Safety Belt System
Safety Belt System
WARNING: After a crash, the following safety belt components and attaching hardware must be inspected and tested to verify correct function:
- Retractors
- Buckles
- Child safety seat tether bracket assemblies
- Automatic locking retractor (ALR) feature for child safety seats (passenger seating positions only)
- Belt tension sensor (BTS) (if equipped)
- Front safety belt buckle support assemblies (slide bar) (if equipped)
- Safety belt shoulder belt height adjusters (if equipped)
Components that do not operate correctly or pass all Functional Tests in the Component Tests must be replaced with new components.
Safety belt assembly attaching areas must be inspected. Damaged or distorted attaching areas must be restored to their original structural integrity and a new safety belt assembly with new attaching hardware must be installed.
After deployment of the front safety belt pretensioners, a new safety belt system (including retractors, buckles and height adjusters) must be installed.
Failure to follow this instruction may result in incorrect operation of the safety belt system and increases the risk of serious personal injury or death in a crash.
When replacing safety belt buckles and/or retractor assemblies, use only the replacement parts specified in the Ford Customer Service Division Master Parts and Accessories Catalog.
The active restraint system consists of the following serviceable items:
- Front row safety belt buckles, attached to the inboard side of the seats
- Front row safety belt retractors and pretensioners, located behind the lower B-pillar trim panels
- Second row outboard safety belt retractors, located behind the rear quarter trim panels
- Second row 60 percent seat center safety belt retractor and LH safety belt buckle assembly is integrated into the 60 percent seat back
- Second row RH safety belt buckle for the 40 percent seat
- Second row RH center safety belt buckle attached to the 60 percent seat
- Second row lower anchors and tethers for children at each rear seating position, welded to the seat backrest frame
- Child safety seat tether anchors attached to the back of the rear seat
Safety Belt Retractors
- Safety belt retractor and pretensioner
- Dual locking mode
- Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) (all except driver seat)
- Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
Safety Belt Retractor and Pretensioner
The pretensioner is a pyrotechnic device that removes excess webbing slack from the safety belt. The pretensioners are activated when the Restraints Control Module (RCM) detects an impact force exceeding a programmed limit and deployment is required.
For safety belt retractor pretensioner diagnostic and disposal information, refer to Diagnosis and Testing or General Procedures, Restraints and Safety Systems &/or Air Bag Systems Testing and Inspection.
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
The ALR (Automatic Locking Retractor) mode is used when locking a child seat in an outboard seating position. The ALR (Automatic Locking Retractor) mode is automatically activated when the safety belt webbing is fully extracted from the retractor and then allowed to retract. As the safety belt webbing is retracted back onto the spool, an audible click is heard, indicating the safety belt retractor is in ALR (Automatic Locking Retractor) mode and the safety belt webbing will not pull back out of the safety belt retractor. To disengage the ALR (Automatic Locking Retractor) mode, allow the safety belt webbing to fully retract back onto the spool. The ALR (Automatic Locking Retractor) mode is disengaged when the webbing is free to extract and retract back into the retractor. Refer to the appropriate Functional Test procedure in Safety Belt System Component Tests and General Diagnostics.
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
The ELR (Emergency Locking Retractor) is a vehicle-sensitive feature designed to activate and lock the safety belt webbing during braking hard, cornering hard or in an impact of approximately 24 km/h (15 mph). The ELR (Emergency Locking Retractor) feature helps reduce the forward movement of the driver and passengers. Refer to the appropriate Functional Test procedure in Safety Belt System Component Tests and General Diagnostics.
Rear Safety Belt Buckle
The 40 percent and/or 60 percent rear safety belt buckles are mounted to the seat backrest frames on the 40 and 60 percent seats. The LH safety belt buckle on the rear 60 percent seat is serviced as part of the center safety belt retractor. To service the LH safety belt buckle, refer to Removal and Installation, Safety Belt Retractor - Rear, Center .
Child Safety Seat Restraints
Lower anchors and tethers for children and child safety seat tether anchors are provided. Check all attachment points after a collision.
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
This system is referred to as the lower anchor system. The lower anchor system is a standardized and uniform attachment system for installing child safety seats in passenger vehicles. Lower anchor-equipped child safety seats have 2 lower attachments that connect to the vehicle portion of the system.
The vehicle portion of the system consists of 2 attachment points welded to the seat backrest frame. The attachment points protrude from between where the backrest and cushion of the seat meet.
If a child safety seat was in use during a collision, inspect the vehicle portion of the system for damage. If any of the attachment points are damaged, install a new seat backrest frame.
Child Safety Seat Tether Anchors
Child safety seat tether anchors are attachment points located in the back panel, behind the gap cover of the backrest 40 and 60 percent seating.
If a child safety seat was in use during a collision, inspect the vehicle portion of the system for damage. If any of the attachment points are damaged, install new ones.
Belt-Minder(R)
The Belt-Minder(R) feature is a supplemental warning to the safety belt warning function. This feature provides additional reminders to the driver that the driver safety belt is unbuckled. Refer to Diagnosis and Testing, Safety Belt System Testing and Inspection.