Question on drivers seat trim removal

[tonydyvr]

I`m trying to remove the left-side trim on the bottom of the driver`s seat (the panel on which is mounted the electric seat adjustments - LX470). I think the switch for the lumbar adjustment is duff, and I want to remove it to test.

But... I am stumped by the cunning engineers who designed the attachment method for the seat trim. There are two screws to remove (one at the front and one at the rear of the trim), and two more to loosen on the underside of the trim edge, but it appears that there is a final attachment point right near the seat hinge on the top of the trim - attaching the trim piece to another piece of trim on the inner-top surface of the seat.

I am guessing that it `snaps` together somehow, but for the life of me I can not figure out how to pull, pry, twist, or pop it apart. It appears that one could slide a screwdriver down into the hinge and access the back of the trim, but I don`t know what action to take from there, and I have plenty of experience in breaking these types of bits on my earlier vehicles. Experience is what you get immediately after you needed it.

So if anyone has had their seat apart and can pass on some pearls of wisdom, muchas gracias.

 

[fireball]

I don't remember how it came off but here's a picture behind the cover. This is the pass side but it is the outboard side so should be the same.

 

[tonydyvr]

Hey Thanks for the picture.

It looks to me though that the top of the tab (where you are pointing) has snapped apart and broken somehow. I am trying to determine how that particular piece of Toyota engineering comes together and apart without breaking, but so far no luck.

 

[fireball]

Yes, that's why my finger was on it, because I broke it when I removed it! I couldn't figure it out either, but I knew to be more gentle and do a little more wiggling in the driver side and was able to get it apart without breaking.