Seat belt mechanism replacement

razor4077 · 7th March 2008, 19:00

Couldn't find a thread for this, so created a new one.
The seat belts in my Lancer are old and don't work very well any more, in particular the belt retraction mechanism. So while pulling the belt out, it might get stuck, and after unclipping from the buckle, it just hangs there like a Miss India sash! I need to physically push it back into the side panel. These apparently are not repairable... if someone knows otherwise, please let me know.

I asked the HM people how much a new set would cost, and they told me 7.9k for each belt!! Insanely expensive!
Ok, so my question is, are there any good quality (but cheaper) aftermarket options? Picking them up from a scrapped car is an option, but I am not keen on risking that with seat belts.

Nitin · 7th March 2008, 19:03

Its a good move on your part to replace the seatbelts. Nothing as important as the seatbelts.
Are there other vendors who install seatbelts? Though it is expensive,it probably makes the best sense to get them done at the HM place. Atleast the job done will be reliable.

condor · 7th March 2008, 19:18

Seatbelts used in India are all manufactured by IFB. Whether they are used in a Lancer or a Indica.

The dealer is going to ask you to replace both. Suggest you try outside - even if you pay for two, replace only the faulty one. The other can be kept for future use / shared with any one else who may need one.

QUESTION:
Are the seat-belts swappable - or are they oriented specifically for use on their respective sides ?

razor4077 · 8th March 2008, 16:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by condor

Seatbelts used in India are all manufactured by IFB. Whether they are used in a Lancer or a Indica.

The dealer is going to ask you to replace both. Suggest you try outside - even if you pay for two, replace only the faulty one. The other can be kept for future use / shared with any one else who may need one.

Both need replacing, so that's not an issue. By "outside" what do you mean? Will the local parts shops have these? Any idea how much they cost outside?

Quote:

QUESTION:
Are the seat-belts swappable - or are they oriented specifically for use on their respective sides ?

I think they're swappable - at least that's what what they seem to be. Correct me if I'm wrong.

arpandiv · 8th March 2008, 17:47

you can contact Autoliv IFB for parts,i am sure they would be suppling them,you can either change the wheel or replace the whole belt..

nitrous · 8th March 2008, 18:01

Since the belts in my sumo(non-retractable type) went missing after the last repaint, i once went shopping for seatbelts. I found a complete kit for around 1000 bucks. These were retractable types.
Abhishek, go to automobile spare parts shop and ask around, they're quite easy to find.

razor4077 · 9th March 2008, 01:31

@arpandiv, nitrous: thanks. will look for them in the spare parts dukaan, failing which I will try to get in touch with IFB. Any contact details for them?

condor · 9th March 2008, 08:05

@razor, I doubt IFB is the right contact point. Try third party service stations etc. But if you want to replace both sides, you could just head for your regular / company service center.

manjubp · 9th March 2008, 08:46

Almost 2 years back, I got my driver's car seat belt replaced in my Indica at Concorde Bangalore. The brand new from IFB, costed something like Rs.2000, including fitting and some other minor services. So belt could have been some where around Rs.1500/-.

regards,
-manju

razor4077 · 9th March 2008, 12:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by condor

But if you want to replace both sides, you could just head for your regular / company service center.

Well, I did head to HM first, but then they quoted me a ridiculous amount of ~8k per seat belt!!
Which sounds even more ridiculous given what Manju was charged at Tata:

Quote:

Originally Posted by manjubp

Almost 2 years back, I got my driver's car seat belt replaced in my Indica at Concorde Bangalore. The brand new from IFB, costed something like Rs.2000, including fitting and some other minor services. So belt could have been some where around Rs.1500/-.

Will look for the belts outside and get them fitted at my non-authorized workshop!

condor · 9th March 2008, 12:21

About a year back, had a wty replacement of my front set of belts. The pair cost about 3.2k - 3.4k, but was covered under wty. Make- IFB. Vehicle - Sumo Victa. Problem - retraction.

@manju, was it for single or the set ?

8k is still high.

redeye · 9th March 2008, 18:25

yup razor is right , show room seat belts very expensive , ridiculous prices will try outside

longford · 24th October 2010, 12:58

Just FYI..

The seatbelt on my Hyndai Accent has gone kaput for over a month. Been very busy to get it into the dealership. Meanwhile, here are my two cents.

1. As correctly mentioned in an earlier post Atoliv IFB is the pretty much the single supplier for these parts. Their site autoliv.com is pretty informative on not just seatbelts but also on other safety parts like pre-tensioners that they supply as OEM.
2. I checked at the accessories shops and also called up the dealerships and they have quoted that it will cost approx 2000 to change the driver side seatbelts.
3. Since I was clear that the dealership will be changing the seatbelt, I decided to get adventurous and decided to open it up.
4. 2 panels removed - the sideboard and then the centre board. One nut removed to free the retractor. The retractor has two sides; one has the spring based click locking and the other side had steel rolled springs for the retract. Opened both sides with a screw driver to know whats inside it. The spring side has a big ball bearing; not sure what thats for. And also some plastic cog wheel to lock the mechanism. The rolled spring side is the key side for the retract. Since my car is inching towards the ten year mark next year, noticed that the coils had rusted and also broken, indicating no chance of a repair.
5. To conclude, it is wasy to open a few panels and uncork the retractor, but chances of fixing a block is good only if the steel coils are intact and not fragmented. Also, seeing the condition of the coil and the recent accident of a colleague, I would suggest that folks should do a simple uncork and review the retractor coil and functioning every 5 years or so, since it is a critical part in the safety irrespective of the dealership suggested intervals.

Cheers and hope it helps if you also have a seatbelt stuck.

As for me, I am headed to the dealership for the farcical car-care camp and hoping to get my seatbelts fixed for a lesser price on wednesday.

longford · 29th October 2010, 22:19

Got the seatbelt changed.

New Driverside seatbelt costed 1711+75.
discount 10% on parts and 20% on labour , thanks to the CarCare promotion
Net cost = 1600 + taxes

Jeep · 31st January 2011, 17:53

Need to fit seat belts on my 2001 Esteem VX rear seats. Originally, the car didn't come with rear seat belts.
Enquired at Surakshaa (MASS) and they said they do not do this work. They suggested me to try a well known workshop (chain) in south Bangalore which is well appreciated by team-bhp members as well. However, they too redirected me to Commercial street (the primary reason is because I want to install child seat for my 1.5 yr old) baby care shop. I am wary of doing this, since it is known that an improper install of a child seat is not safe.

Any pointers on who can help with installation of seat belts at the rear?

7th March 2008, 19:00	#1
razor4077 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,881 Thanked: 300 Times View My Garage	Seat belt mechanism replacement Couldn't find a thread for this, so created a new one. The seat belts in my Lancer are old and don't work very well any more, in particular the belt retraction mechanism. So while pulling the belt out, it might get stuck, and after unclipping from the buckle, it just hangs there like a Miss India sash! I need to physically push it back into the side panel. These apparently are not repairable... if someone knows otherwise, please let me know. I asked the HM people how much a new set would cost, and they told me 7.9k for each belt!! Insanely expensive! Ok, so my question is, are there any good quality (but cheaper) aftermarket options? Picking them up from a scrapped car is an option, but I am not keen on risking that with seat belts.
	() Thanks

7th March 2008, 19:03	#2
Nitin Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 3,294 Thanked: 22 Times View My Garage	Its a good move on your part to replace the seatbelts. Nothing as important as the seatbelts. Are there other vendors who install seatbelts? Though it is expensive,it probably makes the best sense to get them done at the HM place. Atleast the job done will be reliable.
	() Thanks

7th March 2008, 19:18	#3
condor Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Speed-brkr City Posts: 16,242 Thanked: 16,852 Times View My Garage	Seatbelts used in India are all manufactured by IFB. Whether they are used in a Lancer or a Indica. The dealer is going to ask you to replace both. Suggest you try outside - even if you pay for two, replace only the faulty one. The other can be kept for future use / shared with any one else who may need one. QUESTION: Are the seat-belts swappable - or are they oriented specifically for use on their respective sides ?
	() Thanks

8th March 2008, 17:47	#5
arpandiv BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 444 Thanked: 62 Times View My Garage	you can contact Autoliv IFB for parts,i am sure they would be suppling them,you can either change the wheel or replace the whole belt..
	() Thanks

8th March 2008, 18:01	#6
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 333 Times View My Garage	Since the belts in my sumo(non-retractable type) went missing after the last repaint, i once went shopping for seatbelts. I found a complete kit for around 1000 bucks. These were retractable types. Abhishek, go to automobile spare parts shop and ask around, they're quite easy to find.
	() Thanks

9th March 2008, 01:31	#7
razor4077 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,881 Thanked: 300 Times View My Garage	@arpandiv, nitrous: thanks. will look for them in the spare parts dukaan, failing which I will try to get in touch with IFB. Any contact details for them?
	() Thanks

9th March 2008, 08:05	#8
condor Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Speed-brkr City Posts: 16,242 Thanked: 16,852 Times View My Garage	@razor, I doubt IFB is the right contact point. Try third party service stations etc. But if you want to replace both sides, you could just head for your regular / company service center.
	() Thanks

9th March 2008, 08:46	#9
manjubp BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 679 Thanked: 625 Times	Almost 2 years back, I got my driver's car seat belt replaced in my Indica at Concorde Bangalore. The brand new from IFB, costed something like Rs.2000, including fitting and some other minor services. So belt could have been some where around Rs.1500/-. regards, -manju
	() Thanks

9th March 2008, 12:21	#11
condor Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Speed-brkr City Posts: 16,242 Thanked: 16,852 Times View My Garage	About a year back, had a wty replacement of my front set of belts. The pair cost about 3.2k - 3.4k, but was covered under wty. Make- IFB. Vehicle - Sumo Victa. Problem - retraction. @manju, was it for single or the set ? 8k is still high. Last edited by condor : 9th March 2008 at 12:22.
	() Thanks

9th March 2008, 18:25	#12
redeye BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: bangalore Posts: 275 Thanked: 4 Times View My Garage	yup razor is right , show room seat belts very expensive , ridiculous prices will try outside
	() Thanks

24th October 2010, 12:58	#13
longford BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 159 Thanked: 13 Times	Just FYI.. The seatbelt on my Hyndai Accent has gone kaput for over a month. Been very busy to get it into the dealership. Meanwhile, here are my two cents. 1. As correctly mentioned in an earlier post Atoliv IFB is the pretty much the single supplier for these parts. Their site autoliv.com is pretty informative on not just seatbelts but also on other safety parts like pre-tensioners that they supply as OEM. 2. I checked at the accessories shops and also called up the dealerships and they have quoted that it will cost approx 2000 to change the driver side seatbelts. 3. Since I was clear that the dealership will be changing the seatbelt, I decided to get adventurous and decided to open it up. 4. 2 panels removed - the sideboard and then the centre board. One nut removed to free the retractor. The retractor has two sides; one has the spring based click locking and the other side had steel rolled springs for the retract. Opened both sides with a screw driver to know whats inside it. The spring side has a big ball bearing; not sure what thats for. And also some plastic cog wheel to lock the mechanism. The rolled spring side is the key side for the retract. Since my car is inching towards the ten year mark next year, noticed that the coils had rusted and also broken, indicating no chance of a repair. 5. To conclude, it is wasy to open a few panels and uncork the retractor, but chances of fixing a block is good only if the steel coils are intact and not fragmented. Also, seeing the condition of the coil and the recent accident of a colleague, I would suggest that folks should do a simple uncork and review the retractor coil and functioning every 5 years or so, since it is a critical part in the safety irrespective of the dealership suggested intervals. Cheers and hope it helps if you also have a seatbelt stuck. As for me, I am headed to the dealership for the farcical car-care camp and hoping to get my seatbelts fixed for a lesser price on wednesday.
	() Thanks

29th October 2010, 22:19	#14
longford BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 159 Thanked: 13 Times	Follow Up Got the seatbelt changed. New Driverside seatbelt costed 1711+75. discount 10% on parts and 20% on labour , thanks to the CarCare promotion Net cost = 1600 + taxes
	() Thanks

31st January 2011, 17:53	#15
Jeep BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: London Posts: 442 Thanked: 67 Times	Re: Seat belt replacement Need to fit seat belts on my 2001 Esteem VX rear seats. Originally, the car didn't come with rear seat belts. Enquired at Surakshaa (MASS) and they said they do not do this work. They suggested me to try a well known workshop (chain) in south Bangalore which is well appreciated by team-bhp members as well. However, they too redirected me to Commercial street (the primary reason is because I want to install child seat for my 1.5 yr old) baby care shop. I am wary of doing this, since it is known that an improper install of a child seat is not safe. Any pointers on who can help with installation of seat belts at the rear?
	() Thanks