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      10-14-2011, 04:27 PM   #1
TuffLittleUnit
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First X3 Disappointment

The front passenger seat doesn't fold forwards and sticks half way up in the cabin when you recline it. There doesn't seem to be a way to remove the headrest either.

Just been to Ikea for 4 new wardrobe doors which were 239cm in length ... had one of those horror moments where the store had closed and I was struggling to get the doors loaded properly into the car. If I'd been in a manual I'd have been fooked because the doors pretty much obstructed the gear shift.

Can someone enlighten me as to how to carry long loads in an X3? I've got the through load system on mine and that was bugger all use too.
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      10-14-2011, 04:45 PM   #2
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I'll ask about the headrests.
My X3 is in being modified for rear seat entertainment - and one of the things is a swap out of the headrests to ones with DVD players built in.
So it must be possible.
I'll let you know monday when I see the finished job.
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      10-14-2011, 06:12 PM   #3
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Only the rear head restraints can be removed. The fronts are part of the active head restraint system and cannot be removed by the owner. It probably requires a dealer's "release tool".
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      10-14-2011, 07:22 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TuffLittleUnit View Post

Can someone enlighten me as to how to carry long loads in an X3? I've got the through load system on mine and that was bugger all use too.
Roof rack my friend! Presumably your X3 came with the rails, just get the cross bars for $250 and you're all set!
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      10-14-2011, 09:42 PM   #5
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Yeah, seriously, get a roof rack and some straps. I bring home a lot of lumber and other materials on the roof.
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      10-14-2011, 09:53 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skier219 View Post
Yeah, seriously, get a roof rack and some straps. I bring home a lot of lumber and other materials on the roof.
So do I, which is one reason why the wife's car is a Subaru Outback. Happily, she loves her Outback as much as I love my X3, and her choice of Ruby Red Pearl swayed me from Vermillion Red to Deep Sea Blue.
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      10-14-2011, 09:59 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by Lotus7 View Post
Only the rear head restraints can be removed. The fronts are part of the active head restraint system and cannot be removed by the owner. It probably requires a dealer's "release tool".
Further to what Lotus7 wrote, I found the following in an F25 training document. I don't know if it applies globally, or just in the US, but I won't be messing with my front headrests:

"The head restraints are adjusted via preloaded tension springs. If the ACSM detects a rear-end collision, the pyrotechnic actuators are activated and the preloaded tension springs are released."

To me, pyrotechnics say that something goes boom. Maybe a teeny tiny boom, but still a boom. Nope, won't be messing with my front headrests.
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      10-14-2011, 10:22 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 02420X3 View Post
Further to what Lotus7 wrote, I found the following in an F25 training document. I don't know if it applies globally, or just in the US, but I won't be messing with my front headrests:

"The head restraints are adjusted via preloaded tension springs. If the ACSM detects a rear-end collision, the pyrotechnic actuators are activated and the preloaded tension springs are released."

To me, pyrotechnics say that something goes boom. Maybe a teeny tiny boom, but still a boom. Nope, won't be messing with my front headrests.
Or if you do, at least first put on the makeup and costumes to look like KISS and get it on video.
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      10-14-2011, 10:25 PM   #9
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I wonder if Dr. Stig's DVD guy did the KISS makeup thing? Of course the headrests may be completely different Down Under.
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      10-15-2011, 07:22 AM   #10
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I'm posting the procedure for replacement/removal of the US spec. active headrests. This is not something an average owner should attempt.

If the active headrests are removed the vehicle will display a seat belt warning icon on the dash display (non-resettable), and the seat belt warning chime will ring. The seat must be opened up to remove the headrests, and vehicle power MUST be off.

Proceed at your own risk!
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      10-15-2011, 08:19 AM   #11
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I hope nobody is planning on removing headrests for day to day driving, if you have the misfortune of a serious accident you may pay for that decision dearly with increased neck/back injury. I know this thread was about how to remove the passenger side headrest to fit a long piece of cargo in - but if anyone reads this in the future they should know the risks of removing headrests. They prevent your head/neck from snapping back in a collision and on airbag deployment. As Lotus7 said, proceed at your own risk.

I suspect the crossbars will be in my future, just don't know when.
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      10-15-2011, 10:30 AM   #12
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Set up for failure

The fact that you believe this is the first disappointment says a lot about what you expect from this vehicle. You're obviously expecting more failures in the future. Maybe you should have bought something else where you expected success not failure.
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      10-15-2011, 04:04 PM   #13
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Friends with F-150s are your friend.
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      10-16-2011, 01:36 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Le Chef View Post
The fact that you believe this is the first disappointment says a lot about what you expect from this vehicle. You're obviously expecting more failures in the future. Maybe you should have bought something else where you expected success not failure.
Mmmm ... OK. So, having posted loads of positive stuff about my X3 making a little criticism gets me flamed. Whatever...

.

All individual thought and opinion is banned.

Funnily enough the thread prompted some really important information about the front headrests which I suspect many of us weren't aware of. However let's all just stick to sychophantic fanboy worship about how nice our cars look.

I accept, it is completely unreasonable for me to expect the front passenger seat in an SUV to fold forwards to maximise the load space. What on earth was I thinking?!?!?
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      10-16-2011, 01:56 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skier219 View Post
Yeah, seriously, get a roof rack and some straps. I bring home a lot of lumber and other materials on the roof.
I've got rails and bars http://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=595743 but I was terrified that flat-packed doors wouldn't have enough friction to stay on, even when strapped down. I had premonitions of hitting the brakes and watching the doors decapitate the driver in front (remember "The Omen"?).
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      10-16-2011, 09:40 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TuffLittleUnit View Post
Mmmm ... OK. So, having posted loads of positive stuff about my X3 making a little criticism gets me flamed. Whatever...
Maybe if you had approached it with a positive attitude you would have gotten a difference response.
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      10-16-2011, 09:52 PM   #17
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These forums would be so much better if the prerequisite for joining was alcoholism.
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      10-16-2011, 10:11 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Le Chef View Post
Maybe if you had approached it with a positive attitude you would have gotten a difference response.
I read neither a positive nor negative attitude in the OP.
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      10-16-2011, 11:30 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Toecutter View Post
I read neither a positive nor negative attitude in the OP.
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      10-17-2011, 12:12 AM   #20
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Good news.
My DVD guy did not blow himself up. He has worked with many BMW active headrests before.
They can remove the headrests without a special tool, and to replace the headrest with a new one they disconnect the solenoid spring release and mount it elsewhere in the seat so that all the wiring and signals are maintained.
I no longer have working active headrests, but the peace and quiet of contented children more than compensates me for their loss.
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      10-17-2011, 05:41 AM   #21
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I didn't see the OP as particularly negative, but I have to say, it's not a van, it's a car, and blaming the car for not being big enough to do furniture deliveries just seems like bad planning. So the disappointment should be aimed at the furniture consumer, rather than the car.

Q. Why isn't my car big enough to hold a 239cm load?

A. Because it's not designed for that task.

Makes me laugh that people think that anything they buy from Ikea must fit in their car and it's obviously someone/something else's fault when it doesn't. They do offer home delivery.
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      10-17-2011, 11:39 AM   #22
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Well I'd say everyone is entitled to have an opinion, negative or positive.
Perhaps the OP is just frustrated when he thought he could fit the doors in his car but then he couldn't fit it properly.

Me personally I wouldn't even try fitting big piece of furniture inside my car. I'm more worried if I would break something when trying to fit them inside or move around during transport. (ie. scratch/tear the leather, plastic bits, etc) but then that's just me, someone else might say "come on it's just a car!"
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