1997 Bobcat 773 no seat light

Upon start up I have all 5 lights flash once on the BICS controller. (I assume this is a self test meaning all is normal). I have power and seat bar light. No seat, no hydraulic valve, no traction lock light. I can bypass traction lock and get a light to move machine, still no hydraulic lift though.
All fuses are good. I replaced the seat sensor, bushing with magnets and moved it in all directions to trigger the light with no luck. There is 11.5 volts to the red wire, 10.2 volts to green and nothing on black. There is no chance to bypass this seat sensor. Bobcat manufactured these machines so you can't bypass these safety devices.
Does anybody have a suggestion as to where to look next? :Banghead:Banghead:Banghead:Banghead:Banghead

F series machine I suppose, BICS module on the back wall to the right of the seat? Yes, they do a "self test" of a sorts on power up. Once it's powered up, do any of the LED lights on the BICS module flash? Problem is likely either faulty BICS controller, problem in the wiring harness, or problem with the seat switch. Make sure the seat can press down fully to engage the seat switch, nothing under the seat to impede movement. Another option, Bobcat makes a PTO kit that does away with the seat switch, crewchief888 could tell you more about that.

Yes bics on back wall and no flashing lights. I have an aftermarket seat that doesn't move up and down. The old sensor was rusted and seemed to be in a fixed position.
Plugged in the new sensor without mounting it and moved the new magnetic bushing up and down and no light.
I have read elsewhere, since there are no flashing leds and no seat light, that this is a sensor problem and not the circuit or wiring.

I also wanted to thank you willie for your spool seal replacement thread. I had to do that a year and a half ago and it works great now.

You're welcome, but no real need to thank me, just doing what I can to help others. :drinkup

That seat switch is a funky thing, and problematic as well, probably the main reason Bobcat decided to do away with it in the later models. Doubtful you could get and aftermarket seat and sliders to operate that switch properly. And as for trying to operate outside of its install position, don't know that you could pull that off either. That switch is an exact setup, if I recall correctly it is "keyed" to the shaft it fits on. Again, it was a problematic design, Bobcat did well doing away with it, and that PTO kit that is available does just that. I've not had the chance to do one myself as C and F series machines are getting more scarce, but I do know that kit is available.

Yes you are correct. It is keyed and the magnetic bushing slides up and down with the stud mounted to the bottom of the seat. You should be able to find the sweet spot and glue the magnet in the proper "on" position. That's how many people bypass it. However I have a new sensor and cannot get it to work. I broke into the old sensor and it amazes me instead of using a simple switch they use a hall effect sensor. There is actually 2 diodes, 2 resistors and a magnetic prox switch mounted on a miniature circuit board inside the plastic $83 sensor. That's how they prevent you from bypassing the seat sensor. It somehow changes the voltage from 2 wires and with the magnet sliding past the switch, sends a different signal back to the bics. None of that explains why I can't get a seat light with a new sensor. It very well may be a faulty Bics controller and I may have to break down to Bobcats game and purchase their conversion kit.

Have you removed, cleaned and reinstalled the plug on the bottom of the controller? They were known the have issues.

Thanks for the advice. I will check that today. I did have voltage on the red and green wires.

Ok we pulled the plug from the controller and tested the three wires with an ohm meter. We have continuity on all wires and shaking the wiring doesn't reveal any loose connections. I guess its the conversion to the new Bics controller. The only place I see it online is $345 plus shipping. Does anybody know where it can be bought cheaper?

Here is an UPDATE. It was in fact the seat sensor. I feel silly digging so deep in to this problem when it was something so simple I overlooked. The new sensor bushing came with a thin metal strip across the magnets. When I bought the parts, I had a friend pick them up from the dealer. Apparently salesman had taken all the parts out of the packaging and there was a small note in the bottom of the box for the magnetic bushing. It said remove metal strip before installation. For shipping only.
So remember when key is turned to on you should have 5 green lights blink once.
You then need a seat light and a seat bar light to activate hydraulics and traction lock (parking brake)