WARNING: Never place anything between you and
the seat belt to cushion the impact in the event of
a collision.
Seat Belt Pre-tensioners
The front seat belts are equipped with pre‑tensioners
that work in conjunction with the airbags in a severe
frontal collision. The pre‑tensioners automatically retract
both the seat belt anchor and the seat belt webbing,
reducing slack in both the lap and diagonal portions of
the belts, resulting in reduced forward movement of the
occupant.
The rear outboard seats are equipped with shoulder pre-
tensioners to retract the seat belt webbing to reduce
forward movement of the occupant.
If the pre-tensioners and airbags did not activate in an
impact, this does not mean they malfunctioned. It
usually means that the strength or type of force needed
to activate them was not present.
WARNING:
Once the seat belt pre-tensioners have
been activated, they must be replaced. After any
collision, have the airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners
and any associated components checked and, if
necessary, replaced.
Testing Seat Belts
To confirm that seat belts are operating correctly,
perform these three simple checks on each seat belt.
1.
With the seat belt fastened, give the webbing nearest
the buckle a quick pull. The buckle should remain
securely locked.
2.
With the belt unfastened, unreel the webbing to its
limit. Check that unreeling is free from snags, and
visually check the webbing for wear. Allow the
webbing to retract, checking that retraction is
smooth and complete.
3.
With the webbing half unreeled, hold the tongue
plate and pull forward quickly. The mechanism should
lock automatically and prevent further unreeling.
If a seat belt fails any of these tests, contact Tesla
immediately.
For information about cleaning seat belts, see Seat Belts
on page 178.
Seat Belts
30 MODEL S Owner's Manual