Mazda 2009 Tribute - Manual (Page 96)

Front seat belt usage sensors
The front seat belt usage sensors detect whether or not the driver and
front outboard passenger seat belts are fastened. This information allows
your Personal Safety System
௡ to tailor the airbag deployment and seat
belt pretensioner activation depending upon seat belt usage. Refer to
Safety restraints section in this chapter.
Front seat belt pretensioners
The seat belt pretensioners at the front outboard seating positions are
designed to tighten the seat belts firmly against the occupant’s body
during frontal collisions, and in side collisions and rollovers when the
vehicle is equipped with the side-curtain airbag system. This helps
increase the effectiveness of the seat belts. In frontal collisions, the seat
belt pretensioners can be activated alone or, if the collision is of
sufficient severity, together with the front airbags.
Seat belt load limiter
The front and rear outboard seat belt load limiter allows webbing to be
pulled out of the retractor in a gradual and controlled manner in
response to the occupant’s forward momentum. This helps reduce the
risk of force-related injuries to the occupant’s chest by limiting the load
on the occupant. Refer to Load limiter feature section in this chapter.
Determining if the Personal Safety System
ா is operational
The Personal Safety System
௡ uses a warning light in the instrument
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
to the Warning light section in the Instrument cluster chapter. Routine
maintenance of the Personal Safety System
௡ is not required.
The Restraints control module (RCM) monitors its own internal circuits
and the circuits for the airbag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
seat belt pretensioners, front seat belt buckle sensors, driver seat
position sensor, and front passenger sensing system. In addition, the
RCM also monitors the restraints warning light in the instrument cluster.
A malfunction with the system is indicated by one or more of the
following.
• The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
• The warning light will not illuminate immediately after ignition is
turned on.
• A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and warning light are repaired.
2009 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
96