Seatbelt HELP!!!!!

[toyotadude04]

Hey guys, I don't post here much, but I read a lot. I need some input.

Recently, my parents gave me their old '91 Camry for my fiance' to drive after we get married, just until we can get a new car.(I have a Tacoma) It hasn't been driven much in the last 5 years, but is in excellent condition inside and out and runs like a sewing machine. While driving the other day, though, I noticed that I couldn't get the front drivers side seatbelts, either one, to lock when pulled fast After I got home, I tried the passenger side and the same thing. So, does anybody have any idea why the seatbelts, which are designed to help save your life in a crash, wouldn't be working?

Thanks

[88yotaDX]

which part wasn't holding the lap belt, or shoulder strap?

[toyotadude04]

None of the seatbelts in the car will grab when pulled out fast. Not the front or rear shoulder belts nor the front lap belts. In my Tacoma, all I have to do is pull it a little too fast when buckling up and it grabs, why wouldn't the Camry be the same?

[88yotaDX]

im honestly not sure, I don't think my belts grab either.

[Ancientwolf13]

Try it when the brake pedal is depressed with the key turned on. Also if you have the automatic seatbelts make sure the emergency release lever is disengaging or they will never lock. My seatbelt only seem to work when the key is turned to on and the brake is engaged on my 89 Camry LE with the automatic belts. My 99 Civic EX's seatbelts are the same it locks when you hit the brake too hard while the key is on.

[toyotadude04]

Thanks for the replies. I tried pulling on them with the key on and the brake depressed. Still nothing. Honestly, it makes me nervous about driving it. The weird part is that NONE of the seatbelts work. You'd think if a malfunction was to blame, only one or two would not be working.

We've had the car since 1993, so I guess we've been lucky it hasn't been wrecked yet. Still though, it'd be nice to know that IF I had a wreck, I'd still be in the drivers seat and not through the windshield afterwards.

[HomeGrown]

My '91 is in pristiene condition and only had 42k miles when I got it last year, and my belts behave the same way. Also in my beater '90 wagon.

There are 2 basic types of seatbelt mechanisms. Your Taco has a newer and slightly more sophisticated system that will grab the belt or belt spool when pulled fast. My wife's Pontiac G6 works this way also.

The second method (which our gen 2 Camry's use) utilizes an inertia mechanism that allows the belt to spool freely until the event of an impact, when the inertia device locks like a pawl against a gear, much like a racheting tie-down strap (you have a truck, so I know that you know how those work).

I believe these should lock-up during a panic stop as well, so you could test this in an open parking lot or empty road somewhere.

[toyotadude04]

Thanks for the info, it makes me feel a little better that others behave the same way. It makes sense, and I couldn't help thinking there had to be more to it than just pulling on them to get them to lock since none of them would lock.

Thanks again. I'll post some pics of her sometime.

[marksktr]

my camry belts do not grab as well....

personally i think the problem roots from that lever on the middle console that says "only pull in an emergency"

what this lever supposably does is *what it says on the sun visor* that is releases the belts so that they DO NOT catch (as a normal belt does these day)

anyone else know of anything about this lever?

[atobe]

i think if you really want to test it out... go find a big empty straight away and just slam on the brakes @ 30mph (try not to lock the brakes though) or so and see if it'll lock up

[HomeGrown]

Originally Posted by marksktr

my camry belts do not grab as well....

personally i think the problem roots from that lever on the middle console that says "only pull in an emergency"

what this lever supposably does is *what it says on the sun visor* that is releases the belts so that they DO NOT catch (as a normal belt does these day)

anyone else know of anything about this lever?

I had my wagon center console apart yesterday to clean all the gross residue from 364,000 miles of spilled pop, cheerios, candy, pens, pencils, a pewter horse, a driver's license, toothpicks, paperclips, the obligatory mummified french fries, $2.10, and 10 pesos.

Anyway, that lever only seems to operate a switch. Other than turning on the "Push lever down" light, I'm not sure what else it does. Doesn't seem to have any mechanical effect on the spools, only the switch.

Hey Toyotadude, you've been a lurker here a long time. Don't be a stranger! Post some pics of that Camry and your Taco. What year is your Taco? I'd really like to get one of those. I was down at the Mexico plant last month where they build the double-cab model (that's the only model they build there). I was way too distracted by all the nice trucks there.

[toyotadude04]

My Tacoma is a 2001, here's a link to my cardomain page: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2244146/1

I'll try to take some pics of the Camry today and post them. It's the base model, which has the silver painted steel wheels. I've ordered some hubcaps off ebay that are replicas of the factory ones in '91, I think they are just like the ones on your Camry homegrown. I'll post some before and after pics

EDIT: Here's some pics of the car. Don't laugh about the white letter tires; Not sure what dad was thinking when he got those. I guess they don't look that bad, but the next set will definitely be blackwall, plus my new hubcaps will be in today.

[nuron]

That's it, I am tired of seeing all these Camrys with immaculate paint :P.

[HomeGrown]

Clean looking Camry! I like your Taco as well. Very nice collection.


Unusually clean garage, too. I like that.

[boi_si]

i dont think these camry will lock. my bro just got into a head on and he hit the steering wheel pretty hard. considering me commuting a camry to work, if a head on, i will not live.

even my celica st185 will not lock as well. going back to hondas... my 91 integra LS does lock.