Follow the instructions exactly per manual. The timing is important and the amount of buckles and unbuckles. You may have to do the entire process a few times before it will deactivate. The reason is that maybe you didn't do it fast enough or something else. I had to go through mine 3 times before it finally caught on and deactivated. Try a few more times but also carefully read the manual and make sure that you understand the steps correctly.

 

Okay, this is really starting to frustrate me now. I tried it, multiple times. I even tried the passenger's seat, to deactivate it. When I am done the process, though, after the seat belt light flashes for confirmation, I shut the car off. Should I not? When I go to turn it back on, beeep beeeep beeep beeep. I'm really hitting a wall with this. [?|]

 

I've never been able to pull it off using the instructions in the manual...I tried it on my former employer's delivery E150 van and it didn't work.

When I did mine I went by these instructions: http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=38

 

I tried something similar to that tonight, but I may need to do the driver's side and THEN the passenger's side for it to be complete. Thanks, I'll try it again.

 

Just for encouragement.. I tried it 3 times and said, oh well this crap doesn't work....the wife got it on the first try !!! LOL

 

I have the same chime described by FocusOhFive, just before I start the engine, when the ignition switch is in the ON position. It stops after the engine has started.

I tried the belt minder desactivation procedure and all the steps worked, I got the confirmation signal. The belt warning flashed for 3 seconds and turned off.

Even after the desactivation, I still have the ding, ding, ding before I start the engine. The only work-around I found to avoid the ding, ding, ding is the buckle-up before turning the key.

The desactivation seems to work, but only once the engine has been started. When I used to leave my car with the engine running for a minute, I noticed that the belt chime used to beep after a while.

Other question:

On the Focus, do we have to leave the ignition switch in the ON position for a second or two before you start the engine? On the Honda Civic for example, you have to wait for the yellow engine light to turn-off before starting the engine.

 

Other question:
On the Focus, do we have to leave the ignition switch in the ON position for a second or two before you start the engine? On the Honda Civic for example, you have to wait for the yellow engine light to turn-off before starting the engine.

It's a good idea to, in order to ensure that the fuel system is fully pressurized.
In fact, that's why the "dings" are there.
Count to 3 dings, then start car.[]

 

ztw2004, you said you deactivated it but still got the dings? That, to me seems like it didn't work. Maybe it did work in a sense but not to what I expected?

 

It could be a model year thing?
Mine's an '04 as well.
I've deactivated the seat belt chime, but it still "dings" 6 times when starting the car up.
After that, it's silenced.
The only way I found to kill the dings altogether, is to buckle the seat belt before start up.

OK, that's enough "dings" for a while! [eek] []

 

What's the point though, trying to turn off the BeltMinder if it still dings at startup [] it just doesn't seem to 'work,' ya know? I might ask about it at the dealer on monday when I go to get my new cd player installed. Maybe they know something I don't. Maybe. []

 

best solution! i haven't even tried the deactivacation process nor, will i! i just ran the belts behind the seats and buckled them! this somewhat gives the appearence of your belt properly buckled to on-coming cops(gives ya enuff time to buckle it properly before you pull-over for that almighty ticket)! anyhow..it has worked for me and that's my 2 cents worth!

 

best solution! i haven't even tried the deactivacation process nor, will i! i just ran the belts behind the seats and buckled them! this somewhat gives the appearence of your belt properly buckled to on-coming cops(gives ya enuff time to buckle it properly before you pull-over for that almighty ticket)! anyhow..it has worked for me and that's my 2 cents worth!

Do you not wear a seatbelt at all?

 

Do you not wear a seatbelt at all?

Apparently they don't. Which is exactly why instructions on how to disable the Belt Minder feature shouldn't be available to owners, it's there as a constant reminder that if you don't wear your seatbelt you are an idiot. I assume we're talking about the chime that goes off every so often while the car is running, if you have not buckled, and not the few chimes that happen when you first start the car.

It takes no effort to reach over and grab the belt, pull it over your chest and buckle it. It takes a lot more effort to run the belts behind the seats and buckle them, and it does you not one bit of good when you crash.

FWIW, if you just buckle the seatbelt after starting the car, and then unbuckle it, the Belt Minder will not "ding" unless you shut the car off and restart it. But that's pretty stupid, because if you've gone to the trouble to buckle the belt, you might as well just leave it buckled.

 

I assume we're talking about the chime that goes off every so often while the car is running, if you have not buckled, and not the few chimes that happen when you first start the car.

Oh, I GET IT NOW! [8] lol. I had no idea it meant the chime that goes off if you're driving and it's not buckled... I was meaning the chime at initial startup. OH well! In that case, I could care less if it's disabled or abled; I don't have a problem not wearing my seatbelt...

 

well what it does is to remind you to put it on when you start your car. have you ever taken off your seatbelt while driving? every 30 sec. it will beep really loud till you turn off the belt minder. oh i got both on the 1st try

 

nah I've never taken it off but I've heard it before when a passenger didn't have their seatbelt on... I made them put it on. lol

 

have you ever taken off your seatbelt while driving? every 30 sec. it will beep really loud till you turn off the belt minder. oh i got both on the 1st try

As a matter of fact, yes, I have taken my seatbelt off while driving, and NO it does not beep every 30 seconds - that's why I posted that if you start the car, buckle up, and then unbuckle, it won't beep. Maybe Ford changed something since 2002, because I know for a fact being in delivery service that many times I've taken the seatbelt off, jumped out and made a delivery, and then hopped in and did NOT put the seat belt back on, and drove down the street or even around the neighborhood, and the warning beep/chime never came on.

 

In my case the initial ding, ding, ding does not bother me because I always buckle my seat belt.

The problem was the chime when I used to start the car (without my seat belt) and then go out of the car to remove the snow for example. It would start the ding, ding, ding which is annoying for the passengers. I am not sure what was the exact sequence but I remember that a few times the chime started when I had my son sleeping...

 

Apparently they don't. Which is exactly why instructions on how to disable the Belt Minder feature shouldn't be available to owners,

I always wear my seatbelt...
The reason I deactivated the belt minder is due to our ~200' long driveway with a gate at the end to keep the "killer labradors" [] at bay.
I have to back out of the garage, pull up to the gate, get out of the car, open the gate,
get back in, drive through, get out again, close the gate, get back in the car...and finally hit the road.
Well, it got to be rather annoying to say the least, either listening to the chime the whole time,
or buckle/unbuckle every time I got in and out of the car.

Rest assured, I buckle up for good once I leave our property. []

 

if your just sitting in the car running it is a little annoying when it goes off, but mine will quit if i just click the realse button on the belt...is my car weird?

 

at least you dont have a 5 point harness.... garage... harness... gate... unharness.. open gate... harness... drive through gate... unharness... shut gate... reharness...

 

You need an Oopma Loompa for that gate..LOL

 

Re: SVT4ME

I'm new to this, so forgive any repetition...
Before I visited this site, I had the same experience as you. On the drive home I stopped to get the mail. I got out of the car, got back in neglected to buckle up and headed home - a 6 - 7 minute drive down the highway at speeds up to 110 KM. No light came on, no chimes sounded.

This morning I did a test to see how quickly after buckling up I could unbuckle and not get the light/chime (less than a minute; but more than 10 seconds)

Now this really bugs me. I always wear my belt (except when I get my mail, apparently), and I would never want to circumvent this safety feature. I have never owned a vehicle where it didn't signal you with a light or chime if you took your belt off while driving.

Does this seem like Ford is working at cross-purposes; especially when you consider the effort (and expense) of other engineered safety features - airbags, crumple zones etc ??

Anyway, just my 2 cents worth

 

I turned on my car, NOT STARTED IT.. Parking break on, waited for 1 min still unbuckled, then when the light turned off (the seatbelt light) you buckle and unbuckle 9 times, ending unbuckled. Then the seatbelt light turns back on, you buckle and unbuckle one more time, then the seatbelt light blinks 3 times, this means you win! You have to do it for both of the seats too...

 

I'm under the impression that this trick doesn't work for the 05's I've tried it numerous times on mine and a few buddies, the only time I'm not using my seat belt is getting the mail, or in the parking lot where we meet up to hang out.