RAM 1500 Truck 4WD V8-5.9L VIN Z (2002)
Seat Belt Buckle Switch: Description and Operation
Fig. 46 Seat Belt Switch
SEAT BELT SWITCH
The seat belt switch is a small, normally open, single pole, single throw, leaf contact, momentary switch. Only one seat belt switch is installed in
the vehicle, and it is integral to the buckle of the driver side front seat belt buckle-half, located on the inboard side of the driver side front seat
track. The seat belt switch is connected to the vehicle electrical system through a two-wire pigtail wire and connector on the seat belt buckle-half,
which is connected to a wire harness connector and take out of the seat wire harness routed beneath the driver side front seat cushion in the
passenger compartment.
The seat belt switch cannot be adjusted or repaired and, if faulty or damaged, the entire driver side front seat belt buckle-half unit must be
replaced.
The seat belt switch is designed to control a path to ground for the seat belt switch sense input of the instrument cluster. When the driver side seat
belt tip-half is inserted in the seat belt buckle, the switch closes the path to ground; and, when the driver side seat belt tip-half is removed from the
seat belt buckle, the switch opens the ground path. The switch is actuated by the latch mechanism within the seat belt buckle.
The seat belt switch is connected in series between ground and the seat belt switch sense input of the instrument cluster. The seat belt switch
receives ground at all times through its pigtail wire connection to the seat wire harness from a take out of the body wire harness. An eyelet terminal
connector on the body wire harness ground take out is secured beneath a ground screw on the left cowl side inner panel, beneath the instrument
panel.
