Why does the seat belt not retract?

The seat belt is a mandatory element of the car interior. It is designed to reduce the likelihood of injury during an accident. Traffic regulations indicate that the use of this device is mandatory. Therefore, if the seat belt breaks for some reason, it must be repaired urgently. This can be done with your own hands.

If the seat belt does not extend, there are a number of actions you can take to help quickly solve this problem. Experienced auto mechanics are ready to give some advice on how to properly fix the breakdown. In this case, you will be able to avoid visiting a car service center and additional costs.

Seat belt device

If the belt does not come out of its slot, it is most likely jammed. To fix the problem, you need to understand the principle of this element of the car. With such a breakdown, there is a high probability that it is the locking mechanism that is not working correctly. Sometimes the belt may not stretch after an accident. There is a special technology for eliminating such breakdowns.

First of all, you should understand the seat belt design. There is a special element inside the locking mechanism that is responsible for fixation. It looks like a ball that moves through levers. At the same time, it clings to the gears of the coils.

The seat belt latch reacts when it is pulled out too quickly, blocking the ball. It is in this system that problems may appear over time. In this case, the belt may not stretch or, conversely, may remain locked in the fastened position.

The seat belt does not extend - what to do? DIY seat belt repair

Causes of the problem

There are several main reasons why a seat belt does not extend. First of all, it should be noted the banal wear and tear of the system. Moreover, this may only apply to one of its elements; for example, seat belt pretensioners or a locking device may fail due to wear. The roller mechanism may also wear out.

Adverse weather conditions also provoke such malfunctions. Severe frost can cause this phenomenon.

Sometimes seat belt pretensioners fail after an accident. This may cause the coil lock or the entire main mechanism to break. After an accident, in many vehicles the belt may not retract back into its intended location at all. This is due to the activation of the system's squibs.

If the car is involved in an accident, even with smooth pulling, the mechanism may jam. Then you will have to look for the cause of the breakdown and eliminate it.

Effect of frost

Sometimes the seat belt latch may not work due to extreme cold. This will not require changing any parts. In some older vehicles, the insulation of the mechanism may not be sufficient. This causes the belt to jam.

In this case, the oil that lubricates the system becomes thicker in the cold. You will have to disassemble the coil and lubricate its elements with a special substance. It must be frost resistant. This, for example, could be silicone grease or lithol.

In some cases, the situation can be corrected by bending the metal “claw” of the ball mechanism at a smaller angle. When the coil is positioned vertically, the retainer should not come into contact with the gear teeth. This should only happen when the bobbin is tilted.

What will be required for repairs?

For the reasons mentioned above, sometimes the seat belt does not extend. What to do ? Advice from experienced auto mechanics will help. First of all, you will have to disassemble the casing and remove the coil. In some models, you will have to dismantle the seats in the place where the breakdown occurred.

To do this, you need to prepare screwdrivers (flat and Phillips), as well as spanners. Their diameter should be different. You should also purchase a multi-purpose lubricant. The seats must be protected from accidental contact with oil. You will also need napkins and wire.

Repairs can be simple or more complex. In some cases, you have to completely change the coil. For some machine models, you will need to prepare special tools. But repairing a seat belt yourself will help save quite a lot of money in the family budget.

Coil repair

Do-it-yourself seat belt repairs are most often performed in the reel area. To get to it, you need to remove the side panel trim. It can be fixed with clips or bolts.

To comply with safety regulations, it is necessary to remove the terminal for the negative conductor from the battery. The contacts that lead to the airbags are also disconnected (if possible). The colors of the corresponding wires are specified in the operating instructions.

These simple steps will prevent the squib from accidentally firing. Otherwise, you may be injured during the repair process.

The coil housing needs to be opened. Most likely, the spring of the tape return mechanism has failed. This element can be replaced. It will be easier to get it out than to install it in its original place.

How to repair seat belts of a VAZ-2110 car

All vehicles must be equipped with seat belts. And although in the VAZ-2110 the manufacturer made them as functional and wear-resistant as possible, this part is also not protected from breakdowns.

Possible problems:

the belt jams and does not want to come out of the groove, both when pulled out sharply and when trying to pull it out slowly;
the reel feeds the strap slowly, does not release it at all, or cannot place it in the technological space allocated for this;
problems arise with the belt coming out from its seat, especially at sub-zero air temperatures;
The lock does not hold the straps.

Most often, the causes of breakdown are mechanical defects that can be easily fixed on your own. However, it is worth considering that the manufacturer categorically does not recommend repairing elements of the driver/passenger protection system outside of service centers. Amateurish repairs can cause deterioration in the functionality of the belt and its failure to fulfill its tasks in a critical situation on the road.

Belt diagnostics

If, while using a seat belt in a VAZ car, the driver feels something is wrong, you need to check the quality of the device. What does that require?

Make sure the belt feeds correctly. You need to check whether it is initially twisted. If the belt runs unevenly, it may well jam.
Pull the belt out completely, straighten it and release it, checking that it is completely assembled. If this does not happen, you need to check the condition of the belt, blocker, and perhaps you need to clean out any debris or foreign bodies that are preventing the belt from working properly.
Look at the fasteners. The belt must be tightly secured. A common problem in VAZ-2110 cars is rusting of the belt attachment points to the body. If there are already traces of corrosion, you need to thoroughly clean them or replace the rust-affected segments.

A dirty belt can be washed with soapy water. If you cannot clean it with this product, you can try more aggressive cleaning agents or completely replace this component, because Excessive contamination will not have the best effect on the functionality and safety of the belt.

When is it necessary to change the seat belt on a VAZ-2110

It is recommended to replace the safety element:

If the threads are broken, there are problems with the tape, the loops on the edge of the belt are deformed, or there are cuts/holes in the tape.
In case of weak fixation or, conversely, strong blocking of the belt buckle, if the unlock button fails, if noticeable defects or cracks appear on the buckle, and also when it is not possible to get the belt out without extreme efforts.

In order not to miss the moment when the belt loses its functionality, you need to periodically check its integrity and proper operation.

Belt removal and repair

Removing the seat belt completely may cause it to fail. It is advisable that this work be carried out in special service centers. The order of work will be approximately as follows:

The safety coil is removed. To do this, the seats are moved forward all the way and the backs are lowered.
If disassembly starts from the spring side, it must be done very carefully, because This part can seriously cut your hands.
The cover can only be removed in a horizontal position. It is necessary to remove 4 pistons (carefully so that the contents of the box do not fall out).

To get to the ratchet, you need to disassemble the coil. Here, too, you need to be careful not to accidentally deform it. The ratchet will have a rectangular design with a tab. The technological ball is the main component of the belt locking, which is produced when the angle of inclination of the reel block is changed.
Then you should check the parts that rub against each other. A lump of lubricant most often forms between them, which it is advisable to remove. Often it is this clot that interferes with the proper operation of the structure.
When the system is disassembled, all mechanisms need to be treated with fresh lubricants. It is advisable to choose products that can withstand low temperatures.
To make the belts stretch and gather better, you can adjust the copper tab that interacts with the metal ball. As a rule, in these products the ball unbends the leg after some time, reducing the effectiveness of the safety system. By slightly bending it back, you can increase the productivity of the structure. After this, you need to make sure that the coil does not stop working when tilted.

If the main part of the parts shows signs of scuffs and severe wear, it is better not to replace each part, but to replace the entire module assembly.

Hello ! The problem is this: the seat belt doesn’t fit into the lock on the driver’s side (on mine) - something is in the way and it doesn’t latch, it doesn’t even fit.. I looked through the gap - it looks like nothing extra got in there, there’s nothing to interfere with. Maybe someone has encountered a similar problem. How to disassemble it (lock)? There are no visible screws on the plastic. Maybe some kind of spring is broken?? WHAT TO DO . THE FINE FOR UNFASTENED BELT IS NOT WILLING TO PAY, MUCH ..

There was a similar problem, only the previous owner specially put a piece of hardware there so that the light would not light up and the beeper would not beep. I halved the casing with a screwdriver, but I still couldn’t figure out whether it was glued or snapped on one time. I removed the case, everything is visible there, it’s not difficult to figure out what the problem is. I tied the body back together with a tie, I thought I’d glue it together later, and that’s how I go :-)))

I also took them apart and made them on Zhiguli cars. the spring flies out there. then you can roll it up or glue it together

I would go to the nearest disassembly site and buy it for 100 rubles. tea, it’s not often that people’s belt buckles break, the product is not popular