more problems coming faster than I can solve them
 

First problem: Just now, I went out to remove the rear seat-back cover, and (now torn) seat-cushion cover, that my grandnephew (by marriage) screwed up three weeks ago, by sliding in from the right side to the left, and tearing it, somehow.

The seat-cushion cover was a cheapie from Amazon, that cost $25 a few years back, so no big deal, and the seat-back cover was heavy canvas, looking brand new in 2021, that I just left in place (never found a matching cover for the seat-cushion).

The seat-back cover has the headrests holding it in place, as well as straps underneath. Straps came loose, but for the life of me, I can't pull the headrests loose to extract them, even doing what the manual says to do. I'd like to NOT cut the cover to get it off, but I'm willing to do it.

Next problem: Somehow, going in and out via the left rear door many times, and removing the side bolster and putting it on the ground outside, I must've accidentally moved the child-lock switch, and now can't open the LR door at all. For the last couple of years, I've had to open both rear doors by double-pulling the inside handles THEN opening them from the outside. Now, only the RR door still opens.

DONE How can I yank the headrests loose? I saw a YouTube video, and used my cupped hands together to lift one leg at a time. Additionally, the seat-back cover wasn't hiding any damage, so I won't need to reinstall it, though it has a PN or two that might link to the missing seat-cushion cover, for future use.

DONE How can I fix the LR door if I can't open it? I saw another YouTube video, where a guy used a thin slotted kitchen spatula to insert in between door and frame, to snag and lift the child-proof lock tab. It took quite a bit of fiddling until I felt it hook. Once I jerked it up, I double-pulled the inside handle, and now it opens (still have to pull the inside handle before I can use the exterior handle on either door). Ok by me. The spatula is now in my on-board tool kit, in the X5.

And why does the RR door still require the double-pull on the interior handle, and then the outside handle works? on both rear doors?

Also, "just because"...my 20 YO Battery Tender I use in the X5 quit working today..."just because".

DONE Traced the extension cord back to the GFCI in the garage. It was partially unplugged, and tripped. Probably knocked loose when I moved my 20-gallon air compressor from the garage to the deck, to use on the HVAC cleaning, yesterday.

I've just about had it with problems cropping up this week (home HVAC broke, our deck ramp broke, and now the X5 seat covers, door locks, and battery maintainer). What next?

wonder why the PO covered the rear seat-back
 

After I removed the two rear seat covers (one cheapo covering both upper and lower, and a heavy-duty seat back cover, that was there when I got the X) yesterday, I looked at the seat and wondered why the PO had installed the heavy-duty seat-back piece (I'm sure that there was a lower part, at one time. The leather was flawless.

Perhaps it was because the 1st PO was an oil-drilling contractor, and he wanted to protect the seat? The floor mats were all so badly stained with oil, that even after trying lots of chemicals on them, I had to toss all four.

The front seats show 24 years of wear (but no cuts), but the rear seat looks almost new (maybe 10 years-old). Whatever, I'm glad I removed the aftermarket covers, but I will inspect the pockets of relatives and friends before I let them into the X, hahaha.

I figure the PO of my car had a small, white dog as my rear seat has a few minor claw-scuffs. :rolleyes:

And I say it was white as even after a decade of ownership, I'm still vacuuming small white hairs from all the carpets!! :rant:

I also see a good number of vehicles with decent scrapes along the fronts of the rear doors - I presume these are made by the small metal pocket reinforcing rivets on jeans, when a driver/pax is squeezing into the car when parked in a tight parking spot... :damn:

Yep I'm very conscious of this when I squeeze in and out of my Garage and the thought has crossed my mind a few times that maybe it's occasionally too tight a squeeze.

We know the feeling . An oil cooler leak turned into a month long debacle. I'm still building cofidence to drive it daily again. My mysterious coolant "burp" loss was actually a leaking cooler. It was so small it would not puddle untiil it dripped good. New seals and sealer finally stopped it. It's been a few weeks now and no coolant has been added.