1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
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My new (to me) toy has two twisted belts - front passenger and rear driver's side passenger. O joy!
In all previous Saabs and Volvos I've owned with factory-incorrect seatbelt installation (which is to say ALL of them!), I've simply undone the big chunky lower securing bolt for the seatbelt assembly (where the lap portion of the belt originates), usually black in colour, from its mounting hole (the holes into which the bolts anchor always seem to be part & parcel of the body shell), turned the belt anchor around and done the bolt back up again, tightening up, well... just as tight as I possibly could. Result has been seatbelts that are straight as they should be and which don't corkscrew uncomfortably around the occupants' shoulders and/ or waists in order to fasten properly. Only know this actually worked safely in one car as it was one in which I was hit and the seatbelt functioned exactly as intended.
Alldata has no info on 9-3 seatbelt maintenance procedures and my Haynes (still in the mail) is unlikely to have specifics for the convertible.
In this car, the front passenger belts are anchored to a straight black steel swinging arm about 8" long, which is in turn anchored to the outer floor/body by a giant bolt. As the car is used, I'm not even sure if there should be some chintzy plastic trim on this swinging arm that has long ago been broken/kicked off by negligent backseat passengers(?) Does anyone know if I can just undo this bolt and re-tighten it without having to worry about some vital internal back piece (into which the bolt would fit) falling beyond reach?
Should I have ANY reason to suspect my past methodology for repair would not work in the case of a 9-3 'vert?
Exact same questions for the back seat anchor bolt, which I located in the back/bottom corner of the inner body shell when I yanked out the rear seat bottom cushion. Kinda awkward to get at but not impossible.
Also, does anyone know if there is a lb.-ft. max torque value for tightening said bolts back up again? Or do I just "give 'er" as usual until I can a-tighten no further?
Oh and a bonus question: the little black plastic "button" that keeps the seatbelt buckle in place when the belt is retracted has broken away on the driver's belt. Is there a replacement method/part for this? Or am I looking at a $new$ belt?
Profuse thanks for all considered words of advice!
(BTW - without making this into a rant, I should point out that every single Swedish car I have ever owned, Saab or Volvo, has had at least ONE seatbelt installed backwards at the factory, from a 1976 model to this 2002 model. Swedish attention to safety details seems a tad lax in this respect... I sure hope recent models have been more carefully assembled! I just HATE twisted seatbelts!)
posted by 74.14.159...
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