With apologies to the forum ops for any duplication, I had searched far and wide (here and elsewhere) for details on how to get the blasted back seat headrests to go ALL the way down in my 2011 R56N hardtop, and came-up with nothing. I could see that there was a travel-limiting device on one of the two headrest rails for each headrest, but I couldn't figure out how to get the danged thing off. This past weekend, I figured it out, and thought I would share the details.

The device in question (removed from the headrest rail) is this:



To remove it, use the tip of a finish nail or something similar to press firmly against either side of the metal "dot" you see. It's merely a pin:



With the pin fully removed, the device slides right off the rail. Replace the headrest, and voila, all the way down it goes (using the regular adjustment button of course). Frankly, I'm loving the new visibility out the rear window:



I'm sure the little limiting device is there for some federally-mandated safety reason to prevent whiplash, but considering I have back seat pax about 0.01% of the time the car's in-motion, it seems ridiculous. If it's a safety issue, frankly, being able to get better visibility out the back seems safer to me. I can advise the back seat pax to raise it on the very rare occasions someone's back there.

Hope this proves helpful to someone...

Happy motoring,

Wes

 

Thanks

 

I've removed them on my 2012 MCS as well. I felt like they limited visibility seeing as I'm almost always in the car alone.

Furthermore, given that the back seats in our cars are unusually small, the only practical use for them is to haul small children. In my case, this would be my girlfriend's 11 year old daughter. That being said, the unrestricted lowered position of the headrest is perfect for the small stature of the only people that fit comfortably back there to begin with. Win/Win in my book.

Now, if I could only figure out how to go back in time to prevent myself from showing her that the I can change the color of the ambient lighting in the B-pillars... I'm getting sick of hearing "Anthony... change it to purple!!!" LOL... If only my girlfriend would let me "install" a rear seat delete kit! LOL

 

Hahahahahaha! Just wire-up a secondary switch in back? ;-)

That being said, I'm rather partial to the purple myself. LOL (I'm sure there's been a "color survey" thread at some point.)

 

Thanks for the post! I too found that visibility out the back window was greatly improved by putting the head rests in a fully down position. Some posters will recommend removing the offending parts completely, and storing them (somewhere) until needed.

IMHO rear window visibility for the moderately tall driver may be further improved by lowering the driver's seat. Getting from a standing position into the lowered seat does however test the flexibility of those born while Roosevelt was in the White House. All in all, you need to do what works for you!

 

Yeah, I'm putting them in my MINI maintenance records folder so I know where they are. I can't imagine ever wanting to put them back in, and I have no intentions of ever selling Pretje... But just in case I guess.

I can see it now... I sell the car, forget to put them back in, next owner's pax get whiplash, I get sued!

 

That would be my wife. Insists on the "strobe" effect. I find that veditrating especiallwhen bright. Me? I think it should always, always be red to match the backlighting of the dash. But I can be OCD that way

 

Removed mine a couple weeks after I bought the car. Must be some American safety rule.

 

Or if you want you could do like me and take the whole back seat out! Haha

 

I've heard about this infamous "rear seat delete" mod. But alas, some of us crazy people actually put a small person back there occasionally.

Nice MINI, BTW! I'm aiming to get a second one at some point, and then I'm thinking I'll go mod-crazy on that one. We'll see...

 

And here is one vote for "I don't use the back seat, so removed the headrests" - MUCH better visibility.

 

Thanks! i just swapped the side scuttles this afternoon from the factory S ones to the "Black Aero vent" ones that come on the new justa's...

My girlfriend's 11 year old daughter is the only one who ever would sit back there. So I asked her if she would mind if I took it out because that would mean her and her mom couldn't both ride in the car at the same time... Her response was "That sucks for you cause we're awesome when we're together!" LOL!!

...so they came out. Mommy-mobile will be used for future 3-person traveling. Haha

 

Thanks for the pictures and information. I have my rear seat headrests completely off right now. I will do this and then not have to worry about them getting lost/damaged sitting around in my garage.

 

When I picked up my 11 club the salesman made a point to show me how to take the stops off. Only trick is to remind the occasional back seat passenger to raise them a bit as the seats are quite uncomfortable with the head rest all the way down.