Slow seat belt return

If you find a twist you can extend the belt then position the twist either above or below the latch plate. Then slide the latch plate over the twist by feeding the belt through the latch plate forming a loop until the twist is corrected. The latch plate points away from the B pillar.
 
audifan said:
If you find a twist you can extend the belt then position the twist either above or below the latch plate. Then slide the latch plate over the twist by feeding the belt through the latch plate forming a loop until the twist is corrected.
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Good idea, I'll try this out, hopefully it's an easy fix!
 
If the belt is twisted behind the B pillar trim this will also slow down the retracting of the belt, so important the belt runs untwisted in that area. Item 10 in your diagram is the guide bar that I remove and clean and apply polish to.
 
Catnip64 said:
The twist in mine is behind the B pillar trim (between items 7 & 1 in the diagram), and there are no other corresponding twists in the run of the belt to cancel this out.
The workshop manual does as you say show a natural twist, but interestingly, the belt tongue is the other way round to mine, so perhaps this is the issue and I simply need to move the twist down the belt. I always thought that the tongue should be visible to enable the driver to pull it out, but perhaps not. I wonder how many other cars are like this?

View attachment 86226
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… any tips please for removing the trim panels?

Thank you, Andrew
 
Yep to check the belt trim only needs to be "hinged" back from the top and held with a rag to free your hands up. If you do end up removing the B pillar lower trim on the drivers side remember to disconnect both the alarm and fuel buttons ( and reconnect them afterwards ).

For the front belts I find it easier sitting in the back and working from there with the front seat all the way forwards. Rear belts from inside the hatch.
 
Catnip64 said:
There's no need to remove the trim if you just need to clean/untwist the belt, simply unclip the top which is held on with two clips using a trim tool.
If you do need to remove, then here's the relevant pages from the manual:
Sill Trim
Rear Wheelarch Trim
Lower B Pillar Trim
Upper B Pillar Trim
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“a trim tool”; can you imagine not knowing what you already know?

I have never removed a trim panel.
I have a “household” toolset: screwdrivers (slot, cross, pozi): pliers in various sizes

I can tell you that in my car, I don’t need to use clips or other contrivance to keep the driver’s seatbelt extended in order to wash and dry. It loops around the osr head restraint

Andrew
 
andrewparkeruk said:
“a trim tool”; can you imagine not knowing what you already know?

I have never removed a trim panel.
I have a “household” toolset: screwdrivers (slot, cross, pozi): pliers in various sizes

I can tell you that in my car, I don’t need to use clips or other contrivance to keep the driver’s seatbelt extended in order to wash and dry. It loops around the osr head restraint

Andrew
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A set of tools like this is useful for removing panels inside the car:
Screenshot 2021-09-29 at 10.06.12.png
 
Just to add a couple of thoughts here (if not already mentioned somewhere..)

The first is that the top bracket on our car was quite 'sticky' and slowed the (clean) belt quite considerably. Make sure that this is de-gunked!

Second, be very sure that any chemicals used don't degrade the belt in any way. I imagine that oxy-action is quite aggressive. Bucket of warm soapy water and a scrubbing (nail) brush might be the best bet here.

When we first had our A2, the belts would barely return. I thought I was going to have to replace them, but a good clean really sorted them out.

?
 
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