Rear seat belt issue.

[iain murray]

Hi there,

Ive recently bought my 993 and since discovered the o/s rear seat belt has stuck & wont release from the reel.

Is this a common fault?

I took it off & opened it up carefully, it is now free but doesnt recoil into its reel.

Any ideas?

Many Thanks, Iain.

 

[Guards Red]

From memory, there's a little cover on the side of the mechanism when you remove it from the car. Behind this is the inertia system which comprises of a metal ball which rolls forward and moves a lever on a ratchet and pawl system to lock the belt. Nothing will go boing! so it's okay to carefully prise this off making sure you don't break the tabs. Ensure that that ball has moved back into it's original position towards the back of its run. Once you have done this, if the belt pulls under pressure it means the return coil spring is fine.

From memory, so some detail may differ...... Hope it helps.

 

[iain murray]

Many thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Everything sounds exactly as you explain, however I think that the ball bearing may have been out of its position, so that may be the fault.

I will go and give it another look.

Cheers, Iain.

 

[Pickled Piper]

Iain,

The seat belt only spools out and rewinds properly when it is in the correct orientation due to the ball bearing. If you are holding it in your hand upside down it probably will not work.

Personally I wouldn't dismantle a seat belt mechanism. If it's not working properly change it for a new one. You don't want to find out you have messed it up in an accident situation.

pp

 

[iain murray]

Your absolutely right, but being an engineer I don't like it when things go wrong and I can't work out why.

I've had it to pieces again and the ball sits in a plastic nest which closes around it, there is a lightly spring loaded internal ratchet type device which has a spline that enters the seat belt spool. This is located on the same side as the ball mechanism.

All appears to fit together & the initial fault I had, which was that the reel had wound all the free belt in & would not release, has gone - leaving the belt running freely out but with no recoil now to take up the slack??

Bother!

 

[iain murray]

Porsche Edinburgh quoted £261 plus fitting & vat to replace the belt.

I sourced a replacement part from a breakers in Lancashire, who were brilliant, and the job cost me £59 ( I fitted it myself).
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