The seat belt does not extend. Seat belts not working? - Multiple repair solutions! To perform this type of robot, you will need

27.09.2019

The seat belt is designed to prevent dangerous movements of a person in the passenger compartment during an accident or sudden braking, and thereby reduce the likelihood and severity of injuries. When the seat belt does not work in the car, it urgently needs to be repaired or replaced, since it is dangerous to continue driving with a faulty seat belt and contrary to traffic rules... Today we will talk about the devices of the seat belt mechanism, the reasons for the failure of the belts, how the seat belt works, and how to repair it in the event of a breakdown with our own hands.

Is it possible to repair a seat belt with your own hands

Of course, when a seat belt breaks in your car, you can turn to a specialized service station for help, which will provide you with a quality repair or replacement of seat belts, but at the same time you can do it yourself. And, if you adhere to certain instructions, then everything will come out quite easily, simply, and quickly.

Important!Do not tighten with seat belt repair. Peugeot research showsand Renault, during accidents, most drivers fly out through windshield due to the fact that they are not wearing a seatbelt, and the mortality rate among them is much higher than that of those drivers who were wearing seatbelts.

Causes of malfunctioning belts

Among the most common reasons why a seat belt does not work in a car are the following:

The seat belt in the car does not retract due to its wear, more precisely, due to the wear of the locking system or some of its components.
The belt does not pull out due to frost or wear on the roller mechanism.
The coil lock is broken or the main mechanism is damaged.
Blocking after an accident. When the car gets into an accident, the mechanism's pyrotechnics are triggered, then the device lock is jammed, and it will not work to turn it off.
The belt does not retract when it is unfastened, or it is jammed when trying to buckle, even when pulled out smoothly.

Interesting!In 1957, Sweden passed a law making it mandatory for cars to use seat belts. Following Sweden, other countries began to adopt such laws, and in the USSR such a law was adopted only twenty years later.

The device of the mechanism, and its principle of operation

The seat belt consists of a webbing, a buckle, and a retractor coil. The belt strap is made of durable material, and is attached with special devices to the car body in three places: on the threshold, on the rack, and on a special rod with a lock.

Did you know? In 1959, the first series-produced (three-point) seat belts were offered by the Volvo campaign.

The lock is designed to lock the belt, and is placed near the car seat. On the strap, in order to connect with the lock, there is a movable metal tongue. The retractor reel on the seat belt is predefined for its forced unwinding and automatic winding, and is attached to the pillar of the car body. It is equipped with an inertial locking mechanism that stops the movement of the belt in the reel in a collision (accident) or sudden braking.

Regarding the operating principle of seat belts modern machines, then everything is quite simple - a coil with a blocker based on a gear mechanism, thanks to which the coil rotates.

The gear mechanism itself is closed using a small pendulum with a spheroidal or ball bearing with a system of levers. If the belt is pulled out smoothly, the support rotates in conjunction with the spool gear, and if abruptly, the flywheel is blocked.

The seat belt belongs to the category of mandatory protective measures that must be used by everyone in the car. The purpose of this device is to minimize the likelihood of injury from an accident. A broken seat belt is a good reason for a fine, so it is worth worrying about repairs as soon as a breakdown is found.

Any driver will be able to repair a seat belt with his own hands, so contacting a professional auto mechanic is not a mandatory step.

It remains to be seen why this accessory may break and how to fix it.

The device of the considered protective device is represented by a retraction coil, a lock and a tape. For the manufacture of the tape, a material of increased strength is used; this element is fixed to the body in several zones as follows:

in the area of special traction with a lock;
on the counter;
in the area of the threshold.

The main purpose of the lock, in turn, is to lock the belt. This element is located near the seat. A movable tongue made of durable metal makes the belt easy to use, it is located directly on the belt. The take-up coil can be found on the car body pillar. Its purpose is to force the winding and unwinding of the tape. The design of the retractor coil provides for an inertial locking mechanism, due to which, in the event of an abrupt stop, the movement of the tape is stopped and the person remains in a fixed position, unable to go into free flight through the windshield.

The principle of operation is not complicated: at the heart of the action of the coil with a blocker is a gear mechanism that rotates it. This mechanism is closed by means of a pendulum; it can have a ball or spheroidal support with a lever system.

Smooth unwinding of the tape encourages the support to rotate along with the spool pinion, while the sharp tension causes the flywheel to lock.

Operating rules

The correct use of the security accessory in question is governed by the following rules:

The shoulder part of the tape must go over the chest and shoulder, it is forbidden to pass it through other parts of the body, even if it causes inconvenience.
The vertical positioning of the backrest ensures maximum protection by using the harness. Tilting the backrest back increases the risk of a person slipping under the belt strap. In such circumstances head-on collision will cause the passenger to hit the instrument panel.
One belt is designed for one passenger; it is prohibited to fasten two people.
It is forbidden to ride with a child in your arms with a seat belt fastened. In this case, the accessory not only does not protect the adult passenger, but can also provoke injury to the child in the event of an accident. The child must have a separate seat belt or child seat.
It is forbidden to supplement or change the design of the device in question in order to weaken the tension or block the pulling of the belt.
Make sure that the tape is close to the body and not twisted.
If the child's height allows it to be fastened correctly, the use of a seat belt is mandatory. If the child is too young, a child car seat should be used.
The waist part of the tape should be in contact with the area over the hips.
Adjust the mechanism to ensure a snug fit of the strap to your body.

A defective seat belt can be caused by the following reasons:

blocking as a result of an accident, occurs due to the activation of the mechanism's squibs;
the seat belt buckle is damaged due to the breakdown of its main mechanism;
the roller mechanism is subject to wear;
the influence of negative temperatures;
wear of the locking system or one of its elements.

Repair options

Corrective measures directly depend on the cause of the breakdown:

If you successfully pulled out the belt, buckled, but if necessary, unfasten the belt does not return to starting position, the problem may be with the spring. It often pops off due to prolonged use or stress. It is necessary to disassemble the lining and reach the drum to set the spring in the correct position. If it is in place, you will have to change the drum.
Dirt on the belt and in its fixing areas can also cause the belt to not return to its original position. This problem is most common with older machines. Just rinse the entire device and dry it thoroughly.
If the device is jammed and the seat belt does not stretch at all, the reason may also be the accumulation of dirt, but not on the belt, but directly in the mechanism. To troubleshoot the problem, use special composition, which can be purchased at any auto store. Spray it as close to the mechanism as possible and try moving the tape a couple of times to develop the device. You can also disassemble the device and clean it yourself, but first pull the tape to the end and fix it with improvised devices, which can be a clothespin or paper clip.

How to disassemble and clean the seat belts?

Do-it-yourself cleaning and repair of the seat belt buckle can be done as follows:

Unscrew the screws on the cover of the middle door pillar, there should be no more than four of them.
Pull the pad to remove it. Movements must be performed up and towards yourself.
Remove the belt, but first fasten it to the special eyelet with the above-mentioned devices.
The tape spool is secured by a special bolt, which must also be unscrewed so that it can be easily removed from the bracket. Using the same device - a paper clip or clothespin, secure the tape to prevent it from rolling.
Determine the location of the blocking device by the sound of the ringing ball.
Remove the cover by carefully unscrewing the 4 pistons.
To find the location of the locking ratchet, carefully disassemble the coil.
The ball that blocks the tape when the reel body is tilted can be found in a rectangular body equipped with a foot.
It remains to clean everything thoroughly, remove residual grease and use fresh oil liquid, which does not change the density at low temperatures. It can be lithol, fiol or CV joint.
Bend the copper foot so that the mechanism works more clearly, since the weight of the ball can straighten it slightly.
After reducing the bend angle, the presser feet can be assembled following the reverse sequence.

Perhaps not every motorist knows what a jammed belt is? In a new car, of course, everything works flawlessly, but over time, a problem may appear - the mechanism responsible for the operation of the seat belt will start to jam. It usually prevents the belt from being pulled out of the reel. Even if you try to pull it very slowly, what can we say when you want to buckle up in winter!

The problem is quite simple, and in order to solve it, you only need ten minutes. You don't even have to get out of your car. Here is a detailed photo report on the driver's side seat belt repair.

But first, stock up on the following tools:

Short cross-head screwdriver.
Slotted screwdriver.
Box wrench (“17”).
A clothespin, preferably a regular clerical.
Plastic bag to protect the seat from possible contamination.
A piece of ordinary stiff wire.
Medical syringe with a straw.
Gasoline "Galosha" (gasoline for lighters).

Now let's get down to business. We take a short Phillips screwdriver and use it to unscrew the four screws on the bottom plate of the middle door pillar. Then remove the cover by gently pulling it up and slightly towards you.

at the next stage of the repair, we pull out the seat belt completely. Important! Do not forget to secure it with a clothespin on a special eyelet.

Now, using the key, unscrew the bolt that secures the seat belt reel. Now this coil can be easily removed from the special bracket. To prevent the belt from unwinding, fix it with the same paper clip on the spool itself. Be sure to fix the belt so that it does not interfere with you further performing the necessary operations.

Remember to cover the seat with a plastic bag so you don't accidentally get it dirty. Now you can put the belt reel on it, and you yourself transfer to the next seat.

Look for the cover under which the inertia mechanism is located. Usually it is a little thicker - in the photo it is on the left. You can also shake the coil itself - where it rattles, this mechanism is located there.

But before removing the cover, you must first remove the four plastic caps. They just need to be squeezed out with a wire. Just hold on so that they don't fly apart. Now you can pry off the cover with a slotted screwdriver, and then remove it.

Under this cover is the primary belt mechanism - a box with a cylinder, in the middle of which there is a ball and a "rocker". You can also pry it off with a wire and then freely remove it with your fingers.

Carefully check the "rocker", does it rotate freely on the axis or not? If you place the “rocker” vertically, and begin to tilt it towards the ball, then it should take up the vertical position very quickly, without any jamming!
If there are such seizures, then you should flush the axis of rotation so that it begins to rotate freely again!

You will see that in the very center of the toothed hole is a serrated eccentric. It is he who wedges the belt if it is pulled out sharply. The area under this device should be thoroughly cleaned. To do this, you just need to pour a little gasoline around the entire perimeter of the hole, as well as in the center. In this case, it is necessary to remove the clothespin from the belt, and hold the belt with one hand so that it does not unwind.

At the next stage of our repair, take the coil with one hand so that you can hold the guide with the spring with your index finger, but with the other hand, pull and wind the belt a couple of times at the same time. Also, pull sharply a couple of times so that the mechanism itself comes into full engagement. Now we again fix the belt on its reel, and then repeat the same procedure again a couple of times.

Now your seat belt will work like a clock! It remains only to assemble the coil and put it in its place, but now all actions must be performed in the reverse order.

If the seat belt does not function in the car, it is necessary to urgently eliminate the cause of the breakdown, since it is dangerous to drive with faulty or problem belts, this is contrary to the rules road traffic.

1 The main causes of malfunctioning inertia belts

Among the common breakdowns that occur during the operation of seat belts and the mechanisms that control their work, the following can be distinguished:

jamming of the belt when trying to buckle, even in the case of a smooth pull;
belts do not stretch due to frost or wear of the roller mechanism;
belts do not retract when unfastened;
the coil lock is broken or the main mechanism is damaged.

Of course, there are other problems, but they are less common, which means that the risk of encountering such a breakdown in your car is minimal. Many people believe that in some breakdowns it is possible to drive with faulty belts, but, according to the rules of the road, if the vehicle is operated with a faulty seat belt mechanism, an administrative fine may be imposed on the driver.

In addition, the car manufacturer is not responsible for a transport accident, even if the car is under warranty service in the event that the owner has not contacted specialists for replacement of the seat belts. Therefore, before repairing belts with your own hands, you need to understand that all changes are made, as they say, at your own peril and risk.

Most often, the owners decide on self-repair due to the very expensive maintenance... For example, changing the belt mechanism or complete replacement belts on standard passenger car the middle class will cost the owner at least 15 thousand rubles. Not everyone is willing to pay that kind of money, especially when it comes to a simple breakdown, for example, the need to lubricate or replace the gear of the main mechanism.

2 The principle of operation of the mechanism and tools for repair

In each modern car work on a fairly simple principle - a coil with a blocker based on a gear mechanism, with the help of which the coil is rotated. The gear mechanism itself is closed by a small pendulum with a ball or spheroidal support with a system of levers. When the belt is pulled out smoothly, the support rotates with the spool gear, and with a sharp jerk, the flywheel is blocked. In this blocking system, most often there is a malfunction.

Thus, in order to repair the coil and other mechanisms, it is necessary to remove it, for which it will be necessary to remove the trim on almost all cars, and on some models the seats on the side with which the belt is not working properly. To remove and self repair you need tools which should include:

a set of flat and Phillips screwdrivers;
a set of spanners of various diameters;
lubricant, wire, wipes and material to protect the seats and upholstery.

Depending on the complexity of the repair (sometimes a complete replacement of the coil is required), other additional tools may be required for work. Do-it-yourself repairs at a VAZ are much easier, especially on older versions, since these cars do not have side airbags, the trim is easily removed and installed, and there is no need to remove the seats.

3 DIY seat belt coil repair

Regardless of the car model, in order to get to the mechanisms that are responsible for the correct operation of the seat belts, it is necessary to remove the plastic lining of the side panel. On almost all models, it is held either on clips at the top and bottom, or on bolts of various diameters. To access the lining, it is necessary to move the seat as far forward as possible, or remove it according to the instructions (unscrew several front and rear mounting bolts and remove the seat from the slide).

To comply with safety precautions, especially for cars with side airbags, before starting work with the belt reel, it is necessary to remove the negative terminal from the battery and, if possible, the contacts to the airbags (you can see it by the color of the wires in the car's wiring diagram). This must be done so that the igniter does not trigger, which can lead to injury. The coil is usually closed with a plastic case with the inscription "Do not open", but in order to eliminate the cause of the breakdown, it still needs to be opened. This plastic casing is fastened with several bolts to the rack.

If the seat belt does not retrace well, then the spring of the return mechanism may simply fly off or the spring of the return mechanism is damaged. If it's a spring, you can replace it. At the replacement stage, you should be careful, since it is not difficult to remove the spring mechanism, and installing it back on the coil is quite problematic. There is no specific installation scheme, it all depends on the model and complexity of the mechanism.

One more common reason, in which the belt does not retract back, is the wear of the metal belt of the tensioner or the breakage of the steel angle, which feeds the belt into the hole on the shaft. Because of this breakage, the shaft rotates idle, that is, it does not wind the tape around itself. If the corner does not break off much, you can bend the tape with pliers and correct its position by bending the tip a little closer than intended.

4 Further inspection and elimination of simple breakdowns

Upon further inspection, you will find that the plastic shaft is connected to the metal stem that extends from the coil. In one part of the shaft there is a hole for mounting on the stem, on the other side there is a small hole that looks like an eyelet on a regular needle. To twist the shaft and assemble the entire mechanism into place, a piece of metal wire or a thin knitting needle must be threaded into this very eyelet. The shaft turns counterclockwise until it stops, support the mechanism with a screwdriver and a wrench.

Now you can wind the belt around the shaft and remove the wire, this way the two halves of the mechanism will connect and the cover will snap into place.

There are other causes of failure when the belt does not retract or extend, some of which can be resolved without replacing the spring or major parts. For example, on many VAZ models, especially the tenth family, due to the mechanism begins to jam in frosty weather. Most often, this is not caused by breakage, but by thickening of the grease, which is not resistant to subzero temperatures. When disassembling the coil, it is necessary to additionally lubricate the mechanism with frost-resistant grease such as Litola or silicone.

Sometimes, for better stretching and retraction of the belt, it is enough to reduce the bending angle of the metal "tab", which is acted upon by the ball mechanism. If the reel is vertical, the retainer should not cling to the gear teeth, but should only be triggered when the tape reel is tilted. In case of more serious malfunctions, it is recommended to replace the coil with a new one from the same car model.

Any node vehicle is not eternal and tends to break. Sometimes this is not so noticeable and may appear after some time. In other cases, such as with a seat belt, the problem will be noticed immediately. What if the seat belt won't pull out? For what reasons can this happen? Learn more below.

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What does a jammed belt mean?

If the seat belt does not pull out of the installation slot, it is most likely jammed. To understand what this means, first you need to understand how it works. When the belt does not stretch, this indicates a failure of the locking mechanism or that the belts were jammed as a result of an accident. But first, let's look at how it works.

Inside the blocking device there is a sensitive element, which is directly responsible for blocking, which is made in the form of a ball. This ball, moving through the system of levers, clings to the gear housing of the coils. If the belt retracts strongly and quickly, the reel's flywheel disk presses more strongly against the helical surface, thus blocking the ball.

If the lock is jammed and cannot be turned off, then this means that over time, the security mechanism began to function incorrectly.

In such cases, the strap does not retract and cannot be disabled in any way. In such cases, even an attempt to slowly latch the element may not help - it just jammed and does not retract anymore, it does not work.

Causes

If a security element of your vehicle does not retract, the lock is jammed and cannot be disabled, there may be several reasons for this. Before we move on to how to disassemble and disconnect a belt that does not work and does not retract, let's talk about the reasons. There are not many of them, so we will not dwell on this point for a long time. After all, in order to repair the latch of an unfastened strap, you need to know what does not work and why. So the reasons are:

First of all, the belt usually does not retract due to wear. Rather, not specifically belt wear, but, in principle, a locking system. Also, it may not be associated with the entire system, but with one of its components. If the buckle of the unfastened strap is jammed, does not retract and you cannot turn it off, then, no doubt, the matter is in the mechanism. But if the element was not fastened, this is still half the trouble. It will be much worse if it gets stuck during operation.
The second reason is the breakdown of one or another component. As a rule, it touches not an unfastened strap, but a fastened one. If a breakdown occurs or a defect appears in the operation of one of the components, then usually this is directly related to the fastened structural elements of the system. In this case, only repairs will help you and nothing else. Or, of course, you can always replace the failed parts.
Another reason is blocking after an accident. Usually the design of the strap is made in such a way that in the event of hitting a road traffic accident, the squibs of the mechanism are triggered. In this case, the device lock gets stuck and it is no longer possible to turn it off.

Depending on the car model, the driver may receive a signal that the straps are jammed. This signal can be either sound or appear on the instrument panel. Also, the signal can be displayed on the screen on-board computer if available. In any case, if the car is equipped with "brains", the driver will receive the appropriate signal.

One more thing about signals. The driver warning may look differently. The signal may be in the form of a loud click, which is not typical of the security system. The motorist will hear this signal even when driving with loud music. As you understand, such a signal also indicates the need that the belt needs to be cleaned.

Repair process

Now that we have figured out the signals and reasons for blocking the fastened and unfastened strap, let's move on to the repair process. Cleaning the seat belts is one of the main tasks in this process, so we will consider this procedure separately. So what if you get a signal that the lock is jammed? How can I clean it or disable it? You will learn more about this below.

Instruments

To disable the lock, if the corresponding signal appears, the entire mechanism will need to be cleaned. To do this, you need to thoroughly prepare in advance and collect all the necessary tools. so what to prepare:

Phillips screwdriver, preferably short;
flat head screwdriver;
a wrench on "17", it will be more convenient to use a ring wrench;
office clothespin;
syringe with a tube;
some gasoline (fuel for lighters is optimal).

Step by step instructions

When the entire list of tools is ready, you can start repairing and cleaning.

Using a Phillips screwdriver, unscrew the self-tapping screws that secure the strap protectors.
If the lock is not working, pull the strap out to its full length and fix it with a clothespin.
Take a wrench and unscrew the screw that secures the coil of the element. The screw must be removed from the installation site. To prevent the element from starting to unwind, you can attach it directly to the same spool using the same clothespin. In any case, in order to disable and clean the lock, it must be locked in order to further actions were easier.
Set the coil aside and sit on the adjacent seat. To disable and clean the lock, you will need to find the cover behind which the inertial device is hidden. Typically slightly thicker in design. Shake the coil - under which cover you hear the noise - under which it is located.
Now, to remove the protective strip, you need to remove the four plastic caps. This can be done with a slotted screwdriver or a fine needle. The pistons should be supported by your hand so that they do not fly out and you do not have to search and collect them throughout the cabin. Then pry off the cover with a screwdriver and dismantle it. Set the cover aside.
Your view will now be presented with the first component mechanism. It is like a box with a cylinder and thus a locking ball and a so-called rocker inside, which wedges the lock. This mechanism can be dismantled freely from the installation site.
Check the performance of this rocker arm - ideally, it should move freely along the axis of rotation. This device should be positioned vertically with the top tilted towards the locking ball. One way or another, but the rocker arm should be located vertically so as not to jam. If you feel that the so-called rocker does not pass freely, then you need to clean its axis of rotation. Pour in some gasoline and rinse the device until it rotates freely on the axis, without the slightest jamming.
Now let's move on to the second, inertial device. It is located under a gear made of plastic and in most cases made of steel. The gear can be removed freely, so dismantle it.
Note the center of the notched hole. It contains an eccentric with teeth. It was these teeth that jammed the strap when it is pulled out sharply. The space under this same eccentric must be cleaned. Pour some prepared gasoline along the entire perimeter of the hole, add a little fuel to the center. At the same time, hold the strap at the same time, preventing it from unwinding, for which you can temporarily dismantle the clothespin. Make sure that liquid gets into all parts of the element, otherwise it will be useless to clean it.
Take the removed reel with one hand so that the plastic guide together with the spring can be supported with one finger. With your other hand, pull and wind the safety element several times. Also, pull it several times to engage the device itself. Next, hook it onto the spool one more time. Such actions should be repeated several times.

5. This is how an inertial mechanism looks like, which should be filled with gasoline.

This completes the cleaning process of the mechanism. All further assembly should be carried out in the reverse order. Do everything right, because an incorrectly assembled mechanism will cause a breakdown in the near future with regular use of the straps.

Also check in advance if all the elements of this node work correctly and move freely. If this is not the case, then the cleaning should be repeated, because what is the point in it if everything is not cleaned. Only with the right approach to such repair work you will be able to avoid basic mistakes and carry out all the actions correctly.

If you are not sure that you can do all the steps described in this article correctly, then we recommend that you contact the service station with this question. Indeed, in the case of blocking the seat belts, everything must be done correctly, and wrong actions will only serve as the cause of the next breakdowns, which you are unlikely to want to face. In any case, flushing the components is not the most radical measure, because you always have time to change the mechanism.

Video "How to repair seat belts?"

How to properly repair your vehicle's seat belts is described in the video.

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