[SeanW]

Has anyone that uses the Insight solely for commuting ever taken out the passenger seat? I remember in the post about removing the rear wiper that the motor would shave about four pounds off the total. I imagine the pass. seat would be quite a bit more!

Just curiuos...

 

[Rick]

Sounds like you recall Billy's post about taking his car to a car show. While the passenger seat is easy enough to remove, I dont know how much you'd really gain from the few pounds it weight. The one thing it would give you is a bit more cargo room. All you have to do to remove it is get a 10mm wrench and remove the 4 hold down bolts in the floor. These will be hard to break loose as it seems some overspray tends to hold them in some. Then you remove the plastic cover where the seat belt anchors in to the seat and remove that 14 mm bolt. Now lift the seat out and there ya go.

 

[amplifiedmouse]

i tried romoving the passenger seat when i was installing speakers so i could have more room to work. but i broke my socket on one of the bolts. it was weird since i've never broken a tool like that.

 

[Rick]

For some reason the bolts are very difficult to remove the first time. Even though factory spec per the esm is only 16 ft pounds on the front bolts and 29 on the rear bolts, it took almost everything I had to break em loose. I suppose I can see where you might break a socket doing this.

Ohh, and one other note I might add, if you decide to ever remove the drivers seat for one reason or another there is a connector underneath for the seat belt sensor. There is also a zip tie holding the wire on, there is really no way to get the wire out of this other than just cutting the zip tie then reaching over and unplugging the connector for the seat belt.

 

[james]

I do that in the Piper sometimes, when I'm going camping in Idaho or some such place. More for the room than the weight, though.

Might make it handier to carry bike, skis, or whatever.

 

[rschaffrath]

According to the Service Manual (page 20-56 for anyone who cares), liquid thread lock is supposed to be applied to the rear bolts before installation. If that is what the factory did, then that would explain the difficulty in removing them.

 

[Rick]

Hmm, would that be a saftey issue at all then? I snugged them pretty well so the seats dont feel like they are going anywhere. I'm thinking they did that to hold the bolts in for long term for those who would never have a reason to remove the seats. I guess I'll just check them from time to time to make sure.

 

[Billy]

Re: one seater

I frequently take long trips by myself, and remove the right seat. The advantage in economy is negligable, but it affords great versatility in cargo room! Actually, the 4 bolts are 12mm. The first time it is advisable to use a strong 6 sided socket and keep it exactly straight. The lock-tight is very stiff; the next time it's alot easier. On occasion at an interstate rest area, I have slept in the car quite nicely. I put a blanket & sleeping bag on the floor where the right seat was, and my head on a pillow way up under the glove box on the floor. Billy...

 

[james]

Got you beat, I think: I used to be able to sleep in an Austin-Healy Sprite!

 

[Guest]

oh my...asleep at the wheel.... :shock: