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Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: grifter on 31 August 2022, 07:32:43

Title: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: grifter on 31 August 2022, 07:32:43
Hi All

Just wondered if anyone has or had one of these cars, it's my brother's car (2014 plate) and the drivers seat belt is doing his head in, it keeps locking when he's trying to pull it on. He asked VW about a new seatbelt and they said they have them but are about 360 each just for the part, so problably 500 all in plus fitting.

I'm pretty sure this is one way i.e sealed unit and not able to fix. The VW garage said bring it in and they can check it, but imagine it's a new seat belt it would need.

Thanks

G
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 31 August 2022, 09:39:43
It will need removing to investigate. At which point bolting in a new one will be quicker than prodding and poking at the broken one.

If summat has failed you won't be able buy the failed part, even if you access/replace it.

Factor in any airbaggery related wiring etc, you may as well just get a new one.
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: TheBoy on 31 August 2022, 10:48:20
Yup, I would replace.  Not necessarily with a brand new one if you can find a good one the right colour.
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: Rangie on 31 August 2022, 12:03:41
Had exactly the same problem on a Hyundai Terracan, replaced the complete unit as it was driving me crazy, from memory it was around the £300 mark.
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: STEMO on 31 August 2022, 14:59:56
Wife's astra was doing it, only when the weather was hot, strangely. It was ok once halfway out.
Couldn't be arsed to give it to Vx and local garage said they couldn't find anything wrong.
So I pulled it half out (not fully halfway, just half travel of the normal use) and fitted two of these to stop it fully retracting. A bodge, yes, but it works.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Newseego-Adjuster-Seatbelt-Comfortable-Experience/dp/B07F2V9WW2
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 31 August 2022, 17:22:35
Until the airbags go off :D
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: STEMO on 31 August 2022, 17:26:30
Until the airbags go off :D
What??
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 31 August 2022, 17:34:22
Until the airbags go off :D
What??
It will prevent the pretensioners from doing their job effectively, so if the airbags deploy, they won't protect you to the same level.
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: STEMO on 31 August 2022, 17:36:54
Until the airbags go off :D
What??
It will prevent the pretensioners from doing their job effectively, so if the airbags deploy, they won't protect you to the same level.
What difference is two, or one, small plastic clip at the front of your right shoulder going to make to the pretensioners? Plenty of room for the seatbelt to grab you.  ::)
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 31 August 2022, 17:53:03
The pretensioners have limited travel and become ineffective if the belt is slack.

Ask your insurers if you're still covered if you have your doubts ;)
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: STEMO on 31 August 2022, 18:15:11
The pretensioners have limited travel and become ineffective if the belt is slack.

Ask your insurers if you're still covered if you have your doubts ;)
I have no doubts whatsoever. Go and watch a nice conspiracy theory video, instead of posting on every single thread just for the sake of it, there's a good lad  :)
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 31 August 2022, 18:54:05
The pretensioners have limited travel and become ineffective if the belt is slack.

Ask your insurers if you're still covered if you have your doubts ;)
I have no doubts whatsoever. Go and watch a nice conspiracy theory video, instead of posting on every single thread just for the sake of it, there's a good lad  :)
That's rich ;D
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: STEMO on 31 August 2022, 18:54:42
The pretensioners have limited travel and become ineffective if the belt is slack.

Ask your insurers if you're still covered if you have your doubts ;)
I have no doubts whatsoever. Go and watch a nice conspiracy theory video, instead of posting on every single thread just for the sake of it, there's a good lad  :)
That's rich ;D
Have a count up, lad  ;)
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 31 August 2022, 19:08:59
I had the same problem with the drivers seatbelt on the Boxster. A quick squirt of WD40 into the mechanism seems to have cured it.
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: STEMO on 31 August 2022, 19:11:24
I had the same problem with the drivers seatbelt on the Boxster. A quick squirt of WD40 into the mechanism seems to have cured it.
The astra mech is buried inside the lower door trim. I thought about removing the door rubber and prising bits of trim off, but the clips seemed much easier  ;D
Anyhow, now that it's cooler, it works fine....and it will probably be gone before it gets hot again.
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: grifter on 31 August 2022, 23:45:24
Had read a story of someone with a polo, same problem, about same Year and miles aroun 40k, although out of warranty due to car age, and VW replaced it out of goodwill since it's a safety item and shouln't be goosed at 40k miles. Should think so - German engineeering anyone!
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 01 September 2022, 14:28:25
Probably the same part. And as long as it out lasts the warranty, I don't suspect that VAG would be too bothered either way.

And mileage is no indication of wear either... 40k miles could be 40,000 half mile trips to the shops... Or 80,000 uses of the seat belt.  ::)
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: grifter on 01 September 2022, 17:44:31
Probably the same part. And as long as it out lasts the warranty, I don't suspect that VAG would be too bothered either way.

And mileage is no indication of wear either... 40k miles could be 40,000 half mile trips to the shops... Or 80,000 uses of the seat belt.  ::)

Sure they test it for those kind of eventualities though, even so my 28 year old cavalier and 2002 year omegas with more than double the mileage & age have perfectly working seatbelts.
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 01 September 2022, 18:28:49
But did you use the seat belt as many times per mile?

If you only drove them 400 miles at a time, then you could have used the seat belt once every 400 miles rather than twice a mile.

Put another way, for your 80,000 miles at 400 miles non stop, the belt would have been used 200 times. That Polo belt might have been used 80,000 times to do the same mileage 1/2 a mile at a time.

Obviously those are two extremes, but the middle ground is probably a thousand times. Eventually stuff wears out.
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 02 September 2022, 14:25:51
Has the car had an accident in the parst, issues with the latching mechanism is usually a sign of stress on the mechanism.

I would just look for a second hand replacement and get it chucked in, not to tricky to do
Title: Re: VW Passat jamming seatbelt
Post by: grifter on 17 September 2022, 05:29:06
Has the car had an accident in the parst, issues with the latching mechanism is usually a sign of stress on the mechanism.

I would just look for a second hand replacement and get it chucked in, not to tricky to do

Not that I know, he bought it quite new so imagine less likely to have been in an accident, said it was ok up until recently. Saying that I remember back in the day when we used to share our folks car, I used to tell him off for his heavy handedness with interior fittings, might be him lol! Saying that he took it to VW and it's now fixed, still got to catch up with him to see what it was they done to it.