Description

DESCRIPTION





Seat Belt Tensioners supplement the dual front airbags. The seat belt tensioners are integral to the front seat belt retractors (2), which are secured to the inner B-pillar (1) on the right and left sides of the vehicle. The retractor is concealed beneath the lower B-pillar trim. The seat belt tensioner consists primarily of a sprocket/pinion, a steel tube, a cast metal housing, numerous steel balls, a stamped metal ball trap, a torsion bar, a small 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 except for the torsion bar, which serves as the spindle upon which the retractor spool rides. The seat belt tensioners are controlled by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) and are connected to the vehicle electrical system through the body wire harness (3).

The seat belt tensioners cannot be repaired and, if faulty or damaged, the entire front seat belt and retractor unit must be replaced. If the front airbags have been deployed, the seat belt tensioners have also been deployed. The seat belt tensioners are not intended for reuse and must be replaced following any front airbag deployment. A growling or grinding sound while attempting to operate the seat belt retractor is a sure indication that the seat belt tensioner has been deployed and requires replacement.