Aftermarket Seats and SRS

[swanarg]

i can confirm that 2.2 ohm is the correct one. running these with recaro rsge. i ordered the resistors from evasive, lmk if you have any other questions

could you or anyone for that matter, provide a list of specialty tools needed for the install? I have all the standard tools needed and soldering materials but not sure what size torx drive/sockets are used. also, any instructions on which wires need to be spliced would be helpful. i've done my share of soldering but mostly on audio equipment and electronics not an airbag sensor. TIA

Sponsored

 

[rr1443]

could you or anyone for that matter, provide a list of specialty tools needed for the install? I have all the standard tools needed and soldering materials but not sure what size torx drive/sockets are used. also, any instructions on which wires need to be spliced would be helpful. i've done my share of soldering but mostly on audio equipment and electronics not an airbag sensor. TIA

i don't remember the torx size off the top of my head. Lemme double check and take a few pictures and i'll get back to you in a few.

 

[rr1443]

@swanarg

The torx size is T50. There are (4) for each seat (these are re-used if you are using PCI rails like me).

You can identify the air bag wire with the YELLOW connector. This is the only soldering you need to do. I didn't have heat shrink on hand so this is medical tape from a first aid kit lmao.

The hardest part is getting all the wiring separated from the OEM seat. There are a lot of clips in hard to reach spaces. I used whatever I could to get them out. Pliers, flat heads, etc.

If i remember correctly the only 'specialty' tool is the torx T50.
If you are using the oem seat belts those also bolt right in.

NOTE: My passenger side PCI Sliding rail has an issue where the passenger side seat belt (the part where you stick it into with the red button) doesn't sit flush with the mount. There is a notch on it and it seems PCI missed that. After a lot of time trying to figure something out I ended up just getting it as tight as I could and leaving it. I imagine this isn't the safest option though I do plan on harness/autopower roll bar soon.

 

[swanarg]

@swanarg

The torx size is T50. There are (4) for each seat (these are re-used if you are using PCI rails like me).

You can identify the air bag wire with the YELLOW connector. This is the only soldering you need to do. I didn't have heat shrink on hand so this is medical tape from a first aid kit lmao.

The hardest part is getting all the wiring separated from the OEM seat. There are a lot of clips in hard to reach spaces. I used whatever I could to get them out. Pliers, flat heads, etc.

If i remember correctly the only 'specialty' tool is the torx T50.
If you are using the oem seat belts those also bolt right in.

NOTE: My passenger side PCI Sliding rail has an issue where the passenger side seat belt (the part where you stick it into with the red button) doesn't sit flush with the mount. There is a notch on it and it seems PCI missed that. After a lot of time trying to figure something out I ended up just getting it as tight as I could and leaving it. I imagine this isn't the safest option though I do plan on harness/autopower roll bar soon.

that's very helpful thank you for the detailed explanation. can't wait to install my seats once they get here!

 

[swanarg]

Finally got my seats installed after waiting a month for my rails to come in. Went together without a hitch thanks to all the help here. I’m am curious if anyone figured out how to make their passenger airbag work. I removed the sensor from the oe seats and just mounted them under the aftermarket seat. I bolted them to the bottom of the cushion wedged between the spring and the fabric but they don’t sense that I’m on the seat. I’ve only seen the bladder style so I wasn’t sure how these sensed weight anyhow. I’ll post some pics when it’s daylight. Still dark atm on the west coast.

 

[swanarg]

Here they are. Nice affordable upgrade from my friends at E-auto in El Monte, CA. Good guys there.

 

[rr1443]

Here they are. Nice affordable upgrade from my friends at E-auto in El Monte, CA. Good guys there.

oops just saw this. these look great, super comfortable. congrats man

 

[swanarg]

oops just saw this. these look great, super comfortable. congrats man

Very comfy. Makes me want to drive longer. Every time I sit in em.

 

[swanarg]

alright so after a lot of trial and error I’ve managed to get closer to making the weight sensors for the passenger air bag work properly. I mounted them to my rails mimicking the same set up as the oem rail. I used washers and shims to get everything as level as possible.

On the 14mm threads that house the washers I placed a rubber washer in between to simulate the plastic shims from the OE seats.

It’s fairly easy for the airbag to always be on or always be off. If you tighten it down the weight sensor will think someone is there. Or if you only torque them to where you can still spin the washers with some effort, the passenger airbag will be off.

I haven’t figured out how to make it function properly, consistently. Sometimes it works as intended(when I sit in the passenger seat the light goes off and comes on when I get out). Other times the light will go off when I slide the seat all the way forward with no one or anything in the seat and turn back on when sliding it all the way back. And sometimes it won’t turn back on when I get out the seat indicating it thinks I’m still there.

I think it’s possible the sensors may have something binding them or not be level. i drilled the holes in the rail so it could be slightly off even though it appears to be level which may explain the inconsistency. I am not sure but it’s been a headache I couldn’t tell you how many times I pulled the seats out. Took off the rails put em back on, many different iterations of placement and hardware for the sensors. I feel super close. But I don’t know if it’s possible without the stock rail. May give it one last try. I’ll kee everyone posted.
View attachment 275026 View attachment 275027 View attachment 275026 View attachment 275027 I

 

[rr1443]

alright so after a lot of trial and error I’ve managed to get closer to making the weight sensors for the passenger air bag work properly. I mounted them to my rails mimicking the same set up as the oem rail. I used washers and shims to get everything as level as possible.

On the 14mm threads that house the washers I placed a rubber washer in between to simulate the plastic shims from the OE seats.

It’s fairly easy for the airbag to always be on or always be off. If you tighten it down the weight sensor will think someone is there. Or if you only torque them to where you can still spin the washers with some effort, the passenger airbag will be off.

I haven’t figured out how to make it function properly, consistently. Sometimes it works as intended(when I sit in the passenger seat the light goes off and comes on when I get out). Other times the light will go off when I slide the seat all the way forward with no one or anything in the seat and turn back on when sliding it all the way back. And sometimes it won’t turn back on when I get out the seat indicating it thinks I’m still there.

I think it’s possible the sensors may have something binding them or not be level. i drilled the holes in the rail so it could be slightly off even though it appears to be level which may explain the inconsistency. I am not sure but it’s been a headache I couldn’t tell you how many times I pulled the seats out. Took off the rails put em back on, many different iterations of placement and hardware for the sensors. I feel super close. But I don’t know if it’s possible without the stock rail. May give it one last try. I’ll kee everyone posted.
View attachment 275026 View attachment 275027 View attachment 275026 View attachment 275027 I

we appreciate your hard work

 

[swanarg]

Well, I wish I could tell those interested in making the passenger weight sensor work that I figured it out. Unfortunately I’m officially throwing in the towel. Many more tries same result. It’s either always on or always off.

I think that if I had someone with an HDS hooked up it I could make it work since it could tell us how much input weight it’s receiving and recalibrate. I don’t think my dealer will do it because they are against anything aftermarket and would not want to be “responsible” for anything going wrong, which I get.

Hell I took my car in long ago cuz it was making a slight clunk randomly which turned out to be a lose bolt on my sway bar. They said they weren’t supposed to fix it because my lowering springs and sway bar were for ”racing”. Luckily the tech did it anyway cuz it was just a bolt. But I nearly laughed out loud at the service desk person.

Just gotta find a local shop with an HDS that’s up for it I guess. For now I have decided to leave it always off as I’m the only one in the car 95%of the time. Here are some photos of the mounting

 

[rr1443]

@swanarg I wonder if any type r owners have found a solution to this since this thread is in the Si section

 

[swanarg]

@swanarg I wonder if any type r owners have found a solution to this since this thread is in the Si section

hmmmm that is a good question.... not sure could post it there i supposed. even though i said i threw in the towel, looking more at the stock rail gave me ideas. Basically the sensors attach to the rail and the seat "floats" on top of the sensors so that when someone sits it depresses just enough to read the sensor.

so i have come up with a potential solution so that the unloaded seat will float off of the sensor yet come into contact when someone is sitting. To do this i will be using die tooling springs which seem perfect for longevity and durability. I'm waiting on the springs to come in. They are rated at a maximum deflection of 31.8lbs which should be more than enough to lift essentially half a seat 1mm or so. I will post the set up if it works once they arrive.

I got this idea because when i was testing the sensor i had the front of the seat unbolted and the back bolted. when i lifted the seat the airbag 'off' light would turn on, when i set it back down the air bag "off" light turned on. in theory it should work but never know til you try. I do think that a re-calibration could possible work alternatively.

Only downside i could think of is that the seat might have some play because the bolts wouldn't be torqued completely down on the sensor side. I plan to use counter springs on the bottom of the mounting bracket to take up any slack that would be present as a result of the depression of the springs with a passenger. again we are talking 1 mm or so, so i do not believe it will be noticeable.

 

[xcivicx]

Just gotta find a local shop with an HDS that’s up for it I guess. For now I have decided to leave it always off as I’m the only one in the car 95%of the time. Here are some photos of the mounting

if you haven't, consider a body shop that does air bag and such on new cars to do a calibration on the sensor. the mid range scan tool that i bought cant do the cal but does have a lightened menu for it ( meaning that, that option not avail). the over a hundey price is a tad steep, but hey it sez i can change tire size.

as a note i'm tring to go from si to letric leather seats from a five door

 

[swanarg]

if you haven't, consider a body shop that does air bag and such on new cars to do a calibration on the sensor. the mid range scan tool that i bought cant do the cal but does have a lightened menu for it ( meaning that, that option not avail). the over a hundey price is a tad steep, but hey it sez i can change tire size.

as a note i'm tring to go from si to letric leather seats from a five door

This was my last resort if I can’t figure it out for sure. Thanks !

Sponsored