Any ideas?
Focus ST 3dr.
It's the driver's one, it works fine in that when pulled hard it locks however it reluctantly retracts and the mechanism sounds a little gritty.
Any ideas? Could it be the way the belt is guided through the door pillar or is it most likely that the roller mechanism is faulty?
Thanks.
|
|
Quite common for these to play up on the Focus. I'm an MoT AE and have had to pick a few up on this. Assuming that the belt is laying properly on the retractor (i.e. not twisted) then only solution is a new belt unit. They are not servicable. Its not too difficult to replace.
|
|
|
|
Try spraying the webbing material with a small amount of furniture polish, then rub off any excess with a rag.
|
Try Drylube. No need to rub it off.
as in "Tableau Dry Lube Spray Silicone Lubricant" NOT the stuff for bikes !
( IMO it is also the stuff for curtain track )
|
Thanks all, bit worried about Mr Sheen all over my clothes ;-)
I reckon the belt unit sounds gritty so WT is probably correct, I will get it checked out.
|
Whatever you do, dont spray anything on the webbing. It may cause deteriorattion. If the belt is routed properly and the guides are in good condition then it should retract smoothly and fully. If it doesnt then replace the whole belt assembly.
As an MoT AE I will fail any belt unit that doesnt retract, doesnt loock or has fraying or contaminated webbing.
|
|
Furniture polish did the job for me.
|
|
Only ever put mild detergent and water on seat belts - to clean them. Never put anything else on, especially not any kind of lubricant, and never lubricate the buckles/catches.
|
|
Silicon lube is fine on belt buckles and catches though certainly oil based lubes should not be used.
|
|
Cockpit shine stuff works quite well too.
|
|
As an MoT tester one of the items I check is condition of webbing. If webbing is contaminated with any form of lube then I fail. I wont know if its silicone oil, mineral oil or anything else. Webbing takes enourmous forces during an impact and should not have anything put on it. Similarly buckles and catches must not be lubricated. If they are sticking or not working properly then they should be replaced with NEW items. They are not very expensive and one of the most important safety items on the car.
|
|
|
|
If the belt is routed properly and the guides are in good condition then it should retract smoothly and fully. If it doesnt then replace the whole belt assembly. As an MoT AE I will fail any belt unit that doesnt retract
Is that to retract fully, or as per the MOT guidelines? ie - retract sufficiently to remove all the slack from the belt with the locking mechanism fastened and the seat unoccupied.
www.motuk.co.uk/manual_510.htm
Method of Inspection
5. Fasten each belt locking mechanism and try to pull the locked sections apart. On retracting seat belts, check that with the mechanism fastened and the seat unoccupied, excess webbing is wound into the retracting unit
Reason for rejection
b. a retracting mechanism does not retract the webbing sufficiently to remove all the slack from the belt with the locking mechanism fastened and the seat unoccupied
|
I fasten the belt, pull lap portion tight and then pull and relise diagonal and allow it to retract. There should then be a bit of tension on the diagonal. If there isnt then its a fail. In practise this means that a little bit of slack in an unfastened belt is OK, but it really is only a little bit. You want these things to work properly for the good of yourself and passengers. I would recommend any owner to replace a belt that is not working properly and not start putting stuff on the webbing. The Ford retractors can go noisy and rattle when they retract and should be replaced, they are not expensive.
Simiarly any buckle should release immediately at first push, if it doesnt then replace!
|
|
Since this is a company owned vehicle then take it to Ford for them to sort it out. Even if it means getting a new seatbelt system fitted. Don't mess with it yourself. It's not your car the fiddle with anyway ;-)
|
Since this is a company owned vehicle then take it to Ford for them to sort it out. Even if it means getting a new seatbelt system fitted. Don't mess with it yourself. It's not your car the fiddle with anyway ;-)
Sometimes it is easier to do a ten or twenty minute job yourself than to take it to the dealer. The gritty sounding mechanism tells me that it is more than just the webbing sticking, reinforced by WT's comments that he has come across this on the Focus, so it will indeed go to the dealer.
I agree with WT re no lube on the webbing though silicone lube is defo ok on buckles and catches and actually helps to ensure safe actuation.
BTW I pay enough tax on it to be able to fiddle with it as much as I like ;-)
|
|
|
|
|
|
