Slow seat belt return
- Thread starter EamonnDH
- Start date
Proghound
Admin Team
Someone posted up about good results from washing it the other week. Something like, bucket of warm soapy water on the driver's seat, pull seatbelt to full extent, clamp off to stop return, allow what you can get in the bucket to soak for the morning and agitate to wash it, then dry off as much as possible and allow the rest of the day to dry fully. Apparently the moisture, grease, dirt etc. they soak up from years of use makes them expand and be more difficult to get through the top holder.
Jeff Sutcliffe
A2OC Donor
There was a recent post (I can't remember who posted it) where the belt had improved its retraction after being washed. A cover on the driver's seat, a good soak in bucket of warm water with something suddy, a clothes peg to stop the belt retracting, then a rinse with clean water and drying with lots of kitchen roll paper is how I remember it.
Jeff Sutcliffe
A2OC Donor
Beat me to it!
Didgesteve
Member
I had the same thing on mine and found that a spray of Silicone fixed it.
Pull the belt all the way out and as you let it rewind, spray down into the return slot, covering the belt as it goes.
Pull the belt all the way out and as you let it rewind, spray down into the return slot, covering the belt as it goes.
johnyfartbox
A2OC Donor
Dave (special edition) posted the wash and dry method, done it myself and it does work.
audifan
A2OC Donor
It is best to wash the belt with the soapy water ( oxy action and warm water ) and dry it afterwards. The polish and other sprays are very short lived and make the situation worse when more dirt and grease sticks to the belt. I jammed a rag into the slot in the trim where the belt retracts instead of a peg. This also stopped too much liquid getting down into the belt reel. Do not use washing up liquid after all the belt is fabric...
Malcyb
Member
Reviving old thread alert... my seatbelts had been very slow to return for sometime and resolved to do something about it.
Stopped the belt returning with a couple of pegs on it where it disappears into the door pillar trim. Sponged it with a solution of 2 scoops of oxy action in 4l of warm water (covering the seat first) - the water went a fairly nasty grey colour so it was clearly getting a lot of muck out. Rinsed generously. Got the worst of the dampness off with a hairdryer then left overnight. They are now returning really well. So this method definitely works and pretty easy.
audifan
A2OC Donor
Just to add to my earlier post 2 years ago about the cleaning method. Unclip both trim panels on the B pillar from their top end where the belt disappears in. Now holding this trim away from the belt you will see a metal bar that the belt passes through. it is held on with 2 small torx screws. Remove the screws to release the bar and thoroughly clean it but do not use any abrasives. Once clean apply a little car polish and buff off, now refit it with the 2 screws and reattatch the trim panel. This makes the belt smoother to retract.
I've got a couple of cars where this is definitely an issue and one that is beginning to slow down - in fact on at least one the belt is noticeably adhesive to the touch in places. Will try the clothes-peg, oxy action cleaner / bucket approach at the weekend, but then also introduce the Rug Doctor Spot Cleaner to suck excess moisture out before using a hairdryer to dry the belt off. @audifan 's approach also sounds like it might be a good move as presumably the clarty belts will have left residue behind as well.
Additionally, my other half's car has somehow acquired a twist in the driver's seatbelt - not entirely sure how that has happened, but maybe opening everything up will provide an opportunity to get this sorted out as well.
Additionally, my other half's car has somehow acquired a twist in the driver's seatbelt - not entirely sure how that has happened, but maybe opening everything up will provide an opportunity to get this sorted out as well.
Catnip64
A2OC Donor
Robin @Robin_Cox - Did you fix the twist in the belt? Mine's the same and I can't work out how it's got that way either!
It's a 180deg twist and the only way I can see to fix it would be to dismantle the spool assembly, detach the belt and re-fit, so I would be interested to know if/how you resolved.
no, it's still twisted! Additionally, owing to my other half tactically going shopping a number of times recently when the weather has been good enough to do car work I've not even managed to shampoo and vacuum the belt....
I was wondering if one solution for the belt would be to unscrew the lower attachment point, rotate the belt twice to undo the twist and re-attach it. For some reason I've got it fixed in my head that there is a hex bolt screwed through the belt into the frame down there somewhere. Would need to maybe ask A2Steve or Clackers if there is anything special needed to be done to undo this - obviously as a safety-critical connection I would be amazed if it is completely straightforward.
ie - part 6 on this diagram, I wasn't dreaming it.
three-point safety belt Audi A2 (A2) 2003 year Audi EUROPA 857060
three-point safety belt Audi A2 (A2) 2003 year Audi EUROPA 857060 spare parts
audifan
A2OC Donor
There is a natural twist in the belt. When done up the belt sits flat across the person. Do not be tempted to remove any fixings. If there are other twists the extend the belt all the way and remove the lower B pillar trim. Let the belt recoil onto the drum making sure there are no twists down there. My cleaning process has returned numerous belts to full quick retract. The other part I clean is the top metal guide bar for the belt as it goes behind the lower B pillar trim. Remove this and thoroughly clean it, so that it is completely smooth but do not use any abrasives on it.
Catnip64
A2OC Donor
The twist in mine is behind the B pillar trim (between items 7 & 1 in the diagram), and there are no other corresponding twists in the run of the belt to cancel this out.
The workshop manual does as you say show a natural twist, but interestingly, the belt tongue is the other way round to mine, so perhaps this is the issue and I simply need to move the twist down the belt. I always thought that the tongue should be visible to enable the driver to pull it out, but perhaps not. I wonder how many other cars are like this?
The workshop manual does as you say show a natural twist, but interestingly, the belt tongue is the other way round to mine, so perhaps this is the issue and I simply need to move the twist down the belt. I always thought that the tongue should be visible to enable the driver to pull it out, but perhaps not. I wonder how many other cars are like this?