seat belt problem

2003 Hyundai Tiburon GT

Nice car. Just went over 60,000 miles, so there goes the warranty,
just in time for a very irritating problem involving the seat belt. At
varying intervals, it will begin to chime (and the seat belt light in
the dash will flash); it chimes/flashes for a little while, then quits,
then (seemingly at random) starts up again, quits, lather, rinse,
repeat.

I saw another thread where hyundaitech says the chime is on the left
side of the dash, and I can hear it more clearly when I take the fuse
cover off, but I can't seem to reach it. Any further clues would be
welcome.

I admit that I don't know how serious a problem this is. To my way of
thinking, there's a problem in the seat belt array such that even
though the buckle is securely fastened, it thinks it isn't.

The unnecessary chiming/flashing happens with one person in the car and
with two people. It seems to happen a little less when there are two
in the car, but that is just apocryphal.

I would rather not pay $250 for this small part (and labor) if at all
possible; on the other hand, I don't want my wife driving around in an
unsafe car. Is this something I should get fixed, rather than just
bypassing the chime? Is this something I (a mildly-capable handyman)
can try to fix myself?

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

I don't recall the specifics of how the air bag system decides whether the
belt is buckled. It's possible it's with the same switch that causes the
dash lamp to illuminate and the chime to ding. Check under the driver's
seat for the wiring coming out of the seat belt. Check especially the
harness side to see if it's rubbing on anything metal or if there are
broken wires which could be touching metal. An open circuit in the switch
turns the lamp/chime off. Grounding the circuit turns the lamp/chime on.

 

If you can't find the problem yourself, I suggest contacting Hyundai
even though you're a few miles out of warranty. Considering that this is
a potential safety issue, I'll bet they'll cover it, if for no other
reason than to reduce their liability in case you get in an accident. If
they hesitate at all, I suggest that you remind them of that.

 

I did take your suggestion and called them; they explained quite kindly
that all their recalls have been performed on my car, and that this is
not going to be covered.

I'll be checking the wiring this weekend to see if any wires are
loose/bared. If I can't figure it out, I'll try my local mechanic; if
that doesn't work out, then I'll have the dealer do it.