Jaguar XJ (2008 year). Manual — part 16

65

Occupant Protection

R

The inertia operating mechanism of the
seat belts allows the wearers to move
their upper bodies to reach various
controls. The seat belts lock automatically
with accelerated body movement or in the
event of emergency braking.

The seat belt assemblies incorporate
additional safety devices. All have belt
pretensioners and the front belts also
have force limiters. These devices provide
increased protection in the event of a
severe frontal impact.

The pretensioners operate with the air
bags as part of the Advanced Restraints
Technology System (ARTS). See
RESTRAINTS SYSTEMS on page 70.

Comfort belts are fitted to both individual
electrically operated rear seats. They are
also fitted to the outer seats only on the
electrically operated rear bench seat.
These belts incorporate a twin tension
facility. When the belt is buckled around
the occupant, a reduced tension is
applied to provide a more comfortable
fitting. When the belt is unfastened, a
higher tension is applied to allow it to
retract correctly.

!

WARNING:

Seat belts should be worn by all vehicle
occupants, for every journey no matter
how short. Failure to do so will greatly
increase the risk of death or serious
injury in the event of an accident.

!

WARNING:

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.

A slack seat belt offers a greatly
reduced level of occupant protection in
an impact.

!

WARNING:

If any damage, wear, cuts, defects, or
impaired operation are noted with the
seat belts, the vehicle should be taken
to a Jaguar Dealer for immediate
attention. Do not use the vehicle if the
seat belts cannot be operated
correctly.

!

WARNING:

When using seat belts to restrain items
other than occupants, take care to
ensure that the belts are not damaged,
or exposed to sharp edges.

!

WARNING:

Care must be taken to avoid
contaminating the seat belt webbing,
and seat belt mechanisms with any
chemicals, liquids, grit, dirt, or cleaning
products. If the seat belts do become
contaminated they should be replaced
immediately. Contaminated seat belts
may not operate correctly in an impact
and cannot be relied upon.

Occupant Protection

66

L

Seat belt checks

Note: If the vehicle is parked on an incline,
the seat belt mechanism may lock. This is
not a fault, and the belt should be gently
eased out from the upper anchorage.

The seat belts should be inspected
regularly to check for fraying, cuts, or
wear to the webbing, and the condition
and security of the mechanism, buckles,
adjusters, and mounting points.

Checks
• 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 seat belt to the limit of its travel.
Check that it unreels smoothly with no
snatches or snags. Allow the belt to
fully retract, again checking for
smooth operation.

• Partially unreel the seat belt, then hold

the tongue plate and give a quick
forward pull. The mechanism must
lock and prevent any further
unreeling.

If any of the seat belts fail to meet those
criteria, immediately contact you Jaguar
Dealer.

Beltminder

The Beltminder feature is a supplemental
warning to the seat belt warning function,
see page 115. This feature provides
additional reminders to the driver that the
driver’s and/or front passenger’s seat belt
is unbuckled by intermittently sounding a
chime and illuminating the seat belt
warning indicator in the instrument panel.

Note: Not all countries have the warning
chime.

Note: Objects placed on the front
passenger seat may activate the seat belt
reminder warning chime and indicator. It
is recommended that any objects placed
on the front passenger seat are secured
using the seat belt.

67

Occupant Protection

R

Seat Belt Fitting

!

WARNING:

Do not adjust the seat belt while
driving.

Draw the tongue of the seat belt over the
shoulder, across the chest and push it
into the buckle unit slot. A positive ‘click’
indicates that it is safely locked.

Comfort clips or devices that create slack
in the seat belts are not recommended.

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.

A warning indicator on the instrument
panel is illuminated when the driver’s seat
belt is not fastened. (In some countries a
warning signal sounds for six seconds).

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.

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.

Occupant Protection

68

L

Front belt height adjustment

!

WARNING:

Correct seat belt adjustment is
essential for safety and comfort.
Ensure that the height is correctly
adjusted and the mechanism is locked
in place before driving the vehicle. Do
not attempt to adjust the seat belt
height once the vehicle is in motion.
Doing so may cause you to loose
control of the vehicle, or incorrectly
adjust the seat belt.

To adjust the front seat belt heights, press
the locking button (1) and slide the
anchorage (2) so that the seat belt
webbing passes over the shoulder
without pulling against the neck. Release
the button and check that the anchorage
point is locked.

Always check the anchorage point after
the seat has been adjusted to ensure that
the belt is correctly positioned.

Seat Belt Clip

A clip is fitted to the seat belt for easier
access to the tongue. This clip prevents
the tongue from sliding down the seat belt
to the side of the seat when the belt is
undone, retaining it higher up the belt
nearer to the shoulder.

It is important that when the belt is fitted
around the lap and over the shoulder that
any slackness (as shown in the next
column) in the portion of belt over the lap
is removed.

2

1

E86136

JAG0630