Seat Belt Systems: Description and Operation
Safety Belt System
WARNING: After any crash, all of the following safety belt assemblies and attaching hardware must be inspected to verify correct function:
- Retractors
- Buckles
- Belt tension sensor (BTS) (if equipped)
- Front safety belt buckle support assemblies (slide bar) (if equipped)
- Safety belt shoulder belt height adjusters (if equipped)
- Child safety seat tether bracket assemblies
- Automatic locking retractor (ALR) feature for child safety seats (passenger seating positions only)
If any safety belt assembly is damaged, does not operate correctly or does not pass all of the Functional Tests in the Component Tests, a new safety belt assembly must be installed. If any safety belt assembly attaching areas are damaged or distorted, the sheet metal must be restored to its original structural integrity and new safety belt assembly and attaching hardware must be installed. Failure to install new safety belt assemblies and attaching hardware may increase the risk of serious personal injury or death in a crash.
After any crash that results in deployment of the driver and/or front outboard passenger safety belt pretensioners, new driver and/or front outboard passenger safety belt systems (including retractors, buckles and height adjusters) must be installed. Failure to install new safety belt systems increases the risk of serious personal injury or death in a crash.
All safety belts are continuous-loop, 3-point systems. The combination lap and shoulder belt (continuous-loop) uses a common slip tongue and retractor.
The shoulder harness retractor is designed to let the webbing move freely in and out at all times, except during vehicle hard braking, hard cornering or an impact of 24 km/h (15 mph) or more, when it is automatically locked by a mechanically-actuated inertia sensor (Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)).
When replacing safety belt buckle and/or retractor assemblies, use only the replacement parts specified in the Ford Catalog Advantage(TM) or equivalent.
The active restraint system consists of the following serviceable items:
- Front safety belt shoulder height adjusters
- Front safety belt buckles attached to the inboard side of the seats
- Front safety belt retractors and pretensioners located behind the lower B-pillar trim panels
- Rear outboard safety belt retractors attached to the C-pillars
- Rear center safety belt retractor attached to the LH rear seat backrest
- Rear safety belt buckles attached to seat frame(s)
- Lower anchors and tethers for children at the LH rear and RH rear seating positions, welded to the seat cushion frame (taxi vehicles only)
- Lower anchors and tethers for children at the LH rear and rear center seating positions, welded to the seat cushion frame (all except taxi)
- Child safety seat tether anchor welded to the front passenger seat, bolted to the rear center seat cushion frame and bolted to the D-pillars (taxi vehicles only)
- Child safety seat tether anchor welded to the front passenger seat, bolted to the rear center seat cushion frame and bolted to the LH D-pillar (all except taxi)
Safety Belt Retractors
The safety belt retractor consists of the following:
- Safety belt pretensioners (front only)
- Dual locking mode
- ELR
- Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) (all except driver seat)
- Belt Tension Sensor (BTS) (front passenger only)
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
The ALR mode is used when locking a child seat in an outboard seating position. The ALR 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 clicking sound is made indicating the safety belt retractor is in ALR mode and the safety belt webbing does not pull back out of the safety belt retractor. To disengage the ALR mode, allow the safety belt webbing to fully retract back onto the spool. The ALR mode is disengaged when the webbing is free to extract and retract back into the retractor. For testing, refer to the appropriate Functional Test procedure in Safety Belt System Principles Of Operation.
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
The ELR is a vehicle-sensitive feature designed to activate and lock the safety belt webbing during hard braking, cornering hard or in an impact of approximately 8 km/h (5 mph). The ELR feature helps to reduce the forward movement of the driver and passengers. For testing, refer to the appropriate Functional Test procedure in Safety Belt System Principles Of Operation.
Belt Tension Sensor (BTS)
The BTS is located at the safety belt anchor point and operates as part of the Occupant Classification Sensor (OCS) system on the front passenger seat. To diagnose the BTS or OCS system, refer to Supplemental Restraint System Description and Operation.
Safety Belt Buckles
The front safety belt buckles are located on the inboard side of the seat track and are for front seat occupants.
The rear safety belt buckles are attached to the rear seat cushion frames.
Child Safety Seat Restraints
The child safety seat restraints include the following items:
- Non-serviceable child safety seat lower anchors and tethers for children welded to the base of the LH rear and RH rear seat (taxi vehicles only).
- Non-serviceable child safety seat lower anchors and tethers for children welded to the base of the LH rear seat (all except taxi).
- Non-serviceable child safety seat tether anchor welded to the base of the front passenger seat.
- Serviceable child safety seat tether anchor bolted to the base of the rear center seat and the D-pillars (taxi vehicles only).
- Serviceable child safety seat tether anchor bolted to the base of the rear center seat and the LH D-pillar (all except taxi).
The lower anchors and tethers for children system is a standardized and uniform attachment system for installing child safety seats in passenger seating locations. Lower anchors and tethers for children-equipped child safety seats have 2 lower attachments that connect to 2 attachment points that protrude from the bight-line between the seat cushion and seat backrest.
If any of the lower anchors and tethers for children attachment points are damaged, a new component(s) must be installed.