Fiat niki 650 headrests

[Mikki65]

Allo,Allo good people, i have got my hands on a very good Niki 650, basicly the same as a Fiat 126 but i have been looking for some little things about it.
My big question atm is how do ADJUST the head rests that are in the newer models on the front seats, mine is 1992, i cannot find any buttons or other devices to adjust them, they need to go down so i can lift the chair to get to the back seat, its now touching the roof because of the head rest, i have seen pics of this car with its head rests down on its lowest point so it must be possible?

Furthermore i love it need to get some jetting right as its not pulling very much in top gear but thats it i reckon!! cheers Mike

[Club1n]

Not sure about on a later aircooled, but on BIS headrest seats you just force them up and down, they kind of just hold themself in somehow     Obviously don't be too aggressive with them, just give them a shove and they should go down a bit

[Mikki65]

Thanks Matti,
I tried all force even my daughters but..... no go, i think i have to skin the seat of their upholstery to have good look?

[drcdb15]

its now touching the roof because of the head rest,

Just a couple of suggestions: first, now that the headrest is fully up, the support pillars must be exposed. so I would run some release fluid down the pillars into the seat holes, so that any catches or corrosion are eased and won't stick in place.

Second, it's unlikely that there is NO device to hold the headrest at its set height. If it's simply friction then the release fluid should help free things up. More likely it's some sort of pawl or barb, or a sprung collar that cuts into the support pillar from one side, and is freed by pressing in the opposite direction using some button or collar where the pillar enters the top of the seat.

I have seen these where to release, you have to - counter-intuitively - push the release button towards the pillar rather than pull away from it, but others you may have to squeeze together equally from both sides at the same time.

It's unusual, but there's always the possibility that the release button might not be in the seat or around the pillar, but in the headrest itself.

Don't overdo it with the release fluid as it could cause problems by swelling or otherwise adversely absorbing into any rubber or plastic components inside the seat back.

[drcdb15]

Two more suggestions - from the Australian market as it happens: first is, some cars have a pin-hole emergency release point, a small hole in the collar around the pillar where it enters the seat, much like a reset button hole on a computer or phone, and about the same size: you just push a straightened paper clip into it to release the pawl.

Second idea is that if the headrest has two pillars (a lot of 1970s UK ones only had one central pillar) then the pair of pillars ARE the release mechansim. That is, they are sprung apart, and grip to stay in place by each pushing towards the outside of the car. To release them, you need two hands, to squeeze both pillars together slightly, then still holding them move up or down as required.

I can't see how this mechanism can work with the headrest at its lowest setting as then you cannot get to the pillars, but since yours are fully extended this won't be an issue in your case.

[Mikki65]

Cheers for the feedback have to try how we can do this idont think its rusted or similar as i can wiggle the pilars about 2/3 mm back and forth, it just feels there is an indentation and a sort of clip that sits in there.
Strange that there is no any documentation about this  !!