What is it?

[Wolfman3002]

While taking apart part of my parts car ('73 GT), I found something I can't identify. It was underneath the luggage compartment tray, but was not hooked up to anything It's got two female connectors hooked to the two black wires coming out of it. Inside the white plastic sleeve is what looks like a tightly wound metal coil, imbedded in some kind of plastic. The black diamond next to the word GERMANY has the letters SWF in it. I thought I knew all of the parts of these GTs, but maybe this is not a GT part? Anyone have any idea what it is and what it's for?
Thanks
Randy

[David McCollam]

Could be some sort of heating element. Don't know what it would be doing in the luggage area, unless to prevent condensation in the fuel tank from turning to ice, or possibly a ballast resistor/voltage stabilizer for the electrically heated rear window?

[tomking]

It looks like the seat pressure switch. It proves a person is sitting in the seat and then if the seatbelt is not coupled will signal a warning.

[hrcollinsjr]

It looks like the seat pressure switch. It proves a person is sitting in the seat and then if the seatbelt is not coupled will signal a warning.

Bingo! Tom wins!

Look under the seats in the '73 GT's and you'll likely find holes in the center of the carpet where the switch was hooked up.

Harold

[ungermm]

[QUOTE=Wolfman3002;161975It was underneath the luggage compartment tray[/QUOTE]

Not sure how it got under the luggage compartment. It should be routed under the carpet and the sensor is threaded into the coils of the seat.

[SpringGT]

Not sure how it got under the luggage compartment. It should be routed under the carpet and the sensor is threaded into the coils of the seat.

I know how it got thrown into the back storage. Like me, your PO got tired of messing with it and unhooked it. They were overly sensitive such that I had to fasten the seat belt around my briefcase, groceries or anything else that weighed over 10 lbs when it was placed in the passenger seat. If you didn't the buzzer would sound until you buckled up the passenger belts. I just unhooked the wire at first, then removed the sensor later when I was reupholstering the seats.
IIRC, only the 73's had this sensor.

[West Coast GT]

Wow, a sensor. And all these years I thought it was a marital aid. Guess I'm glad I didn't try to hook it up.

[Wolfman3002]

Thanks for all the replies, guys. Any of you know how it was supposed to work? Is it a proximity sensor, like they use for the hands-off faucets? According to the wiring diagram from the FSM, it looks like just a switch to ground out the signal.
Randy

[tomking]

Not a proximity. A pressure sensor. It senses a weight in the seat and then if the seat belt is not secured it alarms. It is just a pressure sensor.

[West Coast GT]

I'm curious. What is it you want to do?

• Are you looking to make the system function so that passengers will be reminded to buckle up?
• Are you looking to restore the car to full functionality?
• Are you just curious about the sensor and want to know more?

There's a reason most of these sensors were removed or placed on the floor below or behind the seat. They were temperamental and, quite frankly, a PTA.