[Tsuter]

Well, I finally did it, I needed to get those **** headrests off of the second row seats and after a quick pry of the rear plastic panel, I just had to unsnap one connector and viola, no headrests in the way of my child seats. Much better fitment without the headrests in the way.

 

[cue003]

Thanks for the info and the pics. So you removed the rear panel on the back of the 2nd row seats and unsnap the headrest connection and then remove. Sweet.

Can you take a pic of what it looks like with the headrests removed? Is it just 2 holes at the top of the seat?

 

[generaltso]

I assume it's just as easy to reinstall them if needed? I'm thinking about state inspection time.

 

[Tsuter]

Reinstall is reverse, should be no issue unless you get a little over zealous and break one of the Christmas tree connectors (yellow tabs). Or if you snap the little casing that the release cable snaps into, but the plastic seems pretty flexible and as long as you're careful you should be okay. And the push retainers came out pretty easily as well, it helps to have the right release tool for that, but I did one seat with my bare hands and then once I saw what I was dealing with I went and grabbed my retaining pin removal tool for the other seat.
And as far as photos, I didn't grab any of the seat after, but yes you are left with the two holes from where the headrest goes into the seatback.

 

[dcpacifica]

Can you provide more info on your "retaining pin removal tool" please?

 

[Tsuter]

Photos of the tool and the headrest removed

 

[Gohawks1224]

Well, I finally did it, I needed to get those **** headrests off of the second row seats and after a quick pry of the rear plastic panel, I just had to unsnap one connector and viola, no headrests in the way of my child seats. Much better fitment without the headrests in the way.

Excellent... now how about the third row? I rented a Pacifica today and it was interesting trying to get a FF car seat back there. I ended up reclining the seat, installing the car seat, and moving the seat back forward as far as it would go.

 

[CenTexas]

Interesting! I'm thinking of removing my 2nd row headrests in order to make it easier to "stow" the seats in the floor wells. As is now, even with the front row seats moved all the way forward, the headrests are in the way on both lowering and raising the seats if you try to do it with the OEM floor mats in place. Seems crazy to have to remove the floor mats every time you stow the seats when all you need is about 1" of extra clearance. I think the designers/engineers overlooked the additional clearance needed when you have the floor mats in place.

 

[lavs_20]

I followed your directions but our BRAND NEW pacifica limited has a metal ring stopper" preventing the head restraint rods from exciting the seat. I'm not a mechanic so pardon the lack of correct terms. The metal ring stopper in a different color mental. I tried to use pliers and a wrench. No dice.

 

[Tsuter]

I followed your directions but our BRAND NEW pacifica limited has a metal ring stopper" preventing the head restraint rods from exciting the seat. I'm not a mechanic so pardon the lack of correct terms. The metal ring stopper in a different color mental. I tried to use pliers and a wrench. No dice.

I wonder if they added that ring to keep folks from pulling them out. My van is an early build, so that may have been a revision. Can you photo the ring?

 

[vdubpower]

yes a pic would be great. i just tested a pacifica today and put three recaro proride seats in the middle....was not easy, but clicked them all in.....the width of the seats on the pacifica are more narrow than the three recaros...right now we have a yukon denali and we fit three easy

brothers oddeysy fits three across easy as those seats slide side to side....

sto and go...well if seats are three across im never gonna use sto and go....so why am i so attracted to it..lol

still trying to decide what to do........i read on

 

[Tsuter]

yes a pic would be great. i just tested a pacifica today and put three recaro proride seats in the middle....was not easy, but clicked them all in.....the width of the seats on the pacifica are more narrow than the three recaros...right now we have a yukon denali and we fit three easy

brothers oddeysy fits three across easy as those seats slide side to side....

sto and go...well if seats are three across im never gonna use sto and go....so why am i so attracted to it..lol

still trying to decide what to do........i read on

I haven't used the sto and go yet, and don't plan to anytime soon, but we did use the storage time put our strollers when traveling. So the compartments are nice, but I'd rather have the slidable seats like the odyssey over the sto and go.

 

[tsax6010]

I followed your directions but our BRAND NEW pacifica limited has a metal ring stopper" preventing the head restraint rods from exciting the seat. I'm not a mechanic so pardon the lack of correct terms. The metal ring stopper in a different color mental. I tried to use pliers and a wrench. No dice.

The lock ring will pull off. It took me a few minutes at the dealership with a pair of needle nose pliers grabbing on the exposed lip from the side and pulling down.

The only way I could get my Diono Radian XT car seats to sit even a little close to flush with the seat back was to either recline the seat about 30 degrees or take off the headrests. These seats sat fine in my 2013 T&C I traded in, but for a family minivan the 2nd row seat design in the pacifica does not seem to take car seats into consideration. Even the LATCH anchors are somehow odd in that I have to put considerable force and wiggling the connector to get them to click in. Very frustrating install over all with lots of sweating and swearing.

 

[Mars_D]

Glad I read this, after struggling with it....only to find out it's not adjustable. lol

 

[dabrandt22]

Well, I finally did it, I needed to get those **** headrests off of the second row seats and after a quick pry of the rear plastic panel, I just had to unsnap one connector and viola, no headrests in the way of my child seats. Much better fitment without the headrests in the way.

Photos of the tool and the headrest removed

I wonder if they added that ring to keep folks from pulling them out. My van is an early build, so that may have been a revision. Can you photo the ring?

I removed one of the 2nd row head rests last weekend, for the same child car seat reason the OP mentioned above. Thank you Tsuter!

My Pacifica build was Oct 2016 and the cable connection did NOT have the snap ring.

 

[Gohawks1224]

yes a pic would be great. i just tested a pacifica today and put three recaro proride seats in the middle....was not easy, but clicked them all in.....the width of the seats on the pacifica are more narrow than the three recaros...right now we have a yukon denali and we fit three easy

brothers oddeysy fits three across easy as those seats slide side to side....

sto and go...well if seats are three across im never gonna use sto and go....so why am i so attracted to it..lol

still trying to decide what to do........i read on

eventually you will use stow n go.

 

[Gohawks1224]

Interesting! I'm thinking of removing my 2nd row headrests in order to make it easier to "stow" the seats in the floor wells. As is now, even with the front row seats moved all the way forward, the headrests are in the way on both lowering and raising the seats if you try to do it with the OEM floor mats in place. Seems crazy to have to remove the floor mats every time you stow the seats when all you need is about 1" of extra clearance. I think the designers/engineers overlooked the additional clearance needed when you have the floor mats in place.

You do not have to remove the floor matts for stow n go. they remain in place. I rented one for 3 days and used the stow n go area for backpacks daily.

 

[BVM]

Removed the 2nd row headrests from my Nov build. Looked just like OPs pics. Diono carseats fit great now.

 

[billspreston01]

Mine had the metal retaining ring. The ring was designed to not be removable, but a little work with some needle nose vice grips and a screw driver I was able to snap the ring and pull it off. I still have the headrests in position, just pulled all the way up so they don't interfere with the car seats. Now if I need to move car seats and use the seat I can just push the headrest back down until it clicks.

 

[generaltso]

I still have the headrests in position, just pulled all the way up so they don't interfere with the car seats. Now if I need to move car seats and use the seat I can just push the headrest back down until it clicks.

Just make sure they're secured well enough that they won't go flying if there's a collision.