Lazy Seat Belt Retractors

[ET16]

I have lazy seat belt retractors in my 05 Saab 9-3. I have cleaned them and blown out the mechanisms with compressed air, etc. They are slightly better, but continue to be a problem, as the Saab alarm system doesn't like it if the seat belts aren't fully retracted when the car is locked.

I looked at some generic youtube videos and found one where someone coated his belts with silicone spray. This got me thinking about coatings. Could a waxy spray like Pledge work? Is silicone okay actually okay for belts?

Any other ideas or experiences?

 

[wag123]

It has been my experience that the springs in the retractors lose tension over time. Unfortunately, the only way to fix this problem is to replace the entire mechanism, not an inexpensive proposition due to the fact that they contain explosive accident pre-tensioners (it would be a BAD idea to mess around with taking them apart).

 

[Astro14]

Do not put any kind of chemical on the belts. You could compromise the strength of the belt.

 

[ET16]

Do not put any kind of chemical on the belts. You could compromise the strength of the belt.

That's what I was afraid of. I'll try cleaning them again.

 

[ET16]

It has been my experience that the springs in the retractors lose tension over time. Unfortunately, the only way to fix this problem is to replace the entire mechanism, not an inexpensive proposition due to the fact that they contain explosive accident pre-tensioners (it would be a BAD idea to mess around with taking them apart).

Yes; I wasn't going to go there. I sprayed a very little wd-40 around the outer rim of the rotating assembly, but I didn't want to get anything into any of the other parts.

 

[Astro14]

I wouldn’t use WD-40 for lubrication, it will gum up over time.

A very small amount of oil would be my choice for the mechanism, after cleaning.

A needle oiler would be my recommendation, to apply it sparingly so that no excess gets on the belt itself (compromising strength again).

Most of the modern belt retractors I’ve dealt with are sealed units, some with a pyrotechnic charge for the retractor to pre-tension in a collision. In those cases, i think replacement might be the only option.

 

[RooflessVW]

I would just replace them or send them to be rebuilt. A new belt for my Touareg was $180

 

[Trav]

I have lazy seat belt retractors in my 05 Saab 9-3. I have cleaned them and blown out the mechanisms with compressed air, etc. They are slightly better, but continue to be a problem, as the Saab alarm system doesn't like it if the seat belts aren't fully retracted when the car is locked.

I looked at some generic youtube videos and found one where someone coated his belts with silicone spray. This got me thinking about coatings. Could a waxy spray like Pledge work? Is silicone okay actually okay for belts?

Any other ideas or experiences?

 

[BHopkins]

Have you inspected the turnbuckle for a buildup of grime, and cleaned it? It is very common for grime to build up on the turnbuckle surface, where the webbing rubs where it transitions to go down into the retractor. This grime tends to be sticky, and keeps the webbing from gliding across the turnbuckle surface.

Pull out enough of the webbing so you can inspect the turnbuckle surface under the webbing. If it has a buildup of grime, clean it all off with an interior cleaner. It will be surprising how much difference this alone can make in how well the webbing retracts.

 

[Warstud]

I used a similar method except I used a storage tote lid after soaking it to lay it on and scrubbed it with a brush then put it in a clean bucket of water (rinse) and scrubbed again to get the soap out. Then used paper towels to soak up the water and let it air dry.

 

[bcossa2020]

I acknowledge the previous posts concerning the cleaning of the webbing.
I cleaned my seatbelt with a 5:1 solution of Woolite using a scrub brush and there was a noticeable difference in the retraction speed. Lots of YouTube videos on cleaning the seatbelts……..

 

[Wolf359]

I was just going to suggest sending it to Safetyrestore.com and have the belt rebuilt, anywhere from $75-$115. But they do all seatbelts except Volvo and Saab.

 

[TheLastWord]

Marked for reference.

 

[Snagglefoot]

It has been my experience that the springs in the retractors lose tension over time. Unfortunately, the only way to fix this problem is to replace the entire mechanism, not an inexpensive proposition due to the fact that they contain explosive accident pre-tensioners (it would be a BAD idea to mess around with taking them apart).

If you look carefully, if your vehicle has a explosive pretensioner it is usually attached to the buckle and not the sliding portion of the seatbelt. At least that’s how it was on my Taurus. Take a look.