Corolla seatbelt warning incorrect (sometimes)

I seem to remember seeing this in relation to a Sienna but I am not 100% sure. The seatbelt indicator on my 1999 Corolla LE is sometimes off when the belt is not pulled out and off when the belt is pulled around me [this is correct] but at other times it is OFF when the belt is fully retracted and BLINKING when wrapped around me (and clicked, of course). Having never driven without a seatbelt for the last 32 years the light is quite an irritant. If I pull the belt out just a little bit further the light goes off again so I guess I could gain another 10 pounds or so!

Does anyone know anything about this? Will it affect my side/front airbag deploy? Any other info appreciated.

Andy

Reply to
Outsider
Loading thread data ...

When you say "my" seatbelt I'm assuming that you are referring to the driver's seat belt and not the passenger seat belt. Check the opening in seat belt receptacle to see if anything is stuck in there like a coin. A foreign object in the receptacle is the most common cause of your complaint. When the seat belt light is blinking, the belt may feel like it is secured but it probably is not because the foreign object makes if feel like it is engaged. The airbags offer a lot less protection if the seatbelt is not worn properly and securely because if the latch releases, your body won't be positioned correctly for the airbags to work.

The switch in the seatbelt receptacles are very reliable - I've never seen one fail but I have seen lots of coins, paper clips, hair pins, spilled liquid residue in there.

Reply to
Ray O

"Ray O" wrote in news:c02a4$4282b72e$180fead6$ snipped-for-privacy@msgid.meganewsservers.com:

Correct Ray, the seatbelt is the driver side. I will get in there with with a good flashlight and check for objects. Thanks for the response.

Andy

Reply to
Outsider

A stiff paper clip wire or coat hanger wire with an L-shaped bend at the end makes a good seat belt receptacle foreign object getter outer.

Good luck!

Reply to
Ray O

OK, after inspecting the belt mechanics as much as I can without disassembly it strikes me we are on different wavelengths here. When you say receptacle I NOW imagine you mean the snap thing. If so, this is NOT how my belt determines worn/not worn. The snap is easily seen and there is no wiring going to it at all. The way my belt does worn/not worn is by how far the belt is pulled from the roller (in the door post). Now, I WAS able to pull the cowling off slightly and look inside there and down at the roller but not enough to see what does the sensing. A switch in the snap would be great! Don't know why that is not the case.

So, the question is do I understand you right; do other Corollas have switches in the snap like normal cars?

Andy

Reply to
Outsider

I am not familiar with the seat belt in your car but I have never seen a seat belt warning circuit set up like you are describing. This is because of the wide range of occupant sizes, and it would be possible to defeat the flashing light just by pulling the seat belt out far enough In other words, how would the car know if the occupant has a 30 inch waist or a 50 inch waist, especially given that the seat can slide forward and back?

The wiring is more likely in the female receptacle, what you are calling the "snap thing." If the chimes and warning light go out when you snap the seat belt in and not when you just pull out the belt, then it has to be in the receptacle. More likely, you can't see the wires.

Did you look inside the receptacle and poke around?

Reply to
Ray O

Don't forget that some makes use a 'weight switch' also...IOW a switch mounted 'under' the seat which tells whether there's an occupant sitting there...

Reply to
Gord Beaman

"Ray O" wrote in news:d8fb3$42882af8$180fead6$ snipped-for-privacy@msgid.meganewsservers.com:

Trust me here, there is no switch inside the recepticle and no place to hide wires AND the belt has never waited to be plugged into the receptacle to switch off. Strange but true. While in "reverse mode" pulling the belt out further turns the indicator off even though it has been plugged in all the time. I have never seen such a thing either but it is the case. This is a 99 corolla with side air bags if I failed to indicate that.

Reply to
Outsider

Outsider wrote in news:Xns9658A44F4EEB4outsideroutnet@69.28.186.158:

image link bellow = Recepticle from both sides. Flat steel about 1/8" thick and 1 1/4" wide. No wires, no switches. If anyone knows how to access Toyota parts drawings/info via net (expect that is not likely) let me know otherwise I appreciate the time. I will take the full cowling off the door post and examine the roller up close and see how it works and hopefully why it whacks out now and then.

Later,

Andy

formatting link

Reply to
Outsider

Outsider wrote in news:Xns965AD36DB586Coutsideroutnet@69.28.186.158:

formatting link

Reply to
TeGGeR®

"TeGGeR®" wrote in news:Xns965AD7FA961D9tegger@207.14.113.17:

Excellent! $10 for one day access and I now have all the info on the affected switch. Thanks TeGGeR! I know just what I plan to do now.

Andy

Reply to
Outsider

"Outsider" wrote: > I seem to remember seeing this in relation to a Sienna but I > am not 100% > sure. The seatbelt indicator on my 1999 Corolla LE is > sometimes off when > the belt is not pulled out and off when the belt is pulled > around me [this > is correct] but at other times it is OFF when the belt is > fully retracted > and BLINKING when wrapped around me (and clicked, of course). > Having never > driven without a seatbelt for the last 32 years the light is > quite an > irritant. If I pull the belt out just a little bit further > the light goes > off again so I guess I could gain another 10 pounds or so! > > Does anyone know anything about this? Will it affect my > side/front airbag > deploy? Any other info appreciated. > > Andy

i also have a 98 corolla with the exact same problem with driver side seat belt.light is flashing until i pull out about 2 more inches of the belt.hope someone can tell us the correction

Reply to
smokeybear

smokeybear wrote in news:1_591130 snipped-for-privacy@autoforumz.com:

The part that is defective is the seatbelt retractor switch. I have not "gone in" yet but all I plan to do on mine is disable the switch since I am the only driver and after driver over 30 years with a seatbelt I don't really need to be reminded. If you need the indicator to work correctly you will need to replace the seatbelt retractor switch or try to repair it. Two separate documents describe the switch as open and closed with seatbelt worn so I don't yet know if I will need to unplug the switch or unplug then jump the connector.

Andy

Reply to
Outsider

Outsider wrote in news:Xns966479FD0AAC4outsideroutnet@69.28.186.158:

To follow up. While I don't offer this as a recommendation, if one wants to disable the seatbelt indicator and is willing to assume responsibility for those who may need the indicator to remind them to wear the belt (!) you must remove the plug from the SB retractor and provide a jumper on the plug to simulate the retractor. at this point you will no longer have a belt warning indication.

Andy

Reply to
Outsider

Could you please post some info on where this switch is (is it in the little snap on / click unit in which the seatbelt clip clicks ?) and if possible where I can buy the replacement. I'm having the same problem and want to find a solution. Any possibility of posting the info on the documents you found ?

Any help is highly appreciated.

Thanks

Outsider wrote:

Reply to
M

Toyota dealer

I'm having the same problem

Look inside the seat belt recepticle and remove the foreign object lodged in there.

Reply to
Ray O

"Ray O" wrote in news:e7f4f$42ae0264$44a4a10d$ snipped-for-privacy@msgid.meganewsservers.com:

(is it in the

No. Not on a 1999 Corolla Le.

The switch is part of the seatbelt roller (retractor) which is near the bottom of the door post behind some plastic cowling. It is called a seatbelt retractor switch.

You could unplug the wire from the roller and jump the connections with a piece of wire (the plug is on the side of the roller which faces the back seat.

OR

You could purchase a new part which may be the entire roller assembly and expensive.

Reply to
Outsider

Hmmm... How does the seat belt know if it is actually properly latched or not?

Reply to
Ray O

"Ray O" wrote in news:e0bb2$42b0c14a$44a4a10d$ snipped-for-privacy@msgid.meganewsservers.com:

It doesn't! Pull it out enough and it is happy! Clicked or not, doesn't matter. And then switches (at least mine) go bad!

Hey, I love my Corolla so 1 or 2 stupid things don't bother me much.

Reply to
Outsider

You sure that that switch on the 'roller' doesn't have to do with the belt tensioner?, the one that snaps you back in your seat if you hit something...you say it's called a 'seatbelt retractor switch'...sounds more like something used in a 'tensioner circuit' to me...

Reply to
Gord Beaman

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.