Restraint System

Restraint System

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 type crashes
^ Rear impact type crashes
^ Side impact type crashes
^ Roll-over type crashes

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

A pendulum locks the seat 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 the vehicle speed
^ An abrupt change in the vehicle direction
^ Operation of the vehicle on a steep upgrade
^ Operation of the vehicle on a steep 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 the webbing 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 completely back into the retractor. After the cinch feature is canceled, the webbing is unlocked. The webbing will then extend from the retractor.

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

Front Seat Belt System
The front seat belt system includes the following components:
^ The driver and the passenger seat buckle-side belts
The seat buckle-side belts are attached to the floor panel inboard of the front Seats.
^ The driver and the passenger seat retractor-side belts
The driver and the passenger seat retractor-side belts are attached to the floor panel.
^ The driver and the passenger seat retractor-side belts are attached to the roof panel (coupe) or to the body lock pillar reinforcement (convertible).

The driver seat belt system includes a seat belt switch in the driver seat buckle-side belt. The seat belt switch controls a reminder lamp and a tone alarm. The reminder lamp and the tone alarm will not operate when the following conditions exist:
^ The driver seat belt is buckled
^ The driver door is closed
^ The ignition switch is turned ON

The following events will occur when the driver door is closed and the ignition switch is turned ON, but the driver seat belt is not buckled:
^ The tone alarm will operate for 4 to 8 seconds and then turn off.
^ The reminder lamp will operate until the driver seat belt is buckled, or until approximately 1 minute has elapsed.

Refer to Wiring Diagrams in Body and Accessories in order to diagnose faults in the reminder lamp or the tone alarm.


Rear Seat Belt System
The rear seat belt system includes the following components:
^ The rear seat buckle-side belt
The rear seat buckle-side belt is attached to the floor panel inboard of the rear seats.
^ The rear seat retractor-side belt
The rear seat retractor-side belt is attached to the floor panel and the inner wheelhouse panel (coupe) or the floor panel (convertible), and to the rear seat shoulder belt retractor bracket.