perfectly seated in their slots.

If you start to pull out the top of the back seat after you have slightly raised up the rear, then the clips won't release. If you try to press the top of the back seat back into place without the lower pins perfectly situated, you'll never get them back in.

So, first step is to make sure the seat back is in the right spot, pressed DOWN into the slots. Then you reach in, and one side at a time, pull the black strap and pull the back of the seat forward, but not up. You may have to go back and forth, from side to side. If one side releases, don't do what I did and start to pull out that side, or the opposing side will lock into place and you'll never get it out. Keep the seat aligned properly, and only focus on getting each clip to release, and only on bringing the back of the seat forward. Then, once free, it'll easily pop UP and come out.

To reinstall, go overboard and make absolutely sure the bottoms are firmly pressed into the slots for the pins. The leather padding can make the pins feel like they are in place, but if they are even 1/8 of an inch too high, you won't be able to engage the upper clips. I weigh 210 pounds and after I got things lined up, I had to repeatedly throw all my body weight against the back seat to get the clips to re-engage. Again, when removing or reinstalling, you must keep the back of the seat from rising up even 1/8 of an inch, and focus only on the upper part of the seat coming forward, but not up.