Just picked up a 2011 PW MCS a couple days ago!

I am having a problem lowering the rear head restraints (headrests) all the way down to be overlapping with the upper portion of the rear seats. This is quite annoying because the raised headrests are blocking my view out of the rear window.

It seems like there is a extra part on the head restraints rails to prevent it from coming down too low? (Please see my pictures, I marked this "extra part" with a red circle.)

Is there something wrong with my car or is this a new feature on 2011?

 

Looks like the piece you've circled has an allen screw inset into it....just loosen it off and rest it if it does unscrew.
Philip

 

I've looked closely at the part. There isn't an allen screw on it to make it easily removable. The only way I can think of right now is using a big and strong pair of pilers to cut it off.

 

I just looked on mine and I don't have that piece. Can you take the headrest out and slide it off the bottom...you should be able to.
Philip

 

Yea, it looks like a safety retro-fit to ensure that the rear headrests cannot be lowered too far, and therefore become ineffective in an accident. A MINI or BMW legal "CYA".

 

Do you put people in the back?...if no, remove them

 

That's my advice too, just take them off. Also, that way you can lay the rear seats flat easier.

 

My new 2010 did not come with these. Mine drop all the way down easily.

 

Ditto, my 2010 doesn't have those either. I agree, the view out the rear is pretty much nil with the headrests up.

Spridget

 

Remove the headrest (you may have to push the seat forward to create more clearance) and you'll see the locking collar is held in with a pin. Just use a tiny screwdriver to push it out and the collar comes right off.

 

I took my rear seat headrests off too. Shucks, no one can sit in the back anyway. I didn't even use a screw driver, just pinched the round plastic C pin over, and wa-la, and pulled the headrest out.

 

Hey guys after removing the headrest fron the seat just use a thin screwdriver or even a womans hairpin and just push the pin in that plastic housing through to the other side then pull it out. After that you should be able to remove the plastic limiter.

 

Oh yeah, he said it first^^^^ sorry lol. Just saw a post of someone wanting to take pliers to a headrest and started typing .

 

Nope, no pliers, just fingers.

 

And has anyone noticed they put ALOT of lubricant on those headrest posts?

 

My MA actually pointed these out to me as something new on the 2011s when I picked mine up. They've probably had several confused customers already if it's become a standard part of the introduction to the car.

 

I was wondering where that was coming from

 

From the butt-load (I crack my self up!) of lube on the headrest posts! Just got my 2011 CR MCS home last night and was checking out the rear headrests today. Uber-lube!

 

has anyone found a easily solution to remove those rings? my gf just got a MCS last week and its really annoying how high they are. doesnt like the look of them off the car, just wants them lower.

 

Mine came like that, spoke to the salesman (they had 2011 and 2010 still on the lot) and basically you can either break them off (easy way) or take a tap and bang out the little pin.

It was explained to me the rear seat headrest was ineffective in collisions so to cheaply comply with 2011 they just added that piece that effectively stops the headrest from going all the way down.

 

I guess that I never noticed that ring, as I just took the head rests off. No more problems.

 

Hi no force is needed... remove the headrests by lowering the seat backs then with a small nail, punch, dental hook... push on the pin from one side..I did it front to back as it seems they pushed them in back to front... as the pin pushes out you can grab them with light pliers,, tweezers nothing special they'er not in there too tight...once the pins are out the rings slide off the posts on the bottom....
I too was told they are there in case of rearend collision the head rests should be at least at that hight ...first notch...
I saved mine incase I need to sue...before the investigators look at the car they will magicaly reappear on the poss .. I couldn't see out the back and that out weighs the amount of time I will have someone in the back seat sooooo.....

 

I got my 2011 mini-cooper yesterday, and was completely irritated by the rear seat headrest height. This is how you could lower the headrest all the way down:

Use a very thin screw driver, and push the 1-inch pin forward, sideway, or whichever direction until it completely falls off from the holder. Then, you can pull the headrest all the way down. Save the pins, because you can put it back if you need to.

 

Exactly! Thank you for this post. Takes about 2 mins to do this. So easy!