Part 4
SEAT BELT SWITCHThe seat belt switch is a small, normally open, single pole, single throw, plunger actuated, momentary switch. Only one seat belt switch is installed in the vehicle, and it is integral to the driver seat belt retractor assembly. The seat belt switch is connected to the vehicle electrical system through a short pigtail wire to a dedicated take out and connector of the body wire harness.
The seat belt switch cannot be adjusted or repaired and, if faulty or damaged, the entire driver seat belt and retractor unit must be replaced.
The seat belt switch is designed to control a path to ground for the seat belt switch sense input of the Electro-Mechanical Instrument Cluster (EMIC). The seat belt switch plunger is actuated by the seat belt webbing wound onto the seat belt retractor spool. When the seat belt tip-half webbing is pulled out of the retractor far enough to engage the seat belt buckle-half, the switch plunger is extended and closes the seat belt switch sense circuit to ground; and, when the seat belt tip-half webbing is wound onto the retractor the switch plunger is depressed, opening the ground path. The EMIC monitors the seat belt switch status, then controls the seatbelt indicator and sends electronic chime request messages over the Programmable Communications Interface PCI data bus to the Central Timer Module (CTM) based upon that input.
The seat belt switch receives ground through its pigtail wire connection to the body wire harness from another take out of the body wire harness. An eyelet terminal connector on that ground take out is secured under a ground screw to the left lower B-pillar, The seat belt switch is connected in series between ground and the seat belt switch sense input of the EMIC.
SEAT BELT TENSIONER
Seat belt tensioners supplement the airbag system for all quad cab versions of this model. The seat belt tensioners are integral to the front seat belt retractors, which are secured within each B-pillar in the vehicle where they are concealed behind the B-pillar trim. The seat belt tensioner consists primarily of a sprocket/pinion, a steel tube, a cast metal housing, numerous steel balls, a stamped metal ball trap, a torsion bar, a small pyrotechnically activated gas generator, and a short pigtail wire. All of these components are located on one side of the retractor spool on the outside of the retractor housing except for the torsion bar, which serves as the spindle upon which the retractor spool rides. The seat belt tensioners are controlled by the Airbag Control Module (ACM) and are connected to the vehicle electrical system through a dedicated take out of the body wire harness by a keyed and latching molded plastic connector insulator to ensure a secure connection.
The seat belt tensioners cannot be repaired and, if faulty or damaged, the entire front seat belt, retractor, and tensioner unit must be replaced. The seat belt tensioners are not intended for reuse, and both tensioners must be replaced following any airbag deployment. A growling or grinding sound while attempting to operate the seat belt retractor is a sure indication that the seat belt tensioner has been deployed and requires replacement. For seat belt tensioner service procedures, (Refer to RESTRAINTS/FRONT SEAT BELT & RETRACTOR - REMOVAL).
The seat belt tensioners are deployed in conjunction with the airbags by a signal generated by the Airbag Control Module (ACM) through the driver or passenger seat belt tensioner line 1 and line 2 (or squib) circuits. When the ACM sends the proper electrical signal to the tensioner, the electrical energy generates enough heat to initiate a small pyrotechnic gas generator. The gas generator is installed in one end of a steel tube that contains numerous steel balls. As the gas expands, it pushes the steel balls through the tube into a cast metal housing, where a ball guide directs the balls into engagement with the teeth of a sprocket that is geared to one end of the retractor spool. As the balls drive past the sprocket, the sprocket turns and drives the seat belt retractor spool causing the slack to be removed from the front seat belts. The ball trap captures the balls as they leave the sprocket and are expelled from the housing. Removing excess slack from the front seat belts not only keeps the occupants properly positioned for an airbag deployment following a frontal impact of the vehicle, but also helps to reduce the likelihood of a harmful contact with interior components. Also, the seat belt tensioner torsion bar that the retractor spool rides upon is designed to deform in order to control the loading being applied to the occupants by the seat belts during a frontal impact, further reducing the potential for occupant injuries.
The ACM monitors the condition of the seat belt tensioners through circuit resistance, and will illuminate the airbag indicator in the instrument cluster and store a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) for any fault that is detected For proper diagnosis of the seat belt tensioners, a DRB III scan tool is required. Refer to the appropriate diagnostic information.