Interior Exterior
Q:
Again Maybe. I think there's more to the system than is shown on those wiring schematics. For instance, there is no right or left belt shown on that schematic nor anything to show the determination of whether there's someone in the seat.
I also looked at the air bag schematic, and it doesn't show any switches for the seats - they appear to be independent. But Bruce is correct in that the system may be more interconnected than the wiring diagrams show. Besides, there is not guarantee that the diagrams are exactly what's in the car - the (non-) accuracy of the wiring diagrams for my '72 Elan come to mind. Thinking about it, the diagrams don't match the installation of the driving lights I just installed in my early Elise (no switch, etc.).
That seat belt warning doesn't go off if there's no one in the passenger seat and the passenger belt is disconnected nor does the seat belt light and buzzer go off when the car is running and there is no one in the driver's seat. So that simple schematic really doesn't show what is really going on.
As far as I know, the seatbelt switches are only required for the driver seat. But you are correct in that it's more complicated than shown in the diagrams - their would actually have to be at least two switches for the driver's seat and belt. One to indicate that someone is sitting in the seat, and another in the seat belt buckle to indicate that the belt is buckled.
If the air bags are "smart" where they function differently depending on the weight and whether the belts are buckled (I don't think so), then there are more switches/sensors involved - possibly in both seats.
Like I said in my original post above, I leave my buzzers alone...
A:
My seat-belt buzzer does not come on for about 10 seconds after you turn the ignition on and then it only sounds for about another 10 seconds. It is also not that loud, the light stays on.
I wonder if they have changed things on the newer cars? Mine is a sub 200 number.
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it would help to crash test several sample cars.
Can we start with yours...
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Wow,
I never realized what a heated discussion this simple light would cause! Everyone has very good points (except the guy who cares if I put on my shoes before my pants...). I will be pulling the plug on this wire as soon as my car gets delivered. I not only agree with Stan but figure on fate as well, if I'm going to get in a crash bad enough to Kill me I'd rather be dead than maimed! In the Aviation world the saying goes.....Some day all of this safety **** is going to get someone killed. Sounds like this may be a point we will all (or some) end up agreeing to disagree on.
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Wow,
I never realized what a heated discussion this simple light would cause!
Mike, This was not a heated one, just a healthy banter
Patrick
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I checked my car when I got home tonight and I think it is wired as simply as in the wiring diagram. The seatbelt warning is for the drivers seat only and it makes no difference if you're sitting in the seat or not so the only switch is the one in the seat belt latch. What is not shown is the logic built into the instrument cluster. If the belt is not latched, the warning light flashes and it beeps 8 times and stops. Then the warning light stays on if you do not latch the seat belt. So it appears that you can just manipulate it with the seat belt latch switch. I didn't try disconnecting it yet. If it's normally open with the belt unlatched you would have to short it because if you just disconnect it it's still open. If it's normally closed with the belt unlatched you would just have to disconnect it.
A:
If it's normally open with the belt unlatched you would have to short it because if you just disconnect it it's still open. If it's normally closed with the belt unlatched you would just have to disconnect it.
Do the airbags deploy if the seat belt is not latched? I am not sure on that...
If you make it look like the seat belt is latched then I am going to presume that that they would deploy.
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That's what I don't know because I don't know the logic built into that instrument cluster. I would assume they do deploy because it is probably safer to deploy them even without the seat belt than to have neither the seat belt or the air bags. Also, if they didn't deploy if the seat belt wasn't fastened I would think they would have to warn you of that in the manual and on those stickers. I could see the lawsuits over that one.
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Guys...air bags are supplemental restraints that are passive. You don't have to turn them on when you need them. All the unplug thing does electically speaking is make the car think the belts are latched whether they are or not. You should always use your belts.
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When disconnected the buzzer and belt light stay off. No air bag warning comes on, I presume that the bag is still active.
As posted eairler Stan says that there is no light or buzzer with it disconnected. This would lead me to believe that as far as the car is concered the seatbelt is hooked up. Unless they have some type of Jedi Mind Trick installed into the soul of this car it would not know the difference. Even if it was somehow relayed into the airbag or pre-tensioner it still "sees" the seatbelt as being fastened.
Besides I have it from a "Higher Authority" (a Lotus Tech at a very reputable dealer) that it would not make a difference if you disconnected the plug under the seat.
OK, now that I've caused this mess I am curious how many people are going to now or have been in the habit of taking out these evil and annoying brain sucking buzzers that serve no good?
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I just disconnected mine.
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[quote=Patricko]Do the airbags deploy if the seat belt is not latched? I am not sure on that...
Patrick,
I have been 1st on scene at my share of accidents where no seatbelt was used. I have no direct experience with this car but every other car I have seen has deployed the airbags with no belt. Of course this only happens if the impact is in an airbag sensor location and of enough force and so on. Point to be made though is I have seen some pretty bad looking cars that I thought could be Fatal accidents where people were walking around with nothing more than what looked like a pimple mark of blood on there nose (NO kidding and I'm not exaggerating). I can't imagine a car manufacture intentionally disabling the airbag system for an indication of an unbuckled seatbelt.
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By the way I should say that in NO WAY do I recommend not wearing seatbelts and trusting the airbag alone!!!
The people I saw were also usually intoxicated or not exactly at the top of the gene pool if you know what I mean. I've been wearing a seatbelt since long before anyone ever thought about making it a law. It should always be your first line of defense if for nothing else then to keep you firmly in control of your car so you can run that A Hole off the road in an agressive yet positive manner!!!
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Thanks for the info.
I was worried about that as I don't have the stock belt plugged in when I am using the harness, every little bit helps...
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I checked the seat belt switch this morning with a multimeter. It's closed with the belt unlatched and open with the belt latched. So with it disconnected the car doesn't know any different. It thinks the belt is latched.
Now to get rid of the silly buzzer when the key is in the ignition and the door is open.
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I tire of the chiming and the light when I'm using my racing harnesses. I also hate the fact that a light comes on at all when I choose to not use the seat belts. I'm disconnecting mine.
I rented a Ford Escape recently, and the friggin seatbelt beep, a loud series of BEEPS, would repeat once/minute unless you fastened the seat belt. That was ridiculous, and yes, it was bad enough that I wouldn't buy a Ford vehicle with this feature. Unbelievable annoying when you're trying to get money out of your pocket at a toll or doing other activites requiring the belt be removed.
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I guess at this point it would be okay for me to say..."I toldja so!"
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I guess at this point it would be okay for me to say..."I toldja so!"
And once again good hath triumphed over evil and the safety Nazis were distraught and languished in there pain....
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I rented a Ford Escape recently, and the friggin seatbelt beep, a loud series of BEEPS, would repeat once/minute unless you fastened the seat belt. That was ridiculous, and yes, it was bad enough that I wouldn't buy a Ford vehicle with this feature. Unbelievable annoying when you're trying to get money out of your pocket at a toll or doing other activites requiring the belt be removed.
Thank God you can defeat that awful Ford seatbelt beeping - it's almost funny - involves a complicated sequence of ignition, light switch, turning around and chanting a couple times, crossing your fingers, and connecting and disconnecting the seatbelt. For my wife's Expedition (mmm...gas hog!) I had to run through it a couple times before it took but it is in the manual (surprisingly enough!).
Heading to the garage to disable my Elise switch now...
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Now to get rid of the silly buzzer when the key is in the ignition and the door is open.
That's the one I need to get rid of also.