Seat Belt Retractor

C

claydoctor

New member
Is there any way to access this thing and possibly lubricate it ? I'm tired of closing my door on my seat belt buckle but don't feel like buying a whole new assembly .
 
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They aren't really meant to be serviceable particularly since they have a pre-tensioner in them (i.e explosive part.) That being said you're more likely to damage/incorrectly disassemble/reassemble it than you are to do any good; I've taken apart a couple of trashed ones for shits and giggles and they are a pain to put back together properly.
 
How about pulling the trim and lighting wiping some white lithium on the edges of the bearing/rolling assembly. That way you might get some lube in there w/o gooing up the belt and the rest.
 
I have the same issue and, like you, have found no real fix.

The "explosive" part is down at the bottom, it's the per-tensioner that goes off in an accident (it's tied into your airbags triggers I think) and tightens your belts up.
 
Wow ! Didn't know that about being tied in with the airbag thing. I thought it was just deceleration that tightened belt . I think as suggested, if I could get that cover off, I could spray some thing in it or on it but don't see how the cover comes off .
 
What's the warranty on the seat belt? Is it lifetime?

If you're the original owner then it may be covered under warranty.
 
Hard deceleration does "lock" the belt, but in a collision the pretensioner takes out the slack also.

I find that when taking off the belt, it often twists & that prevents it from retracting, especially on my passenger side & then the slack belt (buckle) starts to bang against the pillar when driving... Maddening!!
 
There's a cam lock that activates under inertia and/or when the seatbelt retractor is tipped too much (i.e. roll over); that's what locks up when you brake very hard.

Then there's the pretensioner which is designed to pull you back into your seat in the event of an accident, often in conjunction with the airbags. Though in low speed collisions it will usually pop the pretensioner before the airbags (unless you're not wearing your seatbelt in which case it will probably pop the airbags in a low speed collision because it doesn't have the safer option of popping the pretensioner, which means your not wearing a seatbelt just cost you a bit of money on top of other problems, something to keep in mind.

The Pretensioner - How Seatbelts Work
 
Another thing to look at, especially on older vehicles, is the condition of the belt itself. On older belts, it is common for the belt to get dirty and this can make the material stiffen up, which can cause retraction problems. There was an old 'tech' fix when I worked at a Honda shop, to pull the belt out to full extension and clean it thoroughly with fabric/upholstery cleaner and let it dry. This would return some of the flexibility to the belt and allow smoother retraction.
 
TechWrench said:
Another thing to look at, especially on older vehicles, is the condition of the belt itself. On older belts, it is common for the belt to get dirty and this can make the material stiffen up, which can cause retraction problems. There was an old 'tech' fix when I worked at a Honda shop, to pull the belt out to full extension and clean it thoroughly with fabric/upholstery cleaner and let it dry. This would return some of the flexibility to the belt and allow smoother retraction.
Click to expand...
Cleaning belt didn't help. Still think there must be gears, rollers or something under that cover at top that could be lubed but can't figure how cover comes off.
 
To remove the top cover, you have to remove the lower 1/2 first. The retractor is near the bottom on the B post anyway.
 
I am having the same problem.... Belt retraction is weak at best.... Was thinking this would be an easy replacement until the discussion about the "explosive" part.... Is this as simple as unbolting and replacing the retractor assy Belt and Retractor Assy or are there other issues that have to be dealt with to replace it....
 
Bob J said:
I am having the same problem.... Belt retraction is weak at best.... Was thinking this would be an easy replacement until the discussion about the "explosive" part.... Is this as simple as unbolting and replacing the retractor assy Belt and Retractor Assy or are there other issues that have to be dealt with to replace it....
Click to expand...

Basically disconnect the battery and leave the key off whenever you are dealing with anything relating to the airbag system (i.e. the pretensioner built into the seatbelt.) Also keep in mind that you may need to check your local regulations for disposing of airbag components/explosives.
 
BlackWorksInc said:
Basically disconnect the battery and leave the key off whenever you are dealing with anything relating to the airbag system (i.e. the pretensioner built into the seatbelt.) Also keep in mind that you may need to check your local regulations for disposing of airbag components/explosives.
Click to expand...

Much appreciated! I hate to think of what might have happened if I had just gone ahead without knowing this! Given this I am thinking it might be better if I just bit the bullet and have my dealer replace it....
 
Appreciate the replies but still not clear how to remove trim to access mechanism and whether that mechanism is at top or bottom .
 
According to parts drawings, the entire belt retract mechanism is located at the base of the door pillar. It comes as an assembly, with both the retractor and belt, and appears to cost about $125.00 per unit for the front seats.

As to removing the trim to access it, I haven't had to do it yet, so I can't help there.
 
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