Could someone please explain how the seat senor works? I replaced the seat and reinstalled the seat sensor the way it was (it was working) and now the light shows that it is not working. I will take things apart again tomorrow but it would help if I understood how this switch operates. The new seat pushes the bushing down when you sit in the seat. I noticed that the switch is magnetic but beyond that I don't really understand how it works. Thanks!
The seat sensor on those machines is a Hall Effect switch, it's not an analog voltage in voltage out switch. There's no way I know of to test a Hall effect switch. That doesn't mean it can't be done, just no way I know of. That switch was problematic on those early Bobcat machines, so much so that Bobcat finally decided to toss them. Been years since I've worked on one but Bobcat used to offer a delete kit for that seat switch, it would be well worth the money to ask your Bobcat dealer about that and do away with that thing.
The delete kit is still available.