Seatbelt dash warning light

[Shayne]

It's been on and ignored for months and in that time i've had the steering wheel off and unplugged one maybe 2 belts because i was doing something else nearby but its time to start investigating properly . A quick look found no obvious fuse and i think my abs is working fine .

So i'm asking if there are any usual suspects that might give me something boring to do in the rain ?

 

[Jack VZJ90]

Hi Shayne,
Been working on the seatbelts ?
Cable (2 wire) on mechanism making ground somewhere?
I think they run up from the bottom through the B frame above the front door and down again through the A frame till under the dash.
Might help you, if you worked around those parts.
Succes

 

[Shayne]

Thanks jack i put brand new front belts i a few years ago and i have to take the back ones out occasionally when the girls mess it up fitting a baby seat so i doubt its a plug .

I am hoping someone who has cured the same fault might tell me where they found it because i hate pulling plastics just for a look as some as some plastic clip snaps off somewhere every time .

And of course i don't want to pull everything apart only to have someone say "its the top left yellow fuse" which would be just my sort of luck

 

[Beau]

I assume you've tried disconnecting the battery for a while so things can reset? Don't think these systems are very complicated...

 

[Jack VZJ90]

i looked up the diagram at "max Ellery's workshop book"
The light has only one fuse (10 amp nr 2), but can't be that one because it's in the positive feeding line.
this means that the light is feeded constantly 12 volt + and switched on and of negatively by a switch.
In the diagram they talk about a L/H/F occupant detection switch, for right hand drive of course R/H/F !
Nothing else to see from ground 12 negative up to warning light except switch and cable.
So can be stuck closed switch ore cable damaged, and making ground.
succes, rain is coming

 

[Shayne]

The battery has been taken out of the truck loads of times since the light started staying on .

I was just mulling over how it knows the belt is fastened and wondering if i should be looking at the receivers , maybe the drivers one has a poor ground ?

Switch Jack ? where is that ?

 

[Jack VZJ90]

They talk about " Buckle & occupant detection " powered by a switch.
I once took out both front seats, and didn't see any cable connected to the seats, so they have to talk about the switch that's connected to the belt winding mechanism ? what else ?
Normally when you start the car, light comes on, put on seat belt light goes of.
Again, the switch in this mechanism is feeded with negative ground from the chassis.
Only when the switch lets grounding through (connects) the light stays on. So the switch has to disconnect when fastening seat belt.
If the switch works fine, and between the switch and the warning light, the cable makes a short with the chassis, the light will stay on.
Best way is to test the switch with a multimeter in ohm's.
If the switch connect and disconnects fine, i must be damaged (rubbed) cable. (my first suggestion)
Good luck .....

 

[Bob]

Just a thought, these don't have occupant detection, so is that light for the pretensioner? Only thing I can think of other than airbag

 

[StarCruiser]

On other vehicles and my 80 there is no occupant detection on the driver's seat. I'm not sure on my passenger seat, I'd have to check.
The system is simple, on the driver's seat it has a switch in the belt receiver/release that is normally closed, i.e. It works the light until a belt is inserted. On a passenger seat with occupant detection there is the same setup but there is a steel wire across under the seat cushion connected to another switch, this time normally open. When somebody sits down on the seat, the wire is pulled making the connection that then needs to be broken by a belt being inserted into the receiver and the light goes out.

There are a couple of causes for your problem, 1, something stuck under the passenger seat activating the wire occupant detector or 2, wiring damage, or 3, a switch not operating correctly.
If what Bob is saying applies to your truck then the above may be different.
Go look under your seat Shayne.

 

[Shayne]

Thank's guys new rear springs arriving today postponed the seatbelt issue again so i didn't get to look but its just entered my noggin that the drivers seatbelt sometimes doesn't catch securely so i guess some wd40 in there might be a quick fix

 

[StarCruiser]

Thank's guys new rear springs arriving today postponed the seatbelt issue again so i didn't get to look but its just entered my noggin that the drivers seatbelt sometimes doesn't catch securely so i guess some wd40 in there might be a quick fix

Something stuck or broken in it perhaps? Foreign body?

 

[Shayne]

Thought i might get somewhere with this today

But alas my positive battery terminal despite looking good and having been kept clean snapped as i undone it . It's original genuine which makes me think i should replace with the same which i can order now from here http://www.roughtrax4x4.com/genuine-toyota-positive-battery-terminal-clamp.html or am i just being O.T.T and i should wait to see if they have the bolt on type at my local motor factors tomorrow

Suspicion is pointing at the steering wheel , i might be putting 2 and 2 together to get 5 but i think the light came on around about the time i had a wheel alignment done after another garage had done a disgraceful job of setting it up (track rods were nowhere near even) . As i walked out with the keys i remember a young guy saying he straightened the steering wheel for me too , the boss fell off on my first off road later !

Because i can't seem to get motivated today i found this which is an idea i like https://thegarage.jalopnik.com/how-to-fix-your-airbag-light-without-having-it-blow-up-1721651879

 

[Jack VZJ90]

Shayne,
Weird place for a steering wheel on the passenger's side (LOL)

 

[Shayne]

There's a big puddle between us and Europe Jack so we like to do things our own way

 

[Jack VZJ90]

Hi Shayne,
So you suspect the clock-spring ?
Disconnect and measure with multi-meter in ohm's ?
If this is your problem, you can try electrolube contact cleaner .....
F1 in a few hours ......
Btw i found a company in holland who revise leather steering wheels ....
I'm expecting a quotation on monday.
Have a good weekend, at least whats left of it !!

 

[Shayne]

The clock spring gets a lot of mention on google so i will pull the squib for a look .

I think you will find they recover the leather is all , the whole squib is replaceable , i was going to swap mine long ago because Toyota said you can't replace stalks separately , turned out the used squib i bought had a female connection to meet my female connection so i only swapped the stalk .

Karl Webster gets our steering wheels recovered on this side of the puddle though i expect postage would wipe out any possible saving for you .

My weekend is over i'm sat on the sofa with the curtains open and the lights on cursing myself for not getting an m.o.t in the summer months as i had intended , i have only myself to blame though

 

[StarCruiser]

Take the bulb out or tape it over with black insulating tape to get you through the MOT.

I have to say that unless your seat belt warning light has dual function or otherwise relates to the airbag system I do fear you may be barking up the wrong tree here.

 

[Shayne]

I'm not worried about the airbags Rich to my mind it's a nanny state light i got showing , while removing the seat i was just mentally trying to link the light to an event that might have caused it .

 

[Shayne]

I give up on this -

so is it worth me taking it to someone with a code reader to see if they can reset or shall i just yank the dash bulb ?

 

[Jack VZJ90]

Let’s all vote
If you give up ... you yank the bulb