Seat Belt: Description and Operation

SAFETY BELT SYSTEM - PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION

WARNING:After any crash, all of the following safety belt assemblies and attaching hardware must be inspected by an authorized dealer to verify correct function:

- Retractors
- Buckles
- Belt tension sensor (BTS) (if equipped)
- Front safety belt buckle support assemblies (slide bar) (if equipped)
- Safety belt shoulder belt height adjusters (if equipped)
- Child safety seat tether bracket assemblies
- Automatic locking retractor (ALR) feature for child safety seats (passenger seating positions only)

If any safety belt assembly is damaged, does not operate correctly or does not pass all of the Functional Tests in the Diagnosis and Testing portion of this section, a new safety belt assembly must be installed. If any safety belt assembly attaching areas are damaged or distorted, the sheet metal must be restored to its original structural integrity and new safety belt assembly and attaching hardware must be installed. Failure to install new safety belt assemblies and attaching hardware may increase the risk of serious personal injury or death in a crash.After any crash that results in deployment of the driver and/or front outboard passenger safety belt pretensioners, new driver and/or front outboard passenger safety belt systems (including retractors, buckles and height adjusters) must be installed. Failure to install new safety belt systems increases the risk of serious personal injury or death in a crash.

Safety Belt Warning System

The conditions of operation for the driver and/or passenger safety belt warning indicator and chime are as follows:

- If the driver and/or passenger safety belt is not buckled with the ignition ON, then the safety belt warning indicator illuminates for 1 to 2 minutes and the warning chime sounds for 4 to 8 seconds.
- If the driver and/or passenger safety belt is buckled while the warning indicator is illuminated and the warning chime is sounding, then the indicator and chime will turn off.
- If the driver and/or passenger safety belt is buckled before the ignition is in the ON position, the safety belt warning indicator and chime will remain off.

Belt-Minder(R)

The Belt-Minder(R) feature is a supplemental warning to the safety belt warning function. This feature provides additional reminders that front safety belts are unbuckled by intermittently sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning lamp in the instrument cluster.Both the driver and passenger safety belts are monitored and either may activate the Belt-Minder(R) feature. The warnings are the same for the driver and the front passenger. If the Belt-Minder(R) warnings have expired (warnings for approximately 5 minutes) for one occupant (driver or front passenger), the other occupant can still activate the Belt-Minder(R) feature.The Belt-Minder(R) feature uses information from the occupant classification sensor (OCS) system on the front passenger seat to determine if a front seat passenger is present and therefore potentially in need of a warning. The warning is activated if the OCS system senses weight exceeding a programmed set point.
The driver and front passenger Belt-Minder(R) feature is deactivated/activated independently. When deactivating/activating the Belt-Minder(R) for a seat, do not buckle the safety belts on the other seat, or the process will be terminated. To deactivate/activate the Belt-Minder(R) feature, see (R) Belt-Minder (R) Deactivating/Activating.