OT Shoulder belt doesn't retract

[Tekkie®]

DerbyDad03 posted for all of us...

I would claim the is a design defect as the belt must not be folded to meet strength or durability or crash worthiness.

[Tekkie®]

Ed Pawlowski posted for all of us...

I wouldn't go there. Maybe you need some work done that can't be diagnosed without it being on a lift. I want an honest place, autos are not perfect, neither are the people that work on them. Crooks are crooks.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Problem was finding an honest place. Inspection twice a year is a rip off to begin with. States with and without mandatory inspection have little difference in defects or road problems. The cars that truly needed a lot of work were often the same ones with black market illegal stickers. Some cars would fail if you or I took it but a big busted woman with a low cut blouse would pass. That was verified by a friend that learned to send his wife.

Some states have eliminated the mandatory inspections.

[DerbyDad03]

Seat belts can get twisted and pulled back into the mechanism without there be a design defect. It's amazing what a user can accomplish.

Besides, we're talking about a *jammed* seat belt, not a seat belt that is twisted inside the mechanism and still operating. The belt must not be jamm ed to meet crash worthiness.

[Micky]

You might fix it before you knew what you were doing!

Well, actually I might fix it myself, because today I noticed that, despite what I said, the belt is folded. And I coudl even pull it out 8 more inches. My bad.

In my defence, I thought because it was so far out that I coudl weigh I'll bet 400 pounds and still fit, that it couldn't come out any farther, and that twisting couldnt' be the problem then if it was all the way unwound.

Even doubled I'm sure it gets through the slot in the side of the passenger compartment fairlly easily, so there must be another smaller slot farther in. I'll find it but I'll have to get up at dawn. Every day is to be 92 or higher this week.

[Micky]

For a few years, I had a shop like that.

"Needed" is just a concept, but money is something you can get things with.

[Micky]

Oh, I'm way beyond the warranty. And to give them their due, it didn't break during the warranty. It took 16 years.

You're right. I found the book last night and it didn't have too much of a warning. If I remember, I'll quote it before I post this. "Something about disconnecting seat belt pretension wiring with the ignition ON or ACC will record diagnostic trouble codes. Of course afaik I have no trouble except physical.

Never use SBPreten. from another car. Of course they say that.

Remove scuff plate, rear seat cushion, rear seatback, quarter trim panel, FRONT SEAT OUTER BELT SHOULDER ANCHOR, RETRACTOR OF FRONT SEAT OUTER BELT.

Caution, never disassemble the front seat outer belt. I'm only gong to poke at it.

It starts here:

When removing the retractor fromt seat outer belt, take care not to pull the seat belt pretentioner wire harness.

Disconnect the retractor switch connector.

Disconnect the pretensioner connector as shown in the illustration. (I'll just follow the wire to its end.)

Caution, When removing the seat belt pretensioner work must be started

90 seconds after the ignistiion switch is turned to the Lock postion and the negative terminal cable is disconnected from the battery.

{I guess they mean 90 seconds or more and not 90 seconds or less. It will be hard to do it exactly 90 seconds after.}

Remove the two bolts and retractor of front outerseat belt.

Because it's Japanese, they give the torque in Newton-Minnows, some second unit, and foot-pounds. I can't tell how many bolts there will be because things are rearranged for convertibles, but 3 for a sedan and all the bolts were the same torque, 31 ft. lbs.

[Micky]

Well, it's extended, not retracted, so I can still put it on. It just won't do any good.

It will look fine unless the cop is up by the car looking at my lap.

I'm trying to move on this but it's been over 90 degrees every day. Tonight I found the shop manuals so I'm going to read what it takes to get the trim off and try to fix the belt. If I have to replace the belt, I'd need to take the trim off for that too.

[DerbyDad03]

...and unless it is still across your shoulder while you are lying face down on the hood covered in blood and broken glass.

[Bill]

In the 90's was told it was a "major-bigdeal" to replace the shoulder belt apparatus. When pulled over once, police officer accepted the fact that is was broken and was pleased that I was wearing the seat belt. YMMV.