Issues after seat swap

[xr7man46]

I recently swapped in leather seats from a 99' cougar into my 02' cougar. My issues are with the driver side. I was able to take the plug off my old seat, and wire it in, and managed to get the power seat controls to work, but I apparently didnt get the airbag wired in right because my airbag light is flashing. Also, if I dont buckle in my seat belt, the light doesnt come on, but when I plug the seat belt in, the light comes on sometimes, but if you jiggle it around a little bit it goes over. I just dont want to wire the airbag up wrong and have it go off... any help would be great. Thanks.

[michcougar]

Did you maybe cross the wires for the seat belt and the airbag?

[Tygerr]

You need to swap the seat pre-tensioners from your old seats onto the new seats. The pre-tensioner is the seat belt buckle itself (where the belt locks into). It's just a really big torx, you'll probalbly have to take the seat out to switch it though. Just the drivers side should work.

I had the same exact problem, there's a resistance in the pre-tensioner that basically tricks the computer into thinking it does or does not have side impact airbags.

[xr7man46]

so by swapping the actual buckle latch from my old seats it will make my airbags work?

[Tygerr]

Ya. Just the drivers side should be all that's needed though.

I'm assuming the new seats have air bags and the old ones didn't? If so, keep the passenger side unplugged, since it has no power anyway. Also, the yellow plug I belive is the airbag connector(for the seats), so leave that unplugged as well.

[xr7man46]

No my old seats had side airbags.

[Tygerr]

I'd swap both pre-tensioners then. That's the opposite of what I was dealing with, but it should still work.

[xr7man46]

*Update* I havent gotten the buckles swapped yet, but now the seatbelt light will only stay on for about 2-3 minutes then it shuts off competely, even if you unbuckle the belt the light wont come on, only when you first start the car will the light come on. Would swapping the buckle latch thing still resolve this and the airbag light?

[Tygerr]

Try swapping the pre-tensioners.

[gamiller]

i don't mean to insult anyone's intelligence, but was the seatbelt wire connected to the right pin on the plug? i have a pin-out diagram in my thread on seat swapping.