QuestionQUESTION: I have a 2000 Chrysler Sebring JXI Convertible. My seat belts are intermittently locking. I can get into my car and if I'm lucky they will work, other times they won't. Also if I am driving and they are working they will lock up and I'm pinned in my seatbelt. If I take my seatbelt off, it will lock and I can't put my seatbelt back on. I've noticed that I don't have the seat belt icon on my dash nor does it have that bell or alarm to let you know you need to put on your seatbelt. Any help would be appreciated. This car didn't come with an owners manual.
ANSWER: Hi Beth,
There are two fuses that power the seat belt system. One of those fuses may be blown or have a subtle crack in its internal wire that causes it to fail intermittently. The fuse that is dedicated exclusively to the system in fuse #11 located in the power distribution box in the engine compartment. It is one of the larger (20 amp) fuses located immediately behind the 10 smaller fuses and is the in-board fuse of the three in that front row. So remove it and inspect to verify that it is not blown and doesn't have a subtle crack in its wire.
The other fuse is #15 in the fuse box behing the left end cap of the dash and is 10 amp. Check it similarly though it also is involved with the turn signals so you would probably notice a problem with those if it were faulty. If both fuses check out, then we have an issue with a wire or the seat belt control module itself. So let me know what you find.
Please read the PS (below) and respond to it.
Thanks,
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I don't have an owner's manual with fuse locations etc. So the first fuse is located under the hood? Where is the power distribution box located? I haven't noticed any issues with the turn signal but I will check that fuse as well and it's located under the dash on passenger side? I will try the fuses tomorrow when I'm off work and hopefully it's an easy fix. What is the seat belt control module and where is it located? How do you know if that's not the issue? y23When the seat belts lock its at the same time for both driver and passenger and I think it's just the front seat but not the back seat.
AnswerThe power distribution box is rectangular and is long and narrow from fromt to rear and is located slightly to the right of the midline of the engine compartment, wedged between two similar but shorter boxes. The rear end is slightly hidden under the engine air intake. It has a removable lid (release spring clamps) and you will find the fuses in the front of the that box. The one in the cabin is behind the left end-cap of the dash, not under the dash, next to the door opening on the top edge of the dash. The seat belt module is under the center stack of the dash but I would not get into that until you check out the fuses. Because you don't have icon showing, and because the fuses are the most likely cause, and without one or the other the system won't work you always want to check carefully that the fuses aren't blown or that there is a subtle crack in the internal wire of the transparent fuse. So do the fuse check first.
Please rate this answer and the first answer and consider giving a nomination of me for both as well.
Thanks,
Roland
