Hey guys.
I'm looking into adding race seats to my 05 MCS which has the more advanced seat sensors opposed to the 02-04ish cars. Can anyone tell me what would need to be done to transplant that sensor into a race seat and not have an airbag light?

My current plan is to buy some used seat bottoms from the same year and tear those open and use those senors so i will keep my OEM seats in tact.

Has anyone done something similar or have any ideas if this will work?

 

I'm not sure but you should be able to just add a resistor to the plug in for the airbag just like you do on a steering wheel swap.
Don't know if they would be the same resistance or not.

I'm going to be doing the same thing soon, if anyone knows for sure, please chime in.

 

You would only need to do it for the passenger seat bottom (it is the only one with the advanced weight sensor).

orangecrush documented his installation of European JCW Recaro seats. He transferred the passenger mat, and the position sensor on the drivers seat rail:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-bad-news.html
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...a-go-done.html

There is a way to disable the passenger occupancy warning light with NCS Expert:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t-no-more.html
However, nobody here seems to know whether it only disables the warning or also disables the passenger airbag completely.

Here's another thread concerning the passenger sensor mat:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ll-deploy.html

There are two separate issues to resolve for no warnings with a racing seat. You need to fool the computer into thinking that the seat has side airbags. A resistor might work for that. The other issue is the 05+ passenger sensor mat, and for that a resistor won't work.

 

If I am understanding you then I would only need to swap the mat in the passenger seat? And for the drivers side I would just have to hook up the seatbelt sensor and put in a resistor to simulate the airbag which I would also do for the passenger side?

 

Yes, just the passenger seat for the mat.

Yes, just the seltbelt tensioner and resistor for the airbag on the driver's side.

I'm looking for a sensor from a salvage MINI, patiently trying to find one at a reasonable price.

Make sure you disconnect the battery before you start. And make sure everything is connected before you reconnect the battery. You probably already know this, but if you don't, you'll get the airbag light and need to get it reset.

 

Sweet that makes my job easier. I noticed under the drivers seat there seem to be three plugs. I'm guessing one of those is unused?

 

There are some diagrams floating around here somewhere as to what goes to what, and which wires you need to tap; if you have heated seats, I believe that may be your extra plug, but I 'd have to pull it up again to be sure.

 

Both seats have belt tensioners and side airbags, so you need to deal with those on both sides.

There is a seat rail position sensor on the drivers seat. orangecrush talked about it in his Recaro seat installation. It senses how far back the seat is positioned on the rail, and affects the force of airbag deployment.

 

Thanks again. Most of the links you posted are for 2nd gen MINI's. Is the seat sensor the same between the two generations? And do you know if the sensor has to be reprogramed to a new car? AKA i buy a used one and put it in my car, will it set off the srs light?

 

Bump. Does anyone know if the seat sensors need to be programmed to a specific car? Or will anyone work?