As always tampering with the manufacturers safety equipment endangers everyone involved. Proceed with caution and at your own risk. It took me five years to do this. The only reason I did was because the replacement seat I purchased had no cutouts for my two “operator present” seat switches, and yes that new seat sat in my basement in the box it was shipped in for five years. I tried to work around the seat switch multiple times and always failed. Yes I know there is a resistor in-line in the seat wiring, and that there is a sequence that the switches must be activated to start the machine. I had down time with the machine and decided to try the seat install again. This led me to the following seat switch solution. There are two switches in my seat. They have a quick disconnect plug so you can remove the seat from the wire harness, for access to the hydraulics. The resistor is in the line that goes to the quick disconnect and has a lead to the seat belt switch. If you remove the quick disconnect plug end going to the two operator present seat switches and wire in a two position “on/off” switch that will solve the issue. I routed a two wire lead through an existing hole in the seat floor and followed the main wire harness up to the instrument panel and installed a rocker switch in the alarm buzzer hole. The buzzer has been disconnected for the 7 years and 400 plus hours I have used the machine. I installed a heat insulation sleeve on the wire as it ran through the engine compartment and a small piece off thick rubber tubing where the wire came close to a sharp corner. You have to leave the switch on if you want to raise or lower the boom, or use the tilt on the bucket. If you do not shut it off when finished the seatbelt light will stay on and most likely kill the battery. My only reason for eliminating the seat switches was to install my seat. If that makes me wrong and lazy so be it. These machines are heavy equipment. At the very worst if you do not respect them they can kill you or someone else. If you have some other reason to make this alteration, that’s on you. So be wise and be safe.
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