I've long known that the seat belt auto-tightens if you're braking, but the onboard radar decides you're not braking hard enough. In that scenario the truck takes over braking (applies max brake) and tightens up the seat belt. I've had that happen a few times over the years.
Turns out it also does the seat belt tightening thing if you turn the steering wheel, but don't actually end up turning!
We got out first snowfall today. A decent dump, maybe 4". Temps warmed up a bit, the layer of snow in contact with the ground melted, then temps dropped and it all turned into ice. I went into town for beer, as one does on snow days, and on the way back was driving in a column of cars at a very slow 40kph (60kph zone). Taking a smooth left hander, I carefully turn into the corner, but the truck goes straight. I attempt to turn in deeper, truck is still going straight, and all of a sudden the seat belt auto tightens. Zero brake application. Thankfully it caught traction at the very last moment and I straightened out (I had already come to terms with ending up in the ditch). Oh and this happened on a good set of Blizzaks that have never before let me down. (An hour earlier my wife barely got up the paved hill leading to our home, she's in a Corolla with brand new, studded, Nokian Hakkapelitas. I took the Corolla out on the same hill and also barely made it home.)
Seems there's some sensor that measures movement direction vs. the angle of the wheels, and it detects when you're about to have a bad time. There wasn't anything in front of me other than a ditch and field, so I don't think it's likely the radar picked up a stationary object to crash into. Six years into owning this LX, it still continues to surprise me!
Turns out it also does the seat belt tightening thing if you turn the steering wheel, but don't actually end up turning!
We got out first snowfall today. A decent dump, maybe 4". Temps warmed up a bit, the layer of snow in contact with the ground melted, then temps dropped and it all turned into ice. I went into town for beer, as one does on snow days, and on the way back was driving in a column of cars at a very slow 40kph (60kph zone). Taking a smooth left hander, I carefully turn into the corner, but the truck goes straight. I attempt to turn in deeper, truck is still going straight, and all of a sudden the seat belt auto tightens. Zero brake application. Thankfully it caught traction at the very last moment and I straightened out (I had already come to terms with ending up in the ditch). Oh and this happened on a good set of Blizzaks that have never before let me down. (An hour earlier my wife barely got up the paved hill leading to our home, she's in a Corolla with brand new, studded, Nokian Hakkapelitas. I took the Corolla out on the same hill and also barely made it home.)
Seems there's some sensor that measures movement direction vs. the angle of the wheels, and it detects when you're about to have a bad time. There wasn't anything in front of me other than a ditch and field, so I don't think it's likely the radar picked up a stationary object to crash into. Six years into owning this LX, it still continues to surprise me!
