Disconnect active headrest

[Rich83]

Regarding seat problems...

What is everyone's opinion of disabling the active headrest altogether. I've been told by a few members on here that that's what they did. If you disconnect the cable that runs between the upper and lower headrest units, then the bottom of the seat can be collapsed and the paddle will no longer be sticking out into the seat.

I would worry about repercussions from the insurance company if anyone was injured while driving the vehicle, and they could prove that the active headrest had been modified or disabled.

as far as safety goes I don't think it would make a difference for me. I sit with my head pretty far forward, so I don't think it would help me much anyway. On the other hand, my wife sits all of the way back against the headrest, so that may be a different story.

I know a lot of you drive pretty heavily modified vehicles, and I would assume insurance companies aren't too fond of this. If you were injured in a modified vehicle with a several inch lift and different bumpers, couldn't the insurance company deny any medical coverage, due to the fact that the vehicle was modified, and was not crash tested in its current form?

I would think the same would go for the seats..... I've heard in some states its illegal to disconnect airbags, how would this be any different.


What does everyone think.

 

[rigtec]

Regarding seat problems...

"...What is everyone's opinion of disabling the active headrest altogether.
What does everyone think..."

Hi Rich,

I could be wrong about this, but the insurance adjuster's job qualifies them to look at police reports, insurance status (insured coverage or not), and assesses the damage to the vehicle(s). I don't think that the adjuster is qualified to asses the vehicle BEYOND what's on the VIN Plate e.g., two inch lift, 275/55 R20 oversize tires, or a deactivated head rest... unless the mods are ominous and truck looks like 'Big Foot' or (for some reason) the police noted that in their accident report. Again, this is just my opinion! Rgds

 

[TrkyMfns]

We have active headrests?

 

[Rich83]

Yes, I believe all 5th gen 4runners have them. It's a paddle that the lumbar frame in the seat is connected to. It makes the back of the drivers seat stick out at the bottom. The foam is only about an inch thick there and gets uncomfortable within about 10 minutes of driving. I've tried every possible option I can think of, short of disconnecting the cable so the bottom of the backrest would "collapse" and not stick out.

It seems that there are a handful of people on this forum that share my issue, however I haven't really seen any solutions. Other than a few people just disconnected it all together.

I have two pictures that can be reference here:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-g...s-still-having-seat-problems.html#post2167904

 

[mcarey86]

You may worry about repercussions from the insurance company if anyone was injured while driving the vehicle.

I would worry more about the injury people may sustain due to you disabling a safety feature.

 

[1engineer]

Regarding seat problems...

What is everyone's opinion of disabling the active headrest altogether. I've been told by a few members on here that that's what they did. If you disconnect the cable that runs between the upper and lower headrest units, then the bottom of the seat can be collapsed and the paddle will no longer be sticking out into the seat.

I would worry about repercussions from the insurance company if anyone was injured while driving the vehicle, and they could prove that the active headrest had been modified or disabled.

as far as safety goes I don't think it would make a difference for me. I sit with my head pretty far forward, so I don't think it would help me much anyway. On the other hand, my wife sits all of the way back against the headrest, so that may be a different story.

I know a lot of you drive pretty heavily modified vehicles, and I would assume insurance companies aren't too fond of this. If you were injured in a modified vehicle with a several inch lift and different bumpers, couldn't the insurance company deny any medical coverage, due to the fact that the vehicle was modified, and was not crash tested in its current form?

I would think the same would go for the seats..... I've heard in some states its illegal to disconnect airbags, how would this be any different.


What does everyone think.

You want opinion's on disconnecting an OEM safety feature that could save a life? Mine is no then. Buy a different vehicle and test drive the crap out of it before you sign. You are one of the very few apparently that have issues with the seats.
Yes, you could pay a huge penalty for disconnecting the feature. Somebody drives your truck, is in accident, gets neck broke, etc. Pretty sure the data logger records what safety restraints were brought online during the crash too. The data would be there for all to see. If I lift a vehicle and am in a crash then a whole host of events have to happen (lift>crash>possibility of lift causing crash>lawyer>expert witness>jury trial>and on and on. If the insurance guy looks at the data logger info and sees a key safety feature disconnected then he stops right there at fault=owner.

Look, I feel bad for you and have read the seat threads and your posts hoping someone could help. With this question you are now getting desperate. Face it... you are part of a very small group (Toyota sells 75K+ of these a year) that has an issue with the seat. The best thing you can do if you can't either live with the seat or pad the seat is get rid of it. Take the loss and move on with a vehicle that fits your body type. Life's too short to be uncomfortable.

 

[Swarty]

Custom seat?

I would worry about repercussions from the insurance company if anyone was injured while driving the vehicle, and they could prove that the active headrest had been modified or disabled.

as far as safety goes I don't think it would make a difference for me. I sit with my head pretty far forward, so I don't think it would help me much anyway. On the other hand, my wife sits all of the way back against the headrest, so that may be a different story.

Insurance won't care. They work on averages and if they aren't giving your model a discount for the feature they aren't including it.

You have the way active headrests work backwards. People who keep their heads against or near the head rest don't need active headrests. Active headrests are for people like you, they jump forward to catch your head before it accelerates enough to cause whiplash or impact damage.

That being said plenty of people completely swap out seats in vehicles and as long as the seat doesn't detach it won't draw attention. You may consider this option. I've considered getting some Corbeaus. They are ridiculously comfortable.

 

[Scooter Dude]

I wouldn't do it, I did a stint in underwriting in the P&C world (I'm life insurance now) and most insurance cos may not care but may is the key here, if the claim is too high they would look for reasons to get off the risk and not pay. Like above, I would sell the 4Runner if you can't get comfortable, it's not worth it.

 

[mdogg]

I wouldn't do it, I did a stint in underwriting in the P&C world (I'm life insurance now) and most insurance cos may not care but may is the key here, if the claim is too high they would look for reasons to get off the risk and not pay. Like above, I would sell the 4Runner if you can't get comfortable, it's not worth it.

Or they may have no issue with the repair payout, but the medical/PIP portion.....

 

[Rich83]

Thanks for all of the replies. I would have to agree with most of you, it's really not worth it, and that's something that would always be kind of be hanging over my head, with the whole "what if" scenario.

You are correct that I've become somewhat desperate, and almost willing to try anything, but I suppose I have to draw the line here.

I still can't believe more people don't have a problem with this, I'm a pretty average build.

I know it's not "just me" as there are others that seem to have the same issue, although it's true, it seems like it's a small minority.

I can't will myself to trade it in, not yet. I kind of walked a hard line with convincing my wife to get a 4runner (we share a vehicle, I have a company car for work.), because it's still a BOF SUV- she couldn't care less. While that might get me some credit on here, it's kind of embarrassing now.

Now, she likes driving it and I'm the one complaining- bad karma I guess.

The back seats are really nice, maybe I'll just have the wife chauffeur me around....yeah that wont happen!

Thanks again for the advice. So far this forum has been a great resource.

 

[3wbdriver]

as far as safety goes I don't think it would make a difference for me. I sit with my head pretty far forward, so I don't think it would help me much anyway. On the other hand, my wife sits all of the way back against the headrest, so that may be a different story.

I have to ask what kind of seat position you use. I'm not saying you should change it, but I have the impression from your statement that you may run it somewhat reclined? If so, you may try bringing it more upright and try driving that way for a few days.

I have suffered with off and on lower back pain for pretty much 40 years now. I did a 28 day trip last April that averaged out to about 350 miles and 7 hours per day in mine, and never at any point during that trip did the seat bother me. But because of my lower back I keep the seat pretty much erect and the lumbar support fully inflated. I'm tall enough I have the seat in it's lowest position, and elevate the front about 50% to support my thighs.

What I am suggesting is you might try using the wide range of adjustability of the seat to find a comfortable seating position that still removes the pressure from that lower plate. If you're running a sports car rake with your chin tucked in your chest you may be part of the problem. Just a thought.

 

[flyrv9]

In September the wife and I took our 2013 SR5 on a 4,800 mile trip. We had a few long 600+ mile days. Before the trip, my drive / ride time in the 4runner was limited. My wife drives it most of the time and except for a few short trips into town; I didn't have much seat time. I, however, was wondering how things would go as I felt the seats were a bit stiff.

Turns out things went great and it appears a stiffer seat works better for me and the wife had no issues either. I'm 6' 3" and wife is 5' 8". I also have a history of back issues. I did move the seat around a little and adjust the lumbar thingy and tilt periodically. We never did experience anything poking into us from the seat.

 

[phillyd2]

So...I just learned that we have it and then what it does was explained. Yet, I still don't understand :ybrick:

 

[Titanpat57]

So...I just learned that we have it and then what it does was explained. Yet, I still don't understand :ybrick:

It's a NY thing Dave....

Give us a few minutes...

 

[meltdown]

Rich83- I have felt your pain. Sometimes my wife or son will drive the 4Runner and when they do, I swear they must play with every button and lever on the side of the seat. (One day I'll figure out how to add memory seats to my trail.) I got in it one time and felt exactly what you are talking about. I thought the adjustable lumbar was broken. Took forever to figure out how to get comfortable again. The angle of the upper seat doesn't make much difference, but the adjustment on the bottom portion makes a huge difference. Play around with the height and angle of the lower portion, and I bet you can find somewhere it's comfortable. It just may not be the way you are used to sitting in a vehicle.

 

[3wbdriver]

So...I just learned that we have it and then what it does was explained. Yet, I still don't understand :brick:

Toyota Active Headrest | Wcf news | Motor1.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMEZCNImJX4

 

[DesertCanyons]

Moving head rest

I saw your photos in your other thread on seat problems. My seat back doesn't look like that at all. Mine is covered in fabric. :boxing:
How did you get that seat back open anyway? I wish I could see the part where the cable connects at the top. I read about this feature before buying my T4R and the idea of an automatic moving head rest during an accident just doesn't appeal to me. I have thought about disconnecting it but to look at the seat and headrests I cannot figure out how it works.
I saw a new 4Runner TE on a dealers lot that had all the air bags deployed. It happened before it was sold. During a service run to have running boards installed someone hit it at a narrow angle, almost from the front, just behind the left front tire. That bent the fender, running board and door. It was a minor accident with probably a few thousand dollars in damage. No one got hurt and the air bags probably weren't needed. But because they all deployed it will cost many thousand more to have them replaced or reinstalled. That's if they can be replaced. To me it seemed they deployed far to easily.
As a kid I remember the days before seat belts and getting in an accident with a 1963 GMC 3/4 ton pickup. I don't remember if it had lap belts. I just held onto the wheel and didn't go anywhere. Air bags, shmear bags.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Uhm... How do you normally sit in the seat? I find a lot of people somehow manage to drive with the seat reclined (often so much they have to get those uncomfortable lumbar bags or whatever.)

I personally have to have my seats in a straight up, lowest to the ground almost "racing seat" style position; anything else feels uncomfortable when I am driving.

Post Note-

The Active Headrest system is essentially a passive system from what the New Car Features section seems to indicate (looks like its new for '15+ models); essentially that means it's purely mechanical system that is not computer driven or monitored. So disabling it will not set an SRS warning lamp, DTCs, or any errors in the system; though it is technically modifying a factory component so it may affect warranty coverage related to the components around that system and/or the seat.

As for what to do... well that's up to you. I mean the 5th gen has been around for about 4~5 years without having Active Headrests and so you'd essentially just be reverting the seat design to an earlier, proven design specification. But as others have pointed out, it was added as a safety feature to prevent bodily harm and/or possible fatality in the event of a collision. So this is a rather murky area that you need to determine for yourself, much in the same way we regularly make conscious decisions to alter the safety of our vehicles by say adding a full metal bumper and/or bypassing safety systems such as VSC/TRAC, ect.

Bottom line is that it's your vehicle and your responsibility for what you decide to do with it, all anyone can do is provide you with all the information so you can determine what is the best course of action for you.

 

[77Bronc]

So...I just learned that we have it and then what it does was explained. Yet, I still don't understand :ybrick:

I am reading this post in amazement, I think the seats are the most comfortable of any vehicle I own, that includes the Lazy Boy quality seats in my wife's Ford Expedition Limited. I did not know there is a paddle and cable running to the headrest. I do know there is a bar in the lower seat that does stick out some if I don't have the lumbar exactly right, but has never been an issue, the longest trip I have taken is a 600 mile round trip, no real back issues.

Reading this, I assume, the head rest will pop forward, like folding down the rear seat head rest to fold up the seats, only if your head is not up against it, is that correct? Update: I looked at the link, my assumptions are correct. But will not fold completely, moves the headrest into a maximum protection position....very interesting.

Last word of thought, in my line of work, refinery machinery engineer, safety systems are there for a reason. By passing a safety device is the quickest way to get escorted out of my facility. So, my answer is no. I agree 100% with 1Engineer's comments

77

 

[1engineer]

Uhm... How do you normally sit in the seat? I find a lot of people somehow manage to drive with the seat reclined (often so much they have to get those uncomfortable lumbar bags or whatever.)

I personally have to have my seats in a straight up, lowest to the ground almost "racing seat" style position; anything else feels uncomfortable when I am driving.

Post Note-

The Active Headrest system is essentially a passive system from what the New Car Features section seems to indicate (looks like its new for '15+ models); essentially that means it's purely mechanical system that is not computer driven or monitored. So disabling it will not set an SRS warning lamp, DTCs, or any errors in the system; though it is technically modifying a factory component so it may affect warranty coverage related to the components around that system and/or the seat.

As for what to do... well that's up to you. I mean the 5th gen has been around for about 4~5 years without having Active Headrests and so you'd essentially just be reverting the seat design to an earlier, proven design specification. But as others have pointed out, it was added as a safety feature to prevent bodily harm and/or possible fatality in the event of a collision. So this is a rather murky area that you need to determine for yourself, much in the same way we regularly make conscious decisions to alter the safety of our vehicles by say adding a full metal bumper and/or bypassing safety systems such as VSC/TRAC, ect.

Bottom line is that it's your vehicle and your responsibility for what you decide to do with it, all anyone can do is provide you with all the information so you can determine what is the best course of action for you.

Good post!