F8 Child Seat | FerrariChat

F8 Child Seat

Discussion in '458 Italia/488/F8' started by late2Zparty, Jan 9, 2022.

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  1. late2Zparty

    late2Zparty Rookie

    Oct 2, 2021
    8
    San Francisco
    Hello everyone,

    Does anyone know how to disable the passenger car airbag to use a child seat? I cant get a staright answer from Ferrari, unlike my F430 which uses the master key to turn it off.

    Thank you so much
     
  2. Viperjoe

    Viperjoe F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    458, 488 or F8?
     
  3. jordanfsl

    jordanfsl Formula Junior

    Dec 11, 2010
    508
    Los Angeles
    Outside of the Babysmart sensors, there is no way from what I understand. And I’ve struggled to find those in stock anywhere.
     
  4. late2Zparty

    late2Zparty Rookie

    Oct 2, 2021
    8
    San Francisco
    it’s an 2021 F8
     
  5. DQSF

    DQSF Karting

    Dec 19, 2020
    126
    Los Angeles
    Full Name:
    Dennis Q
    Assume it’s the same as 458 still. US cars have sensors to detect baby smart and disable. I’ve heard European and international models do not. I couldn’t find these seats anywhere. But was able to buy the sensors on eBay UK site for like $150. They look like two oval RFID plastic cards. I just tape them to the bottom of a standard booster seat for my kids. I’d confirm with an F8 owner that it’s the same system and then search here for 458 car seats.


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     
  6. late2Zparty

    late2Zparty Rookie

    Oct 2, 2021
    8
    San Francisco
     
  7. late2Zparty

    late2Zparty Rookie

    Oct 2, 2021
    8
    San Francisco
    Thank you for the reply, to clarify, are you saying to purchase the seat or just the RFID tags?
     
  8. r6elmo

    r6elmo Karting

    Sep 12, 2010
    101
    which seat do you have in your F8/ If similar to the race seats in the 458/488 you can use the diono radian. I've used that in my car without any issues, fits perfect in the large carbon buckets and it has the latch system so you don't' need to use the actual seat belt (not as safe). I have my old seat that my child has outgrown if interested...though shipping could be a pain.
     
    srtullio likes this.
  9. srtullio

    srtullio Karting

    Mar 12, 2006
    126
    Los Angeles
    Interesting! I have a 2 year old and I would really like to take her along for a ride when my F8 arrives. I specced the racing seats as well.

    I googled Diono Radian and saw there were a few different models. Can I ask which one you have? What did you do about the passenger airbag?
    Appreciate the help!
     
  10. jordanfsl

    jordanfsl Formula Junior

    Dec 11, 2010
    508
    Los Angeles
    The fit is not the problem. Stopping the airbag deployment is.
     
  11. DQSF

    DQSF Karting

    Dec 19, 2020
    126
    Los Angeles
    Full Name:
    Dennis Q

    Yes. Buy the transponder. Attach to the bottom of any baby seat you like that fits flush against the seat bottom, and confirm that the airbag off lights show up in dash and near home link lights.

    These look like what I got for my 458 spider:
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203688640634?hash=item2f6cca007a:g:eek:6kAAOSwKhJhh7cs

    Searched for Mercedes baby car seat transponder. Only found them on eBay UK last time as well.
     
  12. late2Zparty

    late2Zparty Rookie

    Oct 2, 2021
    8
    San Francisco
    Thank you would you mind sending me photos or your old seat, including showing the model info etc…? Thank you so much.
     
  13. r6elmo

    r6elmo Karting

    Sep 12, 2010
    101
    This is the link to where i purchased it on amazon - it shows as discontinued but i'm sure there is a newer model.
    https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B076PSDDRB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    attached is a photo of my son in the seat, note that I normally put one of those car seat pads in between the car seat and my leather seat to protect it. Note the towels in the corners to help with the detenting. When you tighten the seat down to your carbon bucket, it is SOLID. normally crank the bucket back a bit to help "cinch" it.

    you do not need to worry about the airbag because you're not clipping in the seat belt. The carbon buckets have a latch system. two latches on the bottom wehre the two halves meet and a latch on the back on the firewall.


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    srtullio likes this.
  14. DQSF

    DQSF Karting

    Dec 19, 2020
    126
    Los Angeles
    Full Name:
    Dennis Q
    Does it show airbag off lights? I don’t believe having the seat belt disconnected should disable the airbags. Many newer vehicles disable it regardless of seatbelt if the passenger weight is detected but below a threshold. If you see the light that may be the case on the F8. In my 458 with my 60lb son it never disabled so I had to use the transponders.
     
  15. late2Zparty

    late2Zparty Rookie

    Oct 2, 2021
    8
    San Francisco
    thank you. I was told many years back in a Mercedes if it detects a certain weight without the seat belt attached it will actually trigger the airbag at an even lower threshold than the normal collision force of 4G or higher. Clearly Ferrari doesn’t share that information.
     
  16. r6elmo

    r6elmo Karting

    Sep 12, 2010
    101
    I'll check the light, but I do not believe the airbag deploys when the seatbelt is not connected. The air bag is designed to work with the seat belt attached, without it it becomes an unsafe situation. I could be wrong here, but I'm fairly certain the seat belt transponder we speak of here is when the seat belt is connected.

    I've put backpacks etc on the passenger seat of various cars and there is a weight detection that thinks there is a passenger in the seat and I get a warning that the passenger must connect the seat belt, but nothing that suggests the airbag is activated.
     
  17. late2Zparty

    late2Zparty Rookie

    Oct 2, 2021
    8
    San Francisco
    I am no expert on Ferrari’s seat belt/ airbag activation relationship, in Mercedes world, if it detects a large enough weight with no seatbelt clicked in, it will deploy the airbag at lower impact speed. Otherwise the seat belt retractors activate at the lower threshold, at one point that use to be just under 40% of the impact force that’s needed to activate the airbag.
     
  18. jordanfsl

    jordanfsl Formula Junior

    Dec 11, 2010
    508
    Los Angeles
    Has anyone had luck finding the babysmart transponders? I can’t locate anywhere. Don’t need a seat.
     
  19. ejarcy

    ejarcy Karting

    Aug 3, 2022
    62
    Dallas, TX
    Late reply but their seems to be sellers on eBay out of the UK selling the infant seats with the AKSE transponders in them . I ordered one for $150 USD shipped and plan on taking the sensors out and putting them under a booster seat my daughter uses.
     
  20. late2Zparty

    late2Zparty Rookie

    Oct 2, 2021
    8
    San Francisco
    sorry I missed this question...its an F8
     
  21. ejarcy

    ejarcy Karting

    Aug 3, 2022
    62
    Dallas, TX
    UPDATE: I ordered a babysmart Mercedes seat from eBay and popped the AKSE sensors out. I attached them with Velcro to the underside of a booster seat and the passenger airbag was automatically disabled. Paid $150 for the seat shipped from the UK. Took about a week to get here.

    Link to the eBay ad:
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/303482772666
     
    r6elmo likes this.
  22. johnso21

    johnso21 Rookie

    May 21, 2019
    16
    Austin, TX
    Full Name:
    Johnny J
    You still happen to have these and would you be interested in selling them? I cant find them anywhere.
     
  23. ejarcy

    ejarcy Karting

    Aug 3, 2022
    62
    Dallas, TX
    I still use them so I cannot sell them right now. I'll keep an eye out if any other seats become available on ebay.
     

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