RAM 1500 Van V8-5.9L VIN Z LDC (2001)
Seat Belt Reminder Lamp: Description and Operation
A seatbelt indicator is standard equipment on all instrument clusters. The seatbelt indicator is located near the lower edge of the instrument cluster
overlay, to the right of center. The seatbelt indicator consists of a stencil-like cutout of the International Control and Display Symbol icon for "Seat Belt"
in the opaque layer of the instrument cluster overlay. The dark outer layer of the overlay prevents the indicator from being clearly visible when it is not
illuminated. A red lens behind the cutout in the opaque layer of the overlay causes the icon to appear in red through the translucent outer layer of the
overlay when the indicator is illuminated from behind by a Light Emitting Diode (LED) soldered onto the instrument cluster electronic circuit board.
The seatbelt indicator is serviced as a unit with the instrument cluster.
The seatbelt indicator gives an indication to the vehicle operator of the status of the driver side front seatbelt. This indicator is controlled by a transistor
on the instrument cluster circuit board based upon cluster programming and a hard wired input from the seatbelt switch in the driver side front seatbelt
retractor through the seat belt indicator driver circuit. The seatbelt indicator Light Emitting Diode (LED) receives battery current on the instrument
cluster electronic circuit board through the fused ignition switch output (run-start) circuit whenever the ignition switch is in the ON or Start positions;
therefore, the indicator will always be OFF when the ignition switch is in any position except ON or Start. The LED only illuminates when it is provided
a path to ground by the instrument cluster transistor. The instrument cluster will turn ON the seatbelt indicator for the following reasons:
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Seatbelt Reminder Function - Each time the cluster receives a battery current input on the fused ignition switch output (run-start) circuit, the
indicator will be illuminated as a seatbelt reminder for about seven seconds, or until the ignition switch is turned to the OFF position, whichever
occurs first. This reminder function will occur regardless of the status of the seatbelt switch input to the cluster.
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Driver Side Front Seatbelt Not Buckled - Following the seatbelt reminder function, each time the cluster detects an open circuit on the seat belt
indicator driver circuit (seatbelt switch open - seat- belt unbuckled) with the ignition switch in the Start or ON positions, the indicator will be
illuminated. The seatbelt indicator remains illuminated until the seat belt indicator driver input to the cluster is closed to ground (seatbelt switch
closed - seatbelt buckled), or until the ignition switch is turned to the OFF position, whichever occurs first.
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Actuator Test - Each time the cluster is put through the actuator test, the indicator will be turned ON, then OFF again during the bulb check
portion of the test to confirm the functionality of the LED and the cluster control circuitry.
The seatbelt switch input to the instrument cluster circuitry can be diagnosed using conventional diagnostic tools and methods. For further diagnosis of
the seatbelt indicator or the instrument cluster circuitry that controls the LED, (Refer to INSTRUMENT CLUSTER - DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING).
