Front seat belt cleaning/retraction adjustment

**fraser33** · 04-01-2009,01:19 PM

Hi,

I have a few questions regarding the front seat belts on my '02 Passat. Both the driver's and passenger's belts are quite dirty and (possibly as a result?) are very slow to fully retract.

My MOT is due in a month's time and a friend thought that the non-retraction might be a fail-item. I could understand this as sometimes if I lean forward when the belt's on, then lean back, it doesn't retract properly. It would therefore be pretty useless in the event of a crash!

qu. i) is this a fail item? (I will be rectifying the problem, even if it isn't!)
qu. ii) how can I clean the belts effectively?
qu. iii) can I completely remove the trim to access the belt and check the retraction spring/device and if I do this, is there anything else which might be impacted as a result?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Cheers

F

**zollaf** · 04-01-2009,01:27 PM

indeed, non retraction should fail an MOT test, if the tester tests them.if you pull them fully out and give them a good wipe over with some fabric cleaner solution<the stuff you put in the washing machine>, then let them dry, this may solve the problem. alternatively you can unclip the trim and remove the units, but at this stage it may be better to order new ones.with such a safety critical component, i dont like to take any chances.

**fraser33** · 04-01-2009,01:38 PM

Cheers, and I'm kind of inclined to agree about the safety issue. I'll maybe try the cleaning attempt first and if that proves unsuccessful, then will try and get replacements.

So there's nothing I should consider when removing trim/units? Also, any idea how much a new pair of belts would cost?

**snapdragon** · 04-01-2009,01:45 PM

Whenever I buy my cars (used) I get a bucket of hot water and some Aerial Liquid in it and some towels, and pull all of the seatbelt out and wash it in the bucket rubbing it with a cloth and drying with a towel. When you see the colour of the water you will use a new bucket of water for each seatbelt! The towels also get dirty and so use old ones.

**zollaf** · 04-01-2009,01:56 PM

yeuchhh. all that filth from the previous owners hands and clothes.like when you buy a car and theres a build up of sludge on the indicator stalk.
not sure of the prices of new belts, but i would try vw and gsf. you can get genuine or aftermarket ones, but the genuine will fit. im sure there must be someone on here that knows the part number and price of the top of his head???.

**fraser33** · 04-01-2009,02:54 PM

Yeah, IKWYM ! The car was pretty manky when I bought it, but the bulk of it has cleaned up just fine. The belts are pretty much the last parts to be done. I try not to think how previous owners must have driven around with it so dirty or got it into that state in the first place!

Snapdragon: thanks for the tip. I suspect I'll need a scrubbing brush too for these things! Hopefully it'll avoid going down the replacement road.

F

**snapdragon** · 04-01-2009,05:38 PM

Yes, if you have carpet stain spray/mousse, you can spray that on first. of course, when done, leave it pulled out to dry click it in the opposite seat's buckle.

**fraser33** · 07-01-2009,09:58 AM

Thanks, will try that..

One more question though: how easy is it to remove the pillar trim between front and back doors to access the seat belt mechanism, if required?

**AndyM** · 25-01-2009,02:34 PM

Did this solve the problem with your seat belts? The reason I ask is that my 53 plate Passat is due its MOT in March and I don't think its belts are retracting properly. Both front belts were replaced just before I bought the car 2 years ago and they seem to be just as bad now as they were then. I suspect the dealer only replaced them because they failed the MOT.