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 seat 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 the vehicle speed |
| • | An abrupt change in the vehicle direction |
| • | Operation of the vehicle on a steep upgrade |
| • | Operation of the vehicle on a steep 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 the webbing is allowed to retract.
Use of the cinch feature is recommended for securing a child seat.
The cinch feature may be canceled by allowing the webbing to wind completely
back into the retractor. After the cinch feature is canceled, the webbing
is unlocked. The webbing will then extend from the retractor.
This vehicle is also equipped with a Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
(SIR) System. Refer to
SIR System Operation
in SIR.
Front Seat System
The front seat belt system includes the following components:
| • | The driver and the passenger seat buckle-side belts |
| | The seat buckle-side belts are attached to the floor panel inboard
of the front seats. |
| • | The driver and the passenger seat retractor-side belts |
| | The driver and the passenger seat retractor-side belts are attached
to the floor panel. |
| • | The driver and the passenger seat retractor-side belts are attached
to the roof panel (coupe) or to the body lock pillar reinforcement (convertible). |
The driver seat belt system includes a seat belt switch in the driver
seat buckle-side belt. The seat belt switch controls a reminder lamp and a
tone alarm. The reminder lamp and the tone alarm will not operate when the
following conditions exist:
| • | The driver seat belt is buckled |
| • | The driver door is closed |
| • | The ignition switch is turned ON |
The following events will occur when the driver door is closed and the
ignition switch is turned ON, but the driver seat belt is not buckled:
| • | The tone alarm will operate for 4 to 8 seconds and then turn off. |
| • | The reminder lamp will operate until the driver seat belt is buckled,
or until approximately 1 minute has elapsed. |
Refer to Wiring Systems in Body and Accessories in order to diagnose
faults in the reminder lamp or the tone alarm.
Rear Seat System
The rear seat belt system includes the following components:
| • | The rear seat buckle-side belt |
| | The rear seat buckle-side belt is attached to the floor panel inboard
of the rear seats. |
| • | The rear seat retractor-side belt |
| | The rear seat retractor-side belt is attached to the floor panel and
the inner wheelhouse panel, and to the rear seat shoulder belt retractor bracket. |
Child Restraint
Caution: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured if
the right-front passenger's air bag inflates. This is because the back of
a rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inflating air bag.
It is always better to secure a child restraint in the rear seat. If a forward-facing
child seat is suitable for your child, ALWAYS move the front passenger seat
as far back as it will go and then install the child restraint. Be sure the
child restraint position does not conflict with any additional requirements
provided by the manufacturer. For more information, refer to the vehicle owner's
manual and the instructions that came with the child restraint.
The child seat should be installed and secured according
to the manufacturer's instructions. The automatic locking (cinch) feature
can be used to secure the child seat.
The child seat should be anchored if the child seat has a top strap.
Refer
Child Restraint Tether Anchor Replacement
.
Passengers should not sit at locations where the seat belts are being
used to secure the child seat.
