Removing the rear seat completely

It's possible, but you would need to make some sort of cover for the charger(s) that are under the rear seat cushion and there will be a very uneven floor space if you take the seat bottom and back out and then try to build a low profile cover to maximize cargo room. Also, be aware that the heavier the load, the worse the range...

Grey on Grey said:

I wonder if it is possible to completely remove the rear seat in order to make my Tesla more like a mini van in back, for storage.
Thank you to the responders who have answered my other thread about changing out the seats for different colour ones.
I bought mine solely as a means to carry gear and use no gas. The fact that it is a sportscar has no bearing on my needs.

Nice, I suppose, but I couldn't care less if I do 0-60 in 100 seconds.

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the rear seats do fold down completely flat! Then you wouldn't have to worry about damaging your charger(s) that are being protected by those rear seats. I'm curious though. For someone that only bought this car for "no gas" it's a VERY expensive route to take just for the sake of no gas.

I was told by a Ranger that they try to avoid removing the the rear seat back because it's almost impossible to reinstall in the correct location. To service the charger(s) they just remove the seat bottom. You wouldn't gain much over just folding the seat down anyway. There's a lot of room when it's folded (not quite enough to haul 4x8 plywood though).

Removing Rear Seat Completely:

Notice the 2 lower corner white plastic mounts. With work gloves yank upwards one one corner to snap it out of plastic. Yank, do not weasel or it tends to jam up. If you have removed any floor bolts replace them! Then do the other side. Now seat bottom lifts out.



Seat backs have 2 bolts on each side and the center slip pin.



Ouch!! This bad boy has to go!!



Unbolt all the 11mm bolts that hold the frame in place. Only remove the 50 Torx bolt holding the seat belt that is attached to the bigger seat back. After the frame is removed from the car then remove the 3 seat belt sockets, assuming your goal is to create a coupe-van. BE CAREFUL OF THEM ORANGE CABLES!!!



Here are the TWIN CHARGERS unless your MS only has the one.





Hacksaw or Saws-All off that ouch post. It can always be welded back on later. Tape it securely to the seat pin so it won't get lost.



Now a plywood floor can be installed on the frame for storage, with a lift top flush with the trunk floor. Car camping on a perfectly flat floor, Tesla Style. :biggrin:

This car has VIN just under 2000 mfg Dec 2012. YMMV on almost any aspect, post your findings!
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wycolo said:

Removing Rear Seat Completely:

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very cool ... I just wish it wasn't so labor-intensive and somewhat destructive ... I can sympathize with the OP's objective because one of my other cars is a PT Cruiser, and one of my favorite features of that car is how the rear seat lifts out simply by releasing a lever, creating a fairly large, flat cargo area ... would be nice if my Tesla did the same

flodrab said:

labor-intensive and somewhat destructive

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The 'ouch post' being hollow can accept a stout bar with 4 flush bolts tapped into it, so no welding required if one chooses to restore to stock. And remember both side bolsters remain in place, so no exposed cables! With black carpeting everywhere it will look just like any other hearse but with side doors.

60 pounds of seats etc was removed so likely to be lighter when completed.

Once you've taken it apart, going the other way is fairly quick and easy. I'd like to see before and after shots of your PT! Now I'll have to call this the MS-Cruiser. :wink:
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@wycolo
How did you remove the rear seat cushions next to the doors ? I have tried to pull, but I am afraid to destroy them

PBP said:

@wycolo
How did you remove the rear seat cushions next to the doors ? I have tried to pull, but I am afraid to destroy them

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In the OUCH photo you can see a white post that holds the side bolsters in place. If you poke a spatula tool in there you should be able to release it. One of mine came off just from manipulation. I left the other one in place. For me they are better left in place as they cover up some wiring and make crawling about in the back more comfortable. There is no actual need to remove these in order to remove seats.

See my thread: Flat Floor for MS: MS Coupe - Completely Flat Floor
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thanks, you have good pictures that helped me get to the HVJB in the middle of the 2 chargers. High Voltage Junction Box. Mine has an error along with a 12v low voltage even after replacing and jumping the battery. No Tesla support since it was a SALVAGE title .

PBP said:

@wycolo
How did you remove the rear seat cushions next to the doors ? I have tried to pull, but I am afraid to destroy them

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I know this post may be old but I was looking for this answer earlier for my 2017 refresh AP2.5 with new interior and couldn't find an answer. Anyway I finally figured it out so I hope this helps anyone in the future.

With seat folded down grab the side bolster about 6 inches from the top with both hands on each side. Give a hard yank directly towards the front of the car and it will release from one of those very tough holders (just like the 2 under the seat cushion). Then lift up and seat. Here is a photo what it looks like removed.

t0mmyr said:

I know this post may be old but I was looking for this answer earlier for my 2017 refresh AP2.5 with new interior and couldn't find an answer. Anyway I finally figured it out so I hope this helps anyone in the future.

With seat folded down grab the side bolster about 6 inches from the top with both hands on each side. Give a hard yank directly towards the front of the car and it will release from one of those very tough holders (just like the 2 under the seat cushion). Then lift up and seat. Here is a photo what it looks like removed.

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Hi @t0mmyr , I was wondering if you encountered the "ouch bar" that the other posters mentioned above in the 2017 Model S? I'd like to remove my seats too, but want to replace them after I am done with my travels.

I see now, the post (ouch bar) is attached to the metal frame that is under the seat cushion. The whole frame can be removed and replaced with a flat shelf.

Ouch post: did I read that this obstreperous protuberance has been designed out in newer MSes? Be interesting if a newer owner notices it is missing.

I retained the wire cage 'cover' for general safety reasons especially since it allows a flush floor of regular 1/2 inch chipboard/plywood to rest above it perfectly flush with the stock floor to the rear.

It has been a long time with this mod; can hardly remember not being able to toss in bikes, filing cabinets, furniture, etc.
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If anyone is still interested, the rear seat frame with the ouch bar is part number 1008275-00-C. I found it for about $140 online by searching for that part number, but not sure how much Tesla would charge from the parts department.

Does anyone have any ideas for a shop that can do this for my 2017 MS in the SF Bay Area? I don’t have the time to mess with it myself but would love to have a completely flat back.

Seat backs have 2 bolts on each side and the center slip pin.

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Found out today that there's no need to remove the bolts on both sides (of my 2014 MS). Just lift the back seats about 20 degrees up. Then put a flat screwdriver between the aluminium part and the black part and push the aluminium part inwards. Now the two pins unlock and you can slide out the back seat. Simple!