Hi again,

I think I like the option you gave me for the time being anyway. When more money becomes available to me, I'll buy the PRCM. Am I right in assuming that the PRCM is a device that just makes the seatbelts electrical? I'm already using the seatbelts like normal ones that you have to buckle yourself.

In disconnecting the PRCM, do we disconnect the "connector positive assurance" or the wiring harness connectors? I assume we still disconnect the negative battery cable.

Thanks once again for your help.

 

I believe you will need to disconnect the CPA to get the harness connectors off....pull the neg battery cable just to be safe before you start.

Should work "in theory".....

The PRCM senses when the doors open/close and sends a signal to activate the motors that move the latches in the tracks. I am assuming that it monitors the speed of the vehicle in order to be sure the belt doesn't move forward in the track if you're going at any appreciable speed -- but I never tried this on my '92 SL2 (would involve opening your door at highway speed [img]smileys/smiley3.gif[/img] to find out...)

Are the belts stuck in the track all the way forward or all the way back?

Derf

 

When it first happened, the driver side was stuck in the forward position and the passenger side worked sporadically, the mechanic moved the driver's side back in the track and it has stayed there. After the last fiasco, the passenger side stopped working in the front position and I got the extra latch you had talked about and placed it in the back position.

Your theory sounds good as from the related article I found after I had seen what you put here.

You may be relieved to learn that diagnosis of the circuit takes a
low-tech turn at this point. The quickest and easiest way to verify
whether the passive restraint system control unit has failed or is
influencing speedometer operation is to disconnect the unit's wiring
harness connectors. Drive the vehicle. If the speedometer now works,
the passive restraint system control unit is the culprit.</span>

Edited by: undun

 

I would recommend the "extra latch" be used on both sides until you get this all fixed -- I don't know whether the normal sliding latches in the track are truly "locked in position" if you manually slide them to the end of the track.

My concern is that they (the normal sliding latches in the track) might </span>slide forward in an accident (which of course no one wants to happen).

Derf

 

I really don't know what to do next. I took the car to the mechanic who originally worked on it because I had already invested money with him. I know, you had said to stay away from him. I thought if I went armed with the PRCM being the culprit, it would help. He didn't charge me for doing anything else but he said he's get to the module and I'd have to pull the plug or he'd be liable. I went there yesterday and he didn't do anything about disconnecting the negative battery and he said he disconnected it and for me to drive it and see if the speedo worked. It didn't and I'm back to square one.[img]smileys/smiley19.gif[/img] and the speedo and odometer doesn't work and the service engine soon light stays on. I have this dinging when I shut off the car that sounds like the ding ding ding in the second round when the fuse was blown but when I take the key out of the ignition it stops. His attitude was much different after I mentioned it could be the Restraint module and I did show him that article I had found. When it didn't work he said I didn't think it would and said I'd have to try some electrical place to call and have them check it out. I've already put out all the money I can at this time on the car getting repaired that I don't have anymore to spend for guesswork. I don't know what he's done but I still tend to believe that if when it first started, we disconnected that PRCM first, the speedometer might have worked. Thanks for all your help again Derf.
Edited by: undun

 

Undun, Undun, Undun....

What am I to do with you??

KEEP YOUR CAR AWAY FROM THIS GUY!

He doesn't know Saturns. Waste of time, money, and worry.

Was the stuff in your center console still in your center console after he "disconnected the module" for you? If it was, and seemed totally undisturbed, it's 'cause he DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
Probably couldn't get the center console open (doesn't know Saturns). Probably lied to you about disconnecting the module - -otherwise "he'd be liable". Probably has a buddy that works at an electrical shop....

As for ding ding ding -- I believe that is just the key-minder when you open your door if the key is still in the ignition (to remind you not to lock the keys in the car). Sounds normal to me unless I am misunderstanding you....
------
What your car needs is a mechanically inclined person who knows Saturns. There are hopefully a few of these at your local Saturn dealership.
Get it diagnosed there.

Oh, forgot to ask - - have you ever (especially recently) spilled soda into the center console (back section)?

Derf


</font></font>

Edited by: derf

 

Sorry Derf,[img]smileys/smiley24.gif[/img] You are right, I thought long and hard about it before taking it to him again but I thought I could just get him to disconnect it for nothing. That's how it gets when I get tight with money. I was there in the car when he did pull off the center console and it was sticky. I had probably about a couple of months before maybe a little less spilled cola in that area. I tried soaking it up as soon as I could. This didn't happen right away so I had no way of knowing until I got into all this that it could have been caused by the spill. The thing is....he didn't disconnect the battery and even though I was in the car at the time, I can't really remember seeing him disconnect anything and I certainly don't think he disconnected two different things, (wasn't enough time) when we first discussed this he said he could get to the part but that I'd have to be the one to disconnect it because he'd be liable but he didn't have me do it. I thought maybe he changed his mind after I showed him that article about it. But even though I was around the car, there could be a chance that he didn't actually disconnect anything at all. I just wonder if he disconnected anything previously that could have messed up the chance of this working?

The ding ding is happening as soon as I stop the car, it used to ding if I'd of left the key in the ignition when I opened the door but this is as soon as it's turned off.