Seat belt stuck

[Darren D]

Hello all, great forum I have just found......

I have a VT Wagon that has the centre seat belt stuck.

The seat is down and it won't release the belt to allow the seat to come back up.

This is the second time it has happened, last time I cut the belt and replaced the assembly thinking that it must have been an issue with the reel.

Only to find it has now happened again some three months later.

I am hesitant to cut the belt again as they aren't cheap to replace, does anyone have a method to free the reel up when it gets into this condition?

I have the seat back off and thge seat cover released which has allowed me to get a bit of free belt but it doesn't want to free up for me yet.

Ideas gratefully accepted.........

- Darren

[big m]

hey darren if you can get to the belt housing unit where it rolls up you might me able to pull the belt out and there should be a little release catch or a pin or something that locks the belt of, like when you get in an accient you belt should catch on this pin and lock it off (to stop you flying through the window) if you can find it pull all the slack out of the belt and get a small pick or something and try to release the pin or what ever it is and that might retrack the belt,


hope that helps mate

[fitz_vt]

your seatbelts shouldnt just cease up like that unless someones sitting in there during an accident i would inspect the hub and bearings without taking the cover off the belts for damages when did you replace seat belt last? or did a mechanic fit it for you?!?

[Doctor Bob]

the belt will lock due to the angle its on, normally there is a small button on the belt to stop it going too far into the seat, this has probaly broken off or the escutcheon is missing or broken

[Darren D]

Thanks guys for the inputs.

I think it is the angle that prevents the reel releasing as it still moves easily just won't release.

By partially disassembling the rear seat I have been able to free it up enough to get the bottom seat cushion out and undo the lower mounting bolt for the affected belt.

Just got to get it all back together now.

Thanks again.

- Darren

[convas]

I had the same problem when I bought my wagon, the trim that clips into the backrest was broken and allowed the belt to retract too much when the seat was lowered.

If you remove the bolster on the side of the back seat you can get to the clip that holds the bottom cushion on and then remove the bottom cushion. Once that is removed you can get to the bolt that holds the seat belt to the floor and remove it.
This will allow the backrest to be raised to it's upright position and the belt will then come out as per normal.