87IROC-DAN61

Hello All!!

Hopefully, this works out, first time trying to post pictures, so bear with me!!

Here goes nothing!!

I spoke about this before under the seat belt button recall thread, about how to repair a non-retracting seat belt, well here are the photos to show you all the "fix"!!


The problem, slack seat belt, won't retract!!


The problem, slack seat belt, won't retract, different angle!!


To fix the problem, start by removing the four screws holding the rear headliner trim!!


Remove the screw from the side panel!!


Remove the screw from the speaker trim panel!!


Remove the seat belt escutcheon, be careful, do not break the retaining tabs!!!


The seat belt retractor, be careful with the headliner, be gentle!!


The seat belt retractor, again!!!


Now begins the fix, remove the plastic cover on the right hand side, with a flat tipped screw driver!! There are four holes that locate it properly, it just pops off!!


The culprit!!! The spring loaded arm is jammed in it's slot!! This is what makes the seat belt not retract!!!


Use a flat tipped screw driver to lift the spring loaded arm out of it's slot!! This will release the seat belt, and should result in your seat belt retracting back into the retractor at a high rate of speed!!!

If your seat belt doesn't retract, try to lift up on the inertia lock, this may have jammed it's self also!!

A little WD-40 sprayed into the spool shaft ends will also help, de-gum the seat belt!!

If all this still fails to retract your seat belt, you may have a broken clock spring on the left hand side!!

That will be another "fix" to do!!


The spring loaded arm moved out of it's slot!!


Success!! The seat belt retracted!!!!


To fix it permanently, place the spring loaded arm down underneath the retractor frame!!

You may also have had the gray gear come off it's pinion gear, don't worry, take it out also!!!

The spring loaded arm will be retained in the down position by the cover once it's replaced on the retractor!!!


Another view of the position of the spring loaded arm's final resting place!!!


The cover re-installed, the spring loaded arm retained outside of the retractor, not able to get jammed into it's slot again!!


Another view of the "fix"!!


Doesn't that look better!!! A fully functional seat belt!! The only thing this seat belt doesn't do now, that it did before, is it won't stay slack!! There will always be some tension against your chest from the seat belt, the "comfort feature" has been disabled!!

Now, go out and fix your thirdgen!!!

Total time approx. 15 minutes!!!

KNBlazer

Just yank on it from different angles... it eventually will click and retract... or hit up a junkyard, or buy a 3 point seat belt...

87IROC-DAN61

Hello KNBlazer!!

Yanking on it takes all the fun out of taking it apart, and fixing it!!!

Mange99

Thanks for showing that! Was able to get my passenger seatbelt to retract.

charliemccraney

How does the escutcheon come off? Pry, slide, pull, etc?
What exactly does the comfort feature which is disabled for the "fix" do?

W.E.G.

I just wanted to say thanks too.

Really helped to have those pics to know what to expect under the headliner.

The escutcheon on my offending belt mechanism was already buggered, and already held (improvised) by a pair of deck screws. The (planetary?) gear on mine had gone off its rocker. I was able to just put it back in place, but without having to change/move the position of the spring. Even with the spring back in what looks like the correct position, the "comfort" feature of the retractor doesn't seem to work - or at least does not reliably do so.

Much better than just being stuck in the yanked-out position though!

Thanks for the tutorial!

dyear20

My driver seatbelt retracts but occasionally while driving ill end up with some slack and have to pull it away from chest and let it retract would this fix be my solution as well?

RocketyMan

I'm subscribing to this! I need to do this later.

BK2FUTR

This worked great! Thanks so much man!! Now I'm not terrified to drive in my pre-airbag era car!

RedLeader289

iTrader: (2)

I also just walked out into the parking lot and did this. Seems to work great. Does anyone know what that bar was supposed to originally do?

*EDIT* I found out it's the "comfort fit" feature that these cars came with.

Animosity86

this is great, now i wont need to buy new seat belts!

89mulletbird

iTrader: (4)

This is epic. I just saved a ton of cash.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

GM stopped using that feature on later thirdgens. 91-up don't have em, 89 do, not sure about 90.

ZZ42Fast

iTrader: (2)

This is great, just done mine. MUCH Better. Thanks for the step by step.

Bow_Tied

iTrader: (1)

I also have this happen in my '87 - is this what the "comfort feature is"? Or is this a separate issue with a different fix?

RedLeader289

iTrader: (2)

Yes, that's precisely what it is. 30 some-odd years later the "comfort feature" is more like "annoyance feature".

numchacar

So I had this problem, I followed exactly what you said, when i got to my retractors they had differnt plastic and looked different I tried to get the plastic of but i removed the whole thing =( now i'm trying to find a post on how to remove them are add new ones or how to fix the old one.

I'm in australia so getting parts for this will take some time and I am a complete noob on cars haha

I hope someone can give me a hand!

J.C. Denton

iTrader: (1)

Man, thank GOD I found this thread! I have a 92 car, everything fine. Now I bought an 88 GTA in July and the damn seat belts only retract when I pull them away from my chest... Now I now it was a "comfort feature"... I thought, I need new seat belts because my 92 doesn't do this, belts are always under tension an retract everytime, thought the GTA belts were defective... Man, I so HATE this "comfort feature", now I can stop searching for good new seat belts and just modify mine. Bothered me to hell everytime I was driving this car. Million thanks to the OP!

Rustynut55

Thank you 87IROC-DAN61!
I performed your fix on an 89 IROC convertible. Took the opportunity to disable the “Comfort Fit” feature for both failed driver side and the passenger side. in the convertible with the Comfort Fit functioning, the belt comes loose and beats you about the upper body until you slow down. Like having mom watching the speedometer with the wooden spoon handy. I thought I could add another pic showing a closeup of the offending parts.

Passenger side Comfort Fit mechanism in proper orientation.

Denis.V

Thanks man,


Other seat belt working again !(I would just add that both plastic covers are towards the passenger side. Access to one is more difficult than the other for the position)

Thanks again,


Denis V.