Seatbelt inertia reel

[Peter Connan]

Hello Guys

Lately my driver's seatbelt is becoming recalcitrant. If my car is moving or standing on even a slight downhill, it is impossible to pull the seatbelt out of the reel. This means that if I am on a trail on a downhill section and get out to inspect the obstacle, it is impossible to put the seat belt back on. In fact it has got to the point now where I can't put the seatbelt on in my driveway.

Has anybody else had this, and can anybody suggest a repair?

Thanks
Peter

[Grant]

Hi Peter,

I have the same situation. Reason for this is , we never need to get out. Our vehicles can go anywhere. I would also like to get this resolved

[Jules]

Peter

Me think you must get a Grader and level your driveway again

Shalom

[Stefan]

Peter, I know exactly what you mean. Once I got out to inspect the obstacle and forgot to take off my seatbelt. When I looked around I noticed that I was carrying the Patrol on my back!

[JG Shields]

Dit lyk my jou Patrol hou nie van stilstaan nie. Hy hou ook nie daarvan dat jy obstacles inspekteer as hy dink dit gaan kinderspeletjies wees nie. Hy probeer jou net 'n les leer.

[Kagiso II]

The seatbelt has a "mind" of it's own - and a "pre-tensioner" that activates when you brake or if the sensor senses lateral movement - NOW that little sensor is damaged, so if the car is standing tilted in any direction, that little (*&%*&#$^&&*()&*()&**(**&^^&*&**&*(& ()&&*^*( thingy thinks you are about to make an accident - and "locks" the seatbelt [TRY extending that belt when you are cornering a little above the norm, or even if you go over a rough patch in the road ?]

All you need to do - find the sensor - open it - squirt with "electro kleen" or similar - re assemble, plug back in - and VOILA you have belt again [even LOBO - who is a 1981 dinosaur - has that ***^#$^&* sensor [but it has saved my bacon and my ***side when I had the accident with BRUTUS y b l)

If you cannot fix it? eishhh - dunno new one price... ?

[Peter Connan]

Oom Mac thanks for your assistance
The rest of you, thanks for trying to split my sides.

I think I have fixed it, and also learnt something that may be of value to somebody.

I started by removing th plastick cover, and then unbolting the reel to see if there were any wires to a sensor. Nada.

Standing with the reel in my hand, I noticed this, which of course is like showing a bull a China shop:

DSC_0002.JPG (186.78 KiB) Viewed 1983 times

Behind the cover, I found this:

DSC_0008.JPG (221.4 KiB) Viewed 1983 times

The silverish ball-thingy falls over when the seat belt reel (and therefore normally the car) is on an incline, like this:

DSC_0007.JPG (237.77 KiB) Viewed 1983 times

This would also happen under acceleration, and causes the white pall to engage the white gear. The white gear is connected via a constant-friction clutch to the black cam-plate beneath it, so that if you try to pull the seatbelt while the pall is engaged with the gear, the cam plate moves which forces the main pall (sort of golden colour) to engage the main ratchet gear, thus locking the seatbelt:

DSC_0005.JPG (218.64 KiB) Viewed 1983 times

All this was working perfectly, so i put the cover back and re-installed it. By now I had realized exactly what the problem was.
The bolt holding the reel was slightly loose, and the reel had swiveled forward, tearing the trim panel as can be seen here:

DSC_0014.JPG (213.24 KiB) Viewed 1983 times

I turned it back to the original position, tightened it and viola, problem solved.

This does however mean that we cannot take off our seatbelts on steep obstacles and then put them back on, so be carefull. I think I will use a washing peg to hold the belt extended if I need to get out to check an obstacle.

[G-MAN]

Awesome info!

[Kagiso II]

Peter se oorspronklike probleempie was:
Die afgelope tyd my bestuurder se sitplekgordel is steeds weerspannige. As my motor beweeg of staan ​​op selfs 'n effense afdraande, dit is onmoontlik om die sitplekgordel te trek uit die reel. Dit beteken dat as ek op 'n roete op'n afdraande artikel en stap uit die hindernis te inspekteer, dit is onmoontlik om die gordel weer op sit. In werklikheid het het tot die punt nou waar ek nie kan sit die veiligheidsgordel in my oprit.

Het iemand anders het hierdie, en kan iemand dui op 'n herstel?

[DIT is Goeghul se vertaaling - ne my s'n nie. [net so ingeval Arries ook die wil lees en hy met hiiri forrin lengwietsj sokkol.]

Op die nuwer goed is daar iets met drade in wat die wielietjie annerkant toe pluk [noem dit "pre-tensioner]

THANX for fixing it PP/ter and sharing - Now we know

[Peter Connan]

Thanks Oom Mac

Janee, everything is different on the newer cars, except of course for the stuff that has not changed.

By the way, the sensor and pall unit can be removed quite easily, it just clips in, however for obvious reasons I would strongly recomend that it be left in place.

I think the best option is to have a washing peg handy. If you want to get out on a slope, just clip it onto the shoulder strap of the seatbelt just below the swivel at your shoulder, so that the belt is not retracted.