406 SV Estate Rear Seat base removal

[Tel69]

Hi all,

I recently got a 406 SV Estate and I'm now fitting seat covers. (Leather and 4 children do not mix)
I've got everything done except the rear seat base. Now the 2 holding screws in the front are easy to see, but there most definitely seems to be something else holding the seat base in. What/Where is it?

Thanks in advance for any help.
Tel

[mjb]

What year is it? If it's pre-1999 then there should just be the front hinges as the seat bottoms fold forwards to let you put the seat backs (after removing the headrests if fitted) where they used to be, so you end up with an almost flat loading area

There should be a couple of little handles tucked away behind the base - one on the 2-seat section, one on the single - to pull to lift it forward

[steve_earwig]

My D8's just unbolted at the front, the D9 looks the same too. As mjb says there's a strap on each to pull it up, there's only a spring clip holding it and maybe this is what you're experiencing.

[Tel69]

Hi Steve and mjb,

Thanks for replying.
It's a 1997 D8 (Grill like in mjb's signature picture).
I'll have a dig around for handles/straps, but if I'm reading this right "to let you put the seat backs (after removing the headrests if fitted) where they used to be"
does that mean I have to move the seat backs first before getting the seat base out?

Cheers,
Tel

[steve_earwig]

Que? I presume you didn't get a handbook with the car and maybe the straps are missing. Leave the seat back where it is, give the strap at the back of the seat base (or the back of the seat base itself) a tug, it should come up & tip forward. Unclup bungee cable from the seatbelt clip, undo the bolts on the bracket at the front, remove.


The bit about removing the headrests is when you need to lay the whole lot flat, seat bases up, backrests down.

[mjb]

I miss my estate *sob*

[Tel69]

Ahhhh, now I see the cause of confusion.
Although my rear seat has a split back, the seat base is one peice.
The seat belts poke up through a split in the leather on the base.

I'll dig around and see if I can find a strap/handle anywhere.

Cheers,
Tel

[DaiRees]

Although my rear seat has a split back, the seat base is one peice.

How silly! I often find myself laying one side of the back seat flat while still using the other side. Just last weekend we had 2, 2m X 0.6m table tops and a load of other shyte in there with the tailgate closed, and managed to avoid abandoning the tea pot lids in Ikea's car park.

Anyway I reckon leather an kids is a perfecl combination, leather's a damn site easier to clean than cloth trim.

[Tel69]

OK, Mine is not an estate, It's a 406 Saloon.
The manual I have for it discusses and shows the split rear backs, how to fold them down, then it promptly goes onto the estate and family estate and how to tilt it's rear seat base forward using the straps.
Things I've found, My rear seat base is NOT hinged, there are no straps to pull, on either side there is a must definite clicking sound if I pull forward and up hard enough.

Here is what I'm battling with.

[Tel69]

Knocked the sod off.

OK, full process is quite simple if you know where to lift and push from.
Undo the 2 10mm nuts at the front of the base.
Pull the seat towards the front of the car to get the seat off the holding bolts.

Now the tricky bit is this. The arrows in the picture indicate where to pull the seat straight up.
With your knee, other arm you push the seat BACK, (You have to be pulling up and pushing back at the same time)

It will just pop up.


Phew, now onto why the heck someone cut the speaker cables and another 2 unidentified cables that are under the rear seat.
SIGH, one thing leads to another.

[steve_earwig]

OK, Mine is not an estate, It's a 406 Saloon.

[mjb]

I recently got a 406 SV Estate and I'm now fitting seat covers. (Leather and 4 children do not mix)

OK, Mine is not an estate, It's a 406 Saloon.

The saloon annoyingly doesn't have a hinged bench