Principles Of Operation

Safety Belt System

Principles of Operation

WARNING: After a crash, the following safety belt components and attaching hardware must be inspected and tested to verify correct function:
- Retractors
- Buckles
- Child safety seat tether bracket assemblies
- Automatic locking retractor (ALR) feature for child safety seats (passenger seating positions only)
- Belt tension sensor (BTS) (if equipped)
- Front safety belt buckle support assemblies (slide bar) (if equipped)
- Safety belt shoulder belt height adjusters (if equipped)
Components that do not operate correctly or pass all Functional Tests in the Component Tests must be replaced with new components.
Safety belt assembly attaching areas must be inspected. Damaged or distorted attaching areas must be restored to their original structural integrity and a new safety belt assembly with new attaching hardware must be installed.
After deployment of the front safety belt pretensioners, a new safety belt system (including retractors, buckles and height adjusters) must be installed.
Failure to follow this instruction may result in incorrect operation of the safety belt system and increases the risk of serious personal injury or death in a crash.

Safety Belt Warning System

The safety belt warning system is present only on vehicles equipped with a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS). The conditions of operation for the safety belt warning indicator and chime are as follows:

- If the driver safety belt is not buckled when the ignition is ON, the safety belt warning indicator illuminates for 1 to 2 minutes and the warning chime sounds for 4 to 8 seconds.

- If the driver safety belt is buckled while the warning indicator is illuminated and the chime is sounding, the warning indicator and warning chime turn OFF.

- If the driver safety belt is buckled before the ignition is turned ON, the warning indicator and chime remain off.

Belt-Minder(R)

The Belt-Minder(R) feature is present only on vehicles equipped with an SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) and is a supplemental warning to the safety belt warning function. This feature provides additional reminders that the driver and/or front passenger safety belt is unbuckled by intermittently sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning indicator in the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC).

Either the driver or front passenger safety belt systems may activate the Belt-Minder(R). If the Belt-Minder(R) warnings have expired (warnings last for approximately 5 minutes) for one occupant (driver or front passenger), the other occupant can still activate the Belt-Minder(R) feature.

The passenger Belt-Minder(R) feature is activated only when the Occupant Classification System (OCS) system detects a passenger in the right front seat and the passenger weight exceeds a programmed limit. For information on the OCS (Occupant Classification System) system, refer to Restraints and Safety Systems &/or Air Bag Systems.

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