[Cyberdemon]

Put the top down on the way home today and did my best to try and get them out, but absolutely no movement. Decided I'd give myself a shot at using tools instead of brawn and was able to get them out. Their is a friction/hook mechanism built onto the bottom to latch them into place. There is also a friction pad along the back, so if you were going to yank them out my suspicion would tell me to suggest you pull towards the front and wiggle them back and forth front to back and you'll probably be able to release them easier. It looks like the only thing holding that hook on is compression, so if yours slide out easily so be it.

But since that didn't work for me I took it apart.

The good news is it's very easy to pop them out, and once they are out they will stay out as long as you don't click them back into place.

I used:

-A T27 torx driver
-A plastic prybar/trim remover
-Hammer
-Flathead screw driver
-(Alternatively I expect with 2 pairs of locking pliers you could squeeze the black clamps and pull it right out but I could only find 1 pair of pliers)

When you lower the back seat there is a rubber dimple. Pop this off and behind it is the T27 screw. Unscrew and use the pry bar to pop the cover off (I recommend using the inside edge, there are 2 hooks and 2 plastic tabs that go under the rear seat & rear carpet).



Once the cover is off, stick the screw driver inside the silver tubes holes on the bottom so the tip of the screw driver is perpendicular to the bottom of the headrest metal and just tap it a few times on each side to loosen it, then it will pull right out. Snap the cover plate back in (start with the flap that goes under the leather, then under the carpet, then the hooks so it all sits nicely). Screw it back and pop on the cap and you are good to go.



Took about 5 minutes once I figured out what I was working with. In warmer weather it might have been easier to release.

Cheers!

[THX-333]

Great thread! Glad I ran into this. Was backing up today and was super pissed that the headrest was blocking my vision.

My sister bought a Nissan SUV and all the headrests tilted forward so I assume so did the M235i. Much to my surprise...

Anyway, I will drop my top down tomorrow and yank the headrest out. Will post a pic thereafter.

Thanks for posting guys!

[THX-333]

I called Pacific BMW service department asking them if it was okay to pull this out. I too own the M235i CV and would rather not have the headrest there but I was told that this was connected to the roll bar and tampering with it could cause an imbalance.

Can someone confirm this with their own local service dealer before I pull mine out and double confirm if it is okay?

[todd hollander]

Originally Posted by THX-333

I called Pacific BMW service department asking them if it was okay to pull this out. I too own the M235i CV and would rather not have the headrest there but I was told that this was connected to the roll bar and tampering with it could cause an imbalance.

Can someone confirm this with their own local service dealer before I pull mine out and double confirm if it is okay?

It is not connected in any way AND in the owners manual it tells you how to remove the headrests! No worries on the roll bar.

[Cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by THX-333

I called Pacific BMW service department asking them if it was okay to pull this out. I too own the M235i CV and would rather not have the headrest there but I was told that this was connected to the roll bar and tampering with it could cause an imbalance.

Can someone confirm this with their own local service dealer before I pull mine out and double confirm if it is okay?

The roll bar is behind the head rest, not part of it. If you see in my images the parting line, the roll bar lives underneath that black plastic and pushes up in event of a roll.

BMW would never tell you to modify any part of your car due to liability reasons unless it's a BMW approved part they can sell you.

Now IF you had people in the back seat, I would not remove the headrests in that they are obviously important in the event of an accident to prevent whiplash. And if the car were to roll with someone in the back seat the lack of a headrest means the rollbar would probably hit them in the head and kill them.

So yeah, if you have people in the back do not do this. The good news is they drop right back in, so in my case I keep 1 headrest in the trunk and I can stick it back in if needed.

[shark715]

Mine popped right off with a good tug.

[CE750Jockey]

As did mine. A good tug, and they come right out.

[drdeal]

Process doesn't require removal of the cover or use of tools; you can simply pull them out. It is on pages 59-60 of the user's manual. One of them was VERY hard to pull out, required shifting side to side for a few seconds. It was a bit comical because the headrest went flying up in the air when I got it out-- luckily it landed in the street vs. on the windshield!

[cjmoy]

Originally Posted by drdeal

Process doesn't require removal of the cover or use of tools; you can simply pull them out. It is on pages 59-60 of the user's manual. One of them was VERY hard to pull out, required shifting side to side for a few seconds. It was a bit comical because the headrest went flying up in the air when I got it out-- luckily it landed in the street vs. on the windshield!

Ha! Same thing happened to me with mine. After reading this thread I thought it would be a lot more difficult, so I gave the first one a good yank which went flying up into the air and landed on my driveway. The second one I just pulled out without any problem.

[SMB F83]

This is a really good point to make. I carry mine in the trunk, so they can be re-installed if I have back seat passengers, and thus they've come in/out a few times.

BE CAREFUL!

Even knowing they tend to "pop" out, and trying various methods to control them, I've still scared myself with potential threat to the paint even on the later more experienced removal actions. If I come up with a good method/process to eliminate the risk down to zero, I'll share for the common good of everyone's paint.

[Kiwi]

Originally Posted by vert_lover

This is a really good point to make. I carry mine in the trunk, so they can be re-installed if I have back seat passengers, and thus they've come in/out a few times.

BE CAREFUL!

Even knowing they tend to "pop" out, and trying various methods to control them, I've still scared myself with potential threat to the paint even on the later more experienced removal actions. If I come up with a good method/process to eliminate the risk down to zero, I'll share for the common good of everyone's paint.

How do you ever get passengers in the back seat as their's no room. Their's no room in my 4 door BMW 1 series for rear passengers let alone my 2 convertible.

I didn't remove my rear seat head rests as the rear camera and side mirrors is enough and now not worried about the look of the rear head rests.

[mdputnam]

If your dealer says it is not supposed to come out, show them the page in the manual and tell them you want it to work the way BMW DESIGNED IT TO WORK!

[fun2drive]

Every BMW convertible I have owned E30's E36's and my E93 all come out the same way. Never seen a factory car that they didn't come out with a huge tug.
Glad to see the 2 is the same way. I am planning to go to a 235 this summer so this will be the first thing that gets removed...

[RoundelM3]

Pulled mine out yesterday. Right side came right out; left side needed some heavy tugging, but eventually came loose. Quite a bit more rear visibility without them!

[kindofblue]

Without the headrests the 228i looks more like a roadster. Thanks for figuring this out. It's on my to-do list this weekend.

[bozman9]

Another item of interest - we have Britax car seats (for our 4 yr old) and I could not for the life of me figure out how to get them installed in the back during our test drive (228i vert). I was resigned to the fact that I might have to sell the Britax and get something else.
The problem is the back of the Britax has a lip that extends a few inches past the rail frame at the very top - right into where the headrest is! It tilts the whole car seat forward because it's resting against the head rest and it won't sit flush. This isn't an issue in most backseats (fits great in my Audi A6), which are more angled, however I noticed the 2 series to be very upright in the back. So, we might be able to pop the headrest out and the seat should sit very snugly against the back the way it is supposed to.

I wonder if the dealer will let us try it..

-Bozman

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by bozman9

Another item of interest - we have Britax car seats (for our 4 yr old) and I could not for the life of me figure out how to get them installed in the back during our test drive (228i vert). I was resigned to the fact that I might have to sell the Britax and get something else.
The problem is the back of the Britax has a lip that extends a few inches past the rail frame at the very top - right into where the headrest is! It tilts the whole car seat forward because it's resting against the head rest and it won't sit flush. This isn't an issue in most backseats (fits great in my Audi A6), which are more angled, however I noticed the 2 series to be very upright in the back. So, we might be able to pop the headrest out and the seat should sit very snugly against the back the way it is supposed to.

I wonder if the dealer will let us try it..

-Bozman

I've test fit car seats before. I'd get the manual online and print out the page on removal to take with you. Dealers aren't always up to speed on every aspect of every vehicle.

[gcole]

As others have observed, the rear headrests (in my case, on a 430 convertible) create nasty blind spots, so I too wondered whether they could be removed.

And yes, I did RTFM...but the ding-dong thing doesn't even note they exist.

Thanks to the advice here, I was able to remove mine (and verify they could be added back if needed). The tricks for me were to get my hands totally under the headrest, and to use a slight sideways back-and-forth motion while lifting. Those enabled me to remove the problematic headrests without a lot of effort.

And now, as they say...I can see! I can see!

Thank you, all!

[Cumberlandjames]

I've got a 2016 M235 and I removed mine quite easily, just pulled them up same as the front. They don't fold and do create very limited view through the mirror. There is a little more wind turbulence but I always use the screen behind the seat which is very effective.

[p912guy]

I also removed mine the first day with the car. I am moving from a MINI Cooper S that I have had for 6 years and I think I only had someone in the back seat once during that time. I imagine the same will be true for the m235i. As a reminder to put them back if I ever do have a rear seat passenger, I am storing the removed headrests in a bag in the foot-well behind the driver's seat.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by p912guy

I also removed mine the first day with the car. I am moving from a MINI Cooper S that I have had for 6 years and I think I only had someone in the back seat once during that time. I imagine the same will be true for the m235i. As a reminder to put them back if I ever do have a rear seat passenger, I am storing the removed headrests in a bag in the foot-well behind the driver's seat.

My dealer told me you also may need to reinstall depending on where you get your state inspection done and whether or not they are hard asses about such things.

[hundy]

5/8" nylon hole plugs from Lowes finish the holes nicely.