C5 rear seat release

[Richard Stevens]

This is a 2006 C5 hatch. The rear seat (passenger side) is misbehaving, in that it doesn't stay unlocked with the seat tilted forward - I have to hold the locking lever in the seat clear to get the seat back in place again or it just bangs against the fixed locking bolt.

And today a small compression spring about 2" long came out from the lock lever recess on the rear face of the seat, and there's a loose feel to the whole mechanism.

The question is, does anyone know if it's possible to get at the mechanism by pushing down on the seat material surrounding the mechanism (by the operating handle)? It looks like the top might unclip, but these plastics can easily break if you don't do it just right......
The alternative seems to be unsowing, which I'm very loath to get into.
Anyone have experience or knowledge of this?

RS

[xantia_v6]

I would think that a replacement seat from a breaker might be the simple option. Which upholstery fabric is it?

[GiveMeABreak]

Richard - I can send you some PDFs of the rear seat mechanism diagram and the parts in question if you PM me with an email address.

[Richard Stevens]

Thanks for those replies. Don't know the name of the fabric, it's the Exclusive model though.
I've tried (never have before) to send a PM but without success - would appreciate being shown how to!
RS

[Richard Stevens]

I would think that a replacement seat from a breaker might be the simple option. Which upholstery fabric is it?

It's a soft, two-tone grey (with holes) fabric, almost like suede.
I'll try a breaker if I have no joy with repair.

[GiveMeABreak]

Richard, just click my picture which will take you to my profile page. From there half way down you should see a section that says 'Contact GivMeABreak and next to that 'Send Private Message'. If you can provide me with an email address, I'll send you the info you need, as we can only provide links on the Forum and it would be better for me to send you the PDFs directly. If you can also provide your VIN number, I'll be able to provide you with all your car info including the exact upholstery name etc.
Regards
Marc