SEAT BELT SYSTEM CONSTRUCTION/OPERATION

BUE081157000N01

Warning
• All seat belt components including retractors, buckles, front seat belt buckle support components (slide bar) (equipped vehicles only), seat belt height adjusters (equipped vehicles only), child restraint seat anchor, (equipped vehicles only), and installed hardware should be inspected after any collision. All seat belt components should be replaced unless a qualified technician finds the components show no damage and operate properly. Seat belt components not in use during a collision should also be inspected and replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.
Warning
• Each seating position in the vehicle has a specific seat belt component which consists of one buckle and one plate. The seat belt component is designed to be used as a pair and is not to be used across seating positions.

The seat belt system consists of the following parts:

• Front seat belt retractors and guides secured to the body behind the B-pillar trim.
• Driver and passenger-side seat belt buckle and pre-tensioners secured to the front seat cushion frame component.
• Rear outboard seat belt retractors secured to the body behind the trunk side trim.
• Rear center seat belt and rear passenger-side seat belt buckle component secured to the floor pan under the rear seat cushion.
• Rear center and rear driver-side seat belt buckle component secured to the floor pan under the seat cushion.
• Child-restraint seat anchors installed to the roof near the liftgate.

The outboard seat belts for the front and rear seats is a continuous-loop, three-point system. The combination lap and shoulder belt (continuous-loop) uses a common sliding plate and retractor.

The rear center seating position uses a two-point cinch style seat belt buckle and sliding plate.

Front Seat Belt Buckle and Pre-tensioner Component

The driver and passenger side seat belt buckle and pre-tensioner are secured to the front seat cushion frame component. This allows the front seat belt buckle end to move with the front seat.

The belt and buckle component pre-tensioner is a pyrotechnic device that removes excess webbing from the seat belt system. The belt, buckle, and pre-tensioner component uses the same air bag sensor system as the air bag system. When the belt, buckle, and pre-tensioner component operates (deploys), the buckle moves downward, pulling excess webbing from the lap and shoulder seat belts.

If the seat belt buckle and pre-tensioner component operates (deploys), a new component must be installed.

Lap and Shoulder Belt-Dual Locking Mode

Warning
• A rear-facing child-restraint seat should never be placed in the front seats.

The dual locking mode retractor on the shoulder belt portion of the combination lap/shoulder seat belt for both front occupant seating positions and both rear outboard seating positions, operates in two ways. The driver single locking mode retractor on the shoulder belt portion of the combination lap/shoulder seat belt works only in the vehicle sensitive mode.

1. In the emergency locking retractor (ELR) mode, the seat belt retractor allows the occupant freedom of movement, locking tight only on hard braking, hard cornering, or impacts of approx. 8 km/h (5 mph) or more. The front and rear outboard seat belt retractors can also be made to lock by pulling/jerking on the belt.

2. In the automatic locking retractor (ALR) mode, the shoulder belt retractor automatically locks and remains locked when the combination lap/shoulder seat belt is buckled and does not allow the occupant freedom of movement. This mode provides a tight lap/shoulder belt fit on the occupant and on a child-restraint seat.

3. When the combination lap/shoulder belt is unbuckled and allowed to retract completely, the retractor switches to the emergency locking retractor (ELR) mode.

The automatic locking mode must be used when installing a child-restraint seat in the front outboard passenger and both rear outboard passenger seating positions.

Attaching Tether Strap to Child-Restraint Seat

Some manufacturers make child-restraint seats that include a tether strap that goes over the back of the vehicle seat and attaches to an anchoring point. Other manufacturers offer the tether strap as an accessory. Contact the manufacturer of the child-restraint seat for information about ordering a tether strap.

Child-restraint seat anchors are manufactured into the vehicle.

Seat Belt Warning System

The seat belt warning light illuminates and a chime sounds to remind the occupants to fasten their seat belts.

The conditions of operation for the seat belt warning light and chime are as follows:

• If the driver's seat belt is not buckled before the ignition switch is turned to the ON position, the seat belt warning light illuminates for 1-2 min and the warning chime sounds for 4-8 s.
• If the driver's seat belt is buckled while the seat belt warning light is illuminated and the reminder chime is sounding, the seat belt warning light and reminder chime turn off.
• If the driver's seat belt is buckled before the ignition switch is turned to the ON position, the seat belt warning light and reminder chime remain off.