Remove seats

[hectorh]

Does anybody know the procedure and/or tool part numbers to disarm the air bags in the front seats? I am in urgent need to remove the passenger seat to clean an accident, but I know that you have to disarm the airbags or risk having the airbag go-off when you remove the seat from the car.

Thanks, Hector

 

[JOE MAMA]

I would have thought disconnecting the battery would have been all you needed to do.

 

[XCLR8TN]

Does anyone know if you can retain all of the other airbags functionality if you replace the seats? Or does the circuit need to see the seat wiring intact?

 

[Joker2]

Does anyone know if you can retain all of the other airbags functionality if you replace the seats? Or does the circuit need to see the seat wiring intact?

If you install the proper resistor in each harness, the system will think that you have the bags in place. WARNING: Do not try to measure the resistance of the air bag circuit as you will blow a bag in your face. On my Miata a 1/4 Watt 3 ohm resistor did fine for the Driver steering wheel mounted air-bag. Also in a side impact, now you loose the protection designed in. I would think that unless you install a nice set of race seats (http://www.recaro.com/en/press/news/news-view/article/the-ultimate-racing-seat/1367.html), or nice OEM (http://www.recaro-automotive.com/us...ucts/mustang-bossr-302/mustang-bossr-302.html), I would not mess with them.

 

[XCLR8TN]

So... If I can't measure the resistance, how do I know what resistor I need? And to answer the seat question, SRT-4..

 

[Joker2]

If you can't measure resistance, try different resistors or get help from a good EE that can hook you up with a variable resistor (rheostat) that spans the numbers I posted.

BTW Recaro makes some neat Air-bag equipped seats!

 

[DaleNixon]

BAMP! Has anyone removed the front passenger and rear seats and weighed them Has anyone successfully defeated the air bag warning light? I might drive around in a one seater 2. Because ricecar.

 

[Sarein]

Back seats are out in mine, hardly weigh anything but I hate giving people lifts.
Would really like to know how to remove the airbags without the light coming on. Want the seats and steering wheel replaced but holding off untill I can find a way to do it properly.

 

[Gravity]

Bumping an old thread. The other concern is that my dealership's techs suspect that if an airbag is disconnected, that the entire system becomes disabled. They couldn't be sure, but id like to confirm that before i go messing around. I don't care about the light, but i sure want the system to function in my DD

 

[Sarein]

Ok guys, my seats are out. Putting in bucket seats later this month so been trying to see how I can do it.
Front seat weighs just shy of 17kg.

Plastic bits are only clipped on, be patient getting them off.
Four bolts, one on an angle is a pain to get at but a 14mm extended socket works fine.
Airbag has 2 connectors coming out of the seat just unplug them, didn't go off when I took mine out and done it about 3 times now.
With this airbag unplugged the airbag light will come on. No airbags will deploy while this light is on.
To get around this you need to trick the plug into thinking it's still plugged in.
This can be done a number of ways I am yet to try. Linking a bit of wire into the plug or getting a resistor soldered into the plug.
A few ready made options are on eBay and I'm sure I'll be spending ages finding out what works.

Will be posting a 'How-to' if I can get everything sorted.

1 seater while I try and see if the stock rails can be used, good laugh. Just nothing to grab onto while reversing.

 

[magnumP5]

If you can get your hands on a factory service manual it will tell you what the required resistance is in the airbag section. I haven't/won't do this to my 2 but I did it in my old Protege5 when I installed some Sparco's. The general process:

1. Obtain correct resistor (find correct resistance in FSM) and make a "jumper" cable to insert into the now-open connector.
2. Disconnect battery negative cable and pump brakes to drain all charge from the system - I don't care what "has worked" for anyone in the past if the FSM says to do this when working on the airbag system I'm following it!
3. Disconnect airbag connector and remove seat.
4. Install "jumper" wire to bridge both terminals in the connector.
5. Install new seat.
6. Reconnect the battery negative cable and turn car to "ON" and verify the airbag light comes on and then turns off in ~3 sec.

Just remember you've removed side airbags from a car design to have them. It may now be "less safe" than a car design without side airbags in mind.

 

[DaleNixon]

Good info guys! Seems like a lot of hassle for ~37.5 lbs.

 

[Sarein]

I'm doing it more for the support that the stock seat doesn't offer.
Also, I've stripped a fair bit of the car so looks odd with the stock seats.