Thigh Support Leather Detach: Fig 17-19- Pry open the metal tabs that secure the leather to the thigh support - Fig 17. There are a total of three with one being right under the grip that you use to extend/retract the support.
- Peel the leather away from the support frame - Fig 18
- Fig 19 shows the thigh support cushion which you can now set aside while you continue to the next steps
Leather Fastening Clips - the real PITA part!: Fig 20-23- Fig 20 shows the approximate location of the wire fastening clips that you need to remove in order to access the sensor mat.
- Fig 21-23 show these clips in various states of removal. You'll see that each clip wraps around wire straps that are molded into the seat foanm and sewn into the leather. I found the best way to get at these to remove was with 2 pair of pliers, pulling the fastener apart enough to remove from the wre straps. I used one pair of pliers to replace and found it helpful to partially close the clips before clamping closed. Unless you have some upholstry experience, I found this part of the job the most frustrating. I'm sure there must be a tool that upholsterers use to make this removal/replacement easier. I found you can be somewhat aggressive to get the pliers in the right position to clamp the fasteners closed , but just be careful you don't do too much damage to the seat cushion.
Sensor Mat: Fig 24
Well all the work up to now, is just to get at the problem sensor mat. Now that the leather is loose, you should be able to remove the old mat and position the new one in place. Be careful to ensure you push the part of sensor mat into the groves between the two cushion sections. Fish the wire connector thru the hole in the back of the seat cushion and reonnect to the control module.
From here it's everything in reverse to button things back up. You'll need to get a Peake tool to reset the code, or find someone who can/will reset it for you. Otherwise the airbag light will not go out.
Just noticed that the Figure numbers and picture titles didn't come up. I probably also should have formatted the pictures to be smaller. Hopefully you'll be able to follow the pictures based on the description since they are posted in the order that I refer to them in, and that the size doesn't make them too hard to navigate.
Good luck for anyone else who tries this. I guess I should mention that I take no responsibility or assume no liability for anything that happens to anyone or any vehicle they work on as a result of following the above process.