Seat Belt Retractor: Service and Repair

Safety Belt Buckle and Pretensioner

NOTE: LH shown, RH similar.









Removal and Installation

WARNING: To reduce the risk of accidental deployment, do not use any memory saver devices. Failure to follow this instruction may result in serious personal injury or death.

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.

WARNING: Never disassemble or tamper with safety belt buckle/retractor pretensioners, adaptive load limiting retractors, safety belt inflators, or probe the electrical connectors. Failure to follow this instruction may result in the accidental deployment of the safety belt pretensioners, adaptive load limiting retractors, or safety belt inflators, which increases the risk of serious personal injury or death.

NOTE: The air bag warning indicator illuminates when the correct Restraints Control Module (RCM) fuse is removed and the ignition switch is ON.

NOTE: The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) must be fully operational and free of faults before releasing the vehicle to the customer.

1. Remove the 40 percent front seat.

2. Release the hook-and-loop strip and pull the seat cushion trim cover up enough to expose the safety belt buckle and pretensioner.





3. NOTE: Make note of the wire harness routing for installation.

Remove the tie strap from the pretensioner.

- Disconnect the safety belt buckle switch electrical connector.

- Disconnect the safety belt buckle pretensioner electrical connector.


4. Remove the nut and safety belt buckle and pretensioner.
- To install, tighten to 55 Nm (41 lb-ft).


5. To install, reverse the removal procedure.

6. Install the 40 percent front seat.

7. Check the active restraint system for correct operation. For additional information, refer to the appropriate Functional Test in Safety Belt System Principles Of Operation.