1991 Toyota Camry Repair Question
Seat belts don't lock
1991 Toyota Camry 4 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 146000 miles
I have the same question as another writer. My daughter just bought this car and it seems the seat belts are not working whatsoever. They are loose and do not lock when pulled quickly. Is there any way to fix this to avoid expensive repairs? On Answer wiki one writer said that a steel ball inside needs to be demagnetized, but taking the seat belt apart is a very involved process. Other writers say the repair costs $500 for the front alone.
Asked by markdfilAnswer
Hi there,
Check in the slot with a torch, make sure there is nothing stuck in the mechanism, if there is no mechanical fault , i have improved the operation by blowing out with air and giving them a very light dusting with powered graphite.
Mark (mhpautos)
Thanks, Mark. Do you mean "powdered graphite"? Where can I get that? :)
Hi there,
yes powdered graphite. very late night when i wrote that, Your auto parts supplier should stock it ,if not they should know where to get it.
Mark (mhpautos)
[quote="markdfil"]Interior problem
1991 Toyota Camry 4 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 146000 miles
I have the same question as another writer. My daughter just bought this car and it seems the seat belts are not working whatsoever... quote]
I have a 1991 Camry as well and had the same concern when I first bought it. The front seat belts do not engage no matter how rapidly you yank them when the car is at rest or even while driving. Here's how you can test them before spending money on repairs. Take the car to an open field, drive it at moderate speed say 20mph and apply the brakes suddenly. The seat belt should engage and even if it fails to engage in the open area, you are still safe. That's how I tested mine and they work just fine. The assembly in this model is designed such that it responds to a sudden deceleration or rollover of the vehicle, but not to sudden acceleration of the belt. Newer cars have dual sensitive seat belts that respond to sudden movement of vehicle, webbing or other sensors.
Hope this helps.
Dev
Dev-dhd is exactly right. We found out after my last posting that in this model the seat belts only lock when the front of car dips down, as in a brake or crash. The seat belts work fine. We had our mechanic explain this to us without having to spend $, except for the $ I spent on graphite that I didn't need and the time taking apart the seat belt retractor compartment and putting it back together.