Seat Belt Systems: Description and Operation

SEAT BELT SYSTEM DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION

CAUTION: To help avoid personal injury from unrepaired crash damage to a restraint system:
^ Replace each seat belt system worn during a crash unless the crash was minor.
^ Perform the seat belt check for each seat belt system. Replace the seat belt system it there is any doubt about the condition of system components.

Seat belts are the primary means of occupant restraint. Seat belts help to keep the occupant(s) inside the passenger compartment and to gradually reduce the impact forces during the following events:
^ Frontal impact
^ Rear impact
^ Side impact
^ Roll-over

All seat belt retractors have emergency locks. The retractors remain unlocked during normal operation and under normal driving conditions. The retractors remain unlocked during normal conditions in order to allow free movement of the upper body of each occupant.

A pendulum locks the seal belt webbing into position. The pendulum causes a locking bar to engage a cog on the spool of the retractor mechanism when the following conditions occur:
^ A rapid extraction of the seat belt webbing from the retractor
^ An abrupt change in vehicle speed
^ An abrupt change in vehicle direction
^ Operation of the vehicle on a steep upgrade
^ Operation of the vehicle on a downgrade

The seat belts have an automatic locking (cinch) feature. The cinch feature is activated when the seat belt webbing is completely extended from the retractor. The cinch feature prevents the webbing from extending beyond the position from which it is allowed to retract.

Use of the cinch feature is recommended for securing a child seat.

The cinch feature may be canceled by allowing the webbing to wind back completely into the retractor. After the cinch feature is canceled, the webbing is unlocked. After the cinch feature is canceled, the webbing will extend from the retractor.

This vehicle is also equipped with a Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR) System. Refer to SIR System Description and Operation in Restraint Systems for additional information about the SIR system.

CHILD RESTRAINT
Install and secure the child seat according to the manufacturer's directions.

The automatic locking (cinch) feature can be used in order to secure the child seat.

If the child seat has a top strap, the child seat top strap must be anchored. Refer to Child Restraint Belt Tether Location.

SAFETY BELT INDICATOR
The multifunction alarm module generates a fasten safety belts warning for 4 to 8 seconds and illuminates the fasten safety belts indicator when both of the following conditions occur:
^ The ignition is ON.
^ The LF seat belt is unbuckled.

When the ignition is ON, voltage is applied to the multifunction alarm module ignition 1 voltage input. With the LF seat belt unbuckled, ground is applied to the multifunction alarm module through the LF seat belt switch signal. The multifunction alarm module applies voltage to the instrument cluster to illuminate the fasten safety belts indicator. The fasten safety belts indicator remains ON for approximately 70 seconds or until the LF seat belt is buckled.

If the LF seat belt is buckled before the ignition is turned ON, the fasten safety belts indicator will not illuminate.