1. Home
  2. Hyundai Cars and SUV Forum
  3. seat belt problem

seat belt problem

2003 Hyundai Tiburon GT

Nice car. Just went over 60,000 miles, so there goes the warranty, just in time for a very irritating problem involving the seat belt. At varying intervals, it will begin to chime (and the seat belt light in the dash will flash); it chimes/flashes for a little while, then quits, then (seemingly at random) starts up again, quits, lather, rinse, repeat.

I saw another thread where hyundaitech says the chime is on the left side of the dash, and I can hear it more clearly when I take the fuse cover off, but I can't seem to reach it. Any further clues would be welcome.

I admit that I don't know how serious a problem this is. To my way of thinking, there's a problem in the seat belt array such that even though the buckle is securely fastened, it thinks it isn't.

The unnecessary chiming/flashing happens with one person in the car and with two people. It seems to happen a little less when there are two in the car, but that is just apocryphal.

I would rather not pay $250 for this small part (and labor) if at all possible; on the other hand, I don't want my wife driving around in an unsafe car. Is this something I should get fixed, rather than just bypassing the chime? Is this something I (a mildly-capable handyman) can try to fix myself?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Reply to
JOH
Loading thread data ...

I don't recall the specifics of how the air bag system decides whether the belt is buckled. It's possible it's with the same switch that causes the dash lamp to illuminate and the chime to ding. Check under the driver's seat for the wiring coming out of the seat belt. Check especially the harness side to see if it's rubbing on anything metal or if there are broken wires which could be touching metal. An open circuit in the switch turns the lamp/chime off. Grounding the circuit turns the lamp/chime on.

Reply to
hyundaitech

If you can't find the problem yourself, I suggest contacting Hyundai even though you're a few miles out of warranty. Considering that this is a potential safety issue, I'll bet they'll cover it, if for no other reason than to reduce their liability in case you get in an accident. If they hesitate at all, I suggest that you remind them of that.

Reply to
Brian Nystrom

I did take your suggestion and called them; they explained quite kindly that all their recalls have been performed on my car, and that this is not going to be covered.

I'll be checking the wiring this weekend to see if any wires are loose/bared. If I can't figure it out, I'll try my local mechanic; if that doesn't work out, then I'll have the dealer do it.

Reply to
JOH

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.