Just follwed your video and fixed my headset on my 2013 Town and Country with your tutorial. Thank You took pictures anyone wants to see the wire and JB weld setup
Nice work!! My 2015 Grand Cherokee driver headrest blew off while I was driving at 40 MPH...what a shock. Turns out the plastic clips broke just like yours. I had a sore neck the next day! I will give your fix a try. Thanks for sharing your fix! For the public record, everyone should report this to Jeep and the NHTSA...this is a serious issue that Chrysler/Jeep should fix for free.
I just received a letter in the mail from FCA regarding an extended warranty for the active head restraints. The warranty covers 10 years unlimited mileage and covers multiple Vehicles back to 2012. I received a letter on December 23rd 2020. You may receive the same letter in the mail in the coming weeks. There is mention of reimbursement if you have already paid money to have this issue corrected.
Nice idea and job on reattaching the latch pin - the wire will probably hold better than the original factory design. Good explanation in the video. FCA has issued a 10-year warranty extension for the Active Head Restraint (AHR) system.
This very thing happened to the passenger seat in my Durango earlier today, snapped brackets and all. I'll be applying your solution over the weekend. Thank you.
I have the same problem but your video would have been complete to see how you snap the head rest back together instead of explaining it. I found your video very informative. Thank You😀
My 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan just had this issue today, 20 Jul 2022, while my wife was driving in town and popped her in the back of the head. Good news is she is fine. The plastic retainer failed in the same manner as your video but with more plastic gone. I saw your video and completed the steps minus the pushing it back into place and trying to lock it. After reading comments below from others to look for how to get it to lock, I saw that this part may have an extended warranty. I called my local dealer here in Hinesville, GA, and they confirmed that the part has a 10-year warranty. A new part has been ordered at no cost to me and is estimated to be here in about 3 weeks at which time the dealer will call me to set up an appointment for installation. Thank you for the informative video. I wish I had read the comments first. The parts rep at the dealership did mention that my attempt to self-repair will have no bearing on me getting the replacement. Check with your dealer to see if you can get a new one to replace the one you fixed. Very Respectfully, P. Carlson, SFC, U.S. Army, (Retired)
@@thepropgarageinc4867 i cant get the locking mechanism to unlatch. I tried with the battery method like you said but have no luck. Maybe im not doing it right? Does it unlatch automatically when u "energize" it with the battery?
Thanks for all the info!! This happened to me this morning and I had no clue what just happened. I have a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and hope the dealer will replace it.
Just an update to this video. I had the same problem. When you are taking off the headrest you don’t need to remove the cover caps. On the side opposite of the release there is a tiny hole. I used a glasses repair screwdriver and pushed it into the hole and it allows you to fully remove the headrest. Everything else worked out perfectly
Thank you !! Your process worked perfectly on my 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I just cannot get the Air Bag indicator to turn off. Visited Pep Boys, but they said that the only way was to head to the dealership.
So glad to hear that the fix also worked for you, I was fortunate that my airbag light did not come on. Good luck with clearing the airbag code, hopefully the dealership can rest the light at no cost.
Good info. Haven't tried it yet. But mine did the same thing a few weeks ago in a 2014 Chrysler 200. It's not been uncomfortable for me, so hasn't been a big deal. I feel like I rem the airbag light being on briefly after it happened, but not on now. Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself. I am lucky that mine deployed after I got out to get gas, so no harm. May find a way to just secure the rod as you did and remove/disable the springs. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for this. My wife's just did the same thing. The pin is still under the clips in the base, the plastic in the upper portion gave way. Should be a recall
hi i just had my dodge durango front passenger seat head rest popped out, i already secured, tied and applied epoxy, however i cant figure out how to unlock the metal latch, you didnt show it in your video, i just heard you used a 12v battery in the orange and brown cable, you can you explain it to me in detail? pleaseee.. would appreciate it a lot.
I love the fix, but I've got no idea how to release the latches! Could you elaborate on what I have to do to get them to open up? You mentioned a 12V battery. I tried connecting wires from an A23 12V battery, but nothing happened :( Please help! Thanks for the video!
Excellent video and YES! FYI - they have extended the warranty on this 10 years, so I just took my 2014 Caravan to the dealer and they replaced the headrest with a new one at no charge. I am the 3rd owner. It probably should be a recall but by extending the warranty I suppose then that they only need to go back 10 years. Not sure how long this type of headrest has been out.
Thanks from yet another person who saved so much $$$$ by watching your video! You are a saint. It only took me about 1 hour to fix this, from start to finish. To others I will say I had little trouble getting the latch to unlock. I couldn't get the wires in quite right, but I finally did, and it opened right up. Also, getting the headrest to latch into position required much more strength than I imagined. It is hard to get the initial downward motion, but the pivot downward for the final latching required even more strength. I am a 250 lb man and I really had to lean into it. I did mine exactly as shown, using small paper clips for wiring, and a Gorilla glue product just like what is shown. I did not wait a day to reinstall, I did it right away. The wires were tight already, and the epoxy putty would just reinforce it for the long run. I'm glad, too, because my initial relatching didn't work. When I released my force, the headrest came back out and I could see that the putty had gotten compressed where the plastic mount was supposed to push up against something by the latch. So I cleared that part of the putty away and was able to successfully latch.
@@DollaRich12 it is already in the headrest. If you don't see it in its place, look for where it may have fallen in the headset or maybe even on the seat or floor.
What I mean by 'in its place' is that it's in the latch, jaws, or whatever you want to call it. However, it can slip out of the latch pretty easily, in which case it would fall down in the headrest or out of the headrest. Hope this helps.
FYI, for all you, like me, that are not DIY's on your automobiles, since July 2020, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles now has a recall for this problem. They'll send you a letter with information to get your dealer to repair it for free. Also, they have extended the 3 years or 36,000 mile warranty on the Front Seat Active Head Restraints to 10 years.
Thanks for this great video! I am having the exact problem with a 2015 Grand Caravan. I followed your steps and bonded in the pin. It doesn't look pretty but the bond looks strong and remains clear of the latches. I was able to release the latch by connecting to the battery but I am stuck on the final step - getting it to relatch. No matter how hard I push (with the harness connected and ignition on or off) it does not relatch. Is there some kind of trip switch that gets it to latch (i.e. I should just push harder or is there a sequence I am doing wrong. It is very disheartening to get this far and not be able to complete the final step! Any advice would be appreciated.
Once you push the head rest down all the way, press the head rest pad down and back toward the latches till you hear a click. It takes alot of force. If this doesnt work, take a look at the pin and epoxy to double check that nothing is blocking the pin and clips. Good luck!
Thanks for this video. It's really useful. I got exact same problem. After releasing the retention clips with 12V battery, and push down the headrest to seat it in place, how do the latches lock again? Thank you for taking the time put together this video.
When you press the headrest down and toward the back of the seat, you will have to squeeze the front of the headrest against the back of the headrest until it clicks.
Thank you for the reply. I tried it and it didn't work. I can see that the metal piece of rod is aligning well with the retention clips and nothing is blocking from sitting in the clips. But the clips don't lock no matter how hard I squeeze the headrest together. I tried this 1) by leaving the servo unconnected with engine not running 2) by having the servo connected with engine not running 3) by leaving the servo unconnected with engine running 4) by having the servo connected with engine running. Should I connect the 12V battery to the servo lead connection to close the latches?
If the retaining clips dont lock into the headrest pin, you could try manually pressing them into the closed position with your finger,to see if they lock(you'll have to release it with 12 volts later). At least this way you will know if the clips are engaging into the locked position. I have been told that the servo power plug needs to be plugged in
I would of liked to of seen you physically put the head rest back together like normal as well as your verbal explanation cuz I can't get either of the headrests to reseat to their regular position.
Thank you for your video. The 12 volt battery is a single A? My unit was just unlatched but i was messing with the bottom two latches and i snapped them closed again without attaching the upper unit. So, that is why i am asking about the battery. I know that job of hooking up the battery was for another video in and of itself. You talked how to do it but did not show it
Sorry I missed this comment until now. Its very simple. Grab some spare wire and cut a couple 2 foot pieces. Strip the ends and insert one wire into each of the two leads in the head rest connector. When the head test is removed from the seat, it is easiest to simply carry the headrest around to your battery under the hood. I touched one wire to the positive terminal and one wire to a "good ground" like a bare bolt or piece of steel under the hood. If nothing happens try reversing which wire you are connecting to the positive terminal. (Note: you should only have to touch the wires momentarily to release the clips. If the clips still do not disengage, check the wire connection to the headrest connector. Good luck.
Thnk you. I ended up using a car battery and got an old extension cord and used it after cutting the ends and splitting it. Fyi, I had taken the mini van to dealer and the repairman said it needed to be replaced. It cost $675 before taxes....10% in ca. Plus labor. I said,"no way." Guess what, I was defiant and thnks to God...praise and glory to Him. He gave me the endurance to slowly fix it. Thnk you for your help. You tube is amazing. The knowledge that can be quickly shared....praise God. He is awesome. Check out my you tube channel. Preacherforjesus
Same kind of thing happened with ours, except there was only one "servo" latch, and couldnt take the round bar out from it's grip. I ended up just taking the whole thing apart and removing the springs. Then a few cable ties inside to keep the headrest tight. I wouldn't buy a replacement just seeing how brittle the plastic is inside it. We got rear ended hard by a Jeep (so hard it knocked the dip out of my mouth and water flew out of a water bottle sitting in the cup holder), and neither headrest's servos let them go, so to me no loss in not having it spring up. It never did when it was supposed to.
Thank you for sharing these details, I was also surprised to see how flimsy the headrests plastic retention bracket actually was. Glad you were able to get it back together without buying a new one.
how were you able to drill the holes needed to install the wire? I am about to attempt the repair and cannot visually see how it is possible to drill a hole close to that torx screw side?
The plastic support is hollow, find the meatiest part of the plastic support and drill there, it doesnt have to look exactly like mine, your headrest may be slightly different. Installing the wire is the toughest part of this project, But the wire gives the epoxy putty a strong core.
HI Jenny, if the air bag light is still on, it could mean that you have a loose connector under the seat. If you tried to start the car without the headrest srs connector attatched, it could also cause the warning light. Many local auto parts stores offer free diagnostics, and can erase trouble codes. First check that the connections are all secure under the seat, you might also want to pull the panel off of the back of the seat you already repaired, and double check that the connector going to your headrest is securely connected. If you have a loose connector, the code may clear on its own when the vehicle is started. If the light is still on, stop by your local Advanced auto or Autozone and ask them to clear your codes. Best of luck.. cheers.
This just happened to my grand caravan last night, and I'm holding it shut with a bungle cable. If I can't get the dealer I bought my van used from (Golden Oldies) to fix it cheap, my plan will either try your trick or I'll snip the springs with a bolt cutter and then permanently wire the thing shut. I'm too poor to pay that much. Especially for a feature I will never need. It's not under any warranty anyway. I'm a safe driver, and I am very agile in traffic. It's insane to think a piece of plastic costs that much. PLASTIC! It costs more than my phone. Anyone with a 3D printer could probably make new tabs dirt cheap.
Greetings. I removed the headrest from the seat (Be sure that the key is not in the ignition during this process otherwise the computer may create a fault code that can only be cleared by a dealer) disconnecting the headrest and connector from the seat. Then use two jumper wires, insert a wire into each leg of the headrest connector. Then touch the other end of one wire to the positive post of the cars battery while the oposing wire touches the negative post or suitable ground. If this doesn't pop the headrest try switching polarity. I am not sure which side of the connector is positive and negative. Luckily trying it each way doesn't hurt the headrest. Note: when the headrest releases be careful. The Spring is strong. Best of luck.
Can you tell me how to get the latch that you got to open with 12 volts to close after I make the repair? Does it automatically close when you plug the wire back up? If so how do you get the headrest reset?
Once the repair is completed, reinstall the headrest into the seat and push the headrest down and towards the rear of the seat. I sat behind the seat i was working on to get a comfortable position. Once the headrest is pressed all the way down against the springs, squeeze the front of the headrest against the base/back of the headrest untill it latches. You should hear or feel it click into place. Be sure to reconnect the headrest wire before putting the key into the ignition to avoid activating the airbag warning light. If it is on, you will have to have it reset by a mechanic.
Once the repair is completed, reinstall the headrest into the seat and push the headrest down and towards the rear of the seat. I sat behind the seat i was working on to get a comfortable position. Once the headrest is pressed all the way down against the springs, squeeze the front of the headrest against the base/back of the headrest untill it latches. You should hear or feel it click into place. Be sure to reconnect the headrest wire before putting the key into the ignition to avoid activating the airbag warning light. If it is on, you will have to have it reset by a mechanic.
The Prop Garage inc thanks for the reply. I found another video that explained it. I put my pin back in with a zip tie and JB Weld 2 part epoxy for plastic. I just reinstalled it. My headrest reset and held. I hooked my plug back up, and I don’t have any airbag light on.
There are two wires coming out of the head rest. Disconnect the connector located in the back of the seat. If you apply power and a ground to the head rest wires, the headrest wiill release the retention clips. Allowing you to reset the headrest to its normal locked position. I forget which wire is positive and which is negative.
So sorry to hear that both of your headrests broke. Mine broke at the dealer. I took the van in for an oil change and brake service and got it back with the driver side headrest deployed. The dealer refused to take responsibility.
You just do the best you can. The angles are a little challenging, It doesn't have to be straight, as long as you can pass wire through the holes to secure the pin. The JB weld is strong, but the wire makes the repair super strong. Hope this helps.
@@daniellebeck32 its very strange that the battery all of s sudden has a power drain, after plugging the headrest back in. Sorry to say that i am not sure what is causing that issue.
It broke because it's made out of PLASTIC! BTW, Can the springs be removed removed, the unit reassembled and not worry being whacked in the head, should it fail again? This has happened to my daughter's 2013 Journey. It happened overnight in her driveway and luckily she was not driving at the time. I say, time for a class action lawsuit for faulty designed.
Mine happened while no one was in the seat thankfully but I was driving down the highway and I thought that someone hit the side of my car it was so loud when it popped out. It could have caused an accident.
Is this just a factory defect? Our relatively new 2016 Dodge Caravan had this happen on the passenger side seat for no apparent reason. The car has only 2000 miles and it was parked on our driveway when I noticed it. And, no- the car was not hit or anything. Just parked on the driveway. American-made piece of junk or what?
I asked the same question. Mine broke while being serviced at the dealership. Dropped the van off for a 500.00 brake job and got it back with a broken headrest. They claimed it just happens..And refused to fix it. I definitely believe some parts are designed to fail.
Our 2013 driver's headrest deployed while no one was even in the car! Parked in my driveway. Needs to be recalled. Price to fix this is ridiculous. Chrysler should be ashamed of this faulty and dangerous product.
i dont understand??? this is idiocy, what happens to someone who actually uses the headrest like me?? like REST my head on it, duhhh... gonna shoot my forwards when im rear ended? i would just change this for a normal headrest for this car...
I believe the deployment only happens if you have a front end collision. The headrest extends to cushion your head after bouncing off the steering wheel air bag. But yes, you could simply replace the headrest for a static model. I made my video because I wanted to keep the feature without paying 750 bucks to the dealership. However, I hear the head rests are now warrantied.
Way to much work, all you need to do is take take the long ribbon and unlock the pin and drill another hole in the ribbon about half way up and put the pin inside your new hole and push it back down into the slot and that will fix it. Worked for me.
Just follwed your video and fixed my headset on my 2013 Town and Country with your tutorial.
Thank You took pictures anyone wants to see the wire and JB weld setup
First video I clicked on, happens to be the correct tutorial! Thank you for making a simple and comprehensive how to video!
Nice work!! My 2015 Grand Cherokee driver headrest blew off while I was driving at 40 MPH...what a shock. Turns out the plastic clips broke just like yours. I had a sore neck the next day! I will give your fix a try. Thanks for sharing your fix! For the public record, everyone should report this to Jeep and the NHTSA...this is a serious issue that Chrysler/Jeep should fix for free.
Sorry to hear that your headrest deployed while you were driving. I was shocked to find out how often this has happened to people. Good luck
I just received a letter in the mail from FCA regarding an extended warranty for the active head restraints. The warranty covers 10 years unlimited mileage and covers multiple Vehicles back to 2012. I received a letter on December 23rd 2020. You may receive the same letter in the mail in the coming weeks. There is mention of reimbursement if you have already paid money to have this issue corrected.
Nice idea and job on reattaching the latch pin - the wire will probably hold better than the original factory design. Good explanation in the video. FCA has issued a 10-year warranty extension for the Active Head Restraint (AHR) system.
This very thing happened to the passenger seat in my Durango earlier today, snapped brackets and all. I'll be applying your solution over the weekend. Thank you.
I have the same problem but your video would have been complete to see how you snap the head rest back together instead of explaining it. I found your video very informative. Thank You😀
My 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan just had this issue today, 20 Jul 2022, while my wife was driving in town and popped her in the back of the head. Good news is she is fine. The plastic retainer failed in the same manner as your video but with more plastic gone. I saw your video and completed the steps minus the pushing it back into place and trying to lock it. After reading comments below from others to look for how to get it to lock, I saw that this part may have an extended warranty. I called my local dealer here in Hinesville, GA, and they confirmed that the part has a 10-year warranty. A new part has been ordered at no cost to me and is estimated to be here in about 3 weeks at which time the dealer will call me to set up an appointment for installation. Thank you for the informative video. I wish I had read the comments first. The parts rep at the dealership did mention that my attempt to self-repair will have no bearing on me getting the replacement. Check with your dealer to see if you can get a new one to replace the one you fixed. Very Respectfully, P. Carlson, SFC, U.S. Army, (Retired)
Thank you! I expected that my repair would void the warranty. I will reach out to my local dealership to see if I can get a replacement.
@@thepropgarageinc4867 i cant get the locking mechanism to unlatch. I tried with the battery method like you said but have no luck. Maybe im not doing it right? Does it unlatch automatically when u "energize" it with the battery?
Thank you man for this helpful advice. Good job and continue the hard work 👍🏻
Superb job, thanks for doing this. Ours is a 2013, so we can hopefully get the dealer to replace this.
Thanks for all the info!! This happened to me this morning and I had no clue what just happened. I have a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and hope the dealer will replace it.
Just an update to this video. I had the same problem. When you are taking off the headrest you don’t need to remove the cover caps. On the side opposite of the release there is a tiny hole. I used a glasses repair screwdriver and pushed it into the hole and it allows you to fully remove the headrest. Everything else worked out perfectly
Thank you !! Your process worked perfectly on my 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I just cannot get the Air Bag indicator to turn off. Visited Pep Boys, but they said that the only way was to head to the dealership.
So glad to hear that the fix also worked for you, I was fortunate that my airbag light did not come on. Good luck with clearing the airbag code, hopefully the dealership can rest the light at no cost.
Good info. Haven't tried it yet. But mine did the same thing a few weeks ago in a 2014 Chrysler 200. It's not been uncomfortable for me, so hasn't been a big deal. I feel like I rem the airbag light being on briefly after it happened, but not on now. Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself. I am lucky that mine deployed after I got out to get gas, so no harm. May find a way to just secure the rod as you did and remove/disable the springs. Thanks for the video.
Am going to have to do my 2009 Dodge journey the same way thanks for the help on this great
Thanks for this. My wife's just did the same thing. The pin is still under the clips in the base, the plastic in the upper portion gave way. Should be a recall
UPDATE: its been over a year now and the headrest repair isbstill holding strong. I will update the comments if there is any change
hi i just had my dodge durango front passenger seat head rest popped out, i already secured, tied and applied epoxy, however i cant figure out how to unlock the metal latch, you didnt show it in your video, i just heard you used a 12v battery in the orange and brown cable, you can you explain it to me in detail? pleaseee.. would appreciate it a lot.
Wow thanks man doing this next weekend's mines broken smh
@@TheFaylo25 same thing I want to know the unlocking of the metal latch
I love the fix, but I've got no idea how to release the latches! Could you elaborate on what I have to do to get them to open up? You mentioned a 12V battery. I tried connecting wires from an A23 12V battery, but nothing happened :( Please help! Thanks for the video!
Mine deployed a few weeks back. Anyone know if the dealer warranties the headrest? And how do I go about doing it if they do
Thanks for the insight Also good to know when removing the electric connection depress the small side tab on the yellow connector to disconnect
Excellent video and YES! FYI - they have extended the warranty on this 10 years, so I just took my 2014 Caravan to the dealer and they replaced the headrest with a new one at no charge. I am the 3rd owner. It probably should be a recall but by extending the warranty I suppose then that they only need to go back 10 years. Not sure how long this type of headrest has been out.
hell ya... you just saved me over $700. worked perfectly!
Awesome! Glad to hear..
Thanks from yet another person who saved so much $$$$ by watching your video! You are a saint.
It only took me about 1 hour to fix this, from start to finish. To others I will say I had little trouble getting the latch to unlock. I couldn't get the wires in quite right, but I finally did, and it opened right up. Also, getting the headrest to latch into position required much more strength than I imagined. It is hard to get the initial downward motion, but the pivot downward for the final latching required even more strength. I am a 250 lb man and I really had to lean into it. I did mine exactly as shown, using small paper clips for wiring, and a Gorilla glue product just like what is shown. I did not wait a day to reinstall, I did it right away. The wires were tight already, and the epoxy putty would just reinforce it for the long run. I'm glad, too, because my initial relatching didn't work. When I released my force, the headrest came back out and I could see that the putty had gotten compressed where the plastic mount was supposed to push up against something by the latch. So I cleared that part of the putty away and was able to successfully latch.
Awesome, so glad the fix worked out! I was also surprised at how much force it took to reseat the head rest.
Where do u buy the metal pin? The pin that the paper clips and epoxy is supposed to hold.
@@DollaRich12 it is already in the headrest. If you don't see it in its place, look for where it may have fallen in the headset or maybe even on the seat or floor.
What I mean by 'in its place' is that it's in the latch, jaws, or whatever you want to call it. However, it can slip out of the latch pretty easily, in which case it would fall down in the headrest or out of the headrest. Hope this helps.
@@DollaRich12 If you do not have the pin that came with your head rest, you could pull one from a triggered head rest located in your local junk yard.
Thank you for the tutorial!
Thank you 😊 this worked out perfectly
How did you get the metal clips to release. The video is unclear.
Chrysler has extended their warranty on the headrests for ever!!! You just have to wait about two weeks to get one from their vendor. Free of charge.
Thats amazing news!
Mine deployed for no reason but this is a good news
Just happened to me. Just popped when I put my hand on the headrest. I saw some info on a class action suit but haven't followed up.
Muchas gracias buena alluda
FYI, for all you, like me, that are not DIY's on your automobiles, since July 2020, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles now has a recall for this problem. They'll send you a letter with information to get your dealer to repair it for free. Also, they have extended the 3 years or 36,000 mile warranty on the Front Seat Active Head Restraints to 10 years.
A recall is when they tell everyone to bring it in for repair/replacement. As far as I can tell, they are only paying to replace broken ones.
Thanks for this great video! I am having the exact problem with a 2015 Grand Caravan. I followed your steps and bonded in the pin. It doesn't look pretty but the bond looks strong and remains clear of the latches. I was able to release the latch by connecting to the battery but I am stuck on the final step - getting it to relatch. No matter how hard I push (with the harness connected and ignition on or off) it does not relatch. Is there some kind of trip switch that gets it to latch (i.e. I should just push harder or is there a sequence I am doing wrong. It is very disheartening to get this far and not be able to complete the final step! Any advice would be appreciated.
Once you push the head rest down all the way, press the head rest pad down and back toward the latches till you hear a click. It takes alot of force.
If this doesnt work, take a look at the pin and epoxy to double check that nothing is blocking the pin and clips. Good luck!
I am having the same problem
@@itsjustneo7199 me too
Thanks for this video. It's really useful. I got exact same problem. After releasing the retention clips with 12V battery, and push down the headrest to seat it in place, how do the latches lock again? Thank you for taking the time put together this video.
When you press the headrest down and toward the back of the seat, you will have to squeeze the front of the headrest against the back of the headrest until it clicks.
Thank you for the reply. I tried it and it didn't work. I can see that the metal piece of rod is aligning well with the retention clips and nothing is blocking from sitting in the clips. But the clips don't lock no matter how hard I squeeze the headrest together. I tried this 1) by leaving the servo unconnected with engine not running 2) by having the servo connected with engine not running 3) by leaving the servo unconnected with engine running 4) by having the servo connected with engine running. Should I connect the 12V battery to the servo lead connection to close the latches?
If the retaining clips dont lock into the headrest pin, you could try manually pressing them into the closed position with your finger,to see if they lock(you'll have to release it with 12 volts later). At least this way you will know if the clips are engaging into the locked position. I have been told that the servo power plug needs to be plugged in
I would of liked to of seen you physically put the head rest back together like normal as well as your verbal explanation cuz I can't get either of the headrests to reseat to their regular position.
Thank you for your video. The 12 volt battery is a single A? My unit was just unlatched but i was messing with the bottom two latches and i snapped them closed again without attaching the upper unit.
So, that is why i am asking about the battery. I know that job of hooking up the battery was for another video in and of itself. You talked how to do it but did not show it
Sorry I missed this comment until now. Its very simple. Grab some spare wire and cut a couple 2 foot pieces. Strip the ends and insert one wire into each of the two leads in the head rest connector. When the head test is removed from the seat, it is easiest to simply carry the headrest around to your battery under the hood. I touched one wire to the positive terminal and one wire to a "good ground" like a bare bolt or piece of steel under the hood. If nothing happens try reversing which wire you are connecting to the positive terminal. (Note: you should only have to touch the wires momentarily to release the clips. If the clips still do not disengage, check the wire connection to the headrest connector. Good luck.
Thnk you. I ended up using a car battery and got an old extension cord and used it after cutting the ends and splitting it.
Fyi, I had taken the mini van to dealer and the repairman said it needed to be replaced. It cost $675 before taxes....10% in ca. Plus labor. I said,"no way."
Guess what, I was defiant and thnks to God...praise and glory to Him. He gave me the endurance to slowly fix it. Thnk you for your help.
You tube is amazing. The knowledge that can be quickly shared....praise God. He is awesome. Check out my you tube channel. Preacherforjesus
Same kind of thing happened with ours, except there was only one "servo" latch, and couldnt take the round bar out from it's grip. I ended up just taking the whole thing apart and removing the springs. Then a few cable ties inside to keep the headrest tight. I wouldn't buy a replacement just seeing how brittle the plastic is inside it. We got rear ended hard by a Jeep (so hard it knocked the dip out of my mouth and water flew out of a water bottle sitting in the cup holder), and neither headrest's servos let them go, so to me no loss in not having it spring up. It never did when it was supposed to.
Thank you for sharing these details, I was also surprised to see how flimsy the headrests plastic retention bracket actually was. Glad you were able to get it back together without buying a new one.
How did you go about removing the springs from it? I can't get it back in its position no matter how hard I try.
hi mines the clips are close and do not know how to open them
how were you able to drill the holes needed to install the wire? I am about to attempt the repair and cannot visually see how it is possible to drill a hole close to that torx screw side?
The plastic support is hollow, find the meatiest part of the plastic support and drill there, it doesnt have to look exactly like mine, your headrest may be slightly different.
Installing the wire is the toughest part of this project, But the wire gives the epoxy putty a strong core.
I don't trust this, not to snap my neck from the back, is there one i can replace my head rests with non lethal ones?
Active headrest is fixed, but now how do I get the airbag warning light to go off?
HI Jenny, if the air bag light is still on, it could mean that you have a loose connector under the seat. If you tried to start the car without the headrest srs connector attatched, it could also cause the warning light. Many local auto parts stores offer free diagnostics, and can erase trouble codes. First check that the connections are all secure under the seat, you might also want to pull the panel off of the back of the seat you already repaired, and double check that the connector going to your headrest is securely connected. If you have a loose connector, the code may clear on its own when the vehicle is started. If the light is still on, stop by your local Advanced auto or Autozone and ask them to clear your codes. Best of luck.. cheers.
How did you get the metal clips to release? Can you elaborate? What battery? How do you use it? Thanks
12 volts battery
I don't understand how it needs to be plugged in
This just happened to my grand caravan last night, and I'm holding it shut with a bungle cable. If I can't get the dealer I bought my van used from (Golden Oldies) to fix it cheap, my plan will either try your trick or I'll snip the springs with a bolt cutter and then permanently wire the thing shut. I'm too poor to pay that much. Especially for a feature I will never need. It's not under any warranty anyway. I'm a safe driver, and I am very agile in traffic. It's insane to think a piece of plastic costs that much. PLASTIC! It costs more than my phone. Anyone with a 3D printer could probably make new tabs dirt cheap.
Have fun designing those tabs 😂
Upgrading to leather upholstery, how do you deploy headrest to change upholstery material?
Greetings. I removed the headrest from the seat (Be sure that the key is not in the ignition during this process otherwise the computer may create a fault code that can only be cleared by a dealer) disconnecting the headrest and connector from the seat. Then use two jumper wires, insert a wire into each leg of the headrest connector. Then touch the other end of one wire to the positive post of the cars battery while the oposing wire touches the negative post or suitable ground. If this doesn't pop the headrest try switching polarity. I am not sure which side of the connector is positive and negative. Luckily trying it each way doesn't hurt the headrest. Note: when the headrest releases be careful. The Spring is strong.
Best of luck.
Can you tell me how to get the latch that you got to open with 12 volts to close after I make the repair? Does it automatically close when you plug the wire back up? If so how do you get the headrest reset?
Once the repair is completed, reinstall the headrest into the seat and push the headrest down and towards the rear of the seat. I sat behind the seat i was working on to get a comfortable position. Once the headrest is pressed all the way down against the springs, squeeze the front of the headrest against the base/back of the headrest untill it latches. You should hear or feel it click into place. Be sure to reconnect the headrest wire before putting the key into the ignition to avoid activating the airbag warning light. If it is on, you will have to have it reset by a mechanic.
Once the repair is completed, reinstall the headrest into the seat and push the headrest down and towards the rear of the seat. I sat behind the seat i was working on to get a comfortable position. Once the headrest is pressed all the way down against the springs, squeeze the front of the headrest against the base/back of the headrest untill it latches. You should hear or feel it click into place. Be sure to reconnect the headrest wire before putting the key into the ignition to avoid activating the airbag warning light. If it is on, you will have to have it reset by a mechanic.
The Prop Garage inc thanks for the reply. I found another video that explained it. I put my pin back in with a zip tie and JB Weld 2 part epoxy for plastic. I just reinstalled it. My headrest reset and held. I hooked my plug back up, and I don’t have any airbag light on.
First, great video and explanation!
Question: when you try to latch the head rest, should it latch automatically?
How to use the battery to release the retention clips
There are two wires coming out of the head rest. Disconnect the connector located in the back of the seat. If you apply power and a ground to the head rest wires, the headrest wiill release the retention clips. Allowing you to reset the headrest to its normal locked position. I forget which wire is positive and which is negative.
I went to my local IPK you pick it salvage yard and found one that matches my interior for 16 bucks out the door!
My caravan I just bought is like this if the warranty won't cover it, I'll use this video to fix it
BOTH of these just popped on our 2015 Town and Country. Plastic clips inside broke. Chrysler crooks still claim this isn't a problem.
So sorry to hear that both of your headrests broke. Mine broke at the dealer. I took the van in for an oil change and brake service and got it back with the driver side headrest deployed. The dealer refused to take responsibility.
So the headrest magically closed itself??
There’s another video showing how to close it at a downward angle
How do u get in to drill a hole???
You just do the best you can. The angles are a little challenging, It doesn't have to be straight, as long as you can pass wire through the holes to secure the pin. The JB weld is strong, but the wire makes the repair super strong. Hope this helps.
Just curious if this is still holding up?? I had this happen just today. I would love to be able to fix without paying tons :(
Yes, this headrest repair is still holding strong.
Ok cool. Random question. I had disconnected the wire. But now once plugged back in it drains my battery. I did not ground it is this why?
@@daniellebeck32 its very strange that the battery all of s sudden has a power drain, after plugging the headrest back in. Sorry to say that i am not sure what is causing that issue.
Thats ok, taking it to the dealer today. Thanks for your time.
Как он снял подголовник, не понятно
Dodge has extended the warranty on this for 10 years so if you have this problem check with your Dodge dealer first.
They have now been recalled....10 year unlimited mileage repair if you have one of these
Did it hold?
Still holding strong
It broke because it's made out of PLASTIC! BTW, Can the springs be removed removed, the unit reassembled and not worry being whacked in the head, should it fail again? This has happened to my daughter's 2013 Journey. It happened overnight in her driveway and luckily she was not driving at the time. I say, time for a class action lawsuit for faulty designed.
I was also lucky that my head rest triggered while the vehicle was parked.
You should be able to remove the springs. Never thought about it.
Agreed
Mine happened while no one was in the seat thankfully but I was driving down the highway and I thought that someone hit the side of my car it was so loud when it popped out. It could have caused an accident.
There is a class action lawsuit about this issue, because it is fairly common and Chrysler will not deem it life-threatening!
This is a repair I would try. Thanks . An amazingly poor design by Chrysler. These should be under permanent warranty.
failed safety item sounds like a recall and not something YOU should fix...
we had something similar happen on a 2013 chrysler 200
I saved myself $700 by using zip ties. I don't have to worry about this thing ever smacking me in the back of the head now.
Is this just a factory defect? Our relatively new 2016 Dodge Caravan had this happen on the passenger side seat for no apparent reason. The car has only 2000 miles and it was parked on our driveway when I noticed it. And, no- the car was not hit or anything. Just parked on the driveway. American-made piece of junk or what?
I asked the same question. Mine broke while being serviced at the dealership. Dropped the van off for a 500.00 brake job and got it back with a broken headrest. They claimed it just happens..And refused to fix it. I definitely believe some parts are designed to fail.
The same thing happened to me on a rental! Total BS!
Our 2013 driver's headrest deployed while no one was even in the car! Parked in my driveway. Needs to be recalled. Price to fix this is ridiculous. Chrysler should be ashamed of this faulty and dangerous product.
There is a recall on this now.
You didn't show how to reset it
Dodge will replace for free
Turn the auto focus on your video camera.
Let's be honest... this is a stupid system.
i dont understand??? this is idiocy, what happens to someone who actually uses the headrest like me?? like REST my head on it, duhhh... gonna shoot my forwards when im rear ended? i would just change this for a normal headrest for this car...
I believe the deployment only happens if you have a front end collision. The headrest extends to cushion your head after bouncing off the steering wheel air bag. But yes, you could simply replace the headrest for a static model. I made my video because I wanted to keep the feature without paying 750 bucks to the dealership. However, I hear the head rests are now warrantied.
Way to much work, all you need to do is take take the long ribbon and unlock the pin and drill another hole in the ribbon about half way up and put the pin inside your new hole and push it back down into the slot and that will fix it. Worked for me.
awesome, but wouldn't this fix bypass the headrest deployment in the event of an impact?
@@thepropgarageinc4867 Now that's a really good question, not really sure lol.
Can you please make a video?
I hate why this video is way longer than it needs to be.
Seems like it should be a 0 minute video if Chrysler had designed the part correctly. Grateful that the video exists, though.
Extremely annoying holding a phone camera with one hand while doing a poor instruction with the other single hand.