Rear Seat Bracket Removal

You have tried with the other rear seat completely out of the car. Also when you take it out you can see the balls and spring mechanism that locks the seat base into the floor, this is probably what has stuck or if the base is not flat engaged into the hole in the floor. This must be fully engaged into the floor to release the seat base, but please do not try to lift from the lower handle until the seat back has been released.

Yes I have removed the other seat completely. I think I understand what you are saying but how do I solve the issue?
 
Have a good look at the base of the seat that is stuck from the boot.If not completely flat against the floor then the balls / spring catch is not engaged, try to see if there is anything under the seat that is preventing it latching. With someone pulling and releasing the seat base handle again jump up and down on the seat base, by pulling and releasing the handle it may encourage the balls to retract as the base fully engages. You are only trying to engage the base NOT fold the seat. I have seen one in the past where the hole in the floor was distorted and one side would never allow the ball to pass. Another thing to try is the side of the base that is fully against the floor insert a screw driver or pry bar after wrapping in tape to avoid damege and try to gently raise the lower side higher then try bouncing to see if it will engage. Until the base engages it will not release. If you play with the handle on the removed seat you will get a better understanding of how the mechanism works especially the floor lock.
 
OK I'll give it a go tommorrow. Tried a similar method earlier. How will I know when I have bashed it enough for the release handle to work
Sorry you have had no joy yet, but patience.

Progress is being made as you have confirmed what I thought from your earlier picture that the base is not engaged with the floor at the wheel arch end. This is the root cause of the problem as it is making the backrest tilt towards the middle of the car, putting the pull handle out of line.

I assume what was suggested yesterday has been tried to no avail, namely pushing on the SIDE of the seat at the top to try and correct the tilt. This is clearly not providing enough force by hand and arm so try my next suggestion. You need greater force. Sit in the gap created by removing the rear passenger seat with your (or mates) back aginst the seat SIDE, legs tucked in with knees on chest and use the B pillar as a purchase point for your hands and arms to push back. The B pillar is the vertical body bit in front of the small fixed window, it will be directly in front of you (or mate). I have just tried this, hard work for my stiff old body! and provides a means of applying great force to the side top to correct the lean. Someone else pulls up the handle, but you are right not excessive force or it is in danger of breaking.

Report back.

Andy
 
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Hi, I got back in the A2 again today hoping to get it the seat down, and miraculously I managed it on the first attempt. Having not worked for close to six years now I was definitely in a state of shock. Now I've sprayed the 2 bolts on each seat and the receivers with WD40 in a hope not to get them stuck as the issue appeared to be a wedged spring.

However, now that they are back in place, it appears that the driver side seat (the one that was stuck) has more play in it when supposedly seated. I just wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience and possibly knows if their is a way to sort it. Doubt it would cause any harm or put the passenger at any risk but just trying to get it all back perfectly.

Link to video showing the problem - https://photos.app.goo.gl/SZ3LLzrCyipUhzcv5

Thanks
 
Hi, I got back in the A2 again today hoping to get it the seat down, and miraculously I managed it on the first attempt. Having not worked for close to six years now I was definitely in a state of shock. Now I've sprayed the 2 bolts on each seat and the receivers with WD40 in a hope not to get them stuck as the issue appeared to be a wedged spring.

However, now that they are back in place, it appears that the driver side seat (the one that was stuck) has more play in it when supposedly seated. I just wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience and possibly knows if their is a way to sort it. Doubt it would cause any harm or put the passenger at any risk but just trying to get it all back perfectly.

Link to video showing the problem - https://photos.app.goo.gl/SZ3LLzrCyipUhzcv5

Thanks
I know little about the rear seat securing mechanism, never had cause to acquaint myself, but as nobody is offering a simple suggestion.

Release the seat back on each side and lean them forward six inches. On the driver's side pull the release handle up and it should stay there. Now use a screwdriver (for safety) and trigger the flimsy small dangling plastic release lever at the front (nearest to you) of the cut out and observe. The silver locking bolt with its oddly shaped end will ping down and should have a little higher up an outside sleeve. Repeat on passenger side. Any difference between sides?

Normally there is a little movement when a seat back is in its locked upright position but having watched your video there does seem too much play on your driver's side seat back.

Andy
 
I know little about the rear seat securing mechanism, never had cause to acquaint myself, but as nobody is offering a simple suggestion.

Release the seat back on each side and lean them forward six inches. On the driver's side pull the release handle up and it should stay there. Now use a screwdriver (for safety) and trigger the flimsy small dangling plastic release lever at the front (nearest to you) of the cut out and observe. The silver locking bolt with its oddly shaped end will ping down and should have a little higher up an outside sleeve. Repeat on passenger side. Any difference between sides?

Normally there is a little movement when a seat back is in its locked upright position but having watched your video there does seem too much play on your driver's side seat back.

Andy
I just looked, and you're right. The little plastic sleeve on the wobbly seat is not coming down. Has anyone got a suggestion on how to free it?
 
I just looked, and you're right. The little plastic sleeve on the wobbly seat is not coming down. Has anyone got a suggestion on how to free it?
Good morning,

I suspected that would be the case. It strikes me the sleeve provides an anti-rattle function as well as a snug fit for the bolt and lack of is allowing your seats's excessive play.

I know of no standard fix and can only suggest what I would try.

First, simple lubrication. I would remove the seat from the car and place it upside down on a bench/table with the back rest hanging over the edge in a vertical position. Now add a few drops of thin oil to the bolt and hopefully with gravity it will run down and get under the sleeve and free it. At the same time agitate the handle with repeated triggering of the bolt.
I say a few drops of oil as I would be worried about the oil soaking through to the seat fabric and staining.

Can you see the sleeve? It should slide easily even when gripped by finger and thumb.

Secondly, if lubrication fails I would remove the bolt trim cover for more access, but how to remove it is not obvious and I can give guidance if needed.

Andy
 
Good morning,

I suspected that would be the case. It strikes me the sleeve provides an anti-rattle function as well as a snug fit for the bolt and lack of is allowing your seats's excessive play.

I know of no standard fix and can only suggest what I would try.

First, simple lubrication. I would remove the seat from the car and place it upside down on a bench/table with the back rest hanging over the edge in a vertical position. Now add a few drops of thin oil to the bolt and hopefully with gravity it will run down and get under the sleeve and free it. At the same time agitate the handle with repeated triggering of the bolt.
I say a few drops of oil as I would be worried about the oil soaking through to the seat fabric and staining.

Can you see the sleeve? It should slide easily even when gripped by finger and thumb.

Secondly, if lubrication fails I would remove the bolt trim cover for more access, but how to remove it is not obvious and I can give guidance if needed.

Andy
I've tried the lubrication but no joy, could you advise how to disassemble to get the sleeve down please?
 
I've tried the lubrication but no joy, could you advise how to disassemble to get the sleeve down please?
Yes, you said earlier but have you tried upside down?

I know how to remove the trim that seems to cover the mechanism but as I said earlier I am not acquainted with the actual mechanism. I only worked out how to remove the covering trim because I had a broken one I was replacing. The trim is fixed by two standard plastic rivets that have a central expanding pin. The ends of the expanding pin are the two small circles you see on the face of the trim. Using a suitable size drift, eg old 1/8" drill bit drive them through the facia 5 mm. This might be enough to release the rivet and the facia trim pulls off. It seems to me from the rivet design it will not release until the the centre pin is punched entirely through, about 20 mm. WARNING! I did this and the pins dropped down into the depths of the seat never to be seen again and inaccessible! Luckily I had spares from the broken one. To avoid this I would lay the seat on its side, trim facing down, so if you punch the pins through hopefully they will tumble out when you pull the side trim off.

With the trim off I hope you will see the sleeve and manipulate it free.

Hope this helps.

Andy
 
My A2 is a five seater with a stuck backrest. I have fiddled with it endlessly and have tried the bouncing trick with no joy. I guess most of the posts here are about four seaters. Any ideas on mine which is a single backrest?
 
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