Seat Belt Systems: Description and Operation

Safety Belt System

Principles of Operation

WARNING: All safety belt components must be inspected and corrected as part of any collision repair. Inspect all safety belt components as prescribed by Safety Belt Inspection and Repair After a Collision. Failure to follow this instruction may result in incorrect operation of the safety belt system and increase the risk of serious personal injury or death in a crash.

Safety Belt Warning System
The driver safety belt warning indicator illuminates and a chime sounds to remind the occupants to fasten their safety belts.

The conditions of operation for the driver safety belt warning indicator and chime are as follows:
- If the driver safety belt is not buckled before the ignition switch is turned to 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 warning chime is sounding, the safety belt warning indicator and warning chime turns off.
- If the driver safety belt is buckled before the ignition switch is turned to ON, the safety belt warning indicator and warning chime remains off.

Belt-Minder(R)
The Belt-Minder(R) feature is a supplemental warning to the safety belt warning function. This feature provides an additional reminder to the driver 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 Cluster (IC).

The driver or front passenger safety belt may activate the Belt-Minder(R). If the Belt-Minder(R) warnings have expired (warnings 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 front seat and the passenger weight exceeds a programmed limit.