Changing the driver's seat belt

My mechanic has not replaced seat belts for years. He's not sure if he
has all the tools. I don't want him to change the whole thing, but just
the belt itself. Would someone be kind enough to write down clear
instructions to help my mechanic and what tools he'll need? Or should I
see a different mechanic...How long should it take to install the belt?
Thanks!

[email]mikesmith9999@hotmail.com[/email] wrote:[color=blue]
> Or should I
> see a different mechanic...How long should it take to install the belt?[/color]


Any decent body shop that does collision work can give you a firm price
to replace a seat belt. They might even tell you on the phone.

Body shops replace stretched, cut, blood-stained, and worn-out seat
belts every day.

<mikesmith9999@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1161111903.415966.20540@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> My mechanic has not replaced seat belts for years. He's not sure if he
> has all the tools. I don't want him to change the whole thing, but just
> the belt itself. Would someone be kind enough to write down clear
> instructions to help my mechanic and what tools he'll need? Or should I
> see a different mechanic...How long should it take to install the belt?
> Thanks!
>[/color]

You cannot replace just the webbing part of a seat belt. You must replace
the entire assembly, including the retractor, locking mechanism, webbing,
guides, and buckle.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

Thanks Ray and Barry. I'll go to a body shop.

B A R R Y wrote:[color=blue]
> [email]mikesmith9999@hotmail.com[/email] wrote:[color=green]
> > Or should I
> > see a different mechanic...How long should it take to install the belt?[/color]
>
>
> Any decent body shop that does collision work can give you a firm price
> to replace a seat belt. They might even tell you on the phone.
>
> Body shops replace stretched, cut, blood-stained, and worn-out seat
> belts every day.[/color]

"Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message
news:da8f5$45352f7d$44a4a10d$6035@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=blue]
>
> <mikesmith9999@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1161111903.415966.20540@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...[color=green]
>> My mechanic has not replaced seat belts for years. He's not sure if he
>> has all the tools. I don't want him to change the whole thing, but just
>> the belt itself. Would someone be kind enough to write down clear
>> instructions to help my mechanic and what tools he'll need? Or should I
>> see a different mechanic...How long should it take to install the belt?
>> Thanks!
>>[/color]
>
> You cannot replace just the webbing part of a seat belt. You must replace
> the entire assembly, including the retractor, locking mechanism, webbing,
> guides, and buckle.
> --
>
> Ray O
> (correct punctuation to reply)[/color]

And as a side benefit you'll also have an end to that nagging "failure to
retract" problem - for a little while at least! <G>
--
Mike Harris
Austin TX

"Mike Harris" <harrisremovethiswest@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:PhaZg.624$T_1.282@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...[color=blue]
> "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message
> news:da8f5$45352f7d$44a4a10d$6035@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=green]
>>
>> <mikesmith9999@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1161111903.415966.20540@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...[color=darkred]
>>> My mechanic has not replaced seat belts for years. He's not sure if he
>>> has all the tools. I don't want him to change the whole thing, but just
>>> the belt itself. Would someone be kind enough to write down clear
>>> instructions to help my mechanic and what tools he'll need? Or should I
>>> see a different mechanic...How long should it take to install the belt?
>>> Thanks!
>>>[/color]
>>
>> You cannot replace just the webbing part of a seat belt. You must
>> replace the entire assembly, including the retractor, locking mechanism,
>> webbing, guides, and buckle.
>> --
>>
>> Ray O
>> (correct punctuation to reply)[/color]
>
> And as a side benefit you'll also have an end to that nagging "failure to
> retract" problem - for a little while at least! <G>[/color]

When the HELL is Toyota going to use a stronger spring in the retractor
mechanism? Under warranty, the dealer replaced the driver seat belt TWICE,
in my 99 Toyota Camry. And it stll retracts poorly!!


[color=blue]
> --
> Mike Harris
> Austin TX
>[/color]

"sharx35" <sharx35@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:7AmZg.27729$P7.4780@edtnps89...[color=blue]
>
> "Mike Harris" <harrisremovethiswest@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:PhaZg.624$T_1.282@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...[color=green]
>> "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message
>> news:da8f5$45352f7d$44a4a10d$6035@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=darkred]
>>>
>>> <mikesmith9999@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:1161111903.415966.20540@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
>>>> My mechanic has not replaced seat belts for years. He's not sure if he
>>>> has all the tools. I don't want him to change the whole thing, but just
>>>> the belt itself. Would someone be kind enough to write down clear
>>>> instructions to help my mechanic and what tools he'll need? Or should I
>>>> see a different mechanic...How long should it take to install the belt?
>>>> Thanks!
>>>>
>>>
>>> You cannot replace just the webbing part of a seat belt. You must
>>> replace the entire assembly, including the retractor, locking mechanism,
>>> webbing, guides, and buckle.
>>> --
>>>
>>> Ray O
>>> (correct punctuation to reply)[/color]
>>
>> And as a side benefit you'll also have an end to that nagging "failure to
>> retract" problem - for a little while at least! <G>[/color]
>
> When the HELL is Toyota going to use a stronger spring in the retractor
> mechanism? Under warranty, the dealer replaced the driver seat belt TWICE,
> in my 99 Toyota Camry. And it stll retracts poorly!!
>[/color]
I don't think the problem is with the retractor spring. If the spring is
too strong, then the seatbelt would whip back and the buckle would become a
flying projectile, and people would complain about discomfort from being
pulled back.

When Toyota did a seat belt recall many years ago, the cause of poor
retracting was that the edges of the seat belts become frayed over time, and
the fuzziness was hanging up in the guides and in the retractor reel. The
recall fix was to use fine sandpaper to enlarge the opening in the seat belt
guides.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

"sharx35" <sharx35@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:7AmZg.27729$P7.4780@edtnps89...[color=blue]
>
> "Mike Harris" <harrisremovethiswest@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:PhaZg.624$T_1.282@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...[color=green]
>> "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message
>> news:da8f5$45352f7d$44a4a10d$6035@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=darkred]
>>>
>>> <mikesmith9999@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:1161111903.415966.20540@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
>>>> My mechanic has not replaced seat belts for years. He's not sure if he
>>>> has all the tools. I don't want him to change the whole thing, but just
>>>> the belt itself. Would someone be kind enough to write down clear
>>>> instructions to help my mechanic and what tools he'll need? Or should I
>>>> see a different mechanic...How long should it take to install the belt?
>>>> Thanks!
>>>>
>>>
>>> You cannot replace just the webbing part of a seat belt. You must
>>> replace the entire assembly, including the retractor, locking mechanism,
>>> webbing, guides, and buckle.
>>> --
>>>
>>> Ray O
>>> (correct punctuation to reply)[/color]
>>
>> And as a side benefit you'll also have an end to that nagging "failure to
>> retract" problem - for a little while at least! <G>[/color]
>
> When the HELL is Toyota going to use a stronger spring in the retractor
> mechanism? Under warranty, the dealer replaced the driver seat belt TWICE,
> in my 99 Toyota Camry. And it stll retracts poorly!![/color]


I only wish I could get mine done for free under some kind of warranty in my
Prizm. They aren't all the way shot, but they don't have enough spring in
them to retract the seatbelts without my guiding them by hand.

"Reasoned Insanity" <mintclovers@@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:TrtZg.4434$uJ2.908@dukeread03...[color=blue]
>
> "sharx35" <sharx35@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:7AmZg.27729$P7.4780@edtnps89...[color=green]
>>
>> "Mike Harris" <harrisremovethiswest@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message news:PhaZg.624$T_1.282@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...[color=darkred]
>>> "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message news:da8f5$45352f7d$44a4a10d$6035@msgid.meganewsservers.com...
>>>>
>>>> <mikesmith9999@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1161111903.415966.20540@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
>>>>> My mechanic has not replaced seat belts for years. He's not sure if he
>>>>> has all the tools. I don't want him to change the whole thing, but just
>>>>> the belt itself. Would someone be kind enough to write down clear
>>>>> instructions to help my mechanic and what tools he'll need? Or should I
>>>>> see a different mechanic...How long should it take to install the belt?
>>>>> Thanks!
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> You cannot replace just the webbing part of a seat belt. You must replace the entire assembly, including the retractor,
>>>> locking mechanism, webbing, guides, and buckle.
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> Ray O
>>>> (correct punctuation to reply)
>>>
>>> And as a side benefit you'll also have an end to that nagging "failure to retract" problem - for a little while at least! <G>[/color]
>>
>> When the HELL is Toyota going to use a stronger spring in the retractor mechanism? Under warranty, the dealer replaced the driver
>> seat belt TWICE, in my 99 Toyota Camry. And it stll retracts poorly!![/color]
>
>
> I only wish I could get mine done for free under some kind of warranty in my Prizm. They aren't all the way shot, but they don't
> have enough spring in them to retract the seatbelts without my guiding them by hand.
>[/color]


It seems like when the seat belt gets even a little dirty they have problems retracting.
At least for my cars and several friends and relatives it has been and cleaning the belt
cured the problem.

I just pull the belt's as far as they go out of the car then shut the door so its outside the car.
That makes it easy to give the belts a good gentle cleaning, rinse and time to dry.

GL
Dan