Seat Belt Systems: Description and Operation

Safety Belt System

WARNING: After a crash, the following safety belt components and attaching hardware must be inspected and tested to verify correct function:
- Retractors
- Buckles
- Child safety seat tether bracket assemblies
- Automatic locking retractor (ALR) feature for child safety seats (passenger seating positions only)
- Belt tension sensor (BTS) (if equipped)
- Front safety belt buckle support assemblies (slide bar) (if equipped)
- Safety belt shoulder belt height adjusters (if equipped)
Components that do not operate correctly or pass all Functional Tests in the Component Tests must be replaced with new components.
Safety belt assembly attaching areas must be inspected. Damaged or distorted attaching areas must be restored to their original structural integrity and a new safety belt assembly with new attaching hardware must be installed.
After deployment of the front safety belt pretensioners, a new safety belt system (including retractors, buckles and height adjusters) must be installed.
Failure to follow this instruction may result in incorrect operation of the safety belt system and increases the risk of serious personal injury or death in a crash.

The safety belt retractor is designed to let the webbing move freely in and out at all times, except during vehicle hard braking, hard cornering or an impact of 24 km/h (15 mph) or more, when it is automatically locked by a mechanically actuated inertia sensor.

When replacing safety belt buckles and/or retractor assemblies, use only the replacement parts specified in the Ford Catalog Advantage(TM) or equivalent.

Active Restraint System Components

The active restraint system consists of the following serviceable items:

- Front row safety belt buckle and pretensioners attached to the seat tracks

- Front row safety belt shoulder height adjusters attached to the B-pillar sheet metal behind the trim panels

- Front row safety belt retractors attached to the B-pillar sheet metal behind the trim panels

- Second row center safety belt buckle attached to the 20 percent seat base

- Second row center safety belt retractor attached to the 20 percent seat backrest frame

- Second row outboard safety belt buckles attached to the 40 percent seat bases

- Second row outboard safety belt retractors attached to the quarter panel sheet metal behind the trim panels

- Third row center child safety seat tether anchor, bolted to the 60 percent seat backrest frame

- Third row center safety belt retractor attached to the 60 percent seat backrest frame

- Third row LH and center safety belt buckle assembly attached to the floor pan under the 60 percent seat

- Third row outboard safety belt retractors attached to the D-pillar sheet metal behind the trim panels

- Third row RH safety belt buckle attached to the 40 percent seat cushion frame

Safety Belt Buckles

Safety Belt Buckle and Pretensioner

The safety belt buckle and pretensioner is a pyrotechnic device that removes excess webbing from the front seat safety belt system. When the front air bag system is deployed, the pretensioner in the buckle deploys, causing the buckle to move downward, pulling excess webbing from the lap and shoulder safety belts.

If the vehicle is involved in a collision that results in deployment of the front air bags and safety belt pretensioners, the driver and passenger seat belt system (including safety belt buckle and pretensioners, safety belt retractors and shoulder height adjusters) must be replaced.

For safety belt buckle pretensioner diagnosis and disposal information, refer to Restraints and Safety Systems &/or Air Bag Systems.

Rear Safety Belt Buckles

The second row seat safety belt buckles and third row RH safety belt buckle are attached to the seat frames. The third row LH and center safety belt buckle assembly is attached to the floor pan underneath the 60 percent seat. All rear safety belt buckles are serviceable separately.

Safety Belt Retractors

The safety belt retractors are a dual locking mode type and consist of the following features:

- Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)

- Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) (all except driver seat)

Safety Belt Retractor and Features

Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)

The ELR (Emergency Locking Retractor) is a vehicle sensitive feature designed to activate and lock the safety belt webbing when braking hard, cornering hard or in an impact of approximately 24 km/h (15 mph). The ELR (Emergency Locking Retractor) feature helps to reduce the forward movement of the occupants. For testing, refer to the appropriate Functional Test procedure in Safety Belt System Principles Of Operation.

Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)

The ALR (Automatic Locking Retractor) mode is used when locking a child seat in an outboard seating position. The ALR (Automatic Locking Retractor) mode is automatically activated when the safety belt webbing is fully extracted from the retractor and then allowed to retract. As the safety belt webbing is retracted back onto the spool, an audible clicking sound is made indicating the safety belt retractor is in ALR (Automatic Locking Retractor) mode and the safety belt webbing will not pull back out of the safety belt retractor. To disengage the ALR (Automatic Locking Retractor) mode, allow the safety belt webbing to fully retract back onto the spool. The ALR (Automatic Locking Retractor) mode is disengaged when the webbing is free to extract and retract back into the retractor. When installing a dual locking mode retractor, the retractor should be checked to make sure it is not in the ALR (Automatic Locking Retractor) mode after installation in the stowed position. Refer to the appropriate Functional Test procedure in Safety Belt System Principles Of Operation.

Child Safety Seat Restraints

The child safety seat restraints include the following items:

- Non-serviceable second row child safety seat tether anchors welded to the seat cushion frames of the 20 and 40 percent seats

- Non-serviceable second row lower anchors and tethers for children welded to the seat cushion frames of the 20 and 40 percent seats

- Third row center child safety seat tether anchor, bolted to the 60 percent seat backrest frame

If a child safety seat was in use during a collision, inspect the child safety seat component mounting areas and repair any damage and restore the vehicle to the original production configuration.

For removal and installation of child safety seat tether anchor, refer to the appropriate procedure or Seats for seat cushion frame replacement.