Warning Chimes: Belt-Minder®

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2011 Mercury Milan, 2011 Lincoln MKZ, and 2011 Ford Fusion. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The Belt-Minder® is configurable. To configure without using a scan tool, refer to BELT-MINDER® DEACTIVATING/ACTIVATING in this service information.

The Belt-Minder® feature supplements the current safety belt warning function and is enabled after the current safety belt warning is complete. The Belt-Minder® reminds the driver that the driver or passenger safety belt is unbuckled by intermittently and simultaneously sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning indicator in the IPC once the vehicle speed has exceeded 9.7 km/h (6 mph). The Belt-Minder® remains active for 5 minutes from the time it is started.

While activated, the Belt-Minder® chime provides a series of 6 chime/safety belt warning indicator flash sequences that when combined, make up a chime cycle. Each chime/safety belt warning indicator sequence consists of a 1-second chime tone and safety belt warning indicator on/off state. The Belt-Minder® chime and the safety belt warning indicator sound and flash for 6 seconds, then the chime stops and the safety belt warning indicator remains on for 30 seconds. The IPC repeats the chime cycle for 5 minutes.

If the vehicle speed drops below 5 km/h (3 mph) once the Belt-Minder® chime has activated, the chime turns off and the safety belt warning indicator remains on. When the vehicle speed exceeds 9.7 km/h (6 mph) again, the Belt-Minder® chime resumes.

The IPC also provides a toll booth feature which allows the driver or passenger to unbuckle their safety belt after the safety belts were initially buckled, providing 1 minute without warnings after the vehicle exceeds 9.7 km/h (6 mph) again with a safety belt unbuckled.

NOTE: Whenever the vehicle is operated using MyKey®, the RCM enables the Belt-Minder®.

When MyKey® is in use, the driver cannot configure the Belt-Minder® off. Once the Belt-Minder® is activated, the Belt-Minder® continues to chime periodically (does not time out after 5 minutes) and the audio system is muted until the driver and passenger safety belts are fastened. Refer to ANTI-THEFT - PASSIVE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM (PATS) -- FUSION, MILAN & MKZ article for more information on the MyKey® feature.

The Belt-Minder® warning chime inputs are the:

Ignition state.
Driver or passenger safety belt warning chime request communicated by the RCM to the IPC through the HS-CAN.
Safety belt warning indicator request communicated by the RCM to the IPC through the HS-CAN.