DIY: Back seats removal (w/ integrated child seats)

It was during the seals and edge protectors work, when I realized the rear edge protector was shaped around the back seat, plus, one of its ends was going somewhere between the seat and the backrest. While the front protectors are held in place by three plastic clips and to remove them, it’s enough to just grab plastic and pull sharply upwards, this process is valid in the back only for the straight part. The shape and ending disguised between the seats is held by a 10mm screw, which is hidden under the backrest edge. And to get access to it, I had to remove the back seats.

The internet guides are fairly straight, when it comes to removing the back seats. You just grab the front end and pull up. I’ve been trying out this procedure for 10 minutes with different strenght levels and of course – no luck. Then I realized my car is equipped with the integrated child seats, which wasn’t really referred in the DIY videos on YouTube. And because I was too lazy to inspect the handbook, I had to deconstruct the whole thing. At the end, the removal is very simple.

Tools needed:

• hands
• flat screwdriver or a pry tool
• flat pliers (if the seat is really old and worn)

The process:

• Pull both child seats into upper position.
• In the empty space below each of them, you will see a basic trim cover with 2 plastic chips, which you have to pull up (screwdriver/pry tool).
• Once removed, you can throw the trim on the floor. Now you see the safety mechanism holding the seats in place.
• The safety pin is a small steel tube going through a U shaped clip welded to the vehicle body underneath the seats. And this needs to be removed.
• You need to turn the hatch to allow its key-like bolts at one end to be released from the O ring.
• Turning the pin is blocked by a safety click – look for a small steel strip (circa 20 mm wide), that goes under the hatch.
• You need to push the strip and rotate the tube circa 90° to allow the bolt to fit into the hole in the O ring. Then just pull the tube out. If the pin is stuck, you can use the pliers.
• Once removed, just pull the seats upwards to release them from holders.
• Pull out the seats.

Getting all back together is the same process, just reversed.