Seat Removal

Quick question about removing the front seats. I learned from vacation pictures that I should be sure to perform the calibration for occupant detection system of the passenger seat after the reinstallation otherwise the airbag could go off. Do I need to go to the subaru dealership for this to be done? Any help would be appreciated.

what are these "vacation pictures" you speak of? I've never heard of a calibration being needed....

thanks for the info, i'll be taking that to the dealership as soon as i get the other amp screwed into place down there

calm down...there will be pictures in the next two weeks or so... gonna post when the whole install is done.

I didn't realize you had to get the the occupant airbag re-calibrated...are you sure.

 

Reason is...I gutted my seats in favor of the blue\black WRX STi seats. No airbag light on the guage cluster and everything works fine (i.e...the seat belt sensor and passenger airbag sensor work fine.

 

Was a lengthy install to accomplis this without having the airbag light on though. I'll post some pics soon.

The seats probably have different resistances and what not in terms of flexibility and pressure. Fortunately I have access to 11 children all with varying weight so I can test at what weight the front airbag will kick on in my passenger front Recaro. I already have my drivers seat in and the passenger seat will hopefully be in on Wednesday night.

The seats probably have different resistances and what not in terms of flexibility and pressure. Fortunately I have access to 11 children all with varying weight so I can test at what weight the airbag will kick on in my passenger side Recaro. I already have my drivers side in and the passenger side will hopefully be in on Wednesday night.

 

I bought a set of recaros, installed the drivers side last night. After I fab up the adapters for the passenger side base tomorrow, I'll install it and transfer over the passenger sensor bladder.

 

I think the spring tensions will be different between seats moreso between the recaro and stock (recaro being a tad firmer) so I'll verify what weight it takes to activate the passenger front airbag on both seats.

 

Still confused?

Well, if you swapped seats I think you could just make the passenger side airbag permamently on...

I don't have side airbags on the recaros... that was my mistake in typing. I'm talking about the passenger front airbag... I corrected the post.

that's what I meant.... I rather have the passenger front air bag deploy needlessly than not deploy at all due to a hacked solution

Alright, I got to get my rear bumper replaced soon anyways (got tagged on the freeway)...so I'll have them do it then. Hopefully I don't have issues until then.

 

 

Got pics...but don't know how to upload them. Any help?

So, let me make sure I understand the bottom line.

 

You can remove the passenger seat and disconnect the weight sensor with no resulting problem, correct? The problem arises when you want to replace the seat. correct?

So, let me make sure I understand the bottom line.

 

You can remove the passenger seat and disconnect the weight sensor with no resulting problem, correct? The problem arises when you want to replace the seat. correct?

 

I would hope so, it had me a little worried (I just removed my drivers seat to put an amp in) but when you think about it the system would have to be tolerant to loosing power otherwise they would need re-calibration every time you replaced the battery!

According to my dealer the passenger seat needs to be recalibrated. The driver side is fine as there is no weight sensor from what I remember being told.

This sounds very strange to me. There isn't any electrical difference between disconnecting the seat and disconnecting the battery. It would be crazy to have to return your car to a Subaru dealer every time the battery went flat, that would just be unheard of. I think the dealer is either playing it *very* cautiously or is having you on. I found this section in the MY09 US Service manual:

 

NOTE:

When replacing the occupant detection system, or removing and disassembling the passenger’s seat, always perform the system calibration after installing a seat in the vehicle.

Also:

 

CAUTION

• If the seat cushion cover is removed or replaced, make sure to perform passenger detection system adjustment after installing the seat to the vehicle. <Ref. to OD(diag)-15, SYSTEM CALIBRATION (REZERO-ING), OPERATION, Subaru Select Monitor.>

If system adjustment is not performed, the occupant detection system may not function properly. Failure to do so may cause improper activation of passenger’s airbag.

Perhaps your dealer is getting confused with the initialization procedure for power seats:

 

CAUTION:

If a front seat is power seat with memory function, the memory function must be initialized after installing seat to the vehicle. <Ref. to SE-40, ADJUSTMENT, Power Seat System.>

Failure to do so may cause the abnormal operation of the memory function.

 

If that is what you need to do, here is the initialization procedure:

 

INITIALIZATION PROCEDURE

NOTE:

• Initialize the records inside the module by performing all the following steps regardless the item order.

• Buzzer sounds once when keeping the switch operation for three seconds with each seat in lock* status.

• After the completion of all items for initialization process, the buzzer sounds three times when finishing the final operation and turning the switch

from ON to OFF.

1)Move the seat rearward using the slide switch, and keep the seat lock* status for 3 seconds or more.

2)Move the seat downward using tilt switch, and keep the seat lock* status for three seconds or more.

3)Move the seat downward using lifter switch, and keep the seat lock* status for three seconds or more.

4)Tilt the seatback forward using reclining switch, and keep the seat lock* status for three seconds or more.

*: Seat lock is the status that there is no pulse output from the encoder within the specified period of time although it reaches the movable position end.

NOTE:

When the following conditions are met, the initializing operation is cancelled even though the procedure is carried out halfway.

• Any operation interval between each initialization procedures from 1) to 4) exceeded 10 seconds.

• All operations throughout initialization procedure 1) to 4) was not performed.

• During initialization procedure, power supply was cut off, or the voltage to the memory module exceeded the range of operating voltage.

 

Granted, as the occupant detection system is part of the air bag system, it's not something you want to have go wrong. I just think that the ODS calibration is only needed if the seat is pulled apart or replaced. If it is simply taken out and put back in I don't see why calibration would be needed as it hasn't physically changed. Also note, there is no mention in the service manual of ODS calibration being needed when you temporarily remove a seat or disconnect the battery.

:munch:subscribe

So, I removed the passenger seat and will replace it with an ultra-lightweight plastic bucket. Now the air bag light is permanently on (to be fixed with a piece of black tape), and the seat belt chime is chiming perpetually (to be fixed by destroying the little noisemaker on the circuit board under the steering column). Next, I'll be removing the drivers seat and expect to need more tape.

Hmm crazy thread... guess I need to look into this more... i swapped cloth for leather with no ill effect noticed, no airbag light etc..

I'm curious to hear about this.

 

 

Can you confirm with me once again that the leather power seats can fully adjust the height of the cushion.. ie you can raise the front half of the seat? On the cloth seats the only adjustment available is to raise the height of the rear half of the seat.

 

I'm looking for more support on the front of my thighs, so I want to raise the front.

 

Also, someone told me that the seat "bases" can be swapped between power and non-power. Is this also defeating the "calibration" of the seat in the end? If I read correctly the seat itself only has sensors for pressure, the heating elements, the seatbelt (which Is also related to pressure and now the buckle) And power (if it has it or not).

Yes you definately can raise the front of the seat. It is MUCH better to sit in than the cloth ones for that reason. Though the bolsters are much smaller on the sides that the cloths... they hold you less well.

Excellent.. now to figure out this thing about airbag recalibration.... I'll wait until I get the seats, then I'll talk with the dealer.

 

Do I have to bother unhooking the battery when swapping the seats? First I thought it would be better for airbag purposes.. now I'm thinking it won't matter since it's only a weight sensor anyhow...

i didnt unhook the battery and I didnt have any problems.

so the passenger seat needs calibrating but the driver seat doesn't? i guess every one who drives a Legacy weighs the same. Brilliant.

So I got the extra seats and put them in. The passenger seat is indeed debunked, I get the ABS light on as well as the passenger detection is not functioning.

 

I looked at the bottom of the cloth seat and I notice on the 4 corners of the rails what looks to be the pressure sensors. To me it would be completely ridiculous if they need "recalibration" since it is sitting within the frame of the seat.. unless they can make it less sensitive.

 

This gives me a little more problem since I need to figure out why this seat doesn't work. I pulled out the black module that is labeled "occupant control module" and I am going to hope to swap it with the one in the seat that doesn't work. I only hope that power to leather is going to be using the same module.