Dakota 4WD V8-4.7L (2009)
Seat Belt Tensioner: Description and Operation
Seat Belt Tensioner - Description
DESCRIPTION
Seat belt tensioners supplement the dual front airbags for this vehicle. The seat belt tensioners are integral to the front seat belt retractor units, which are
secured to the floor panel (club cab) or the inner B-pillar (quad cab) on the right and left sides of the vehicle. On club cab vehicles, the retractor is
concealed beneath a clam shell-like trim cover on the floor panel behind the front seat near the door opening sill. On quad cab vehicles, the retractor is
concealed beneath the molded plastic inner 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 and a small pyrotechnically activated gas generator with a connector receptacle. 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 a dedicated
take out of the body wire harness by a keyed and latching yellow molded plastic connector insulator to ensure a secure connection.
The seat belt tensioners cannot be repaired and, if ineffective 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. See: Seat Belt Retractor/Service and Repair/Seat Belt Retractor - Removal.
