Seat Belt Minder Disable

Tired of the seat belt chime activating while you're sitting in the car waiting for someone? The ford owners manual tells all. Here's how to disable it.

Time Required:
5 minutes

Tools Needed:

  • Hands
  • Keys
  • Lots of patience

    Procedure:

    The Belt Minder is the electronic warning system to remind you to use your safety belt system. It's a combination of a sounding chime and the illuminating warning light on your instrument panel. By default, the Belt Minder is active. When active, if the driver's safety belt is not buckled in about 5 seconds from the time the warning light has turned off, the warning light will again illuminate and the alarm chime will sound for 6 seconds, repeating itself every 30 seconds for the next 5 minutes, or until you buckle your seat belt.

    Mk1/2(2000-2011)

    You can De-Activate the Belt Minder two ways. First, you can deactivate it temporarily for your current "run cycle", that is after you have started your car and it's still running. Second, you completely deactivate the Belt Minder so that it never reminds you again, or at least until your reactivate it...

    The first method, temporary deactivation, or one time disable: After you have started your vehicle, buckle and then un-buckle your safety belt. Be sure to buckle back up.... This will disable the Belt Minder only for that ignition cycle.

    The second method, permanent deactivation: Before starting, make sure that:

  • The partking brake is set.
  • The car is in Park(automatic), Neutral(manual).
  • The ignition is OFF.
  • All doors are closed.
  • The driver's safety belt is un-buckled.
  • The parking and headlights are OFF.


    1) Turn the ignition switch to ON, but DO NOT START.
    2) Wait for the safety belt warning light to go OFF(1-2 minutes).
    Steps 3-5 MUST be completed within 60 seconds!
    3) Buckle, then un-buckle the driver's safety belt 3 times, ending with the belt un-buckled.
    4) Turn on the headlights, turn off the headlights.
    5) Buckle, then un-buckle the driver's safety belt 3 times, ending with the belt un-buckled.
    After step 5, the Safety Belt Warning Light will be turned on for 3 seconds.
    6) Within 7 seconds of the safety belt warning light turning OFF, buckle then un-buckle the safety belt. This will disable the Belt Minder if it is currently enabled, or enable the Belt Minder if it is currently disabled.

    Confirmation of the disabling of the Belt Minder is provided by flashing the safety belt warning light 4 times per seconds for 3 seconds. Confirmation of the enabling of the Belt Minder is provided by flashing the safety belt warning light 4 times per seconds for 3 seconds, followed by 3 seconds with the safety belt light off, then followed by flashing the safety belt light 4 times per second for 3 seconds again. After confirmation, the deactivation/activation of the Belt Minder procedure is complete.

    MkIII (2012 and newer)

    On the new Focus, each front seat must have the belt minder disabled separately. For the passenger side, it's best to have a friend who's willing to help. The below procedure will toggle Belt-Minder functionality for whichever seat you wish.

  • Turn the ignition on (RUN, not start)
  • Wait about a minute for the seat belt light to turn off on the instrument cluster.
  • Buckle, then unbuckle the seatbelt (either the driver or passenger side), 4 times, ending with the belt unbuckled.
  • The seatbelt light will flash 3 times
  • Within a few seconds, buckle then unbuckle the seatbelt once more.

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