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Seat belts
GENERAL INFORMATION
Seat belts
WARNINGS
Seat belts are designed to bear upon
the bony structure of the body, and
should be worn low across the front
of the pelvis or the pelvis, chest and shoulders,
as applicable; wearing the lap section of the
belt across the abdominal area must be
avoided.
Seat belts should be adjusted as
firmly as possible, consistent with
comfort, to provide the protection for
which they have been designed. A slack belt
will greatly reduce the protection afforded to
the wearer.
Care should be taken to avoid
contamination of the webbing with
polishes, oils and chemicals, and
particularly battery acid. Cleaning may safely
be carried out using mild soap and water.
The belt should be replaced if
webbing becomes frayed,
contaminated or damaged.
It is essential to replace the entire
assembly after it has been worn in a
severe impact even if damage to the
assembly is not obvious.
No modifications or additions should
be made by the user which will either
prevent the seat belt adjusting devices
from operating to remove slack, or prevent the
seat belt assembly from being adjusted to
remove slack.
Replacement and renewal of seat
belts should be carried out by Jaguar
Dealers/Authorised Repairers only.
Do not carry hard, fragile, or sharp
items between your person and the
seat belt. In an impact the pressure
from the seat belt on such items can cause
them to break, which in turn may cause death
or serious injuries.
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WARNINGS
Seat belts are life saving equipment.
In a collision, occupants not wearing
a seat belt can be thrown around
inside, or possibly thrown out of the vehicle.
This is likely to result in more serious injuries
than would have been the case had a seat belt
been properly worn. It may even result in loss
of life.
The seat belts fitted to your vehicle
are designed for adults and larger
children. For their safety, it is very
important that all infants and children under
12 years of age are restrained in a suitable
child safety seat appropriate to their age and
size. See CHILD SEATS (page 52).
Make sure all occupants are securely
strapped in at all times - even for the
shortest journeys.
Do not adjust the seat belt while
driving.
Belts should not be worn with the
straps twisted.
Each belt assembly must only be used
by one occupant; it is dangerous to
put a belt around a child being carried
on the occupant’s lap.
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Seat belts
If the engine is turned off with the seat belts
still fastened, a slight increase in seat belt
tension may be felt. This is normal, it is part of
the seat belt assembly’s tension control device.
WARNINGS
When using seat belts to restrain
items other than occupants, take care
to make sure that the seat belts are
not damaged, or exposed to sharp edges.
Seat belt guide and retainer
The use of comfort clips or devices that would
create slackness in the seat belt system is not
advised.
Ensure that the webbing is midway between
the neck and the edge of the shoulder. Correct
tension is controlled by automatic retraction of
the reel.
Always wear seat belts without slack or twists,
since any slack in a seat belt reduces the
effectiveness of the belt and the level of
protection it can provide. For optimum
protection, the seat belts should fit tightly
around the body. Do not recline the front seats
excessively. Optimum benefit is obtained from
the seat belt with the seat back angle set to no
more than 30 degrees from the upright.
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To assist with both access and positioning of
the front seat belt webbing, a guide-retainer is
incorporated into each front seat.
When access to the rear of the vehicle is
required, remove the seat belt from the guide.
Note: If the vehicle is parked on unlevel
ground, the seat belt mechanism may lock.
This is not a fault, allow the seat belt to retract
a small amount before gently easing the belt
from its attachment to unlock it.
When returning the front seat to the previous
upright position ensure that the seat belt is
returned to the seat belt guide.
Front occupants only: The front seat belts are
equipped with an automatic webbing tension
relieving device. This device will reduce the
webbing loads experienced by the occupant
when the seat belt is correctly worn without
inducing any slack webbing.
The device is activated when, with the ignition
system on and the seat belt tongue engaged in
the buckle, webbing is extracted on occupant
lean forward (a series of clicks indicate the
range of movement with reduced tension).
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Seat belts
FASTENING THE SEAT BELTS
SEAT BELT REMINDER
The belt reminder feature provides additional
reminders to the driver that an occupant’s seat
belt is unbuckled. A chime will sound
intermittently.
Note: Not all countries have the warning
chime.
Seat belt warning indicator
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•
•
1. Draw the belt out smoothly, making sure
that the seat and your position on the seat
are correct. The belt should lay flat across
the pelvis, chest, and mid-point of the
collar bone between the neck and
shoulder.
A warning indicator on the
instrument panel is illuminated
when:
The driver’s seat belt is not fastened.
A passenger is sitting in the front seat and
their seat belt is not fastened.
In some countries a warning signal sounds for
six seconds.
INERTIA REEL MECHANISM TEST
2. With the seat belt correctly positioned,
place the metal tongue into the buckle
nearest to you. Press it in until a click is
heard.
•
Releasing the seat belts
•
To release the seat belt, press the red button.
Note: When releasing the seat belt it is
advisable to hold the belt before pressing the
release button. This will prevent the belt from
retracting too quickly.
•
With the seat belt fastened, give the
webbing near the buckle a quick upward
pull. The buckle must remain securely
locked.
With the seat belt unfastened, unreel the
webbing to the limit of its travel. Check that
the unreeling is free from snatches and
snags and then allow the belt to FULLY
retract.
Partially unreel the webbing, then hold the
tongue plate and give it a quick forward
pull. The mechanism must lock
automatically and prevent any further
unreeling.
If a seat belt should fail any of these tests, you
should contact your Jaguar Dealer/Authorised
Repairer immediately.
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Seat belts
AUTOMATIC LOCKING RETRACTORS
USING SEAT BELTS DURING
PREGNANCY
WARNINGS
Where possible, use the seat belt
automatic locking mechanism to
secure items which are to be carried
on the rear seats. In the event of a sudden
manoeuvre, braking or an accident, loose
items can cause serious injury.
Use the seat belt locking mechanism
to secure pets in harnesses or pet
carriers, when carried on the rear
seats.
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WARNINGS
Position the seat belt correctly for the
safety of the mother and unborn child.
Never wear just the lap strap, and
never sit on the lap strap whilst using just the
shoulder strap. Both of these actions are
extremely dangerous, and may increase your
risk of serious injury in the event of an accident
or during emergency braking.
Never place anything between you
and the seat belt in an attempt to
cushion the impact in the event of an
accident. It can be dangerous, and will reduce
the effectiveness of the seat belt in preventing
injury.
CAUTION
Care must be taken to prevent any sharp
edges on items from damaging the belt.
1. Pull the seat belt around the item, using
both the lap and shoulder parts of the belt
to retain the object.
2. Fasten the seat belt.
3. Unreel all of the remaining belt, until the
stop is reached, to engage the automatic
locking feature.
4. Allow the seat belt to retract onto the item
(a clicking sound will confirm that the
mechanism has engaged).
Position the lap strap comfortably across the
hips beneath the abdomen. Place the diagonal
part of the seat belt between the breasts and to
the side of the abdomen. Make sure that the
seat belt is not slack or twisted.
5. Ensure that there is no slack in the seat
belt, by pulling upwards on the shoulder
belt, immediately above the item. The item
will now be held firmly in position by the
belt as the mechanism prevents any
unreeling of the belt.
When the seat belt is released and is allowed to
fully retract, the seat belt locking mechanism
reverts to normal operation.
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