Seatbelt jammed
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 298
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From: Comstock Park Michigan
Seatbelt jammed
My '73 seatbelts (waist belt) had been a real pain to use. Start the car, and I have that loud buzzer going off. As I try to pull the seatbelt out it would usually get stuck. Then I have to keep pulling & releasing until it retracts, and try again. Now the driver's side belt is totally stuck about 1/2 way out. Can pull it out, and won't retract. Any fix for this? Seems like a sensor causing it to lock-up?
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,685
Likes: 202
From: Waterford Mi
The sensor is only a switch that is activated when the seatbelt is pulled out. The retractors are in a bad place where they collect dirt and water. Mine were so rusty that I replaced them with F-body belts. They work better and have a lot more room than the original ones and there isn't a retractor under the seat any more.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 298
Likes: 0
From: Comstock Park Michigan
Originally Posted by redwingvette
The sensor is only a switch that is activated when the seatbelt is pulled out. The retractors are in a bad place where they collect dirt and water. Mine were so rusty that I replaced them with F-body belts. They work better and have a lot more room than the original ones and there isn't a retractor under the seat any more.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 298
Likes: 0
From: Comstock Park Michigan
Originally Posted by carl a
you can send it out to be rebuilt,there's a weep hole in the floor pan to let the water out .could have gotten clogged and retractor rusted up,at any rate may be time for a rebuild
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,406
Likes: 418
From: Chester Virginia
The same thing happened to my drivers side seat belt last year. The retractor was rusted and the end portion of the belt was very wet. The gears on the side of the retractor that activate the warning switch were also out of alignment. Took the seat belts out, both sides, cleaned up the retractors and the belts, painted the retractors, and reset the light switch gearing. The belts are working fine as of yesterday. I believe some rust got into the retractor ratchet and locked it up. I installed the water diverters at the rear of the sill plates to help keep water from getting under the seats and into the seat belts.
Roger
Roger
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 298
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From: Comstock Park Michigan
Originally Posted by RMS73
The same thing happened to my drivers side seat belt last year. The retractor was rusted and the end portion of the belt was very wet. The gears on the side of the retractor that activate the warning switch were also out of alignment. Took the seat belts out, both sides, cleaned up the retractors and the belts, painted the retractors, and reset the light switch gearing. The belts are working fine as of yesterday. I believe some rust got into the retractor ratchet and locked it up. I installed the water diverters at the rear of the sill plates to help keep water from getting under the seats and into the seat belts.
Roger
Roger
