Town & Country V6-3.8L VIN L (2006)
Seat Belt Tensioner: Description and Operation
Seat Belt Tensioner
The seat belt system incorporates Seat Belt Tensioners. The tensioner is designed to hold the occupant in their respective seat by retracting the seat belt
up to four inches. They are integral to the front seat belt buckles and cannot be serviced. If found defective they must be replaced. After an airbag
deployment, the tensioner must be replaced.
Seat Belt Tensioners supplement the dual front air-bag system. The seat belt tensioners are integral to the front seat belt buckles, which are secured to the
seat cushion frame on the inboard side. The seat belt tensioners are controlled by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) and are connected to the
vehicle electrical system through the body wire harness.
The seat belt tensioners cannot be repaired and, if faulty or damaged, the entire front seat belt buckle must be replaced. The seat belt tensioners are not
intended for reuse and must be replaced following any front airbag deployment.
WARNING: WHEN THE FRONT AIRBAG IS DEPLOYED, THE TENSIONER WILL HAVE DEPLOYED ALSO AND SHOULD BE
REPLACED. FAILURE TO DO SO COULD RESULT IN OCCUPANT PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH.
The seat belt tensioners are deployed by a signal generated by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) through the driver or passenger seat belt
tensioner line 1 and line 2 (or squib) circuits. When the ORC sends the proper electrical signal to the tensioners, the electrical energy generates enough
heat to initiate a small pyrotechnic gas generator.
Removing excess slack from the front seat belts not only keeps the occupants properly positioned for an airbag deployment following a frontal impact of
the vehicle, but also helps to reduce injuries that the occupants of the front seat might experience in these situations as a result of a harmful contact with
the steering wheel, steering column, instrument panel and/or windshield.
The ORC monitors the condition of the seat belt tensioners through circuit resistance, and will illuminate the airbag indicator in the ElectroMechanical
Instrument Cluster (EMIC) and store a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) for any fault that is detected. For proper diagnosis of the seat belt tensioners, use
a scan tool and the appropriate diagnostic information.