What's the cause and fix for this happening? Drivers side is fine, passengers side is a bit eh... Both rears are crap and barely want to retract. They will if feeding them in manually

Are there springs that weaken, lack of lubrication or something else? How do I go about fixing them up

The lesser used belts do tend to do that in older cars. Dirt and dust buildup, possibly.
Generally, a bit of exercise fixes it, ie pull the belt out to full length, then retract. Repeat as needed.
Make sure the belt isn't twisted.

I had a belt in the rear that would not retract I pulled it all the way out gave it a spray and pulled in and out a few times and it never gave me trouble again.

WD40

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/e3/77/a3/e377a3d273fa8d5743b4efd8bd45de83.jpg

1960's innuedo, much unsubtle, yes? lol

Where you going to point the WD40?

The seat belt drivers side in my TP gets less retraction pull on rainy days.
Presumably the moisture affects the belt so it doesn't slide as well.

I would not spray the seat belt with anything that might accelerate the break down the material.
Maybe give it a good wipe with a dry cloth!

The seat belt drivers side in my TP gets less retraction pull on rainy days.
Presumably the moisture affects the belt so it doesn't slide as well.

I would not spray the seat belt with anything that might accelerate the break down the material.
Maybe give it a good wipe with a dry cloth!

Manual warns not to use harsh cleaners or solvents on the webbing material in case it weakens it (I assume - the manual is full of 'do not . . . ' without saying why).
A wet sponge would be ok though. Surprising how much grot a belt accumulates over the years. Anyway, the stiffness comes from the spring inside the mechanism not working smoothly, webbing is not the problem with slow retraction.

Where you going to point the WD40?


Anyway, the stiffness comes from the spring inside the mechanism not working smoothly, webbing is not the problem with slow retraction.

You answered your own question ....... or am I being too Innocent?

You answered your own question ....... or am I being too Innocent?

I agree, lube the bit where the binding is happening. (I was hoping that someone else who suggested lube would come up with this info)

But that means you have to remove the cover off the seat belt retraction mechanism off the floor for the front seats, and in the boot for the rear seats. And Mal frowns at 'mucking about' with seat belt mechanisms. :eek2:. . . :woot: . . . . :iough:

Definitely no issue with the spring or clutch mechanism on the TP.
The belt retracts fine when dry and smooth.

A bit of moisture and the belt is no longer smooth to the tough.
The increased friction through the clasps / guides / spool makes quite an impact in terms of how well the belt retracts onto the spool.

Have to say though that this happens only to this one belt (extra moisture in the frame after it rains?)

If the belt always poorly retracts, then this is obviously not a candidate possibility.

I agree, lube the bit where the binding is happening. (I was hoping that someone else who suggested lube would come up with this info)

But that means you have to remove the cover off the seat belt retraction mechanism off the floor for the front seats, and in the boot for the rear seats. And Mal frowns at 'mucking about' with seat belt mechanisms. :eek2:. . . :woot: . . . . :iough:

I only "frown" at dismantling the belt becuase the people who made the belt clearly stated that these are NOT to be dismantled

Try first of all washing the webbing in warm soapy water, leave extended until they dry. I often find the webbing gets very dirty and gets stiff so has issues retracting through the guides

+1 on giving the webbing a wash. Surprising on how floppy a new belt is, and how grotty and stiff they get over the years.

I heard that using a bit of that silicone furniture cleaner on the actual belt itself gets them retracting nicely

I only "frown" at dismantling the belt becuase the people who made the belt clearly stated that these are NOT to be dismantled

Try first of all washing the webbing in warm soapy water, leave extended until they dry. I often find the webbing gets very dirty and gets stiff so has issues retracting through the guides

Both the rear seat belts are behaving similar to what has been described in this thread. I considering replacing the belts but, now i will try washing the webbing in warm soapy water. Thanks for this thread

If anything I figured the drivers side belt would be the dirtiest since it gets used all the time, the rear ones barely get used. I havn't tried washing the webbing yet but pulling them in/out several times all the way did help, but not as much as i'd like. They still don't fly back into position tightly, they retract but its kinda slow and there's still some slop in the belt. I did try using silicone spray but the mechanism is way down out of sight with the exception of the middle rear belt which did move a lot better

If anyone washes their belts let me know how it goes

I get the Mobile Auto mechanic guy round to service the TJ and he sprays silicone spray on the belts and they work like new.