# How do I lift up my back seat?



## 2840 (Jul 9, 2003)

My daughter dropped something in the seat belt hole in the back seat. I have forgotten, if I ever knew, how to lift up the back seat in the Phaeton.
A little help?


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: How do I lift up my back seat? (2840)*

Well - the seat isn't designed to 'lift up', but the rear seat cushion can be removed with a little bit of dis-assembly work, providing you have the correct tools.
I'll try and find instructions explaining how to take the rear bench out, and post those instructions here.
Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: How do I lift up my back seat? (2840)*

Attached is a PDF file that explains how to lift up the rear seat cushion. I am assuming your car is a 5 seater - if it is a 4 seater, the instructions are entirely different, so please let me know.
Michael


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## 2840 (Jul 9, 2003)

*Re: How do I lift up my back seat? (PanEuropean)*

This is exactly right. I knew that I could count on you Michael! Thanks.


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## jimay (Aug 1, 2006)

*Re: How do I lift up my back seat? (PanEuropean)*

Looks like the lawyers at VW missed something here. Unlike the front seats, it appears you can use the same old nuts to put the seat back in. 
When they find out about their gaffe, somebody at the VWOA HQ willt be having nightmares about lawyers suing VW for children flying around from stripped back seat bolts.
My advice - fix it now before they issue a TSB and you have to buy new nuts for $45 each.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: How do I lift up my back seat? (jimay)*


_Quote, originally posted by *jimay* »_ Unlike the front seats, it appears you can use the same old nuts to put the seat back in...

Yes, you can use the same fasteners over again on the rear seat bench. There is sound logic behind this.
The front seat belts are attached to the seat structure itself, not to the frame of the vehicle. For that reason, it is critical that the front seat be firmly attached to the vehicle carrosserie at all times. To ensure firm attachment, special bolts are used. These bolts have two unique characteristics: First, they are coated with an encapsulated form of thread locking compound that becomes active when compressed, and second, the bolt deforms very slightly when properly torqued to achieve the most secure seal possible.
The seat belts for the rear seat occupants are all attached directly to the carrosserie - the seat bench is only there for comfort, so the occupants don't have to sit on bare metal, like an old fashioned tractor seat. For this reason, it is acceptable to reuse the quite normal and old-fashioned fasteners when removing and re-installing the rear seat bench.
BTW, there's more info about the front seat retaining bolt issue at this post: Retrofitting Keyless Start to a North American Phaeton. The subject comes up a few times throughout that thread. Our 'forum friends' at VW were very concerned that we made sure everyone used new bolts to re-install the front seats - so, we all tried to pass this information on in the how-to post.
Michael


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## 2840 (Jul 9, 2003)

*Re: How do I lift up my back seat? (PanEuropean)*

I got what I needed under the seat and then cleaned it (which it desparately needed). It was a real chore getting the seat back into place. Do not make the decision to remove the back seat lightly!


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## jimay (Aug 1, 2006)

*Re: How do I lift up my back seat? (2840)*


_Quote, originally posted by *2840* »_I got what I needed under the seat and then cleaned it (which it desparately needed). It was a real chore getting the seat back into place. Do not make the decision to remove the back seat lightly!

Now that you know how to do it, I'll let you do mine. I live in Apple Valley.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: How do I lift up my back seat? (jimay)*

Sounds like we need to have a Minnesota GTG sometime soon.
Lemme think, besides removing seats, we could install parking heaters, upgrade the anti-freeze specification, conduct functional tests on the heating system, maybe retrofit those snazzy electric windshields that the European W12s get...








Michael


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## jimay (Aug 1, 2006)

*Re: How do I lift up my back seat? (PanEuropean)*

Maybe we could do a start button project! 
I'm in my third month of accomplishing nothing on my keyless start switch project. I have all the parts for it but 5 screws and some time to tear the seats out.
And, oh, I bought the Autoart model. I could let people look at it. My wife immediately scratched it freeing it from the box, which she threw away. I wanted to freak out about trashing the box, but that would involve admitting how much I paid for a model toy... at my age.


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## seawind3000 (Sep 17, 2010)

*rear seat removal*

The "sticky" refers to the seat removal but the pdf is no longer there, is it still available?

Mike


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Which seat do you need to remove Mike - front or back? I am pretty sure that the instructions for front seat removal are still present on the thread Retrofitting Keyless Start to Phaetons that are equipped with Keyless Entry.

I have attached the instructions for removing and installing the rear seat base.

You might want to consider getting an electronic Phaeton repair manual (the same as I have), the URL for further information about that is here: How to Purchase a Phaeton Service Manual.

Michael


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## seawind3000 (Sep 17, 2010)

I think your right, I need to remove the door panels as well and I'm stuck at the interior handle, the plastic wood trim lifts off untill I reach the handle, I don't want to break anything.

Thanks so much foe the seat plans, Mike


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## seawind3000 (Sep 17, 2010)

The rear seat is out and back in with $.70 to boot. One lumbar controller had dislodged and it had to be "snapped" back in and my hands were too big to fit. Thanks for the help.

Mike


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