Principles of Operation (How Does it Work?)

Safety Belt Warning Chime
The safety belt warning chime is activated when the ignition switch is in the RUN position and the Front Electronics Module (FEM) detects an unbuckled driver safety belt. The Instrument Cluster Module (ICM) generates the chime. The duration of the chime is six seconds or until the safety belt is buckled.

Belt Minder

NOTE: The belt minder feature is configurable. For additional information, refer to Module Communications Network (Information Bus). To configure without using a scan tool, refer to Belt Minder Deactivation/Activation.

The belt minder feature supplements the current safety belt warning function. The belt minder feature is enabled after the current safety belt warning is complete. The belt minder reminds the driver that their safety belt is unbuckled by intermittently sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning lamp in the instrument cluster once the vehicle speed has exceeded 3 mph (5 kph). While activated, the belt minder alternates the chime and indicator from ON for 6 seconds to OFF for 30 seconds.
The belt minder reminder stops when:
^ the driver safety belt is buckled.
^ the ignition is turned to OFF or ACC.
^ five minutes have elapsed since belt minder has started.

Air Bag Warning Chime
The air bag warning chime is activated when the air bag warning lamp is inoperative and an active fault is detected by the Restraint Control Module (RCM). The air bag warning chime will sound after the ignition switch has been in the RUN position for more than 20 seconds. When these conditions exist, the RCM sends a chime request through the air bag warning chime request circuit to the instrument cluster. The instrument cluster will activate the air bag warning chime. The warning consists of five sets of five one-second tone bursts. Each set is separated by five seconds of silence. The warning is repeated every 30 minutes.

Key-In-Ignition Warning Chime
When the key-in-ignition switch closes, it grounds an input to the instrument cluster, which then sounds a warning chime, provided that the ignition switch is off and the driver door is open. The instrument cluster will sound a steady tone, which will continue unless the key is removed, the ignition switch is rotated to the RUN position or the driver door is closed.

Head lamps Left On Warning Chime
The headlamp chime is activated when the instrument cluster detects voltage at the headlamp ON or park ON, input to the instrument cluster, the key is out of the ignition, and the driver door is ajar.

Low Washer Fluid Warning Chime
The low washer fluid chime is activated when the FEM senses the fluid level in the washer bottle is empty and sends a chime request to the instrument cluster over the Standard Corporate Protocol (SCP) communication network.

Message Center Warning Chime
The message center warning chime will accompany any initial warning message display, as well as any initial warning message redisplay. As the message center is an integral part of the instrument cluster, the interaction between the message center and the chime function is also integral to the instrument cluster.

The message center switch depression tone sounds when any switch on the message center is depressed. The message center switches are supplied with a five-volt reference signal from the instrument cluster. When a switch is depressed, it completes a circuit through a specific resistor in the switch assembly and back to the instrument cluster. The instrument cluster determines that a switch has been depressed when a voltage is returned to it.

Turn Signal Warning Chime
The turn signal warning chime sounds when the vehicle is driven in excess of 1/2 mile with the right or left turn signal active continuously. The instrument cluster receives distance traveled information from the anti-lock brake control module over the SCP communication network and receives turn signal activity information from the multifunction switch.

Door Ajar Warning Chime
When any door is opened, it opens a normally grounded switch, which opens the door ajar input to the FEM. The FEM then sends a door ajar chime request to the instrument cluster SCP communication network, which in turn sounds the chime for one second.