totaled the poor little car

[bravekozak]

I can't sleep tonight unless someone with auto shoulder belts does the test. buckle the lap belt, shut the door. Do the shoulder belts move? If not, reach in through the window and turn the key in the ignition switch. Do the shoulder belts move now? Go around to the rear hatch and trip the inertia switch, or just pull off the connector and jump the Green/yellow to black. Do the shoulder belts move? If not, reach in through the window and unbuckle the seat belt. Do the shoulder belts move now?

[russian]

Rollcage it & race it. Safety problem solved

[FestYboy]

I can't sleep tonight unless someone with auto shoulder belts does the test. buckle the lap belt, shut the door. Do the shoulder belts move? If not, reach in through the window and turn the key in the ignition switch. Do the shoulder belts move now? Go around to the rear hatch and trip the inertia switch, or just pull off the connector and jump the Green/yellow to black. Do the shoulder belts move? If not, reach in through the window and unbuckle the seat belt. Do the shoulder belts move now?

the sholder belts go active once the key is inserted and turned in the ignition (with door closed). lap belt position doesn;t matter. inertia switch is part of an unrelated system and harness. the belt module is a stand alone unit that gets inputs from the door switches and ignition switch.

[bravekozak]

Festboy, the inertia switch is wired to the passive restraint module. I need to know what happens when it grounds. If the shoulder belts return to the A pillar, then we have a big problem.

[bravekozak]

Early inertia switches were wired differently. They had no interface to the the passive restraint module, as did later inertia switches.

[Tommychu]

Pretty sure that if there's any interaction between the two systems it would be to disable (meaning, leave them parked in the B-pillar position) the autobelts in the event of a collision.
Also, the reason they say the lap belt must be buckled is because if you wreck with a shoulder and no lap, it's about the same as wrecking with no seatbelt at all; worse in some cases (launching your butt forward while keeping your upper torso in place can be hazardous).

[bravekozak]

So you are saying that if the inertia switch isn't popped, the shoulder belts move as soon as the door is opened? Even with the key in the ignition?

Assuming the door pops open in an accident. The inertia switch prevents this?

[Tommychu]

In my buddy's EGT I think they stayed in place when the vehicle was running regardless of door position. The car went to the crusher years ago so I can't remember for sure but I recall it being a PITA one time when he dropped me off at the front door to a mall or something.

[Movin]

So lucky you were in a festy and not some convertible or a street bike, it definitely broke the impact before you were ejected. Most SUV's or 4x4's would be totally demolished flipping that many times. I guess that is why more people are seriously injured in late model "safe" cars than in Festivas and Aspires combined. Glad you have good prospects back to health!!

[TominMO]

I never wore the seat belt in it. Yeah i am glad im ok to it wasn't a good thing but def feel that i would have been crushed if i would stayed in the car. The roof was to the steering wheel.

From the side pic, it looks like there was enough head room. With the seat belt keeping you in the car, you probably would have just had some bruises.

What disturbs me is that you don't wear seat belts. The odds are greatly in favor of seat belts saving lives and preventing serious injury. I think you were really lucky, since getting thrown out might have ended in a broken neck or back.

[hofficergrover]

From the side pic, it looks like there was enough head room. With the seat belt keeping you in the car, you probably would have just had some bruises.

What disturbs me is that you don't wear seat belts. The odds are greatly in favor of seat belts saving lives and preventing serious injury. I think you were really lucky, since getting thrown out might have ended in a broken neck or back.

You never know if been better or not, but i sure don't plan on trying it again to find out. Also the way i was sitting the seat was touching the roof.

[zoom zoom]

I don't care to argue symantics, but I'm glad you survived. Sucks that you have that metal in your body for the rest of your life but it could have been much worse. Gotta give you props for having the attitude you do about it, most people would probably have tried to blame something mechanical that they weren't aware of, or blame somebody else, but you just out and said that you knew it was messed up, neglected to fix it, and now your dealing with it. It's a shame it happened, but hopefully everyone learns the lesson from this, including myself... Who knows, you may have just saved a life..I know I'm buying some NEW parts soon now.

[Tommychu]

Tom: while I agree that the odds are always better with a seatbelt than without, and I don't know how tall hofficergrover is, what sort of body type he has or how he likes to position his seat, to look at those pictures I would almost guarantee that if I was driving that car with the seat set to my preferred driving position and wearing a fully buckled 3-point belt I would not be alive.

That said, buckle the hell up everybody, keep up with the maintenance on your safety systems and drive safe.

[neanderpaul]

Man, I'm so sorry. Sorry about you and the car. But I'm glad you are alive.

[hofficergrover]

Thanks guys
Also i don't have to live with the rods in my back for ever they said that i have to have them in for about a year or so. They said since i was in good health and good shape that i will heal back to myself just fine but later as i get older i will probably have arthritis in my back.