2001 Mazda Tribute LX, V6 3.0L Auto 2 wheel drive, leather with heated seats 51k miles.

I've searched the threads and cannot find an answer. Hoping some of the experts on here can help.

There are NO trouble codes and no codes pending as per my scanner.
No tattle tales on the dash lit.

After driving for several minutes / miles the chime sounds for 3 times. It does this is succession for about 1 minute. Then is stops and starts up again in a couple minutes.

It doesn't happen every time and sometimes doesn't happen for a couple days.

This is the same chime the makes noise when the fuel is low, lights are left on with engine off etc... HOWEVER, no corresponding tattle tales on the dash.

Any thoughts?

 

Sounds like a failed switch. Is it possible that your dome light is on? Maybe your door switch isn't making up completely. If it were parking brakes or seatbelt, then I assume that you would have a dash light also.

 

good points and THANKS! I just checked and the switch on the door and it functions correctly. It trips the dash "door open" light on the dash. The dome light works too.

It's almost like the chime is telling you to put your seat belt on even though it's on.

This problem is on the Escape wed sites too but no one has diagnosed it yet.

I think it's a bad switch too, just cant figure our what the heck 3 chimes indicates?

 

First, I'm guessing, (but I'm a very good guesser !)
An intermittent electrical "glitch" can last long enough to trigger the chime, but it's too short to illuminate the associated warning bulb.

Diagnostics: Have you any info to suggest it is more frequent under certain conditions, (i.e. ambient temperature, wet or dry weather, big load, rough road surface etc.) ?

Does it happen when you have (belted) passengers aboard ?

Do these tests in order.

1. Check the seat belts.
Try fastening every seat belt in the car, and cinching them up so they're snug. If the seats have sagged a bit (and leather seats are more prone to), the "Dumbassed All Thinking All Seeing All Dancing Almighty Brane" thing might "think" you have an "intermittent unbelted passenger" with you. (This would be my first bet).
An intermittent driver's seat switch can even be the culprit too.


2. Use your spare ignition key.
A worn key or ignition switch section can cause you no end of grief.

3. Doors (not so likely).
Go over every door which turns on a light; push back the neoprene protector far enough to get a short squirt of WD40 or Releasol into the switch, leave it to work for 5 minutes or so, then squeeze the switch and while pulling it outwards, turn it back and forth half a dozen times. This frees up the plunger mechanism so it achieves full travel while also ridding the contacts of oxide and dirt.
Next, get hold of some self-adhesive foam weatherstrip, (the black closed- cell kind, not the ultra-squishy white open-cell stuff); stick it on the doors so it's opposite the switches. (This takes care of any mechanical tolerancing problems.) The rear hatch would be my prime suspect, followed by the driver's door.

Unlikely culprits might even be the engine compartment light switch and perhaps glove box lights if you have them.

Please continue your follow up on this topic and let us know how you made out, (and don't spend any money yet).

Good luck.

 

Thank you very much for your reply! I had done a search on airbags, chimes, etc.. and discovered that 3 sets of 5 chimes in succession approx 20 seconds after start up signals an airbag issue.

The airbag sensor that is under the passenger seat was lose. The yellow harness had been pulled on since it was hanging low under the seat. My son must have stepped on it while changing sides or a toy pushed on it. It is supposed to be in a plastic retaining screw that keeps it off the ground. The wire had pulled out of the connector.

Got a new one from the bone yard then a good soldered connection with weather proof heat shrink and we are good to go. Held negative terminal to positive terminal to do a hard reset of the pcm since there were no codes and have been good since the fix.

NOTE: This connection needs to be done correctly. The SRS sensor is very sensitive to voltage.