Fasten Safety Belt Indicator
When the ignition is turned ON, the instrument panel cluster (IPC) will
flash the fasten safety belt indicator several times in association with
the following conditions:
| • | Driver seat belt unbuckled |
| • | Driver seat belt buckled |
| • | Driver unbuckles seat belt after ignition is turned ON |
| • | Driver seat belt unbuckled and then driver shifts out of the PARK
position |
When the ignition is turned ON and the driver seat belt is unbuckled,
the IPC will turn the fasten safety belt indicator ON for 20 seconds. Then,
the IPC will flash the fasten safety belt indicator 55 times. After that,
the IPC will turn the fasten safety belt indicator OFF. If the driver buckles
the seat belt during this time, the IPC will turn the fasten safety belt
indicator OFF.
When the ignition is turned ON and the driver seat belt is buckled,
the IPC will perform a BULB TEST and then turn the fasten safety belt indicator
OFF.
When the ignition is turned ON and the driver unbuckles the seat belt
after the BULB TEST, the IPC will turn the fasten safety belt indicator ON
for 20 seconds. Then, the IPC will flash the fasten safety belt indicator
55 times. After that, the IPC will turn the fasten safety belt indicator
OFF.
When the ignition is turned ON, the driver seat belt is unbuckled, and
the driver shifts out of the PARK position, the IPC, after it has already
turned the fasten safety belt indicator OFF, will turn the fasten safety
belt indicator ON for 20 seconds. Then, the IPC will flash the fasten safety
belt indicator 55 times. After that, the IPC will again turn the fasten
safety belt indicator OFF. If the driver buckles the seat belt during
this time, the IPC will turn the fasten safety belt indicator OFF.
Restraint System
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 the impact forces during the following events:
| • | Frontal impact type crashes |
| • | Rear impact type crashes |
| • | Side impact type crashes |
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
free 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 Description and Operation
in SIR.
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:
| • | Driver and the passenger seat belt retractors - The driver and
passenger seat belt retractors are located and attached on the center pillar
post in all 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 belt buckle which controls the fasten safety belt indicator
and a tone alarm. |
Rear Seat Belt System
The rear seat belt system includes the following components:
| • | Rear seat belt retractors - the rear seat belt retractors are
located under the rear deck trim panel. The rear seat belt retractors are
attached to the rear deck body panel. |
| • | The rear seat center and outer seat buckle belts. The rear seat
center and outer seat buckle belts are located in the center of the lower
seat cushion. The rear seat center and outer seat buckle belts are attached
to the rear floor pan. |
