Interpretation ID: aiam0982
Nissan Motor Company
560 Sylvan Avenue
Englewood Cliffs
NJ 07632;
Dear Mr. Nishibori: This is in reply to your letters of December 15, 1972, and January 3 1973, concerning paragraph S7.4.3 of Standard 208.; As I understand the question, you are positing a situation in which th occupants have correctly operated their belts, thereby permitting the engine starting system to operate, but in which the cranking of the engine by the starter motor does not start the engine and the key is returned to the 'on' position. Your question is whether the ignition can thereafter be turned from 'on' to 'start' in repeated efforts to start the engine, without interference from the interlock.; Our reply is that S7.4.3 permits a system in which the initial correc operation of the belts, followed by operation of the starting system, places the system in a 'free-start' mode so long as the ignition is not turned to 'off'. Repeated efforts to start the engine would therefore be permitted, regardless of the status of the belts.; If the ignition has been turned off and if the system is not in anothe of the 'free-start' modes allowed by S7.4.3, then the engine starting system will not be operable with an unbelted driver on the seat unless an engine compartment switch is operated pursuant to S7.4.4.; Yours truly, Richard B. Dyson, Assistant Chief Counsel