Rear Seat Folded Down?

[das boots]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do recall someone mentioned that the rear seat for a sedan can be folded down. But if possible, there are no rear seat latches similar to the E39. So, how is the seat folded down to have more space to haul stuff?

Thanks.

[az3579]

If your car has folding seats equipped, the latches are in the trunk on the 'roof' of the trunk.

If you don't see them, your car is not equipped with folding rears. Sedans had them either as a standalone option or as part of the Cold Weather Package. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190826/720daa011b2ae8a7e312758aaa568e4d.jpg

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[ZHPizza]

Also, if you don't have them, the your car is roughly 40% (!!!) stiffer than a coupe with our foldy bits. I miss the frick out of the stiffness in my nonfolding sedan.

[BMWCurves]

Also, if you don't have them, the your car is roughly 40% (!!!) stiffer than a coupe with our foldy bits. I miss the frick out of the stiffness in my nonfolding sedan.

I like my car to have the stiffness of cooked spaghetti.

[Reasoned1]

According to this post: https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52170#/topics/52170 ...

“For the E46: Sedan (w/o folding seats): 18000Nm/deg of torsion Sedan (w/folding seats): 13000Nm Sport wagon (w/folding seats): 14000Nm Coupe (w/folding seats): 12500Nm Convertible: 10500Nm”

If true, the loss of torsional rigidity is actually 28%, which still seems major.

[ZHPizza]

According to this post: https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52170#/topics/52170 ...

“For the E46: Sedan (w/o folding seats): 18000Nm/deg of torsion Sedan (w/folding seats): 13000Nm Sport wagon (w/folding seats): 14000Nm Coupe (w/folding seats): 12500Nm Convertible: 10500Nm”

If true, the loss of torsional rigidity is actually 28%, which still seems major.

Nice find! Torsional stiffness is one of the few things that I can actually feel in a car and your numbers above confirm that I wasn't dreaming when it felt like the wife's wagon was indeed stiffer than my coupe. Damn this floppy car.

I'm in the process of trying to fix it with bracing and filling the pillars with structural foam. Oh to have that stationary rear seat sedan feel...

[das boots]

According to this post: https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52170#/topics/52170 ...

“For the E46: Sedan (w/o folding seats): 18000Nm/deg of torsion Sedan (w/folding seats): 13000Nm Sport wagon (w/folding seats): 14000Nm Coupe (w/folding seats): 12500Nm Convertible: 10500Nm”

If true, the loss of torsional rigidity is actually 28%, which still seems major.

I guess I do not have the rear fold down seats even though I have the Cold Weather Package. Although I was hoping for the best. I need the fold down for the space. So, to my understanding it is better to not have the rear fold down seats?

[az3579]

I guess I do not have the rear fold down seats even though I have the Cold Weather Package. Although I was hoping for the best. I need the fold down for the space. So, to my understanding it is better to not have the rear fold down seats?If you have Cold Weather Package (ZCW), then you have fold down seats. If your seats don't fold down, you don't have ZCW. The giveaway for ZCW is headlight washers.

I'd take fold down seats over whatever extra stiffness there may be any day of the week.

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[DeathTrap]

I've never driven an e46 or zhp with rear folding seats. Is it that noticeable?

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[Reasoned1]

Both my 330xi’s have folding seats and, while my ZHP definitely handles better, I can’t say it’s as noticeable as I’d have thought—given a 28% difference. Of course, I’m not pushing any of my cars to their handling limits. Tire pressure, on the other hand, I notice.

[das boots]

If you have Cold Weather Package (ZCW), then you have fold down seats. If your seats don't fold down, you don't have ZCW. The giveaway for ZCW is headlight washers.

I'd take fold down seats over whatever extra stiffness there may be any day of the week.

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Yes I do have Cold Weather Package (Heated Seats). But do NOT have the headlight washers nor fold down seats. Maybe not all ZCW have fold down seats?

[BMWCurves]

Yes I do have Cold Weather Package (Heated Seats). But do NOT have the headlight washers nor fold down seats. Maybe not all ZCW have fold down seats?

Your car is equipped with heated front seats as a single option and not a part of the Cold Weather Package. My coupe was the same way - I have heated front seats, but no headlight washers. I do have fold down rear seats, but I believe all coupes had that option as standard.

[fredo]

Yes I do have Cold Weather Package (Heated Seats). But do NOT have the headlight washers nor fold down seats. Maybe not all ZCW have fold down seats?

Interesting. Did you run the VIN thru mdecoder.com ?

[az3579]

Yes I do have Cold Weather Package (Heated Seats). But do NOT have the headlight washers nor fold down seats. Maybe not all ZCW have fold down seats?


Yes I do have Cold Weather Package (Heated Seats). But do NOT have the headlight washers nor fold down seats. Maybe not all ZCW have fold down seats?

You do not have Cold Weather Package if you do not have fold down seats. Folding seats were included in the package.
Heated seats do not signify ZCW; they were a standalone option. I do believe folding seats were also a standalone option, but the washers only came as part of ZCW, at least in the U.S.

[das boots]

That settles it. I have a stand alone heated seats as option. No ZCW. Thanks to all for your clarification.