ok, here a slightly different headrest issue that I am having. My passanger headrest moves up and down on its own. it is so random. Any ideas?

 

We I and my soon fixed headrest today and get some useful information from Before you start you need to buy plastic heat shrink and a warm pistol + floor tile to protect seat (use low warm). Remove seat see youtube. there are two white pieces of cloth attached with brass rings we used ziptiles instead (drop rings). We remove 12 mm and use eletronic tape first and then plastic heat shrink remember to proctect seat and use low warm for a very short period and wait little before everything is put together again.

 

I would not remove the seat its easy enough to sit in the back and leave it in place. i did both of mine and they are working great now. i just cut the outer cable down 12mm i think it was but if you want to do it properly i would just slide the inner cable out and go get a new one 12mm longer its only a normal speedo cable

 

2002 XK8 Convertible
Both head rests would not operate. 'Could hear the motor but no movement.
I cut the outer sheath of the tubing as described and used the plastic plumbing quick connects. Both seats where running in a couple of hours including the run up to the hardware store (with my bit of tubing in hand to make sure I had the correct size fitting).
I did have to cut more of the outer sheath away on the passenger side for some reason??
One more item ticked off the list.
Cheers; Neil

 

In case it helps anyone, I found it is possible to perform the heat shrink repair without removing the seat nor sitting in the rear. Move the seat full forward and tilt the backrest forward. Lower the sun visors first as this will give more space for the headrest to tilt. Watch the headrest when tilting as it may contact the head lining. Working from outside the car, gaining access to the cable is as per the invaluable videos. The outside locking tabs are not intuitive but keep trying and you will succeed. I used 8mm dual wall heat shrink about 7cm long for the first application, followed by 12mm heat shrink about 11cm long to reinforce. The 12mm will go over the end ferrule so can be slid on after the 8mm has cooled.

 

I should also have mentioned that I didn't have a torx driver of the correct size but an Allen Key will fit to loosen and for final tightening the motor mount screws plus a small flat blade screwdriver once the screws are loosened.

 

I would like to raise a question that sprang from reading this post: Everything I had read to date referred to shortening the drive cable by 16mm. In this post we have a member lengthening the cable (actually making a new cable sheath). Am I being dense (it wouldn't be the first time) or am I completely missing the point?

 

The most common option is shorten the OUTER SHEATH by 12mm (not 16mm) by one of several methods.

The other option is have a DRIVE CABLE custom made 12mm longer.

 

Many thanks for clarifying that for me. A surprising solution: I wouldn't even know where to begin to obtain a custom built 'speedo' drive cable of the exact required dimensions, never mind the cost! The solution that impressed me most was the use of a 5/16" compression plumbing fitting to join the shortened sheath sections back together. I like that!

 

Well after a year of dealing with this issue I finally resolved it. Serendipity! Got to love it! I spilt a cup of soda and as I was cleaning it up I noticed that the tilt micro switch for the passenger seat had fallen off and was bouncing around causing the head rest to go up and down at random.

 

This is a great way to do it. I took the other route and shortened the cable jacket by removing the end cap. I measured off 14mm from the end cap, cut very close to the end cap, dug out the old jacket material and shoved the cap back on up to my 14mm marking.

Once you cut the end cap off, it takes some doing to clean out the old plastic jacketing. There are multiple retention tabs pierced into the cap that grab the jacket. I used a drill, awl, hammer, and needle-nose pliers to dig the black plastic out of there.


Just thought it would be good to tap down those triangular retention tabs so I put a drill bit into the cap and lightly tapped them flat

After tapping them flat, insert the now shortened cable into the end cap

Tap the retention tabs in using a sharp instrument such as an awl

Reinsert the drive cable with the longer crimped end toward the electric motor

 

OK, so just to be clear: per earlier posts, the 'shortening amount' is 12mm if cutting the jacket mid-way, some other value if inserting some other item at mid-way, or 14mm if cutting with the intention of re-inserting into the end-cap?

 

Another option to the headrest repair.

Link http://www.jagrepair.com/HeadRestRepairXK8.htm

 

Each better than the last! Amazingly inventive, and as stated; no rattles!
I wonder: If I wait long enough, will the perfect solution arise (namely, the self-fixing fix). (A recent quick tour of the back seat to clean the rear window, reminded me how far from flexible I have become)

 

I must be missing something important because I have watched the video on fixing head rest several times and cannot get step two completed. Video is from How To section and is titled "XK8 Head Rest Repair part one". Would like someone to provide some instruction on what the second step is trying to accomplish. In video, creator's hands are in the way so cannot see what he is doing. I know that this must be simple just based upon the number of people who have done it and posted about it. Thanks..

 

It has been more than seven years since I performed this repair but from what I remember, you must grab the bottom of the back of the seat covering tightly and stretch it straight downwards in order to get the nearly invisible black plastic flexible catch tube affixed to the seat material to release from the metal frame's ridge that runs along underneath the back of the seat. Adequate hand strength is necessary....

 

FWIW: The pressboard backer panel is your friend while doing the upholstery flip/snap finishing dance. Insure that it is just low enough to provide backer support, else you are literally pushing the fastening bars sewn in the bottom of the upholstery against the wind.

 

Yeah I had to do this shortly after getting the car the first few times I gave up quickly when I couldn't figure out the damn plastic tongue-and-groove gizmo that secures the fabric. There is no way of adequately describing what to do and I think on the third or fourth try accidentally stumbled on what was going on. Similarly, reattaching the gizmo when you put things together again is just as difficult to describe.

Here is how someone else described it in this thread:https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...rest-fix-9622/



Doug