Safety Belt Warning Indicator

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2006 Mercury Mariner and 2006 Ford Escape. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The restraint control module (RCM) monitors the safety belt position through the safety belt switch (part of the buckle). When the safety belt is buckled, the RCM receives a ground signal and sends a message to the instrument cluster to turn off the safety belt warning indicator. When the safety belt is unbuckled, the ground to the RCM is removed and the RCM sends a message to the instrument cluster to illuminate the indicator. The passenger occupant classification sensor provides the status of the front passenger seat to the RCM over the communication network. The safety belt warning indicator may illuminate even though the driver side safety belt is buckled. This may occur if the passenger seat is occupied by an object with a significant amount of mass/weight which the occupant classification sensor classifies as an occupant. If the passenger safety belt is unbuckled, the safety belt warning indicator remains on even when the driver side safety belt is buckled. If the indicator is illuminated for this reason, this is a normal characteristic and no repair is needed.