Seat Belts - Testing and Repair
Model Applicable To File Under Bulletin No.86-014
ALL ALL BODY
Issue Date
AUG 1, '86
(Supersedes 84-001 dated Jan. 16, 1984)
SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY:
Function
Three kinds of locking mechanism have been used: one system locks when the belt is pulled out rapidly; a second kind locks when the car decelerates rapidly, and a third kind locks after the belt is pulled out to the desired length.
Testing
1. Sit in the seat of the seat belt to be tested, and buckle the seat belt.
2. Pull the belt webbing rapidly out of the retractor.
NOTE: Do not snap or jerk the belt.
^ If the belt locks, the locking mechanism is working. Release the belt and make sure it retracts freely.
^ If the belt does not lock, proceed to step 3.
3. Move the car to your dealer's back lot or some other quiet place where you won't be a road hazard. Drive the car between 10 and 15 mph, lean forward against the seat belt and abruptly apply the brakes, not hard, just enough to dip the front end. You should feel the belt lock as the front end dips.
^ If the belt locks, the locking mechanism is working.
Release the belt and make sure it retracts freely. If it doesn't lock, replace the seat belt assembly.
Repositioning Tongue Plate:
Repositioning the tongue plate
1. To reposition a tongue plate that has become turned 180 degrees about the webbing, fold the webbing as shown and slide the tongue plate over it.
TWISTED SEAT BELT:
Correcting a Twisted Seat Belt
1. If the belt is twisted between the tongue plate and the D-ring, orient the webbing so that the tongue plate is facing the inside of the car and the webbing below the buckle is not twisted.
WEBBING:
2. Hold the webbing just below the twisted section and pull the belt out.
D-RING:
3. Fold the twisted area over and push it through the D-ring.. Pull the belt out fully, and check for proper retraction.
TRIM PANEL OPENING:
4. If the belt is twisted between the D-ring and the trim panel opening, hold the belt just above the twisted section so it will not pass through the D-ring, and pull the belt out fully.
TRIM PANEL:
5. Fold the twisted webbing over, and push it through the trim panel opening. Pull the belt out fully, and check for proper retraction.
Correcting a nonretracting belt, or a belt which will not pull out
1. For a front belt, remove the lower trim panel from the center pillar. For the rear belt, remove the rear seat, door sill molding and quarter trim panels as necessary.
2. Gently pull on the belt with one hand, and rotate the retractor spool back and forth with the other until the spool lock releases.
SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY:
NOTE: Replace only as a complete assembly.
3. Pull the belt out of the retractor as far as it will go, and remove anything that may be caught in it. Untwist the belt if necessary and let it retract.
4. Pull the belt all the way out again and let it retract. Repeat this several times to make sure the retractor works properly.
^ If the belt is damaged, or the retractor doesn't work properly, replace the seat belt assembly
Seat Belt Cleaning
^ Never bleach, dye or clean the belts with chemical solvents; it will weaken the fabric.
^ Do not remove the seat belts from the car to wash them.
The seat belts should always be kept clean and dry; wet or damp belts can cause belt rewinding problems.
To clean the belts, pull them all the way out of their retractors and scrub them with warm water and a mild soap. Let them air-dry fully extended with the car parked in the shade and the windows open.