Don't remind me... I live in NC and missed Mrytle Beach and Daytona.

Those two rallies aren't a big deal but when you haven't ridden in two years... any rally is a good rally.

Mark

 

Mark - looks awesome. Always loved your car. What are you doing with the stock seats?

 

Wow, great install and great looking seats. Those Recaro JCW seats are the way to go!

 

Nice job, looks great!

I have a 2006 and eventually want to put in a fixed back Sparco/Recaro, but the weight sensor issue is the killer. Wish there was an easier workaround.

 

Looks like our friend has been escorted out the door again. Mods... not another word from me. I promise.

 

Well, I bought the junkyard seats so I could take the weight sensor out of it. Obviously that didn't work so I had to take it out of my stock seats.

Soooo, I guess I'm going to buy another weight sensor and install it back in my stock seats so I can put the car back to stock if I sell it.

 

Mark,

As usual, a great build and very informative. I like the way the seats sit in your JCW.

It is becoming extra sharp and well thought out MINI.

We have a track day next weekend, I will let you know how it works with the tune and after I lay down the newest tune.

I'm going to run my 16s and lighter wheels, convinced Mr. U to put RE-11s on his JCW.

Should be interesting to see if I can keep up.

Don

 

Play nice now.

 

The seats look freaking awesome Mark! I just wish I had the time, money, and patience to do something like this.

 

Mark, looks effin' awesome man! I cant remember, but where had you picked them up from? Cant get them here in canuckland from the stealership..

and is that the M7 scoop?

Glad it all worked out. and I'll second the request for dashie pics!!

 

Thanks guys...


Rowdy, the only place to get the seats are from Europe unfortunately.


Mark

 

After going through all the trouble with the seat sensor, you might not want to look at this.

Someone in another forum simply Googled and found: http://www.noimmo.lt/equipment/params/108/

 

Shhh man, I'm gonna be pissed if they have a unit to bypass the mini occupancy sensor.

I sent them an email asking about it.

I'll let y'all know. Maybe it'll help someone else.

Thanks (I think...lol)


Mark

 

All of the dealers they list are overseas, which is so ironic because the sensor mat is only in the U.S.!

 

You shouldn't need permission to use the logo cause you aren't selling it... Unless the embroider has an issue doing it for copyright reasons. But you have a JCW so there is no reason you can't at least get that logo and leave off the Recaro as the rear seats aren't.
I work at a sign shop and have done logos for ricer shopping lists, but they were all "custom" orders and we didn't have them pre-made or advertise them. Either way it is just more advertising for that brand and as long as you aren't making money off their name where is the harm???

 

I'd rather have it all working properly like Mark has done. Otherwise if it's just you in the car the passenger airbag will go off still and cost you a new dash, or not go off if there is someone in the passenger seat. Not sure how it works, so I could be wrong. You don't want to mess with safety...

 

what sensor mat?

I have just swapped the seats in my R56 Cooper and i have a sensor mat under my passenger seat.....

 

I see on Realoem.com that there's a passenger sensor mat even for euro spec, but it's a different mat from the one used in the US which measures weight. I'm not so sure now that the emulator product is compatible with the US style mat.

 

Its a different mat? the Europe spec mat also measures weight - i cant see that they would have different matts for different markets - a waste of R&D imo.

 

Both Euro and US mats have the same part number.

 

i thought so

 

Because of US regulations, the US uses a different mat from the rest of the world. It is only sold along with a seat bottom cover that is also different: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...49&hg=52&fg=10

Here in the US, our seat bottoms are more plain than the rest of the world, without the nicer stitching found elsewhere. The extra stitching apparently interferes with the US seat sensor. The difference is most obvious for lounge leather seats.

Euro:


USA:


In any case, the sensor mat emulator device might not work on US spec cars, although they could probably make it work if they develop different firmware on the same device.

 

Dang, I was a tad too late getting to you I forgot you ordered both! I just put my driver's seat up for sale...

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co.../product/12015


haha

 

It's interesting that they list the years covered as 2002-2005, when the MINI's didn't even have seat weight sensors until late 2005.

 

The earlier MINI's did have a sensor that I think is to simply to detect a passenger and trigger the chime if the seatbelt is unbuckled. I believe even Euro MINI's have this sensor mat, and the sensor emulator is probably for this type of mat.

The newer US mats also disable the airbag for a passenger below a certain weight (40 lbs?), following US regulations. In my later posts I expressed my doubt that the emulator would work for the US spec mat. The company is in Lithuania (.lt website) and all their dealers are overseas. However, their circuit probably has everything necessary to make it work if they reprogram it for the US mat.