Removing and installing folding rear seat backrest (outer) — AUDI
Removing and installing folding rear seat backrest (outer) on Audi: 12 steps. What to remove, in what order, and what to check after.
The outer folding rear backrest on the Audi A4 (B9, 8W) hinges in a centre bracket and an outer mounting, with a Bowden cable to the release. With the rear seat bench out, and on the right-hand backrest the centre belt end fitting removed as well, the cover over the cable connector point is opened. The cable's support bracket and its nipple are released from the idler roller, the backrest is folded forward, the bolt removed and the retaining clip disengaged from the centre bracket. The backrest is then lowered a little, lifted out of the centre bracket and pulled towards the middle of the car to clear the outer mounting. The one trap is the idler roller: it must stay in the connector point, or the release will not work properly afterwards.
🧭 Before you start
Remove the seat bench, and for the right-hand backrest the centre belt end fitting. Open the connector point cover, release the Bowden cable bracket and nipple, fold the backrests forward, remove the bolt and the retaining clip at the centre bracket. Lower the backrest slightly, lift it from the centre bracket, pull it inwards out of the outer mounting and remove it. Refit in reverse and check the release.
Fits: Audi A4 B9 (8W, 2015–)
Don't miss
- Do not take the idler roller out of the connector point when handling the Bowden cable.
- On the right-hand backrest, remove the rear centre belt end fitting first.
- Pull the backrest towards the centre of the car to clear the outer mounting.
- Check the folding release latches and unlatches correctly after reassembly.
Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.
📋 Procedure
- Remove rear seat bench .
- Folding backrest (right-side): Remove centre belt end fitting (rear) .
- ⚠ Risk of malfunctions.When removing and installing the Bowden cable, do NOT take the idler roller (1) out of the connector point. — Open cover for connector point.
- Disengage Bowden cable support bracket (3) from mounting on connector point (arrow).
- Disengage nipple (2) of Bowden cable from idler roller (1).
- Fold backrests forwards.
- Remove bolt (2).
- Disengage retaining clip (1) from centre bracket (arrow) and detach. [Note: For greater clarity the padding and cover are not shown in the illustration.]
- Fold backrest (1) down slightly.
- Lift folding backrest out of centre bracket (2).
- Pull folding backrest out of outer mounting towards centre of vehicle (arrow).
- Take backrest out of vehicle.
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TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
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The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.