So I sent a set of manual belts to a 7 owner in Texas to replace her automatic belts. I got the belts from my mechanic and DID NOT check them b4 I sent them. They came out of a 7 that was being stripped b4 heading off to El Grande Cruncheroo.

She got the belts and discovered that the damn retractors won't spool out the webbing. Not so much as an inch.

I'm at a loss as to what to tell her. She's shown them to some friends (yes, including male friends who have, like, car smarts ) and they weren't able to help her.

AFAIK, the belts worked properly when they were in the previous FC.

Does anyone know why these units (both!) would apparently just seize/lock up like this??? Is there some stupid catch or lever that must be in such-and-such a position before the reels will spool out?

It would suck if she had to send them back...

 

 

No webbing huh? Has it been bitten by a radioactive spider and grown web thingy's in it?


Maybe thats might be your problem :p

 

You not helpful.



-bump-

 

If it doesn't spool wouldn't that mean that the catch inside is on?

You know you jerk the seatbelt and it locks? maybe its just stuck.. Take apart and look..

 

I had thought of this, but I don't recall if I suggested it in the past. I suggested it to her again in an email shortly after you posted this. Thanks for the suggestion/reminder.

 

I've been In the belt/mechanism before when I swapped out my Interior, and as best as I can remember, I was toying with a circular tooth gear and a cross bar that was spring loaded that jams In to retain It's position. I'd have to see It again. A tad bit to difficult to describe, let alone remember.

 

Is this in or out of the car? I think there's a centrifugal weight that locks the belt, so if it's tilted a certain angle, it would lock itself up. If the belts have been installed, then I'm stumped also...


-Ted

 

She hasn't put them in yet. She was looking them over after taking them out of the package I mailed when she discovered that they weren't deploying.

She's using them to replace the auotmatic 'belts of death.'

 

I noticed something like this with a retractor I had taken out of my eclipse when I installed a 5-point... you could only pull the belt out of the retractor when it was at the same angle (the mechanism) as installed in the car, and you had to pull the belt in the direction it would come out while installed in the car. If you tried to pull it straight out of the mechanism it wouldn't come out.

What's wrong with the automatic belts of death? You get a discount on your insrurance, and they're compatible with a racing seat since you can pull the lap portion through the holes in the side bolsters. You do have to watch your head of course, and one of my dumber friends tried to climb out from under it because she hadn't opened the door yet...

 

Ya maybe she should see if they work once they're installed in the car. I have no real evidence or reasoning to back this method up..but hey if it works...
Ironically i have the exact opposite problem, where my seat belts don't seem to lock up at all...and they're installed!! God help me if i hit something

btw, RETed..u always have the best damn avatars.

 

I would recommend she install them first to see if they work *in* the car.


-Ted

 

Thanx!

Since I'm not going to be home tonight, I'll be changing it in a few minutes. Enjoy!


-Ted