Shoulder Belt Switch Problems
08-30-2002, 08:25 AM
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Shoulder Belt Switch Problems
I have been having an intermittant problems with the shoulder belt buckle switch. Intermittantly my seat belt warning light and chime will come on.
I've tracked this down to the shoulder buckle switch. An interesting arrangement, it works by closing a magnetic sensor switch in the pillar. When you close the door and turn the ignition the shoulder belt latch comes back over the door to the pillar. In the belt latch there is a small magnet. When the shoulder belt is inserted this moves the magnet back in the latch placing it by the piller. A device encapsulated in epoxy (or something like this) senses the presence of the magnet, closing the switch.
What makes diagnosis tricky is that this is intermittant. I've left the pillar trim off and when it happens, usually if I tap the switch area the switch will close and the light will go off.
As far as I can think of there are two possible problems. The first is that the magnet in the latch has gotten weak and is not strong enough to actuate the switch anymore. Visually, it is moving into its proper positions so there doesn't seem to be any mechanical problem within the latch assembly. The other is that the switch itself is going bad.
Does anyone have experience with this system and advice on which part to change first? I don't want to spend bucks on one and then find out the other is the cause of the problem. Plus I don't want to go through all the trouble again to taking the switch out which involves putting the limit switch sensor springs and other small pieces back together in the right order.
I'm guessing the switch itself will be a few bucks if it's even available because it has a common harness with the latch position limit switch so both would have to be changed together.
I've tracked this down to the shoulder buckle switch. An interesting arrangement, it works by closing a magnetic sensor switch in the pillar. When you close the door and turn the ignition the shoulder belt latch comes back over the door to the pillar. In the belt latch there is a small magnet. When the shoulder belt is inserted this moves the magnet back in the latch placing it by the piller. A device encapsulated in epoxy (or something like this) senses the presence of the magnet, closing the switch.
What makes diagnosis tricky is that this is intermittant. I've left the pillar trim off and when it happens, usually if I tap the switch area the switch will close and the light will go off.
As far as I can think of there are two possible problems. The first is that the magnet in the latch has gotten weak and is not strong enough to actuate the switch anymore. Visually, it is moving into its proper positions so there doesn't seem to be any mechanical problem within the latch assembly. The other is that the switch itself is going bad.
Does anyone have experience with this system and advice on which part to change first? I don't want to spend bucks on one and then find out the other is the cause of the problem. Plus I don't want to go through all the trouble again to taking the switch out which involves putting the limit switch sensor springs and other small pieces back together in the right order.
I'm guessing the switch itself will be a few bucks if it's even available because it has a common harness with the latch position limit switch so both would have to be changed together.
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