Seat Belt Systems: Description and Operation

SAFETY BELT SYSTEM

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, 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.

When installing new safety belt buckles and/or retractor assemblies, use only the replacement parts specified in the Ford Customer Service Division Master Parts and Accessories Catalog.

The active restraint system consists of the following:
- Front row safety belt buckles and pretensioners, attached to the inboard side of the seats
- Front seat safety belt retractor with adjustable D-ring attached to the B-pillar behind the trim panel
- Second, third, fourth and fifth row (if equipped) outboard safety belt retractors, located behind the rear quarter trim panels
- Center safety belt retractor located in the 3-passenger bench seat backrest (all vehicles except cargo van)
- Fourth and fifth row (if equipped) LH and RH center safety belt retractors located in the 4-passenger bench seat backrest (12- and 15-passenger vehicles only)
- Second, third, fourth and fifth row (if equipped) safety belt buckle assemblies, which are secured to the seat frame or seat riser (bucket and bench seats)
- Child safety seat tether anchors, at the front passenger seat and all second row seating positions, attached to the seat cushion frames or risers (bucket and 3-passenger bench seats)
- Third and fourth row (if equipped) child safety seat tether anchors, at the center seating position of each 3-passenger bench seat, attached to the seat cushion frame
- Child safety seat tether anchor at each bench seat riser (serviced only with a new seat riser)
- Second row lower anchors and tethers for children (LATCH) on the LH bucket seat (if equipped), attached to the seat riser
- Second, third and fourth row (if equipped) LATCH at the center seating position of 3-passenger bench seat (if equipped), attached to the seat frame (also RH second row position of 5-passenger vehicle)

All safety restraints in the vehicle are combination lap and shoulder belts. The front passenger and all rear seating positions are equipped with dual locking mode safety belt retractors. The 2 types of locking modes are: the vehicle-sensitive (emergency) locking mode and the automatic locking retractor (ALR) mode.

Safety Belt Buckles

Front Safety Belt Buckle and Pretensioner
The safety belt buckle and pretensioner is a pyrotechnic device that removes excess webbing from the safety belt when deployed. The pretensioner works in conjunction with the front air bag system. When the pretensioners deploy, this causes the buckle to move downward, removing excess webbing from the lap and shoulder safety belts.

If the vehicle is involved in a collision that results in deployment of the safety belt pretensioners, a new driver and passenger safety belt system (including safety belt buckle and pretensioners, safety belt retractors and height adjusters) must be installed.

For safety belt buckle and pretensioner diagnostic information, refer to Air Bag Systems.

For safety belt buckle and pretensioner disposal information, refer to Air Bag Systems.

Rear Safety Belt Buckles
The rear bucket seat safety belt buckles are mounted to the seat cushion frames and are serviceable in-vehicle.

The rear bench seats are equipped with a dual safety belt buckle assembly used for the center and RH seat positions on the 3-passenger bench and both center seat positions on the 4-passenger bench. The rear safety belt buckles are mounted to the seat cushion frame. The LH safety belt buckle on the rear 3-passenger bench seat is part of the center safety belt retractor and is not serviced separately. To remove the LH safety belt buckle on the rear 3-passenger bench seat, refer to Safety Belt Retractor - Rear, Center, 3-Passenger Bench Seat. The outboard safety belt buckles on the rear 4-passenger seat are part of the safety belt retractors and are not serviceable. To remove the outboard safety belt buckles on the rear 4-passenger seat, refer to Safety Belt Retractor - Rear, Center, 4-Passenger Bench Seat.

Safety Belt Retractors

CAUTION: Rear outboard safety belt retractors are not interchangeable. Each safety belt retractor is equipped with a locator pin unique to that seating position, and it cannot be installed in any other location. Do not remove or alter the locator pin in any way when installing the safety belt retractor or the safety belt retractor will not function as intended.

NOTE: When installing a new dual locking mode retractor, the retractor should be checked to make sure it is not in the automatic locking retractor (ALR) mode after installation in the stowed position.

The safety belt retractors consist of the following features:
- Energy management (front seats only)
- Dual locking mode feature
- emergency locking retractor (ELR)
- automatic locking retractor (ALR) (all except driver seat)

Energy Management Retractor
This vehicle has a safety belt system with an energy management feature at the front seating positions to help further reduce the risk of injury in the event of a head-on collision.

The energy management retractor feature is designed to pay out webbing in a controlled manner. This feature is designed to help reduce the belt force acting on an occupant's chest.

Dual Locking Mode Feature
All continuous-loop, 3-point safety belt retractor systems, except the driver position, are equipped with the dual locking mode system.

The emergency locking retractor (ELR) mode will allow the occupant freedom of movement, locking tight only on hard braking, hard cornering or an impact of approximately 8 km/h (5 mph). The ELR mode helps to reduce the forward movement of the driver and passengers. The ELR mode is continuously in operation at all seating positions.

The ALR portion of this system does not allow the occupant freedom of movement. The ALR mode is used when locking a child seat in an outboard seating position or when a tight belt fit is desired. The ALR mode is automatically engaged when the webbing is fully extracted from the retractor and then allowed to retract. As the webbing is retracted back onto the spool, an audible clicking sound is made indicating the retractor is in ALR mode and the webbing will not pull back out of the retractor. To disengage the ALR mode, let the webbing retract back onto the spool. The ALR mode is disengaged when the webbing is free to move out and back into the retractor.

The automatic locking mode must be used when installing a child safety seat in the front or rear passenger seating positions where dual locking mode retractors are provided.

Child Safety Seat Tether Anchors and Lower Anchors and Tethers For Children (LATCH) Attachments

WARNING: Always tighten the child safety seat tether anchor/bolt to specification. Failure to follow this instruction may result in the child's safety seat being incorrectly secured, which increases the risk of serious personal injury or death to the child in a sudden stop or crash.

Some manufacturers make child safety seats with a tether that straps over the seat backrest and attaches to an anchoring point behind the seat.

Ford recommends the placement of tethered safety seats in a rear seating position, with the tether strap attached to the tether anchoring point. The right front seating position can be used if it is the only seating position available. The tether anchor attachment point for the right front seating position is located on the rear edge of the seat.

Child Safety Seat Tether Anchors
Child safety seat tether anchors are located at the following seat positions:
- On the seat riser of the front passenger seat and second row bucket seats.
- On the 3-passenger bench seat cushion frame at the center seating position.
- On the 3- and 4-passenger bench seat risers at the outboard seating positions.

If a child safety seat was in use during a collision, inspect the seat frame, riser, pedestal and tether anchor for damage. If damaged, install a new seat frame, riser, pedestal and tether anchor, as necessary.

Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) Attachments
The lower anchors and tethers for children (LATCH) system is a standardized and uniform attachment system for installing child safety seats in passenger vehicles. LATCH-equipped child safety seats have 2 lower attachments that connect to the vehicle portion of the LATCH system.

The vehicle portion of the system consists of 2 attachment points (6-mm wires) bolted to the seat frame of either the rear bucket or rear bench seat. For location of the LATCH attachments, refer to the Owner's Literature. The attachment points protrude from the bight line between the seat cushion and seat backrest.

If a child safety seat was in use during a collision, inspect the vehicle portion of the system for damage. If any of the attachment points (6-mm wires) are damaged, install a new LATCH assembly. Refer to the appropriate procedure in the Removal and Installation portion.

Safety Belt Warning System
The safety belt system incorporates a switch in the driver safety belt buckle, a warning indicator in the instrument cluster and a warning chime. The warning indicator and warning chime function as reminders to fasten the safety belts. The conditions of operation are as follows:
- If the driver safety belt is not buckled before the ignition switch is turned to the ON position, the safety belt warning indicator illuminates and the warning chime sounds for 4-8 seconds.
- If the driver safety belt is buckled while the warning indicator is illuminated and the warning chime is sounding, the safety belt warning indicator and warning chime turn off.
- If the driver safety belt is buckled before the ignition key is turned to the ON position, the safety belt warning indicator and warning 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 to the driver that the driver's safety belt is unbuckled by intermittently sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning indicator in the instrument cluster.

To activate or deactivate the Belt-Minder(R) feature, refer to Instrument Panel, Gauges and Warning Indicators.