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Drivers side seat belt stuck open- FIXED


Dad
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87 TSI

 

Both belts worked fine, stopped at auto parts store and DS released but now it won't go back. stuck in forward position. Passenger side works fine.

Drivers side door switch turns on the open door light.

 

Just looking if it might be anything besides the seat belt motor.

 

TY

 

Dad

 

Fixed--- see further in post for info

Edited by Dad
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Check the limit switches on the ends of the belt. One is under the A pillar and one is behind the side panel next to the rear seat. You can take them apart and clean the metal contacts. Of course use a little dielectric grease.

Jimmy

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the small tabs that activate the limit swt's just lay in the belt and over time they wear and get out of place and can bind or not contact the swts

it's a lot of work to get acess to every thing for such a small job :(

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the small tabs that activate the limit swt's just lay in the belt and over time they wear and get out of place and can bind or not contact the swts

it's a lot of work to get acess to every thing for such a small job :(

 

That is why I always do the front one first...I think it controls the "go to the back" motion anyway.

Jimmy

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check the front switch first for sure, it's easy to get at, if the limit switch slid forward a bit it won't work, nothing is that easy though huh dad ? i doubt it's the motor but i have one if you need it. freebie.
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check the front switch first for sure, it's easy to get at, if the limit switch slid forward a bit it won't work, nothing is that easy though huh dad ? i doubt it's the motor but i have one if you need it. freebie.

 

 

Thank's Harry. I have another assembly, just don't want to have to change it.

 

 

Thank you guys also, sometimes it would stick when moving, or kind of stutter- I did just the other day spray siicone lub on it and ran smooth as silk till today.

 

So limit switch is under the a piller?

 

Dad

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Thank's Harry. I have another assembly, just don't want to have to change it.

 

 

Thank you guys also, sometimes it would stick when moving, or kind of stutter- I did just the other day spray siicone lub on it and ran smooth as silk till today.

 

So limit switch is under the a piller?

 

Dad

There is one switch at each end of the "moving mouse" belt/track. So the easy-to-get-to one is under the "A" pillar trim/cover. The other is underneath the interior skin panel behind the front seat headrests. To get to that one:

* remove two little plastic covers on the rear seat bottom. Undo the screws hidden by each cover.

* Pull the rear seat up/out. Feed the seat belts through the holes.

* Look at the interior trim piece near the floor... you'll see a small phillips screw near the back of it - hidden by the rear seat belt spool. Take that screw & the spool out. Then flip the seatbacks down and look at the carpet near the "U" shaped metal bar that the seat clamps to. You'll find a 10mm bolt/screw tucked into a hole in the carpet near that "U" fitting.

* With those out, the lowest interior panel should wiggle free.

* With the lowest panel out, the long/skinny/padded shoulder piece comes out next: there is a flap of fabric/leather hanging down... that flap covers the 2 screws to remove. Then the piece pulls forwards and out... you'll see a big metal clip on the backside.

* The trim panel from the shoulder bit to the roof is next. Remove the coat hanger clips and the screw underneath the plastic dome/lid. The rest is plastic push-in clips, like those on the door interior panels, that need to be popped one by one. The "trim stick" tool works best... it's just a "Y" shaped flat metal piece that fits around the clip so you can pry on the flimsy hardboard without tearing the hardboard. Two screwdrivers work almost as well.

 

For others reading this thread: the seat belt motor system has its own door open/closed sensing switches, separate from the ones driving the dome light... they can be bad and yet the dome light (and factory car alarm) will still work normally.

 

mike c.

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Hi DAD, I had the same trouble , after checking out all the "easy stuff" I had to replace the Automatic seat belt control unit behind the radio, that took care of my problem ,what a job. :wacko:
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Hi DAD, I had the same trouble , after checking out all the "easy stuff" I had to replace the Automatic seat belt control unit behind the radio, that took care of my problem ,what a job. :wacko:

 

 

I have the same problem as Dad has with the driver seat belt stuck open and the passenger belt stuck closed!

 

How can one check to see if that motor behind the radio works...I don't have a radio in there yet and would need to test this unit first before doing all that tear up work of the rear to get to the switches!

 

Anyone know how to check one of these out to see if it is any good?

 

Suzanne

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the unit under the radio is not a motor it's a control modual

its not much of a logic modual more like a complicate'd relay system with diodes to control power flow

 

i have one time cut the belt a couple slots shorter and relocate'd the stop piece in a new slot so it was held in better , the belt is longer then need'd

looks just like a gm window lift belt ,,plastic ladder looking strip

the tab that contacts the swt wears the belt and this alows the tab to get side ways,,thats what causes the jerky operation

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Hi DAD, I had the same trouble , after checking out all the "easy stuff" I had to replace the Automatic seat belt control unit behind the radio, that took care of my problem ,what a job. :wacko:

 

 

Was it just one side not working?

 

this does not look like fun. :unsure:

 

Dad

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Was it just one side not working?

 

this does not look like fun.

 

Dad

 

 

think positive old man ;)

 

 

OK, I'm positive it won't be fun LOL

 

Randy

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Same problem here, fixed.

 

There is another switch in the back of the door latch. Its different from the dome light switch.

 

If you look at the door latch in the back there is a small switch that contacts the striker.

 

Use a small screw driver to push and wiggle that switch and see if the betl starts to move.

 

I removed the lock/latch and cleaned that little switch and had no more problems.

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Was it just one side not working?

 

this does not look like fun. :unsure:

 

Dad

Yes, it was working fine on the pass. side but not on driver side, I got another box off e-bay and swapped it out and everything worked fine, both sides, I plugged the old box back to see if it was a plug issue but it wasn,t. Good Luck. David

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dad if you could please post a fix and maybe a pic or two would be great.

 

 

Well, it's fixed but not the normal type problem that one may occur.

 

after checking the unit under the radio , and the front switch, and the door switch, I finally headed for the rear switch , had to remove the rear seat, and the side panels just behind drivers door up to the headliner- well guess what I saw...... here is a pic..

 

http://www.enginemachineservice.com/wire.jpg

 

The wires that you see are just the way I found them, just gave a wiggle and belt started working.

NO SOLDER- NO TAPE, NO SHRINK TUBE, just 2 bare wires twisted together at the switch, I can't believe they lasted all year.

 

This is the kind of stuff I have been haveing to fix,.

 

I really glad thats all it was and that it did not short- at least I don't have to replace the track assembly.

Thank's for the help My friends.

Dad

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What wrong with that wiring :confused0024: I don't see anything a soldering iron and heat shrink won't fix :) At least it wasn't hard to get to...... :hmm3grin2orange:

 

Don't forget to go ahead and clean that limit switch up and dielectric it while you are so close to it.

 

Jimmy

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What wrong with that wiring :confused0024: I don't see anything a soldering iron and heat shrink won't fix :) At least it wasn't hard to get to...... :hmm3grin2orange:

 

Don't forget to go ahead and clean that limit switch up and dielectric it while you are so close to it.

 

Jimmy

 

 

NOPE won't do it and you can't make me- its going back together- works fine- If it ain't broke i won't fix it! :hmm3grin2orange:

 

Dad

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  • 5 years later...

Same problem here, fixed.

 

There is another switch in the back of the door latch. Its different from the dome light switch.

 

If you look at the door latch in the back there is a small switch that contacts the striker.

 

Use a small screw driver to push and wiggle that switch and see if the betl starts to move.

 

I removed the lock/latch and cleaned that little switch and had no more problems.

Where is this switch located and how do you find it? I could not find it, I think he is talking about the door latch switch that controls the dome and door lights which is in the door?

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