I noticed my drivers side seatbelt wouldn't lock up when I pulled it sharply, so I've ordered another.
Since then, I've noticed none of the other seatbelts lock up either.

I rarely have a passenger, and very rarely passengers in the back, but even so, I'm sure we would of noticed that they had stopped working.
My car has to pass a yearly safety checkup, in which they are surposed to check the belts too.
How come all my seatbelts have apparently suddenly stopped working?

So I've received my driver seatbelt replacement, and it has R stamped on it (the original has L stamped on it), so I'm sure I have recieved the wrong side replacement
I've checked the replacement on the drivers side, and it doesn't work.
So I've checked the replacement on the passenger side, and it doesn't work there either!

I'm sure I have it the right way up, and round the right way.
What could I be doing wrong, and why have they ALL stopped working??

This is very frustrating, and I just can't fathom out why and what is wrong.
Anyone else had problems with them, and what else can I do to fix this?

I find it difficult to believe they have all always been broken, and only noticed when my drivers one broke.

Your help is greatfully recieved

 

im not sure if these cars have it but on some if the seatbelt gets pulled hard like its been in an accident they dont work anymore.... its electronic if i am making any sense at all

 

Hi 97badass, thanks for your reply. I see what you mean, a 1 serious use is all they can take.

No electronics that I can see.

They work on a traditional inersha, toothed wheel basis, with a weight.
When they are pulled fast, the weight should move, and the teeth engage, locking the belt up.
Where they are fixed to the roof, they are on a slight angle, leading me to believe there are two different products, one for each side. (ie the drivers side is different to the passenger side).
Looking at the two side by side they are slightly different, so my replacement is the passenger side (should of been drivers side!) . But the new one doesn't work on the passenger side either! Plus the rear belts aren't working.....

Anoyingly, when unbolted from the roof, they lock up quiet well when pulled on sharply, but don't work when bolted in place. Strange one this.........

 

weird well in case of a a wreck lets hope your airbags work lol jk "knok on wood"

 

So nobody else has had this type of problem?

I find it strange that even the new replacement doesn't work when fixed in place either side.
I must be doing something wrong, but I'm sure I installed it correctly, and that wouldn't explain why the others aren't working.
WTF???!

 

Have someone else drive the car while you're trying to tug on them...try to tug on them while said someone else is hitting the brakes...I bet they're fine. The reason they lock up when they're not in the car, is you're not holding them in the same orientation that they would be in when bolted to the car...they're designed to be convenient to pull out when the car is sitting still...holding them in a different orientation locks them up just like the brake pedal should do.

 

Hi Mike, thanks for your reply.

I didn't explain properly. They lock up when not fixed in the car, but when bolted in the car they won't lock up! The opposite of what they should do....

I'm getting my wrongly delivered passenger side swapped for the correct driver side one, see if that fixes that one.

Any other thoughts??

 

well with mine in the car no matter how hard or fast i pull on then they wont lock, but i know that when i stop fast they do. u do not have the power to make them lock it's all done by the g force of the car stopping. there is a lock that only works at a sertan angle. so when out of the car they lock because that lock is thinking the car is upside down if that makes sence. there is nothing wrong with your seat belts and if some one is telling u there is they either
#1 dont know what there talking about or
#2 there just trying to make money of the noobie
I have been fixing wreaked car's for a few years i've replaced lots of seat belts and i have learned this much

 

Thanks for your reply.

Maybe they are working fine and the pull test isn't enought?

Could I could ask everyone to please test their own seatbelt with a sharp pull, and let me know if it locks up?

It seems strange though that in my other cars, I have to consciencely be gentle pulling them to put them on, or they'll lock up. Yet in the TA, they wont lock up with a sharp pull, but will lock with a gentle pull when they're off the car. IDK but this is niggling me........

 

The seatbelt locks are not actuated by the inertia of the seatbelt, but instead by the inertia of the car. So when you pull fast on the belt it will not lock up. If you pull on the belt as the car is slowing down it should lock up. Think of the lock as a pendulum that only swings into position as the car decellerates. With the car sitting still, no matter how quickly you pull the belt the pendulum is still at the bottom so the belt will not lock.

 

That's a great explination, I'll give that a try.

Thank you so much for the help

 

I have the same concerns about the seat belts. None of mine lock when pulled, and no matter how hard, at what angle. Further, mine won't lock when pulled all the way out. In most cars I have experienced, if you pull the belt all the way out it engages a ratchet that will lock the belt. That is to say, it will retract, but it won't let you pull it back out until the belt is completely relaxed. This comes in especially handy when installing a car seat. I was, and still am, quite confused how we are supposed to put a car seat in the back with seat belts that won't lock. Yet they included the rear anchor points for the LATCH system(?) I refuse to put my daughter in a car seat with a loose belt and hope that the inertia of the wreck will cause the restraints to work.

I suppose I'm not a lot of help to your concern other than to say I know what you're talking about and will be watching for your outcome. I very much want to let my kiddo ride with me.

 

91RS383 you da man. Thank you so much for taking the time to post, you've really helped me out, and here's to ya
I tried them today whist driving and they do indeed all lock up with the momentum. I can't believe that's all that was wrong all along.
I've spent hours taking them apart, trying to figure out what was wrong with them. Obviously the SRS in the UK operate in a totally different way to the US.
What really got me, was when I was driving, I herd it make a funny noise, then I notied it wouldn't lock up under our normal test, and I just assumed it was broke. Then all the confusion kicked in as to why none of the other locked up, it just totally fcuked with my head, and there was nothing wrong with them all along lol

Thanks again so much for the help, I really do appreciate it.

InTheSkin, I totally understand where you're comming from.
I had a friend with me today, who checked out the rear seatbelts for me whilst we were driving, and they all locked up, I guess yours will to, give it a try. I too would make double sure if it was my kids in the back, but I'm now confident that what 91RS383 said is compleatly correct.

 

Thanks!

And I appreciate the update. I'm glad you didn't replace all the belts already.

 

Hey just saw the post in my buddies tans am and tried the seatbelts he has the same issue but I had hit make a slight sharp turn and they lock and same with my trans so yeah, their weird but they work only when u need them. Lol

 

DING DING DING!!!! I found this out the hard after getting the run around on getting my camaro certified when bringing the car over. They are infact a pendulum design and will not activate unless the nose is in a dive

 

Definately the case with mine.
I just hope they work in reverse too, just incase someone runs into the back of you....

 

I've had them lock up on a good drag pass in my old '91 Camaro. So, on that car they worked both ways. I would assume the newer cars are the same.

 

This is what I was trying to explain...but you did a better job using words...which my engineer brain isn't always good at.

 

Sounds like your seats are in backwards.