So you have the light on the dash that goes "ON" when someone is sitting in the seat & "OFF" when someone isn't sitting in the seat??
Yes

And also, if someone is in it and you're driving, a red light on that same panel for them to connect the seat belt???
Yes

Or are you talking about that you have side air bags (in the seat) or side curtain air bags (in the a-pillar) or something like that???
Nope

Are you talking about this:

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/parts-66/air-bag-weight-sensor-65228/
That is the controller, and yes mine is the same.

When I say bladder, I'm speaking of the actual part that you sit on. Mine looks different than the 07. It doesn't have that second piece in the front.

OK, here's what I call the "bladder" looks like on my car.

 

Yeah I kind of figured all that out already....thanks for confirming it all!!

So what years & what models & what body style did those airbag sensors come in the Cobalts????

And can you get a picture of the harness underneath the seat (that is in the car) that the sensor on the seat plugs into???

That way I could start looking for one of those "bladder" type sensors or find a passenger seat from a junkyard for that sensor (but I gotta know what kind of Cobalt model to find it in).......only IF the harness is the same.

So you just put the sensor/bladder under the Recaro cushion & then put the seat skin back on, right???

let me know man!! thanks!

ADDED: Well after looking at different pictures....it looks like only the 2006-2007's have the passenger air bag thing on the dash. They way I could tell is that it says "Passenger Air Bag" in white writing on the display.

So I guess I'll just run up to a local dealer & look under the passenger seat of one to check out the harness & then pick up a seat from a local junkyard if it matches

 

Yes, the bladder just push-pins to the seat cushion's frame. You might also check to see if your controller will work with the earlier bladder.

My car is an 06 LS, not sure what other years/models had that style of sensor.

 

Thanks for the pics.
Yeah I figured out that the 2006-2007's, sedans & coupes, all had that sensor. So I searched for seats locally out of a 2006-2007 Cobalt on car-part.com

Well after taking an hour trip to a junkyard & buying a filthy ass seat for $75.....the harnesses are the same style but the wiring is totally different.

I looked in the car in the yard & saw the same harness & told them I wanted it, then when they brought the seat up & I put in the car (I took out the passenger seat before I went there) I realized the harnesses on the seat were the same.....meaning both female or how ever you wanna say it.
They said they wouldn't take it back (even though it & I never left the parking lot) and I even offered a restocking fee, but I they said no & I was stuck with it.

So I just tried splicing the harness & swapping the end & that didn't work. Looks like I just wasted $80 & my time on nothing.

I was wrong man & you can EASILY swap the Recaros into your car.

The swap is super super simple for the '06-07 Cobalt owners that have the sensor already!!

The Cobalt's sensor is totally different (from the one I have) & goes under the seat cushion (mine goes on top) & attaches to the seat pan.

You just need to take the peel off the seat skin & under for the seat foam is a "bladder" type sensor that is really thin. Take the sensor & wiring & seatbelt buckle off the stock seat & then transfer it over to the Recaro. Everything will swap right over & fit because they have the same seat pan (except the Recaros have the extra rods for the bolstering).

So peel off the Recaro seat skin & put the sensor under the cushion & then attach all the wiring & computer & put the seak skin back on & it'll all work properly!!!

Having wasted $80 today & taking a Cobalt seat apart, it was easy to see how it'd work & also Stl06 has already done it too, which confirms it works

 

god i love the secondary doors on the redlines... too bad the rest of the car is so fugly. ah well can't have it all

 

I'm wishing I had a Cobalt after the little fiasco today.....literally wasted $80....ARGH!!!

 

After ALL this.....

I finally went back to my original idea that I never followed thru with & now it's only costing me $50 to get the full Recaro seat in there now

Update tomorrow!!

 

Excellent........ [/mr. burns]

Now to make things more complicated, if I were to do this swap I'd also want to retain my heated seats. lol

If I ever get my hands on some recaros I'll definitely give it a try.

 

I don't know how the heated seat thing works (never seen one), but I'm sure you could figure it out & swap that over too. It'd already be wired for it, so that wouldn't be a problem either. It's all easier to understand after you've seen or taken the seat apart.

Here's a quick write up/break down (that I sent to Russo-29) on how to swap the Airbag Sensor to a Recaro seat in a Cobalt:

It's REALLY REALLY simple though:

First off you're gonna need to remove the trim piece on the left hand side of your stock seat (2 torx screws) & get the stock seatbelt off. Unhook the harness underneath the seat first & then it's a T-50 or T-55 I think. Put the stock seatbelt to the side.

Undo the small torx screw on the seat track that holds the black bracket that holds the stock harness.

Now you're gonna want to take the stock cushion off...which is 4 10mm bolts. Pull a little on the fabric to unhook/unclip the stock seat skin. Don't peel off the stock seat skin....leave it on there & then pull off the seat foam/seat skin in one piece.
Now you should have the seat pan & the sensor in front of you. Pull up on the green clips (don't destroy them though) and the sensor/bladder will be loose. Now you gotta unhook all the wiring under the seat too (most of it snaps right in). Then undo the 3 screws that hold the computer bracket to the seat pan.
Now everything should be loose & by itself.

Take the passenger Recaro seat & lay it on it's back. Undo the 4 10mm bolts that hold the bottom cushion to the seat frame.
Now the bottom seat cushion is loose & by itself.
You'll see 4 clips that hold the seat skin to the seat pan. Pull a little on the fabric to loosen the tension & then pull the clips off the pan.
YOU WON'T have to take the seat skin off the foam cushion....the seat skin & foam cushion will slide ride off the seat pan....put them to the side.

Now put the stock seatbelt onto the Recaro seat frame (it has the special harness that plugs in with the airbag sensor wiring).

Now you will have to swap the airbag sensor over to the Recaro seat pan. It's basically just the opposite of how it was on your stock seat.
First you'll wanna screw the the sensor's computer to the seat pan with the 3 screws and a different bracket goes underneath one of those screws too (remember how they were on your stock seat!!).
Then there are 2 green pins that hold the sensor (bladder) to the seat pan. They go towards the front.....so snap them in, and put the wiring underneath the seat pan.
Put the Recaro cushion back on the seatpan (it'll sit on top of the sensor) and then you can pull the fabric a little and then snap/clip them back onto the seat pan. Put the wiring in the appropriate holes, that they snap into too (everything should line up pretty good).
Then put the cushion back onto the seat frame & then put the 4 10mm bolts back in & tighten them down.
That should be it & then put the seat in the car.

It's all just swapping the components over. It's all plug & play after that!!


Pics of what the stuff should look like.,....stock seat:


After you take the cushion off the stock seat's cushion:


And the bottom of the seat pan after you take off the stock seat's cushion:

 

I finished the swap in my RL, but it's definitely different from the Cobalt....

Alright so I had the idea at first, but passed it up because of a RIDICULOUS estimate, but all it took was $50 to complete the swap & everything is functional.....pics....

First off...the airbag light on the cluster & the airbag light on the dash not working (nothing plugged in/no seat cushion):



The "new" Recaro cushion...complete with the airbag sensor & wiring:



The "new" Recaro cushion in the car & plugged in....notice the airbag light on the cluster is gone (goes away by plugging it in) & the airbag light on the dash is working now (it goes "OFF" if no one is in the seat--less than 30 lbs. & it goes "ON" when someone is in the seat):



I'm sitting in the seat without my seatbelt unattached, it says "ON" & the seatbelt sign lit up:


I'm sitting in the seat with my seatbelt attached, it says "ON":



Everything is 100% working right & functional.....final pics:








This is what I had before...unsupportive "pleather" seats:



Stock seat vs. Recaro:

 

cool, now you have to sell, haha just kidding, good job...probably worth the time

 

DEFINITELY worth the time & effort

Unfortunately.....THAT sensor/wiring only works in the Ion/Redline


The Cobalts have a different sensor, but it is MUCH easier to swap over and you can do it yourself for free.

I posted how to do it in post #34 for you Cobalt guys

 

Glad to see it all worked out for you. Those seats really look good in your car.



-Mike

 

Thanks man!

Yeah after the whole Cobalt seat fiasco (wasted $80 on one from a junkyard & it was different wiring for the sensor)......I thought about just getting rid of the RL and getting a Cobalt instead (more features & more aftermarket support)

There was a used 2007 SS/SC in blue (would match the seats) with only 658 miles on it at a local dealder for under $19,000.....not a bad price.

But I figured out a better way to get the Recaro cushion instead & I still have one more year on the lease...so just gotta stick with it and then I can get whatever I want again

 

im really looking to do this to my 07 LS, but we have to see how easy the sensor swap is...

 

It's frickin' easy for the Cobalt guys......it's ALL plug & play!

Undo the harness connector under the seat, undo the 2 x 15mm bolts holding down the seat, tilt it forward & then push it back to unlatch the hooks in the front, & then lay the seat down on it's back (while it's in the car if you want), unplug the harness from the seatbelt buckle, then undo the 4 x 10mm bolts that hold the bottom/lower cushion to the seat frame, and now you can remove the lower cushion out of the car.

Flip it over (on a work bench/table) & then unlclip the fabric/material from the seat pan (should be 4 clips--one on each end) & then you can peel back the seat skin & put it to the side. Now lift the seat foam off the seat pan & there is your sensor!

Unscrew the piece that holds the computer & remove the push clips that hold the sensor to the pan & remove all of the sensor components & then swap it over to the Recaro seat pan (under the seat foam) like how it was on the stock seat & that's it!! All of the holes are already in the seat pan & all you have to do is just swap it over....just goes onto the Recaro seat the same way it was on your stock seat.

Doesn't get any easier

Here's some pics of a Cobalt seat pan/sensor....the bottom of the seat before I took it apart:


This shows the sensor attached to the seat pan (after the seat skin & seat foam have been removed)...the two green clips hold the sensor to the seat pan:


Bottom of the seat pan:


All of the components removed:

 

If no one buys these from be in the next 2-3 weeks. I'm gunna keep em and just doit myself. I'll have a winter car, so i'll be able to take the pass seat out with out worring about getting pulled over. (I think U need both seats in the car) and snobrdrdan I'll be looking at this guid the whole way threw!

 

My 07 came with Recaros and I couldn't imagine driving one without em.

 

The whole swap should take a 1/2 hour total....maybe 45-60 minutes your first time though.

After you look at it....you'll see it & figure it out. It's just taking parts from SEAT A & putting them onto the almost identical SEAT B.....it's just swapping parts!!!!!!!

Take a picture of the bottom of the seat & other components, if you think you'll forget how the parts go back on....it's sooooo simple though....have some confidence & just do it

You're one of the few 2007's that got them then

The Redline got totally screwed over for 2007 & none came with the Recaros....I'm the only 2007 Redline with Recaros

I love them, but just wish I would've gotten a set of 2006 Redline seats (they're the Black/Grey Recaros like the Cobalt SS/SC seats, minus the "SS" embroidery of course). I have the Black/blue, but oh well....they work!!!

 

Bookmarked

 

I swapped out the passenger seat pan with the one from my stock LS seats. This weekend, I'm going to put the Recaro seat pan back into the Recaro seat and use just the sensor instead of the whole seat pan.

 

Would I be able to swap my APC seats in with my 08 Sport? After I get a bracket of course but just wondering about the sensor.

 

The sensor "should" be able to be removed from the stock seat and swapped into any seat...

 

Now just need to figure out how to swap seats on a 07 SS/SC with heated leather seats and keep everything working. I don't think I could live without my heated leather seats up in the east coast...

 

Did both the drivers and passengers the other day all thats left is to do the rears.