Passive seatbelts question....
 

I'm trying to install a 12v inverter under my glove box so that I can power my laptop at the dyno without having to string out the power cord, also a good use at the track. I found the passive seatbelt control box under the glove box and was wondering if the seatbelts will still lock up when a crash occurs? I don't want to die because I want an inverter in the spot, but if they still lock up like they are supposed to under crash situations i'll go ahead and toss it out. The seatbelts are in the rear position as the mouse doesn't run the track anymore, I only need the lockup function and not the track movement.


Santiago

In the USA, mouse/automatic belts were not available until model year 1989. So mouse belts on an 87 are probably uncharted. Depending on the model Rx-7 you have, there may be a number of unused areas to attach aftermarket electrical accessories (cruise control, rear wiper, aux fan, etc.).

:confused: noone ever said anything about my 87 sport, That car went to the crusher months ago. I'm talking about my 1989 GTU. ;)

You sent the sport to the crusher?!:(

IIWY, I wouldn't mount it under the dash. I would run a seperate fused circuit straight from the battery and mount the inverter ether under the passenger seat or in the center console (route I've previously/numerously taken). Either that or power it from the rear bin...I'll be relocating my battery to the pass side storage bin and my inverter and accessory port will be run straight from the battery to a terminal Ii'll mount facing the front of the car right above the tranny tunnel.

It was stripped of 90% of the usable parts and was shipped off to be cubed. It was pretty much only fixable by straping on a new front clip.

oh...still sad, though...I'm about to send an SE off myself, as soon as I rip the suspension out.:(

Anyone have an answer?

Well I drove the car to work today but I haven't had a chance to corner/brake and check for locking.

Yes, they will.

Yes I did some harder stops and some cornering and they do lock up without the box plugged in.

I was c\kind of curious why you couldn't just yank on them real hard...I thought the catch was predominantly mechanical.

Its 100% mechanical.
Seat belts can't stop working if your battery goes dead. Seat belts can't stop working if you short the electrical cable in a crash.

Some cars will engage if you yank real hard. Other cars work by a mechanical cam sensing intense changes in vehicle acceleration (pendulum movement). Other cars yet work on a one-way cam... so you can pull the seatbelt out once, and then not any further out again until the belt is fully retracted and pulled out again... I hate those ones.