How Prius detects a passenger/driver?

yep weight sensor and a sensor that monitors the seat belt. watch the drivers side icon for seatbelt goes off soon as you click the belt on.

 

I'll chime in and agree on the weight sensor. My lunch box sometimes turns on the warning.

 

lunch box??

you may need to go on a diet!!

 

My purse will sometimes set it off when it leans back into the seat back. On the seat alone will not do it.

 

ahhh!!

very astute observation, so maybe just leaning forward might do the trick?

 

That's the ticket! I noticed the warning when the lunch box pressed against the back of the seat. When I moved it forward, the warning turned off. The sensor must be in the lumbar area of the seat back, not the butt part.

 

My roommate's Toyota mr2 has the technology. I did the arm rest lifting thing one day when I sat in the passender seat. I believe his mr2 is a 2001.

 

I just had seat heaters and lumbar supports added by a local upholstery shop. The lumbars go under the foam, the heaters over it, touching the fabric (Alcantara). The installer, who has some experience in these matters, was unwilling to install a heater on the seat bottom portion of the passenger seat (he did install one on the backrest portion). The driver's side has both bottom and back heaters. He said that on the passenger side the occupancy sensor was right under the fabric, and he did not want to do anything that might compromise the airbag behavior. In any event the two seats were different.

 

I felt it today. its about 3 inches behind the middle line of the seat. Its also about 4 inches from the left bulgey thingy. you can actually feel the sensor and it doesn't take much to set it off. It is not on the lumbar

 

Sorry, I checked it out today. It's not on the lumbar. When I moved my lunchbox forward I thought it released pressure from the lumbar, but I must have moved it off the sensor in the seat. And it's actually not the weight of my lunchbox, I usually carry other stuff on the passenger seat. It seems to take about 5-10 pounds to activate, but I haven't tested the weight yet.

 

you can feel it! its less than a centimeter in diameter but you can feel a buldge if you look for it

 

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My '01 Rav4 had this feature. The sensor was weight activated. I believe that it was located in the actual seat portion as I would keep different things in the front seat and the indicator was on whether or not the item was touching the back rest.

Where exactly are the ones in the Prius? I have yet to actually feel for them...but they seem less sensitive than those that I had in the Rav. Perhaps due to placement. Hmm...

 

Toyota has had the seat switch since the 70's on the electric forklifts not the ICE ones. If it's broken or no weight on it, no go. My 1993 Toyota T100 pickup had it also on the passanger seat, put a briefcase on it and the seatbelt light came on. it's about 2 1/2" square and is two pieces of plastic cupped and the contact is just 2 pieces of brass sheet one on each piece of plastic, push it together to make contact. Inserted in the foam seat bolster.

 

something as light as a bottle of water can set if off. Mine does it all the time. If i have more than 1 bottle in the seat, it usualy stays lit.