2007 RL Rear Headrest retraction wont work
04-12-2014, 08:39 PM
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2007 RL Rear Headrest retraction wont work
New owner to a 2007 RL
When I picked up the car, the rear headrests were lowered.
Pulled all 3 up, and the stay up just fine.
Problem is, pushing the retract button (next to the sunroof switch) will not retract the rear headrests.
Pulled the switch panel out and apart and verified that when the switch is pressed I get continuity across the switch. All connections also look good there.
Then pulled the rear seat out, and inspected the wires/connectors. All looks good there.
I read on a very old thread on acurazine that someone had a similar problem, and when they pushed the switch, they could hear a (relay?) click from under the dash. I don't hear anything.
I've searched and searched, I don't see any ref to where a relay might be (if it even exists) or what fuse these headrests are even on.
I should also mention that before I bought the car, it had a dead/low battery. This caused the rear drivers window to not work from the drivers door switch. Read a thread that said to travel the window all the way down from the rear switch, (and hold for 3 seconds) then all the way up (and hold for 3 second) This fixed whatever code was set, and the window now works from the front switch. I mention, because maybe there is a code for the headrests. Unlikely, just mentioning it just in case it triggers a though from someone.
Any / all suggestions welcome.
When I picked up the car, the rear headrests were lowered.
Pulled all 3 up, and the stay up just fine.
Problem is, pushing the retract button (next to the sunroof switch) will not retract the rear headrests.
Pulled the switch panel out and apart and verified that when the switch is pressed I get continuity across the switch. All connections also look good there.
Then pulled the rear seat out, and inspected the wires/connectors. All looks good there.
I read on a very old thread on acurazine that someone had a similar problem, and when they pushed the switch, they could hear a (relay?) click from under the dash. I don't hear anything.
I've searched and searched, I don't see any ref to where a relay might be (if it even exists) or what fuse these headrests are even on.
I should also mention that before I bought the car, it had a dead/low battery. This caused the rear drivers window to not work from the drivers door switch. Read a thread that said to travel the window all the way down from the rear switch, (and hold for 3 seconds) then all the way up (and hold for 3 second) This fixed whatever code was set, and the window now works from the front switch. I mention, because maybe there is a code for the headrests. Unlikely, just mentioning it just in case it triggers a though from someone.
Any / all suggestions welcome.
04-12-2014, 11:01 PM
#2
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To test your theory about an unknown reset, I would hold the button for 5+ seconds.
There is a service manual in the garage, and Carbon Legend has also compiled the files into one massive download in another thread here. In there is the wiring diagram which will reveal any relays and which fuse to check.
There is a service manual in the garage, and Carbon Legend has also compiled the files into one massive download in another thread here. In there is the wiring diagram which will reveal any relays and which fuse to check.
04-12-2014, 11:27 PM
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007:
I have tried holding the button for several seconds, just in case there was some sort of reset. No help.
Between when I posted my question and now, I've pulled the back seat again, and was able to grab the connector that feeds the headrests.
There are 3 wires in the connector.
Black, and two other. (maybe red with blue strip, and blue with red stripe)
Earlier today I had assumed to use the black and one of the colored wires to apply 12V to trigger the solenoid. Nothing happened. This evening...after looking at a wiring diagram, I then tried applying 12V to the two colored wires.
And the headrests pop down.
Note, seems to be polarity sensitive.
apply 12V in one polarity, and the headrests will pop down. But when you manually flip them up, the will not stay.
You have to apply 12V in the other polarity to set/arm the catch so the headrests will stay locked up again.
(I post this for anybody else reading this thread down the road)
In any event, the headrests are now down, but there is still a problem between the switch and supplying power to the solenoids in the headrests.
Gotta be a relay somewhere.
I have tried holding the button for several seconds, just in case there was some sort of reset. No help.
Between when I posted my question and now, I've pulled the back seat again, and was able to grab the connector that feeds the headrests.
There are 3 wires in the connector.
Black, and two other. (maybe red with blue strip, and blue with red stripe)
Earlier today I had assumed to use the black and one of the colored wires to apply 12V to trigger the solenoid. Nothing happened. This evening...after looking at a wiring diagram, I then tried applying 12V to the two colored wires.
And the headrests pop down.
Note, seems to be polarity sensitive.
apply 12V in one polarity, and the headrests will pop down. But when you manually flip them up, the will not stay.
You have to apply 12V in the other polarity to set/arm the catch so the headrests will stay locked up again.
(I post this for anybody else reading this thread down the road)
In any event, the headrests are now down, but there is still a problem between the switch and supplying power to the solenoids in the headrests.
Gotta be a relay somewhere.
04-12-2014, 11:56 PM
#4
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Or the fuse.
04-13-2014, 10:03 AM
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Replying to my own questions here...
So, a feature I wanted to disable was the auto-door lock at speed. Found the method in the manual, and went out to set that this morning. Easy couple steps.
After that, for the heck of it, I pressed the headrest retract button, and I hear the solenoids in the back firing. (headrests were still down from me applying 12V last night)
Hit the button several times, and heard the solenoids every time. Figured maybe I cleared/set something when I changed the auto-lock feature. So hey, lets pop one of the headrests up and see just how responsive these things really are (based on comments from other threads) So I get out, open the rear drivers door, and flip up the one headrest. Go back to the drivers seat and press the retract button. NOTHING!
The thing won't work again.
I have a really nice car, with a mind of its own. :-)
So, a feature I wanted to disable was the auto-door lock at speed. Found the method in the manual, and went out to set that this morning. Easy couple steps.
After that, for the heck of it, I pressed the headrest retract button, and I hear the solenoids in the back firing. (headrests were still down from me applying 12V last night)
Hit the button several times, and heard the solenoids every time. Figured maybe I cleared/set something when I changed the auto-lock feature. So hey, lets pop one of the headrests up and see just how responsive these things really are (based on comments from other threads) So I get out, open the rear drivers door, and flip up the one headrest. Go back to the drivers seat and press the retract button. NOTHING!
The thing won't work again.
I have a really nice car, with a mind of its own. :-)
01-19-2015, 05:03 PM
#6
Sorry for the late bump but I'm having the same issue now. Back story:
Had my suspension changed from old OEM to new OEM. When I went to pick it up, the rear headrests were up. I pressed the button - nothing, except I can hear a click near the driver's footwell area. I showed my mechanic and he said that he did have to pull the rear seat down but did not mess with any electrical components or wires. He told me that he will research the issue and get back to me.
I thought that maybe the clicking near the footwell is a sign of a blown fuse. I checked in the manual and nowhere does it say "rear headrest". They don't retract manually, so for now I just have them up. It annoys me due to visibility but it's not an emergency.
Any thoughts, anyone?
Had my suspension changed from old OEM to new OEM. When I went to pick it up, the rear headrests were up. I pressed the button - nothing, except I can hear a click near the driver's footwell area. I showed my mechanic and he said that he did have to pull the rear seat down but did not mess with any electrical components or wires. He told me that he will research the issue and get back to me.
I thought that maybe the clicking near the footwell is a sign of a blown fuse. I checked in the manual and nowhere does it say "rear headrest". They don't retract manually, so for now I just have them up. It annoys me due to visibility but it's not an emergency.
Any thoughts, anyone?
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