Principles of Operation

WARNING: ALL SAFETY BELT COMPONENTS INCLUDING RETRACTORS, BUCKLES, FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLE SUPPORT ASSEMBLIES (SLIDER BAR), CHILD SAFETY SEAT TETHER BRACKETS AND ATTACHING HARDWARE IN USE DURING A COLLISION MUST BE REMOVED AND NEW COMPONENTS INSTALLED. NEW SAFETY BELT COMPONENTS SHOULD ALSO BE INSTALLED WHERE SAFETY BELTS NOT IN USE DURING A COLLISION, ARE INSPECTED AND FOUND TO BE DAMAGED OR OPERATE INCORRECTLY. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY.

The occupant restraint system utilizes three-point lap and diagonal safety belts in all seat positions.

Vehicles equipped with the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) are equipped with front seat safety belt buckle pretensioners. The safety belt pretensioners are controlled as part of the SRS. REFER to Air Bag Systems. The rear seat safety belt buckles are mounted directly to the floor pan underneath the rear seat cushion. The safety belt buckle attached to the driver seat is fitted with a switch, which is connected through the wiring harness to a warning indicator in the instrument cluster, and a chime, which is contained within the central timer module. When the ignition is first turned on the warning indicator will only illuminate and the chime sound, if the safety belt is not fastened. If the safety belt is fastened before the ignition is turned on, the circuit is broken and the warning indicator will remain off.

The safety belt retractor, mounted within the base of the B-pillar, incorporates a torsion bar load limiting device. The device consists of a retractor reel which is mounted onto a spindle (torsion bar) which, once the sensor has locked the retractor reel and predetermined load is applied, twists and pays out additional webbing into the system. The deceleration force required to initiate this sequence is approximately the same as that required to initiate air bag deployment. The torsion bar load limiting device will only react if the safety belt is in use at the time of impact.

Vehicles which are not equipped with the SRS do not use this type of retractor, they are equipped with a conventional retractor.

Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
The retractors in all seat positions feature ELR. During any period of sudden deceleration, or under torsion load when cornering at speed, a weight within the safety belt retractor moves a locking pawl against the teeth on the retractor wheel, which then locks the retractor preventing any further release of webbing. As soon as the load applied onto the retractor through the safety belt webbing is removed the locking pawl releases the retractor reel and normal movement is returned to the retractor.

Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
Automatic locking retractors are installed in all passenger seat positions. The safety belt webbing on these retractors is clearly marked to show their operating feature. The ALR feature is initiated by pulling all the webbing from the retractor with the buckle fastened. As the webbing is released, it retracts and locks the retractor, allowing travel in only one plane, thus producing a fixed length restraint and preventing the safety belt introducing slack. Any child seat so restrained remains secure. The ALR mode of the retractor is. disengaged by allowing the unfastened webbing to fully retract on to the reel.