96RedRunner
Senior Member
I'll be damned 4 yrs price hasn't changed. It worth the $100.
Seat belt fix or replace?
- Thread starter texadelphia
- Start date
I'll be damned 4 yrs price hasn't changed. It worth the $100.
phattyduck
Elite Member
Unless your webbing is fraying, just pull it all the way out, clean it well, rinse it well and let it dry while pulled all the way out (clamp it to keep it from retracting, unbolt the top to get more belt for cleaning). You'll have a perfectly working belt when done.
-Charlie
gamefreakgc
Elite Member
The 96-00 seat belts can easily be cleaned or swapped with a junkyard unit. These are not complicated systems, it's just a spring with a ball bearing. When you have a sudden stop, the ball bearing rolls into the seat belt gears and keeps it from moving and locks it in place. That's it. Buying a new one is overkill, you've been trusting a 25 year old seat belt for this long, what's wrong with another one if it has a better coil spring?
Now the 01-02 are a bit more complicated with the extra safety air bag system. These have the little bit of explosive in them to 'blow' the lock closed in a sudden stop. To be honest, no one knows how long they will work. If you have one of these that stop working, then used may not be the best route. Rebuilt or new may be better. You'll know if you have this kind as there will be a terribly obvious yellow wire loom and a very goofy clip that you have to remove the wire pins from in order to take out the seat belt.
Now the 01-02 are a bit more complicated with the extra safety air bag system. These have the little bit of explosive in them to 'blow' the lock closed in a sudden stop. To be honest, no one knows how long they will work. If you have one of these that stop working, then used may not be the best route. Rebuilt or new may be better. You'll know if you have this kind as there will be a terribly obvious yellow wire loom and a very goofy clip that you have to remove the wire pins from in order to take out the seat belt.
phattyduck
Elite Member
'99+ has the squib in the front seatbelts, not just 01/02. The squib is a secondary locking mechanism, the mechanical lock found on the 96-98 belts is still present, so even if the squib fails, it will match the performance of the previous belt system (still has inertial lock even without the pre-tensioner).
-Charlie
octanejunkie
Elite Member
It doesn't retract worth a darn, I have to hand feed it. I'm over it lol
Dealer emailed me this morning, my new belt arrived.
brillo_76
Elite Member
That's what's wrong with mine as well. Retraction of belt about none existant.. Good to hear your replace is in.
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texadelphia
New member
That's what's wrong with mine as well. Retraction of belt about none existant.. Good to hear your replace is in.
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I can confirm that a thorough cleaning can sometimes fix a retraction issue. The problem is the belt and shoulder guide get a nearly invisible layer of grime that causes more friction than the spring can overcome. Scrubbing my passenger belt with a solution of laundry soap and water greatly improved the belt retraction. It also helps if you can scrub the shoulder guide where the belt touches it.
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octanejunkie
Elite Member
Picked up the belt yesterday, looks groovy and new.
There are two variations of the belt, based on my VIN, the one I ordered is not correct for my truck because it does not include the explosive squib.
I talked to the dealer and their tech on staff didn't seem to know if I could transfer the explosive squib from the current belt to the new belt, nor why the belt that I ordered is correct for my truck, but not for my VIN
I will manually compare everything tonight before opening the package and will try two things:
1. Drive around with the squib disconnected from the electrical connector, see if I get any errors at the vehicle level.
2. Remove the seat belt from the car and investigate whether the squib can be transferred from the old belt to the new.
I will report back in a day or so - unless someone knows the answer to those two questions before I get to it.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
There are two variations of the belt, based on my VIN, the one I ordered is not correct for my truck because it does not include the explosive squib.
I talked to the dealer and their tech on staff didn't seem to know if I could transfer the explosive squib from the current belt to the new belt, nor why the belt that I ordered is correct for my truck, but not for my VIN
I will manually compare everything tonight before opening the package and will try two things:
1. Drive around with the squib disconnected from the electrical connector, see if I get any errors at the vehicle level.
2. Remove the seat belt from the car and investigate whether the squib can be transferred from the old belt to the new.
I will report back in a day or so - unless someone knows the answer to those two questions before I get to it.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
gamefreakgc
Elite Member
The part I'd be more worried about is what to do with the yellow wires. It would really ruin your day if any sort of electrical current were to be sent through it. Maybe heat shrink some tubing on the pins so they are separated and wrap it up really good? Or would the pins need to be connected, as it might break the current flow in the event of an accident? Not really sure.
It shouldn't throw any codes as the yellow wires do not see any current and does not need to be grounded from what I remember. It only sees a current when the collision sensors are activated in an accident. But I've never actually tried it.
octanejunkie
Elite Member
phattyduck
Elite Member
Same with mine. 10 minute wash, overnight dry, perfect for the last 3+ years.
-Charlie
octanejunkie
Elite Member
phattyduck
Elite Member
See my earlier reply. Unbolt the top, pull it all the way out and clamp it, wash it with some all-purpose cleaner or detergent, rinse well, let it dry, then let it retract and bolt it back up. You only need to remove the top bolt - just sit a bucket in the back footwell and clean it there.
I've done it to multiple belts (first one frayed, plus other vehicles). All with great success. And no more previous-owner funk...
-Charlie
Romeo1
Member
Yep.
You can also remove the webbing completely. Remove retractable from car. Unwind belt. Use a screw driver or some other method of capturing the slit in the belt drum. Let it relax to the point of locking the tool/screwdriver against the body/frame of the retractable. Push webbing out, remove the pill or whatever they hell the call that plastic piece that wedges the webbing to the drum.
Wash in soap and water, installation is exactly reverse of disassembly. Don’t screw it up. You’ll have a hell of a time getting the clock spring set right again.
How To: Remove Seat Belt & Repair Toyota 4Runner, Hilux, Tarago. - YouTube
octanejunkie
Elite Member
Okay, took a look at this last night
The replacement seat belt that I bought from the dealer is for a base model that does not have the explosive squib
If I unplug the yellow cable I get an SRS warning light on the dash. I'm sure I could figure out how to defeat this with a fusible link with the correct resistance that tricks the computer into thinking everything is properly connected, but who has the time?
I'll try washing the belt to see if it makes a difference, if not, I can always send it off to safety restore for a $100
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
The replacement seat belt that I bought from the dealer is for a base model that does not have the explosive squib
If I unplug the yellow cable I get an SRS warning light on the dash. I'm sure I could figure out how to defeat this with a fusible link with the correct resistance that tricks the computer into thinking everything is properly connected, but who has the time?
I'll try washing the belt to see if it makes a difference, if not, I can always send it off to safety restore for a $100
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
