It took about an hour and a half, but that's mostly because I had to open one of them back up. I should have checked it before I put the upholstery back on.

The hardest part was figuring out how to open up the upholstery. There are two interlocking plastic pieces at the bottom of the back. The piece that wraps around from the front is like a "J" hook. There are three pieces on the back that interlock with the "J" hook. The two end pieces are attached to the stretchy fabric and they come out pretty easily. I had to stick a screwdriver into the "J" hook to get one edge of the center piece out. Once it was started it was very easy to pull the rest of the way out. The two pieces essentially unzip.

On the second headrest I didn't even take out both of the torx screws holding the motor in place. I just loosened one and removed the other one. That left the motor in place, but I was able to remove the drive cable and shorten it.

 

It really feels good when something goes right!! Seldom happens for me

 

what wrong wrong with it if you dont mind ? just curious

 

It was the standard problem. The cable casing is too long for the cable and it needs to be shortened. It prevents the headrests from raising or lowering. Here's the TSB for more info:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/a...9&d=1253718861

 

oh I see, thanks for that info/

 

Sam,
Congrats on a easy fix, one thing is it didn't cost you your first born.
Doug

 

This looks like a great heat shrink tubing for this repair:

http://www.wiringproducts.com/contents/en-us/d82.html

 

Well, it looks like I will have to revisit this fix again (this will be the 3rd time). This time I might as well do it right and use some of the better adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing that I finally bought at a marine supply store. The standard heat shrink I had bought from Radio Shack just does not seem to hold well enough to keep the spice from opening up over time.

Does anyone have a definitive method that has worked for more than several months?

Thanks,

Doug

 

You didn't ake pictures did you? I have to do my passenger side and I have the TSB. How does the drive calble come out of the sheath? It isn't explained anywhere. Wnenn

 

On my vacation the my driver's side quit working again, too. I'm going to do it again in the next day or two, and I'll make a video when I do it. I think I'll double or triple up the heat-shrink this time.

 

When I did mine I was running into a similar problem with the cable housing creeping back out causing the headrests to quit working again. I tried electrical tape, heat shrink and everything else I could think of.

In the end I routed the cable housing so that the cut ends were sitting straight and not at a bend in the cable. I didn't use any heat shrink, just let the cable housings slide freely and butt up against each other. Once the cable is engaged into the motor and gear drive there is enough pressure on both housing pieces to keep them from separating or moving. I've fixed both this way and haven't had a problem since.

 

My cut ends sit pretty straight (I did the splice near the end where the cable goes into the motor) AND used marginal heatshrink. Still, the last time I fixed I kept my fingers over the spice area while working the headrest and could feel a "tendency" for the splice to want to open up.

The REAL solution would be to get a complete single-piece cable sheathing that is already the right length. Is this available from anywhere (Jaguar?, some aftermarket parts supplier?).

Doug

 

Doug, This is what you need, if you measure the inner diameter of whats on the car you might be able to call them up and get enough of a sample to do both sides.
http://www.sswt.com/flexshaft_casing.htm

 

The end of the cable that goes into the motor has a metal piece crimped onto it, and a metal bracket holds it into the motor. I don't think you can just get a piece of cable sheathing and replace the existing piece.

 

But I wonder if Jaguar has replacement cables of the correct length that you can buy or if the dealers still do the headrest fix the same way as the TSB (cut-and-splice)?

Doug

 

This will work!
http://www.wiringproducts.com/contents/en-us/d82.html

You can go with the clear too:
http://www.wiringproducts.com/contents/en-us/d235.html

 

does anyone know where i can purchase a set of headrest for a 2001 xk8

 

did the MY 2001 didn't have the separate headrests? If so, should be lots of salvage yards that have them as they aren't an item that people often need, but some may be maybe unwilling to sell them separate from the seats. Whats wrong with yours? Angry date rip em off and take them?

 

I think 2001 was the first year for separate head rests.

 

You are correct!