Removing middle seat in MX 6 seater for wheelchair

[leigaibo]

Hello,

I'm looking to buy a Model X 6 seater. Using a wheelchair, I would like to have one of the seat behind the driver remove (pretty much permanently) so that I can easily store my wheelchair there while driving. I'm able to lift it but unable to walk to and from the trunk so the space behind the driver seat is the only real viable option. I know the seat can not be removed easily, but would anyone know of an aftermarket/retrofit company that could do this work? (I'm in the SF Bay area).

My other options would be Sienna/Pacifica/Odyssey but please tell me there's a way to make it work with a Model X =D

Thanks all!

 

[btpdx]

This person removed the middle seat from his Plaid 6 seater.

 

[israndy]

I wonder if he could have just removed-rotated 180-replaced the middle row of seats. Seem that would make a better bed and you could slide the row towards the front when you want to sit facing each other and the rear seats would still be electrically unfoldable

 

[UncaNed]

Sorry I'm only seeing this now! Curious to know what you finally decided.

My solution, for my foldable-frame, manual wheelchair, after learning the hard way of the consequences of removing the "60" side of my "60/40" second row in my 2018 5-seat Model X75D (a very diferent model from my 2022 Plaid model X!)- it has 10 harness connections AND a computer module - and that's just that side of the second row - was to reinstall the second row seat, fold it down, and though my arthritis made it difficult at first - I was amazed to find I could twist myself in the driver's seat, reach out, down, and back, and tip my empty, open, chair, (still on the ground) back, pulling it up by one caster, and roll it up over the folded second row seat, and with a little practice and careful seat settings, it actually seems to feel like a great physical therapy type of stretch.

Indeed, so many of what seem to a new wheelchair guy like highly difficult/impossably twists and awkward reaches were quite doable after a series of many experimental attempts over many days -(IMHO, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT- in that learning muscle memory-type, or hand-to-eye type movements, especially those involving backwards "rear-view mirror" activities of any sort, pretty much seem to require nights of "sleep on it" - there must really be something to that old cliche - so try going through and refining the motions every day, a little at a time over at least a few days to weeks.

For my 6-seat Plaid X, I purchased a Tesla Pet Liner from the Tesla store, fold my empty chair so it's narrow after removing the arm and feet rests and seat cushion, and I roll it up into the seat of the second row driver's side right behind me.

Either method will eventually wear and damage the seats and everything else the wheelchair rubs against or touches unless you figure out a way to protect things.

EIn any case, having a cheap, lightweight second "travel chair" that always stays with the car saves you having to load/unload a chair half the time.

 

[UncaNed]

Is there a TMC thread specific for us wheelchair guys? I've seen so many frustratingly disjointed wheelchair accommodation discussions over the years, but I'm not aware of any one go-to thread to help the new wheelchair guy not have to reinvent the wheel all by themselves.

Possible topics:
-Tesla model-specific car mods
-ways to adapt to the car (chair mods and techniques)

-Manual wheelchairs vs. powered wheelchairs
-Wheelchair guy as Passenger vs. driver of the car (having the steering wheel to grab helps enter and exit!)

-Getting in and out of the car
- Loading the chair in and out of the car

-Separate discussions for the independant wheelchair guy
-Separate discussions for the person assisting the not-independant wheelchair guy

 

[Questionable X]

I just modified my 2023 6 seat Model X Plaid to fit my manual wheelchair. I’m waiting to get approval to make a formal post as I just joined TMC.
After lots of internet research and lurking here I just dove in and made it happen.
I took the LH 2nd row monopost seat out.
Let me say that how I did it is not is not for most people. It’s an incredible amount of work and probably intimidating to most.
I completely disassembled the 2nd row seat and took all the wiring harness out, along with control module, airbag, occupant sensor, belt tensioner and seat belt latch. After a brief test drive I’m error free on the screen but I have no idea what’s going on in the background.
For me it is all about necessity. I bought the car for the purpose of ease of transporting my wheelchair to make my life easier.
To answer part of your question, I bought a folding camping footstool off Amazon that I transfer onto it outside the car, then I load up my wheelchair then transfer into the driver seat, pick up and fold the stool, put it in the 2nd row, close the doors and I’m off where I need to go.

 

[israndy]

That does sound like a lotta work, I wonder if it would be smarter to just BUY the parts off eBay (airbag only needs a resistor to emulate it's presence) and keep the seat in original condition for the day your wanna put the car back together. Perhaps you would only need the controller and the airbag (or resistor). Some of those items are just a switch in most cars so you could short the wires together, curious what you found when taking it apart that made you cannibalize the sensor, tensioner and latch?

 

[Questionable X]

That does sound like a lotta work, I wonder if it would be smarter to just BUY the parts off eBay (airbag only needs a resistor to emulate it's presence) and keep the seat in original condition for the day your wanna put the car back together. Perhaps you would only need the controller and the airbag (or resistor). Some of those items are just a switch in most cars so you could short the wires together, curious what you found when taking it apart that made you cannibalize the sensor, tensioner and latch?

I needed the parts I listed to keep any passenger restraint alarms popping up.
Even if you found the needed parts on eBay, you still need the control module from inside the back of the seat that is programmed to the car.
I’m haven’t found any exact instructions to emulate the airbag. I don’t feel like doing trial and error at this point.

 

[israndy]

Got it. Although if it's anything like when I replace the charge port ECU all you do is force reinstall the software from the Service Mode. Thanks for your input, it gives us confidence others could remove their chairs.

 

[MobileClimate]

If you want the part number for the air bag simulation kit from tesla i can get it for you ..with a little modification to the plug you can remove seats and have no alerts on the screen. the seat module needs 4 wires connected blue black brown and brown-white and that's it for seat module on right side ..the left side needs just one additional wire that needs to be grounded to identify that module as the left side module

You need the seat modules hooked up during an update or it will fail ..if its a recall update it will go thru no matter what