I had the b pillar off and now the drivers seat belt wont pull put of the ratcheting mechanism. Anyone know how to reset it? The mechanism was removed from the b pillar to work behind it. It went back in fine last time. But this time got stuck. Any help would me much appreciated!
Drivers seatbelt ratchet stuck
- Thread starter Onandoffroaddriving
- Start date
- Moderator
- #2
I've never had a LC mech apart, but in others (I assume the LC is similar) there is a "paw" with teeth that lock the mech in position during an accident. As yours wasn't in an accident I assume it's just jammed.
You might have luck by removing the mech and tap on the side while jiggling the belt in/out. The jarring might be enough to unjam the paw.
I have taken the mechs apart and manually released the paw, but they were not designed to be reset and sometimes involved drilling out some plastic pins to gain access to the paw. It also involved some creative solutions to get the cover securely back on.
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks for the tip. I had tried the jiggle to unlock, without disassembly, it ratchets further up the seatbelt. It is too far up the seatbelt to bolt back in place. I have it zip tied in place and plan to take to dealer if dont find solution over the weekend.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #4
I took a photo and grok gave a long response including the following which relieved the lock. Gently shaking side to side and the below: good to have it back together.
Reorient the Retractor to Release the Vehicle-Sensitive Lock:
• Action: The vehicle-sensitive lock uses a pendulum or ball mechanism inside the retractor that engages if the vehicle tilts or decelerates suddenly. If the retractor was tilted or jolted (e.g., during removal or a sudden stop), the ratchet may remain locked.
• How to Fix: Hold the retractor in its natural vertical position (as it’s mounted in the B-pillar, upright as shown in the image). Gently tug the belt to see if it releases. If it doesn’t, try gently shaking or tapping the retractor to free the internal pendulum or ball mechanism. Be careful not to damage the retractor housing.
Release the Webbing-Sensitive Lock:
• Action: The webbing-sensitive lock engages if the belt is pulled too quickly, causing the ratchet to grip the belt tightly. This can happen if the belt was yanked or mishandled.
• How to Fix: Slowly pull the belt in small increments to release tension on the ratchet. If it’s stuck, try letting the belt retract slightly (if possible) to reset the mechanism, then pull it out slowly and steadily. Avoid rapid pulls, as this will re-engage the lock.
Reorient the Retractor to Release the Vehicle-Sensitive Lock:
• Action: The vehicle-sensitive lock uses a pendulum or ball mechanism inside the retractor that engages if the vehicle tilts or decelerates suddenly. If the retractor was tilted or jolted (e.g., during removal or a sudden stop), the ratchet may remain locked.
• How to Fix: Hold the retractor in its natural vertical position (as it’s mounted in the B-pillar, upright as shown in the image). Gently tug the belt to see if it releases. If it doesn’t, try gently shaking or tapping the retractor to free the internal pendulum or ball mechanism. Be careful not to damage the retractor housing.
Release the Webbing-Sensitive Lock:
• Action: The webbing-sensitive lock engages if the belt is pulled too quickly, causing the ratchet to grip the belt tightly. This can happen if the belt was yanked or mishandled.
• How to Fix: Slowly pull the belt in small increments to release tension on the ratchet. If it’s stuck, try letting the belt retract slightly (if possible) to reset the mechanism, then pull it out slowly and steadily. Avoid rapid pulls, as this will re-engage the lock.
- Moderator
- #5
You might try, orienting the mech on it's side and tapping with a screwdriver handle as you let it retract one click............. IMO, at some point while it was out, it got bumped and the paw skewed just enough to not allow the drum to release.
- Thread starter
- #7
Yeah! It was a pain to have the seatbelt ratchet be locked and only ratchet further up the belt. Gentle josteling of the ratchet mechanism, and gentle back and forth of the belt released the lock. The locking problem can be avoided by drawing out extra seat belt length before hand, and handling the ratchet with slow and smooth movement.
- Moderator
- #8
I had a similar issue with an 08 Taco, now if I unbolt any seatbelt mech, I pull the belt almost all the way out and use a woodworking spring clamp to keep it extended.......... just in case!
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