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Fri Jul 07, 2017 11:01 am

This is something I've been thinking about for awhile I've noticed that the top of the rear seat has these little struts down where it hinges. They don't seem to doing anything.
I haven't been able to find any replacement parts out there anywhere. Can anyone tell me what these are supposed to do? Is it to push the seat-back forward?

Never mind the endless trash.

Fri Jul 07, 2017 12:39 pm

Here's the story. Hans was a young jr engineer that got hired by VW back in 1989. He was given the project to add useless items to VW's. These are known today as easter eggs. So, keep looking and you'll see many items like this that you pretty much can't figure out what they are and if they are broke or not.

That strut does the same function as the big spring that goes under the seat on every MKIV Jetta and Golf. It just shows up one day on the floor and most can't figure out where it came from or what it actually does. There is one thing, it sure looks important and tons of questions on the internet about 10 years ago as to it's function and why is it really there. Most (including me) just throw it away because the seats function perfectly fine.

It could be like the seven SD card holders that are in my Alltrack. I can understand one or maybe two, but seven makes me really wonder. It has SAT, AM, FM, AM HD, FM HD, CD, Bluetooth and a USB input. Add into that, SD card input. I'm completely shocked it doesn't have DAT.

As for those struts, I've had my EV since it was 3 months old and to this day have never noticed a difference in the force it takes to operate that seat. Either, those things took a dump right away or they are working just the way Hans intended.

Fri Jul 07, 2017 1:32 pm

I'm down one of these as well -- but seems to function just the same. I think with 2 new ones installed the bed probably lets down or folds up just a little slower.

VW 703 885 065 -- is no longer available.

Search for STABILUS # 356373

Or if you talk to a strut maker:

Length 196.5 mm
Lifting force 180 N
Stroke 47 mm

Steel eyelet on the shaft and ball socket connector on the gas housing.

Fri Jul 07, 2017 3:37 pm

I looked into it back when I got my EV and having spec'd out lots of gas struts for various projects I figured out that the struts need about 3X the force and then they need to have the attachment points doubled in size. This is because whoever at Lear came up with this, screwed up on the leverage and just stuck with it because they probably had bigger fires to put out as this problem that really is not a problem but someone tried to find an answer for it.

I really questioned the engineering behind it and you will too if you pull out the rear seat completely and take a look at it. It's really a bad design but typical German Engineering, they stick with it even if it's not right.

Fri Jul 07, 2017 3:47 pm

...just like us diehard oldtimers, we stick with German cars even when they aren't right.

Fri Jul 07, 2017 4:16 pm

Excellent. I appreciate all the knowledge of the uselessness of the struts. I'll move them to the "Ignore" list.

:D