Seat Belt TENSIONER: Description

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2005 Jeep Liberty. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Fig 1: Seat Belt Tensioner

Courtesy of DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORP.

1 - RETRACTOR

2 - TENSIONER HOUSING

3 - PISTON HOUSING

4 - PIGTAIL WIRE

5 - GAS GENERATOR

A seat belt tensioners supplement the dual front airbag system for all versions of this model. See Fig 1. The seat belt tensioners are integral to the front seat belt and retractor units, which are secured to the B-pillars on the right and left sides of the vehicle. The retractors are concealed beneath the molded plastic B-pillar trim.

The seat belt tensioner consists primarily of a molded plastic tensioner housing, a tubular metal piston housing, a piston, a short rack gear, a set of pinion gears, a pyrotechnically activated gas generator, and a short pigtail wire. All of these components are located on one side of the retractor spool on the outside of the retractor housing. The seat belt tensioners are controlled by the Airbag Control Module (ACM) and are connected to the vehicle electrical system through dedicated take outs of the body wire harness by keyed and latching molded plastic connector insulators to ensure a secure connection.

The seat belt tensioners cannot be repaired and, if faulty or damaged, the entire front seat belt and retractor unit must be replaced. The seat belt tensioners are not intended for reuse and must be replaced following any front airbag deployment. A locked retractor that will not allow the seat belt webbing to be retracted or extracted is a sure indication that the seat belt tensioner has been deployed and requires replacement. (Refer to ELECTRICAL/RESTRAINTS/FRONT SEAT BELT & RETRACTOR - REMOVAL) .