robarsan

This is a minor issue, but this car is so reliable, these minor issues are all I have to bring in question.

The head restraint on the driver's side will not stay in the down position permanently. On three occasions (in the past year and a half) I have pushed the restraint all the way down. After time, I forget about it and then again, it has moved up about three notches on the post. I am the only driver of this car, so the settings are not being changed by someone else.

Nothing in the owner's manual about this "jack in the box" head restraint. Anyone else seen this?

db22

I have never seen it.
Did you check for kids in the back (sometimes they hide)
Do you drive over such bad roads that the suspension travel hits the maximum and the G force exceeds that of gravity and therfore raises the headrests?
I guess I've not been that helpful!

Ballinger

The original owner, who died in the car, is reaching out to you.

DoctorTuna

That's funny, not helpful, but funny.

robarsan

I just got through reading an article on head restraints. It says.....

"Research has shown that most drivers with adjustable restraints don't take the time to configure them properly, leaving them at their lowest. Result?
Head restraints are rendered ineffective since restraints left down are typically 2 to 4" lower than the current Federal Regulations dictate"

Learn something new every day.

DoctorTuna

Sarcastic AND funny, but not helpful, then again my posts aren't heplful either. Sorry OP.

db22

Sorry for all of the useless answers but: If the headrest raises over time, at which point does it stop raising, after it falls on the floor?

robarsan

As it states in the opening post, third position up.

db22

You should definitely give it more time to see if it goes to 4 notches up.

DoctorTuna

Wow, I'm glad sarcasm is a second language for me, otherwise I would not understand or appreciate this thread.

I wonder if the locking mechanism on the headrest is defective or loose. Maybe the dealer could look at it.... no, I'm not being funny!

robarsan

No problem. Given the nature of the issue, I expected the bashing, and wasn't disappointed

CFoote

Mine doesn't do that....and your definitely should not do it.

The headrest should lock into place. It sounds like yours is not. They dealer can easily replace the headrest anchors (the ones on the top of the seat that the headrest goes into) and that will probably fix it.

Chris

DoctorTuna

Yeah, you really do need a sense of humor to appreciate this thread, I hope they fix your issue.

acuda

Sorry to wax serious in what has become an entertaining thread, but there should be a reasonable explanation for what is occurring. It seems that there is some force that is acting on the headrest to raise it. I'm not familiar with this one, but most headrests can be raised with an upward force without undoing a locking mechanism, while they require a locking tab to be depressed to lower them. So assuming that is the case, it is quite possible that your head is resting--at least partly-- in a position in the space between the seat and headrest where there is some component of an upward force vector which is acting to raise the headrest. Imagine catching a baseball in a glove---not only does the webbing move backward but your thumb and index finger also spread apart. The headrest is your thumb.

robarsan

I have to physically lean back for my head to touch the restraint, so it isn't me that's moving the headrest up.

Last night I took a look at what might be happening. I found out that...
1. the headrest does not lock in the down position, and can be easily raised up.
2. the headrest won't sufficiently lock in place until it reaches the 4th detent (3-notches showing).

What I think may be happening is the inherent vibration of the car is resonating at a frequency, albeit subtle, that causes the unanchored head restraint to shift up. I've dabbled with frequency generators, and it's easy to make parts defy gravity and move up hill. There is enough drag on the posts to keep from allowing the restraint to return to the down position. Over time, the head restraint reaches the 4th detent and locks in.

Bottom line: I'll get it fixed at the next oil change.

robarsan

Sorry, read your post too quickly. Yes, that would also be a possibility.

db22

[QUOTE=robarsan;10064160]I have to physically lean back for my head to touch the restraint, so it isn't me that's moving the headrest up.

Maybe it happens because you sleep in your car and it's the resonance of the snoring that motivates the headrest upwards?

(the thread was getting too serious)

lumpulus

The headrests raise on their own?!?

I thought they just spread open (like opening scissors) when there was an impact.

I just learned something.

db22

The spread open is a fore/aft adjustment of the pad against your head. If you wait until the impact has enough decelleration to open the headrest then it's probably too late to worry about the effects.