TheTherapist

I actually did this a couple of months ago and as was mentioned earlier in this thread it is a major PITA - really they're the only words for it without launching into expletives. For something that should be so simple Mercedes has once again excelled with their cunning German ingenuity. Sometimes I wonder if Mercedes employ a checker in the development team to ensure all parts are engineered to the degree that only they can work it out while still confusing and frustrating everyone else and this is the standard all components are built to, then at the end of the day they sit around drinking Jaegermeister giggling saying "Ve vill really confuze zem viz zis one". And the irony is we call it brilliant engineering. Maybe we don't really understand how cunning these Germans are...?

At any rate back to the headrests in question. I had 2 friends with me, both capable mechanics and although only one of them was swearing after an hour or so the other got so far as to snap a piece of plastic before giving up. After this I realized it was up to me and it was time to step up to the plate. I put my head down and went at it for a while before working it out but waited till the following day in full sunlight so I could tackle it with a fresh head and renewed confidence. I only say this to show no matter your level of frustration you will work it out and once you have its relatively simple thereafter.

The plastic lugs need to be forcefully unclipped by applying pressure with a flat head. More pressure than should be necessary but they will come off without breaking. Just slide these up the arms so they are out of the way when disconnected. Then comes the fun part – releasing the hounds - I mean arms.

The trick is to do both sides at the same time. It is difficult to even realize when you have engaged the release lever and one side is free to slide off as its travel is restricted by the other arm still being locked into place. I found it best just to do this by myself slowly poking a flat bottomed rod as close to 8mm as possible (or as specified an 8mm Punch) into the spot I knew the release lever to be as shown on the diagram below (the outside of each arm). You can feel the arm give a little when you are pushing on the correct place. Then hold it there with one hand while using your other hand to poke a second rod into the opposite spot on the second arm until you again push in the correct place releasing the locking mechanism on that arm. At the same time keep pressure on the headrest with your head (what else!) so once that second release mechanism is disengaged the headrest will just slide right off since your head will be pushing it. The right tool for the right job is vital for this particular job and attempting to poke and prod using different diameter rods/punch or substituting other tools to poke around with will only serve to frustrate and anger otherwise mild mannered DIYers.

Once you have done one headrest the others will be simple. And after finishing this job trust me, you will never ever forget how to do it again.

https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...-113320362.jpg

TheTherapist

Oh and the best bit when I did it was finding out after that I didn't need to do it. Ahh fun times...

James M

I have a smile from ear to ear - thanks Therapist. I couldn't agree more. The best way to do this job is to get someone to show you - I can't imagine trying this by yourself. Luckily I had a good mate on hand, who had already been through this ordeal, to show me just how frustrating this is. I swear I can strip the entire back of my car out in 15 minutes flat, blindfolded because once you have achieved this you will never, ever forget. The worst part you forgot to mention is going to the stealership with a handful of broken plastic clips and parts that need to be replaced afterward. Imagine my frustration when I decided I hated my subs and that the OE sound was perfect in the first place. I forgot to mention that I destroyed my OE sub trying to remove it from the plastic housing afterward. Try and find a used one because new they are ridiculously expensive? The crowning turd on the dungheap is that I now suspect I have blown one of my back mids - so guess what?

e500slr

Thanks for the help brother.

So I figured out what you guys ment by those black levers. The one in the middle is extremely easy. My hand fit in the hole and I don't even need to pull the plugs on the deck, I just access it from the bottom and like you said, push with my head The one on the right side I figured out a different way to do it, also avoiding pulling the plugs from the deck. I managed, while the headrest is resting horizontally, to wrap a string around the black lever from the hole on right (when you're facing the back of the car). The one on the left I can reach very easily from the hole and so I pull the string and pull the left lever and also push with my head and it came right out.

Now we get to the one on the left of the car............... :violen t: :ran t:


This one is ****ing difficult!!! There are no holes on the sides, you need to take out the plugs from the top on the deck and still it's really hard to see and reach the lever, even with a 8mm punch as suggested. The angle is all wrong, the space is too damn tight and the position you need to be in is extremely uncomfortable!!! Believe me, this will ruin you.

I still haven't been able to remove it, I'm gonna try again later but JESUS CHRIST, WHY?!!! Why did they make something so trivial so damn hard!!!! The other 2 are NOTHING, they're EASY!!!