Description

DESCRIPTION





Seat belt tensioners supplement the dual front airbags for this vehicle. The seat belt tensioners are integral to the front seat belt retractor units (4), which are secured to the inner B-pillar on the right and left sides of the vehicle. These retractors are concealed beneath the molded plastic inner B-pillar trim. On vehicles equipped with an optional two-position passenger side front bench seat, a third seat belt tensioner for the center seating position is integral to the retractor concealed within the seat back.

The seat belt tensioner consists primarily of a sprocket/pinion, a steel tube (3), a cast metal housing, numerous steel balls, a stamped metal ball trap (2), a torsion bar and a small pyrotechnically activated gas generator with a connector receptacle (1). All of these components are located on one side of the retractor spool on the outside of the retractor housing except for the torsion bar, which serves as the spindle upon which the retractor spool rides. The seat belt tensioners are controlled by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) (also known as the lowline or highline airbag control unit/ARCADE) and are connected to the vehicle electrical system through dedicated take outs of the vehicle wire harness by a keyed and latching yellow molded plastic connector insulator to ensure a secure connection.

The seat belt tensioner cannot be repaired and, if ineffective or damaged, the entire front seat belt and retractor unit must be replaced. The seat belt tensioners can be deployed independently of the airbags, but if the airbags have been deployed, the seat belt tensioners have also been deployed. The seat belt tensioners are not intended for reuse and must be replaced following deployment. A growling or grinding sound while attempting to operate the seat belt retractor is a sure indication that the seat belt tensioner has been deployed and requires replacement.