Hi everyone!

I'm new here and thought that maybe I could get some help

I have an older Mazda Protege - 1997.

The passenger side seatbelt sticks from time to time. What I mean is that you can't pull the seat belt all the way to buckle in. It's as if the locking system is stuck. Sometimes it gives and other times it doesn't. I've tried WD40 and it worked for about a minute LOL!

I took it to my mechanic and they said it would be over $300 to fix it. I'm just wondering if there is another alternative or if anyone knows of a way that I can try to get in there and see for myself.

Thanks in advance!
CG

 

A modern day seat belt must be absolutely level when mounted in order to work as intended. They have a pendulum built into them that swings to lock the harness when excessive change in forward or rear motion is detected.
i.e. If the car was in an accident and the "b" pillar was not repaired correctly, this can cause problems with the unit.
However, chances are that as you have already done, the mechanism is sticking and needs to be cleaned and lubricated for proper operation. IMO, WD may not be the best choice as it only lasts a short time before it needs to be done again.
If you can what I would do is to remove it from the car and disassemble the unit, clean off any obvious dirt with compressed air and/or a soft brush, use a cleaner on it such as a non-chlorinated brake cleaner, make sure the unit moves freely and does not bind, then lubricate with a light weight machine oil (like sewing machine oil) and reassemble.

 

I wouldn't recommend taking apart a seatbelt retractor. There are more parts than you think inside of those and if you put it back together incorrectly the results could be disastrous.

I'd replace it with a factory service replacement part.

The Passenger side seatbelt retractor (comes with the seatbelt) cost at a dealer is $117.40

Replacing the retractor is fairly simple, it should be only a couple of bolts to remove and replace once you get the b-pillar trim pulled out. Make sure you lapply loc-tite to the fasteners and properly torque the bolts when you re-install.

 

Sorry, I wasn't very clear... what I meant to suggest was to remove the outer plastic cover(s,) usually 4 phillips head screws ea, and if possible pull the belt portion of it as far out as it will go for better access to the interior of the mechanism. Then clean and lube it.

 

thank you so much for your help Your advice is much appreciated.

You mentioned popping of the plastic cover to gain access to the unit. What exactly is a b-pillar unit?

Thanks again

 

The b-pillar is the plastic trim piece that is just next to the seat (runs from the floor to ceiling on the outboard side) - it's what the seatbelt retractor is hidden behind.

 

An "A" pillar is the post that runs from the roof down the windshield to the cowl or firewall. A "B" pillar is always the next vertical pillar/support in the body structure. So if you have a coupe the b pillar would connect from the roof to the trunk bulkhead. On a sedan (2 or 4 dr) has one in the middle of the passenger compartment... as SST said, usually right next to the front seats.
There will be a cover or trim over the metal that must be removed, then the seat belt itself can be accessed. Once the seat belt is unbolted from that, there is usually a plastic cover on one side, sometimes both sides, and they often come off by removing 4 phillips headed screws. Don't take it apart any further than this though. As SST stated earlier, you could certainly wreck the whole unit.

 

Thanks so much for the info. I'll try to take a closer look at it this weekend

 

Good Luck, ckg!! Please be careful not to take on more than you can though. Be cautious at every step so as not to ruin the mechanism, OK? Common sense, and taking one thing at a time is the best advice here. And if you have a digital camera, take a lot of pictures before and while disassembling. This can help a lot if you get lost while reassembling the unit.

 

Thanks Virgin1. Good idea with the digital pics. I took a brief look at it today and might even take them to put on here to make sure I'm taking apart the right thing