Chrysler Repair: Chrysler Sebring Convertable 1996, sebring convertable, chrysler sebring

Question
Hi Roland
I really hope you can help .. Our daughter is driving a 1996 Sebring Convertable. The driver's side seat belt is stuck. She's a college kid on a tight budget .. dealership dollars are not an option .. i read something about a fuse that actually controls the mechanism along with an electrical connection under the seat that also plays a part in releasing the seat belt
any advice is greatly appreciated!

Answer
Hi Stacey,
The diagnosis depends too upon the function of the passenger seat belt. If it too is not working then I would look at fuse 15 under the dash (10 amp) and fuse 13 (20 AMP) under the hood in the power distribution box located just behind the radiator (sandwiched between two computers). Those fuses would be needed to operate both seat belts. If only the driver side won't work, then look under the driver seat for a harness of two separate wire groupings that runs out from the center console area across the under side of seat. Each grouping ends at a black plug. The one that has 4 pins in its plug is for the seat belt solenoid which releases/locks the belt. Make sure that the plug has not disconnected from the associated black socket which it needs to mate with.
If there is some other variation in the function between the two sides' seat belts, let me know. There is a control timer module for the seatbelts under the center stack of components at the dash which would need to be accessed to troubleshoot the module. Hopefully it is either a fuse or the plug under the seat is disconnected. It could have done so when something got stuffed under the seat and snagged the harness and pulled the plug/socket apart.
Roland