NOTE: Vehicles equipped with a three-point center
seat belt have the center seat belt lower anchor
secured to the right buckle anchor plate with a
screw instead of the center lap belt. (Refer to 8 -
ELECTRICAL/RESTRAINTS/REAR CENTER SEAT
BELT & RETRACTOR - INSTALLATION).
(3) Fold the rear seat cushion back into the seat-
ing position.
SEAT BELT SWITCH
DESCRIPTION
The seat belt switch for this model is actually a
Hall Effect-type sensor. This sensor consists of a
fixed-position, Hall Effect Integrated Circuit (IC) chip
and a small permanent magnet that are integral to
each front seat belt buckle. The front seat belt buck-
les are each located on a stamped steel stanchion
within a molded plastic scabbard and secured with a
screw to the floor panel transmission tunnel on the
inboard side of each front seat cushion (Fig. 40). Theseat belt switches are connected to the vehicle elec-
trical system through a two-lead pigtail wire and
connector on the seat belt buckle-half, which is con-
nected to a wire harness connector and take out of
the body wire harness on vehicles with manual seat
adjusters, or to a connector and take out of the power
seat wire harness on vehicles with power seat adjust-
ers. A radio noise suppression capacitor is connected
in parallel with the IC where the two pigtail wire
leads connect to the IC pins.
The seat belt switch cannot be adjusted or repaired
and, if faulty or damaged, the entire seat belt buckle-
half unit must be replaced.
OPERATION
The seat belt switches are designed to provide a
status signal to the seat belt switch sense inputs of
the Airbag Control Module (ACM) indicating whether
the front seat belts are fastened. The ACM uses the
seat belt switch inputs as a factor in determining
what level of force with which it should deploy the
multistage driver and passenger airbags. In addition,
the ACM sends electronic messages to the ElectroMe-
chanical Instrument Cluster (EMIC) to control the
seat belt indicator based upon the status of the
driver side front seat belt switch. A spring-loaded
slide with a small window-like opening is integral to
the buckle latch mechanism. When a seat belt tip-
half is inserted and latched into the seat belt buckle,
the slide is pushed downward and the window of the
slide exposes the Hall Effect Integrated Circuit (IC)
chip within the buckle to the field of the permanent
magnet, which induces a current within the chip.
The chip provides this induced current as an output
to the ACM, which monitors the current to determine
the status of the front seat belts. When the seat belt
is unbuckled, the spring-loaded slide moves upward
and shields the IC from the field of the permanent
magnet, causing the output current from the seat
belt switch to be reduced.
The seat belt switch receives a supply current from
the ACM, and the ACM senses the status of the front
seat belts through its pigtail wire connection to the
airbag overlay wire harness. The ACM monitors the
condition of the seat belt switch circuits and will illu-
minate the airbag indicator in the EMIC then store a
Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) for any fault that is
detected in either seat belt switch circuit. For proper
diagnosis of the seat belt switches, a DRBIIItscan
tool is required. Refer to the appropriate diagnostic
information.
Fig. 40 Front Seat Belt Buckle
1 - SEAT BELT BUCKLE
2 - SEAT BELT SWITCH PIGTAIL WIRE
3 - SCREW
WJRESTRAINTS 8O - 37
REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLE (Continued)
SEAT BELT TURNING LOOP
ADJUSTER
REMOVAL
WARNING: DURING AND FOLLOWING ANY SEAT
BELT SERVICE, CAREFULLY INSPECT ALL SEAT
BELTS, BUCKLES, MOUNTING HARDWARE, AND
RETRACTORS FOR PROPER INSTALLATION,
OPERATION, OR DAMAGE. REPLACE ANY BELT
THAT IS CUT, FRAYED, OR TORN. STRAIGHTEN
ANY BELT THAT IS TWISTED. TIGHTEN ANY
LOOSE FASTENERS. REPLACE ANY BELT THAT
HAS A DAMAGED OR INOPERATIVE BUCKLE OR
RETRACTOR. REPLACE ANY BELT THAT HAS A
BENT OR DAMAGED LATCH PLATE OR ANCHOR
PLATE. NEVER ATTEMPT TO REPAIR A SEAT BELT
COMPONENT. ALWAYS REPLACE DAMAGED OR
FAULTY SEAT BELT COMPONENTS WITH THE COR-
RECT, NEW AND UNUSED REPLACEMENT PARTS
LISTED IN THE MOPAR PARTS CATALOG.
(1) Remove the turning loop from the front or rear
seat belt turning loop adjuster. (Refer to 8 - ELEC-
TRICAL/RESTRAINTS/FRONT SEAT BELT &
RETRACTOR - REMOVAL) or (Refer to 8 - ELEC-
TRICAL/RESTRAINTS/REAR OUTBOARD SEAT
BELT & RETRACTOR - REMOVAL).
(2) Remove the trim from the upper B-pillar (front
seat belt adjuster) or upper C-pillar (rear seat belt
adjuster). (Refer to 23 - BODY/INTERIOR/B-PILLAR
UPPER TRIM - REMOVAL) or (Refer to 23 - BODY/
INTERIOR/C-PILLAR TRIM - REMOVAL).
(3) Remove the screw that secures the upper end
of the front or rear turning loop adjuster to the pillar
(Fig. 41).
(4) Pull the upper end of the turning loop adjuster
away from the pillar far enough to disengage the
hooks on the lower end of the adjuster from the slots
in the pillar.
(5) Remove the turning loop adjuster from the
B-pillar (front seat belt) or C-pillar (rear seat belt).
INSTALLATION
WARNING: DURING AND FOLLOWING ANY SEAT
BELT SERVICE, CAREFULLY INSPECT ALL SEAT
BELTS, BUCKLES, MOUNTING HARDWARE, AND
RETRACTORS FOR PROPER INSTALLATION,
OPERATION, OR DAMAGE. REPLACE ANY BELT
THAT IS CUT, FRAYED, OR TORN. STRAIGHTEN
ANY BELT THAT IS TWISTED. TIGHTEN ANY
LOOSE FASTENERS. REPLACE ANY BELT THATHAS A DAMAGED OR INOPERATIVE BUCKLE OR
RETRACTOR. REPLACE ANY BELT THAT HAS A
BENT OR DAMAGED LATCH PLATE OR ANCHOR
PLATE. NEVER ATTEMPT TO REPAIR A SEAT BELT
COMPONENT. ALWAYS REPLACE DAMAGED OR
FAULTY SEAT BELT COMPONENTS WITH THE COR-
RECT, NEW AND UNUSED REPLACEMENT PARTS
LISTED IN THE MOPAR PARTS CATALOG.
(1) Position the turning loop adjuster to the B-pil-
lar (front seat belt) or C-pillar (rear seat belt).
(2) Engage the hooks on the lower end of the
adjuster into the slots in the pillar (Fig. 41).
(3) Tilt the upper end of the turning loop adjuster
into position against the pillar.
(4) Install and tighten the screw that secures the
upper end of the front or rear height adjuster to the
pillar. Tighten the screw to 43 N´m (32 ft. lbs.).
(5) Reinstall the trim onto the upper B-pillar
(front seat belt adjuster) or upper C-pillar (rear seat
belt adjuster). (Refer to 23 - BODY/INTERIOR/B-
PILLAR UPPER TRIM - INSTALLATION) or (Refer
to 23 - BODY/INTERIOR/C-PILLAR TRIM -
INSTALLATION).
(6) Reinstall the front or rear seat belt turning
loop to the adjuster. (Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/RE-
STRAINTS/FRONT SEAT BELT & RETRACTOR -
INSTALLATION) or (Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/RE-
STRAINTS/REAR OUTBOARD SEAT BELT &
RETRACTOR - INSTALLATION).
Fig. 41 Seat Belt Turning Loop Adjuster - Typical
1 - SCREW (1)
2 - ADJUSTER
3 - LEVER
4 - SLOTS (2)
5 - HOOKS (2)
8O - 38 RESTRAINTSWJ
