E55 Estate rear passenger seats

[Mr Fixit]

Wonder if you can help, I have a 2004 E55 estate with the split rear seats and the large cargo cover and net fitted across the back of them, I know that you have to fold one forward first. I can't seem to fold down the rear seats to use the full load space, the levers don't seem to do anything but there is a sound from the car when the levers are pulled but the seats will not move.

Ideas

 

[Will]

You do have to fold down the correct one first, as the load cover is attached to the other hence it will be jammed against the back of the other side seat backrest if you don’t fold that one down first.

Sometimes they need moving in a pretty sharp way to release them. The sound is the car warning you that the seat backrest is released (ie not secure)

I take it you’ve folded the seat bases down first?

 

[DavidL]

You can slide the load cover off through one of the rear doors. Beware it's surprisingly heavy!

 

[Will]

You can slide the load cover off through one of the rear doors. Beware it's surprisingly heavy!

Yeah but you need to fold the seat down first!

 

[Petrol Pete]

Oh dear ,oh dear ,oh dear. How good are you with the old spanners Mr Fixit ? good I suppose considering you are called Mr Fixit ? If its anything like the fault on my C55 estate its a bit of a nightmare. When I posted similar a while back I was advised to push the button and kick the rear of the seat "it's just a bit stuck"...forget that , its a Mercedes Benz and the way the roll cover part fits together is all part of the safety and rigidity of the estate.

The 40% (smaller) seat back HAS to fold down FIRST so the other can fold down to release (slide) the roll cover out of the rear passenger door.

The fault in mine was this : pushing down on the release button felt exactly like pushing don on the release button on the other side (60%) a nice smooth action as if something good was happening, no clonking or grating noise BUT the little button (with the red top) was always up and would not click down. Bear in mind I am talking about a C class and externally the mechanism might look different on your car. Mine being an AMG has the seats manufactured by LEAR , I am not sure if they do all or some of MB seats but at a guess interior locking mechanisms that no one sees are probably the same, mine had MB indents on it.

The short story is that I had to completely de-upholster the entire side and of the 40% seat (while still in the car obviously) and dismantle the parts above the wheel arch to get access to the locking mechanism then had to partially remove the mech cover by half unbolting it while in the car. I then figured out the release point in (the otherwise sealed unit) and popped it open.

The fault was a small nylon/plastic 'top hat' no bigger than a pea ad split and fallen off causing the thick 'bent wire' actuator to pop out of its resting place.

I made a replacement 'top hat' in my workshop and spent another fun 3 or four hours putting it all back together again.

If pushing the button down and giving the seat back a firm pull (we are talking about the one behind the driver) does not bring it down I suspect you will have to do what I did. remember no amount of kicking it will help and don't waste your time trying to go in from the back by removing the carpet like cover on the back of the seat upright, you will be met by a wall of (thin) steel...ask me how I know.

I took photos while I worked , I might have them somewhere . Good Luck