Passenger side auto seat belt not working

Scott Long

Registered User
I was at the store yesterday and left the car running while my friend and I ran in. When we came back out, i noticed 3 things. 1. My car didn't get stolen (thank god) 2. Clear turn signals on a black SC look great. 3. The passenger door was shut but the belt didnt' retract.

So we get in the car and my friend Adam tries opening and closing the door a few times, no luck. Well when I bought the car the belt was stuck there too. I paid ford to install a seat belt limiter switch or something and then it worked for about 4 years. I'm wondering if this switch in the door could have just came disconnected. Anyone know how hard it is to change it?

I'm going to pull the back seat out and open the compartment and crank the belt back so no one will get a seat belt ticket in my car. I hope this time the motor didn't burn out. Maybe this is the excuse I need to put harnesses in my car.

I am really getting sick of looking at the seat belt light. If it stays on once I crank the belt back manually I'm going to pull the gauge cluster and remove the bulb.

The other day I noticed the belt acting funny. With the door open it'd twitch and sometimes retract half way and then go back forward. I was thinking it is because of the cold air and I had just washed the car and maybe some cold water got down in the door on this switch. Thank god I unplugged the buzzer cuz that seat belt warning light sets off a buzzer and its really annoying.

Anyone have any ideas? I would be up for trying to replace the switch myself. Ed if you read this can you see if you can find me a Motorcraft part number. Thanks.
 
I'd try to find the switches and test them with a multimeter's ohmmeter function. If you exercise the switch with the meter connected you'll be able to see if it makes and breaks connection. It does sound like a limit switch. You've got a lot of breakable plastic trim to remove.
 
Those automatic seatbelts are such a freaking pain. They get loud if you don't maintain them (one more thing to have to maintain)

I beleive in Canada, years '89-'93 birds didn't have automatic seatbelts, I think it was illegal. You can probably purchase and replace the trim that the track is in with trim out of a canadian car.. and just put in the manual belts.


Chris
 
Well if anything I'm going to replace them w/ Schroth 5 point harnesses.

This morning I spent 15 minutes cranking the belt back by sticking one finger w/ into the opening and spinning the crank. Took forever, thank god I had my mechanics gloves on or I'd have worn through the skin on my hand.

After work my friend gets in and the belt works fine. I thought cool its fixed. But when he got out and shut the door it stopped in the forward position again.

Now I just got done cranking it back once again. How can I disable the damn thing completely till I have the time to replace the limiter switch. It has to be the limiter cuz the motor works fine, not noise, belt operates smooth as can be.

I want to pull the fuse that runs that circuit. Will I lose both belts or just the one? I don't care if that one is stuck in the back position for a few weeks. I don't ride in that seat any damn way. Or I guess I could unplug the motor to it but it looks hard to get at through the access door. And I'm doing this with the seat in. So any suggestions?

Thanks.
 
I guess I'll do that tomorrow after I get off work. I am going to Chicago for the Auto Show but I don't know if I'm driving my SC or riding w/ my friend. I get off early tomorrow (work sucks on weekends!) so I will give it a try.

I was looking through the access door trying to figure out how to unlplug it but I couldn't see much and I tried pulling on the wires to see if there was a connector to unplug but everything was packed in there good.
 
pull fuse?

Hi Scott,

I'd like to pull the fuse that you refer to in your post. Maintenance of the seat belt rails is also discussed. Can you give me some guidance as to what that entails? Mine are noisy and sometimes stick.

Thanks,

Jeremy
jlitow@hotmail.com


Scott Long said:
Well if anything I'm going to replace them w/ Schroth 5 point harnesses.

This morning I spent 15 minutes cranking the belt back by sticking one finger w/ into the opening and spinning the crank. Took forever, thank god I had my mechanics gloves on or I'd have worn through the skin on my hand.

After work my friend gets in and the belt works fine. I thought cool its fixed. But when he got out and shut the door it stopped in the forward position again.

Now I just got done cranking it back once again. How can I disable the damn thing completely till I have the time to replace the limiter switch. It has to be the limiter cuz the motor works fine, not noise, belt operates smooth as can be.

I want to pull the fuse that runs that circuit. Will I lose both belts or just the one? I don't care if that one is stuck in the back position for a few weeks. I don't ride in that seat any damn way. Or I guess I could unplug the motor to it but it looks hard to get at through the access door. And I'm doing this with the seat in. So any suggestions?

Thanks.
 
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