TENSIONER, Seat Belt: Description
Seat belt buckle tensioners supplement the front, Seat AirBag (SAB) and Side AirBag Inflatable Curtain (SABIC) units for all versions of this vehicle. These tensioners are integral to the seat belt buckle units, which are secured by a large screw to the structure of the driver side bucket seat and the passenger side bucket or bench seat. The buckle tensioner consists primarily of a buckle, a molded plastic scabbard, a cable and piston, a cable guide and bracket (3), a steel cylinder tube (4) and a small pyrotechnically activated Micro Gas Generator (MGG) (2).
The buckle tensioners are controlled by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) and are connected to the vehicle electrical system through a dedicated take out of the seat wire harness by a latching molded plastic connector insulator to ensure a secure connection. The buckle tensioner connector (1) for the driver side is shared by one two-wire squib pigtail and a two-wire pigtail for an integral seat belt switch.
The buckle tensioners cannot be repaired and, if ineffective or damaged, the entire seat belt buckle unit must be replaced. If the front airbags have been deployed, the buckle tensioners have also been deployed. The buckle tensioners are not intended for reuse and must be replaced following any front airbag deployment. Refer to BUCKLE, SEAT BELT, REMOVAL .