Need some advice guys. My driverside seatbelt is missing a plastic cover on the retractor. What is exposed is a spring loaded needle and a ring with a lot of teeth. My issue is that I dont know if the retractor actually works. So before I get in a accident, I would like to know how to test the seatbelt. Any advice guys?

 

Here is what is exposed. The first picture is my passengerside and the bottom picture is the one in question.....
IMG_4771.jpg?t=1323580887
IMG_4770.jpg?t=1323580866

 

I beleave they operate using momentum. Try slamming on the breaks while driving and it should lock.Mine even locks when I launch the car

 

I've held the brake down and yanked on the belt but it won't lock up but thr passenger side does lock, but not the driver side.

 

It's an inertia reel in the belt mechanism. No need to have the car running, or use the brakes. Sit in the car and jerk on the belt hard and fast. If functional it should lock up.

 

Right on man. Well then. It doesn't work. Time to go shopping. Thanks for the tip man.

 

Just for future reference =
I just found this and they are calling it a "Vehicle-sensitive lock" So I guess that's it. Here's how they describe how it works. = It is based on a pendulum swung away from its plumb position by rapid deceleration or rollover of the vehicle. In the absence of rapid deceleration or rollover, the reel is unlocked and the belt strap may be pulled from the reel against the spring tension of the reel. The vehicle occupant can move around with relative freedom while the spring tension of the reel keeps the belt taut against the occupant. When the pendulum swings away from its normal plumb position due to sudden deceleration or rollover, a pawl is engaged, the reel locks and the strap restrains the belted occupant in position.
OK,then that means that as long as the car is stopped or driving normally you can yank on the belt a dozen times and it still will not lock.

 

Now thats commitment. I learned something new. Thanks ronusmcmmaa.

 

Yeah I dont think they were supposed to lock under quick pulling. Only if that little metal weight was moving either forward or backward via inertia.

Regardless...that exposed part is a long piece of spring steel coiled up. Its what gives the belt its recoil. Its probably not great for it to be exposed...regardless of how the belt works.

That said...Neither of my original belts in my 87 worked. My 86's belts still worked like "new"...but no where near as good as newer cars. So I opted to swap to 4th gen belts in both cars. Aside from having to get creative for the lower mount area to make it look nice, they work 10000x better. Smooth, lock when needed, and are lots cleaner haha.

J.

 

Can you snap a picture of your lower section of the seatbelt? I may just switch to a 4th gen type.

 

I actually dont have any pictures of that area. And the car is 45 minutes away. If you check out some of the 4th gen seat belt swap threads, Im sure there are some good pics though.

As for finishing the area off...there are a couple ways. You could:

A) Leave it alone because its not THAT ugly. Which is where Im at because I never got around to finishing it haha.

B) You could take the plastic housing off your original belts' lower retractor and swap sides and make that work as a cover.

C) You can cut a 6-8 inch section out of a scrap sill cover, and make cover plates out of them. Which is what Ill be doing. You'll have to make a slot which is easy enough. Couple 3/4" holes, then connect them to make a slot. Then screw the cover down after you feed the belt through and bolt it in. Seems to be the best way especially if you have a set of sill covers in your color handy.

As for the rest of it...the swap is pretty straightforward. I love the 4th gen belts. No more of that saggy belt after driving on the highway with the windows down. They're smooth, clean, look great, and most importantly, lock up when they are supposed to haha.

J.

EDIT: I lied... Here's one pic of how it looks from the outside. You can see how the carpet is kind of cut away there for the stock retractor. If I would have tucked the carpet better, it wouldnt be buckled out like that. It never really bothered me. Tho...one of these days when I get to work on the car again, Ill be adding the covers that I made.

 

So on the 4th gen, only the top retracts and the lower section is stationary?