Safety Belt Anchor Pretensioners, Safety Belt Buckle Pretensioners, Safety Belt Retractor Pretensioners, Adaptive Load Limiting Safety Belt Retractors and Safety Belt Inflators - Remote Deployment

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2016 Ford Expedition. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

WARNING: Never disassemble or tamper with seatbelt deployable components, including pretensioners, load limiters and inflators. Never back probe deployable device electrical connectors. Tampering or back probing may cause an accidental deployment and result in personal injury or death.

WARNING: Deploy all supplemental restraint system (SRS) devices (airbags, pretensioners, load limiters, etc.) outdoors with all personnel at least 9 meters (30 feet) away to make sure of personal safety. Due to the loud report which occurs when an SRS device is deployed, hearing protection is required. Failure to follow these instructions may result in serious personal injury.

NOTE: A typical safety belt buckle, retractor and inflator disposal is shown that is similar for all vehicles.

1.

Make a container to house the safety belt buckle or retractor for deployment.
- NOTE: The tires must be of sufficient size to accommodate the safety belt buckle, retractor or inflator.
  
  Obtain a tire and wheel assembly and 4 additional tires (without wheels) of the same size.
- With the tire and wheel assembly on the bottom, stack the tires.
- Securely tie all of the tires together.

Courtesy of FORD MOTOR COMPANY

2.

Depower the SRS. Refer to Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Depowering and Repowering .

3.

Remove the safety belt buckle, retractor or inflator. Refer to the appropriate procedure in Safety Belt System .
- When deploying a safety belt buckle pretensioner, install a nut and bolt of sufficient length and of the same diameter as was used to retain it to the seat.

4.

NOTE: If the safety belt anchor, buckle, retractor or inflator does not have a hard-wired pigtail, it will be necessary to cut the wires and connector(s) from the vehicle wire harness and reconnect to the safety belt buckle, retractor or inflator.

Cut each of the safety belt anchor, buckle, retractor or inflator wires near the electrical connector that connects to the vehicle wire harness.

5.

Remove any sheathing (if present) and strip the insulation from the ends of the cut wires.

6.

Make a jumper harness to deploy the safety belt buckle, retractor or inflator.
- Obtain 2 wires (20 gauge minimum) at least 9.14 m (30 ft) long and strip both ends of each wire.
- At one end of the jumper harness, connect the wires together.

7.

NOTE: Typical safety belt retractor pretensioner shown, other safety belt anchor pretensioners, buckle pretensioners, load-limiting retractors and safety belt inflators similar.

Using the end of the jumper harness that the wires are not connected together, attach each wire of the jumper harness to each wire of the safety belt anchor, buckle, retractor or inflator. Use tape or other insulating material to make sure that the leads do not make contact with each other.

Courtesy of FORD MOTOR COMPANY

8.

NOTE: Make sure the safety belt anchor, buckle, retractor or inflator connections are maintained.

Tip the stack of tires on its side and place the safety belt anchor, buckle, retractor or inflator inside the center tire, making sure that there are 2 tires beneath the tire containing the safety belt anchor, buckle, retractor or inflator and 2 tires (including the tire and wheel assembly) above the tire containing the safety belt anchor, buckle, retractor or inflator.

9.

Place the tire stack upright, with the wheel on top.

Courtesy of FORD MOTOR COMPANY

10.

Remain at least 9.14 m (30 ft) away from the safety belt anchor, buckle, retractor or inflator.

11.

From the end of the jumper harness that is not connected to the safety belt anchor, buckle, retractor or inflator, disconnect the 2 wires of the jumper harness from each other.

12.

Deploy the safety belt anchor pretensioner, buckle pretensioner, retractor pretensioner or inflator by touching the ends of the 2 wires of the jumper harness to the terminals of a 12-volt battery.

13.

To allow for cooling, wait at least 10 minutes before approaching the deployed safety belt anchor pretensioner, buckle pretensioner, retractor pretensioner or inflator.

14.

Dispose of the deployed safety belt anchor, buckle, retractor or inflator in the same manner as any other part to be scrapped.