I’d never want to submit anyone to the torture of the center rear seat in the tC, so I don’t need a center rear seatbelt. I figured I’d clean up the looks of the rear seat area by hiding the center belt. This is a reversible modification, but can’t be undone quickly.

Tools needed:
- pliers
- socket set
- razor blade (optional)

Parts needed:
- small piece of black cloth
- zip ties (optional)

Before:

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/seat_belt_delete_tc/IMG_1943.jpg

Tilt the right side seat back forward and pull back the spring loaded gap cover.

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/seat_belt_delete_tc/IMG_1945.jpg

You’ll find that the back of the seat is mostly zippered on, with a few metal rings along the bottom.

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/seat_belt_delete_tc/IMG_1947.jpg

Spread the rings apart with pliers and remove them. If you have some zip ties to use during reassembly, you can just throw the rings away.

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/seat_belt_delete_tc/IMG_1950.jpg

Unzip the cover and this is what you’ll see. Pop off the plastic cover.

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/seat_belt_delete_tc/IMG_1951.jpg

Pull up on the front of the seat bottom cushion on each side to disengage the clips, and then slide the cushion forward a few inches. You’ll see the mounting point for the end of the center seatbelt. Remove the bolt and the end of the seatbelt. Then screw the bolt back in so it will be there if you ever need it.

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/seat_belt_delete_tc/IMG_1955.jpg

Pop off the small cover that the seatbelt comes through on the top of the seat back and slide the belt out of the slit. This cover can be a real pain, but you’ll get it.

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/seat_belt_delete_tc/IMG_1956.jpg

Run the belt back through the opening in the top of the seat back, lay the belt down back over the retraction mechanism, and tuck the end in as shown.

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/seat_belt_delete_tc/IMG_1958.jpg

Replace the large plastic cover, making sure you get the hooks engaged. Then zip the fabric cover back on and replace the metal rings (or use zip ties).

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/seat_belt_delete_tc/IMG_1962.jpg

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/seat_belt_delete_tc/IMG_1963.jpg

Route the latch end of the center seat belt as shown.

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/seat_belt_delete_tc/IMG_1959.jpg

Replace the seat bottom cushion, making sure to engage the hooks properly. Also be sure that the latches for the outer two seatbelts show through their cutouts. Push the cushion all the way back and then pound down on the front edge to seat the clips.

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/seat_belt_delete_tc/IMG_1960.jpg

Replace the small cover in the opening at the top of the seat back. Use some black felt or other fabric on the underside to block the opening. The best solution would be to wrap the entire cover in the same fabric as the seat, but I’m not that ambitious.

Now, doesn’t that look better?

http://www.scionlife.com/tech/images/seat_belt_delete_tc/IMG_1965.jpg

To clean things up even further, use a razor blade or sharp knife to carefully cut the stitching holding the tags onto all of the seatbelts. Don’t cut the belt itself! Remove the tags and the cut thread loops. You’ll be surprised how much this helps to clean up the interior.

Will Add to Tech...

:bow: nice... i'll have to do this because i hate driving people in the back. one less the better.

Very nice....Very nice indeed.

Great tutorial!

We just did the same thing ourselves two days ago, lol! But, we never have time to make tutorials, so glad you did:):)

I really wanted to delete the center head rest but it looks pretty bad when out and especially when taking out the plastic guides it slids into.

Rick

I’d never want to submit anyone to the torture To clean things up even further, use a razor blade or sharp knife to carefully cut the stitching holding the tags onto all of the seatbelts. Don’t cut the belt itself! Remove the tags and the cut thread loops. You’ll be surprised how much this helps to clean up the interior.


be careful about this. if the seatbelts break (many miles from now) the information on those tags becomes important. when ordering a new one, sometimes there is more than one manufacturer and you need to know which one.

I’d never want to submit anyone to the torture To clean things up even further, use a razor blade or sharp knife to carefully cut the stitching holding the tags onto all of the seatbelts. Don’t cut the belt itself! Remove the tags and the cut thread loops. You’ll be surprised how much this helps to clean up the interior.


be careful about this. if the seatbelts break (many miles from now) the information on those tags becomes important. when ordering a new one, sometimes there is more than one manufacturer and you need to know which one.


I'm sure they could just come on here and ask someone to look it up for them. :lalala: :lalala:

Or stash the tags in the owners manual portfolio for later refrence if that situation ever happens

thats one happy puppy in those pics

Just thought of a nice way to clean up the center seatbelt trim plastic:)

I will glue some black grill cloth over it, I am quite good at upholstery work so this will be very simple to do.

Rick

nice doggy, lol

Just thought of a nice way to clean up the center seatbelt trim plastic:)

I will glue some black grill cloth over it, I am quite good at upholstery work so this will be very simple to do.

Rick

Good idea, the grille cloth probably matches the seat fabric fairly well.

I like the look of that alot better.

I took off my tags and it does look alot better! Im going to do this seat belt removal today... Good DIY!

:bow: nice... i'll have to do this because i hate driving people in the back. one less the better.

+1

Cute Dog! heh :)

nice write up... did it today and it was easy and looks alot better!!! thanx

I just hid mine down in it's hole...You cant tell it's even there...

Good info!

right on. i hate 3 people in the rear anyway. good write up. why didn't i see or hear about this before? geez, i bought mine way back in 05. next day off, belt comes off.
bummer i have leather 'cause what do i do to cover the hole, asides from leaving the guide in?

my rear seat is ALWAYS folded down. my amps are drilled to those 2 wood pieces behind the seats and when my seats are up they just fall backwards. i never have more than one passenger anyways. and my sub box takes up most of my trunk so when my rear seat is up i have ZERO cargo room in the back of the car unless i throw all my ____ in the back seat and i dont like doing that cause its hard to get to sometimes.

bummer i have leather 'cause what do i do to cover the hole, asides from leaving the guide in?

Ummm, go buy some leather... :P Get it at a fabric store or online. Also, you could buy a wallet and cut it up, it is quite thin leather so it won't get so bulky.

I really want to do this

Why would anyone want to do this? It doesnt serve any point and who the heck looks back there anyways? If you dont want to take people in the back, then take the rear seats out all together like I did. not just one seatbelt!

Someone might ask you the same question. Why would you take out your whole back seat? Obviously you don't have people riding back there. So for people who don't want to go that extreme, why not just remove the ugly center seat belt? That hump is not even really a seat anyway.

lol


tell'em chris....

does the bolt that holds the seatbelt bracket to the chasis require special tools to reinstall it? i took the bracket off and cant get the bolt back in.

That is very nice! The only thing anybody ever complains about in my car.... is the middle seat....

Thank you for this... worked perfectly.

Bump for info...

Why would anyone want to do this? It doesnt serve any point and who the heck looks back there anyways? If you dont want to take people in the back, then take the rear seats out all together like I did. not just one seatbelt!
Interesting point... and an old one, but I thought I'd chime in on why I did it...

I just installed my new seats, harnesses, and a harness bar. The rear seat is useless now. But that's not the reason. I used the buckle mounting spots under the rear seat for the harness tail straps - so the buckles are gone. Normally you'd say just remove the whole rear seat, right? Well, in my autox class, I can't. And if I did remove it, I'd be WAY outclassed in what that would put me into.

So that middle shoulder strap was just hanging there since I removed it's lower bolt. No reason to just leave it dangling... so I did this "delete" to tuck the strap in that I don't want randomly flopping around.