Seat Belt Systems: Description and Operation

Restraint System

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 if 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 in 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 tree 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 cancelled by allowing the webbing to wind back completely into the retractor. After the cinch feature is cancelled, the webbing is unlocked. After the cinch feature is cancelled, the webbing will extend from the retractor.

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

Front Seat Belt System
The front seat belts on sedans are equipped with an adjustable shoulder belt guide loop. The shoulder belt can be adjusted to one of the four positions by a release switch located at the center pillar. The release switch permits adjustment of the shoulder belt to the height of the occupant.

The front passenger seat and the rear seat retractors are dual-mode type retractors with emergency locking and automatic features.

The automatic locking feature is for use with a child seat.

The front seat belt system includes the following components:
^ The driver and the passenger's retractor side belt The retractor side belt is located and attached on the center pillar post in all coupes and sedans.
^ The front seat center driver and passenger's buckle belts are located between the two front seats.
These buckle belts are attached to the seat.
^ The driver's seat belt system, includes a seat belt switch in the driver seat buckle which controls a reminder lamp and a tone alarm. When the driver seat belt is buckled, the driver's door is closed, and the ignition switch is turned ON, the following events will occur:
^ The tone alarm will not operate.
^ The reminder lamp will not operate.
^ When the driver's seat belt is not buckled, the driver's door is closed, and the ignition switch is turned ON, the following events will occur:
^ The tone alarm will operate for 4 to 8 seconds and then go OFF.
^ The reminder lamp will operate for 20 seconds, until the driver seat belt is buckled.
^ Then the reminder lamp will flash for an additional 55 seconds before going OFF. To diagnose a failure of the reminder lamp or the tone alarm, refer to Audible Warnings System Check.

Rear Seat Belt System
The rear seat belt system includes the following components:
^ The rear seat retractor side belt.
^ The rear retractor side belt is located under the rear deck trim panel.
^ The rear seat retractor side belt is attached to the rear deck body panel.

^ The rear seat center and outer seat buckle belt.
^ The rear seat center and outer seat buckle belt is located in the center of the lower seat cushion.
^ The rear seat center and outer seat buckle belt is attached to the rear floor pan.

Child Seat Restraint System

Caution: A child in a rear-facing Child Restraint can be seriously injured if the right-front passengers air bag inflates. This is because the back of a rear-facing Child Restraint would be very close to the inflating air bag. NEVER use a rear-facing Child Restraint in this vehicle. If a forward-facing Child Restraint is suitable for your child, ALWAYS move the front passenger seat as far back as it will go and then install the Child Restraint. Be sure the Child Restraint position does not conflict with any additional requirements provided by the manufacture. For more information, refer to the vehicle owners manual and the instruction that came with the 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.

Do not allow passengers to sit at locations where the seat belts are being used in order to secure the child seat.