what is this thing on my seat pad? do I really need it?

[sleepydad]

2000 sport seats and I think this is a warning sensor for the passenger side air bag? occupant is too skinny for air back sensor?

will I just get a warning light if I remove it...

I know I could put the entire seat back together and try it but... it's already torn down waiting for the new cover to arrive.

<a href="https://imgur.com/f9pZ5IH"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/f9pZ5IHl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

 

[2016 4Runner SR5]

Believe it's a seat heater element

 

[JZiggy]

Yeah it's the sensor that tells the SRS system a passenger is riding in the seat.

 

[sleepydad]

Believe it's a seat heater element

yea that is what I was thinking at first but then I went looking in the FSM and parts diagrams... my truck does not have any seat heater switching or fuses.

the parts diagram list it as a warning sensor? maybe they misspelled warming?

I was just going to toss it and install a new heating pad... but then I was thinking... maybe this is an important air bag thingie?

 

[sleepydad]

Yeah it's the sensor that tells the SRS system a passenger is riding in the seat.

[MENTION=148218]JZiggy[/MENTION]

so if I don't put it back the passenger airbag no works no more?

darn... hmmm

 

[the walrus]

This does not signal the airbag system nor is it a seat heater. This is nothing more than a pressure sensor to trigger the seat belt warning light for the passenger seat belt. You can test it by plugging it in, turning on the car, and pressing your hand down on the sensor with the passenger seat belt unfastened. You will see the passenger seat belt light start blinking in the center dash area. With pressure still on the sensor, you will notice that once you fasten the seat belt it will stop blinking. The 2000 4Runner does not have a pressure sensor in the passenger seat for the airbag. To directly quote the 2000 owners manual page 50, lower center of page, "the passenger airbag is activated even with no passenger in the front seat." That is to say, if triggered, the passenger airbag will go off regardless of a passenger sitting there. And if a passenger IS sitting there with no seat belt on, and the airbag goes off, they will be thrown into the explosion (instead of being properly restrained by the seat belt) and will most likely die.

SRS (the airbag system) stands for Supplemental Restraint System, meaning that it is a secondary supplement to the seat belt. The seat belt restrains at a certain distance and the airbag inflates to a certain distance within a certain time frame. Working together, they offer the best chance of survival in a straight on hit. The airbag by itself can be fatal.

So, leave it plugged in, and if you are swapping lower seat foams (like I did), simply pull the sensor up off the foam (it is glued on) and tape it back on the other foam (like I did using clear Gorilla tape) so it remains in the passenger location and continues to work as factory.

To sum it up, the blinking passenger seat belt light triggered by this sensor is Toyota's way of saying, "Hey Chucko, we noticed that you are sitting in this seat. That's fine, but we're gonna go ahead and annoy you with this blinking red light until you fasten your seat belt because if you don't, and you get in a head on, the airbag will go off anyway and you're gonna be out like a fat girl playing dodgeball, and you ain't never gonna make it to the 7/11. Domo." (See owners manual, addendum 2017, PP 672, lower right)

Cheers,
Justin

 

[Dale Bob]

Why

Why would you take it out in the first place. It looks like a butt sensor for the air bag and the light will stay on if you remove it.

 

[sleepydad]

Why would you take it out in the first place. It looks like a butt sensor for the air bag and the light will stay on if you remove it.

Becaus I'm doing new seat covers and was swapping foam from a passenger seat that was barely used compared to my drivers seat.

After 17 years of people farting into the drivers seat it's time for some better foam

 

[Dale Bob]

I wasn't talking about the foam but the sensor.

 

[sleepydad]

I wasn't talking about the foam but the sensor.

because I have a different seat foam from the passenger side I got from the junk yard... but it's hardly been used. The junk yard one does not have the sensor so I was going to swap it over from my seat foam.

I put the seat back together today without the sensor and without hooking up the belt wire... nothing happens and you can sit in the seat with or without the seat belt fastened no warnings.

the sensor has nothing to do with the air bag system what so ever. it just a dash light flashing thing if its all hooked up, if somebody is sitting in the passenger seat and they do not have their seat belt on that dash light flashes. Not nearly as bad as the ding ding ding of newer cars, but I would still like to avoid flashing dash lights.

I was unable to find info about it in the FSM. figured somebody would know here and they did.

 

[Dale Bob]

Sorry I assumed it was a butt sensor for the air bag. I've been working on BMW's for about 40 years and this is my first Toyota. I took it on trade for an X-3. Still learning the car. I like the 4Runner. BMW used seat occupancy sensors and they have a nasty habit of failing and cost a fortune. Only available with the foam. Oh well back to the football game and beer!

 

[phattyduck]

the sensor has nothing to do with the air bag system what so ever. it just a dash light flashing thing if its all hooked up, if somebody is sitting in the passenger seat and they do not have their seat belt on that dash light flashes.

I was unable to find info about it in the FSM. figured somebody would know here and they did.

I didn't believe this, so I checked the diagrams. The Airbag system has no connection to the passenger seatbelt warning light - a bit surprising, since more modern cars use this to turn airbags on/off and even inflation strength. So, remove it all you want!

-Charlie

 

[octanejunkie]

I didn't believe this, so I checked the diagrams. The Airbag system has no connection to the passenger seatbelt warning light - a bit surprising, since more modern cars use this to turn airbags on/off and even inflation strength. So, remove it all you want!

Should he short out the connector if he removes the switch to keep the annoying dash light from just flashing? IIRC, it's a 3-pin connector in conjunction with the seatbelt switch

BTW [MENTION=168172]sleepydad[/MENTION] that seat foam in your first post looks better than mine... wanna sell it? I don't mind the vintage farts

 

[sleepydad]

Should he short out the connector if he removes the switch to keep the annoying dash light from just flashing? IIRC, it's a 3-pin connector in conjunction with the seatbelt switch

BTW [MENTION=168172]sleepydad[/MENTION] that seat foam in your first post looks better than mine... wanna sell it? I don't mind the vintage farts

just left my seatbelt sensor wire and seat sensor wires disconnected and nothing flashes (passenger). It does flash if I don't as the driver because I still have it hooked up.

I actually have 2 decent passenger side pads and yes I would sell them, I just ordered 2 back rests and 2 fart pads from yota of dallas. let me make sure the new ones are going to work out before I accept.

as long as it all goes as planned... famous last words.

 

[octanejunkie]

just left my seatbelt sensor wire and seat sensor wires disconnected and nothing flashes (passenger). It does flash if I don't as the driver because I still have it hooked up.

THat's weird, on my 99 if I disco the connection under the passenger seat the dash warning light constantly flashes. What year/model truck do you have?

I actually have 2 decent passenger side pads and yes I would sell them, I just ordered 2 back rests and 2 fart pads from yota of dallas. let me make sure the new ones are going to work out before I accept.

You have PM