Seat Belt Issue

[Marcellus]

The passenger seatbelt isn't clicking in to the part by your bottom.

It looks as though the locking bar isn't being held back once it's released.

If we shake and push we can eventually get it to lock.

So is this a replacement job and if so are the parts expensive and is it tricky?

[r129sl]

I have no idea what car is suffering this problem (I note from your profile you have an Audi, a Land Rover and a Ford Focus).

However, what you seem to be saying is that the seat belt buckle is broken and will not retain the belt's tongue or will not do so readily at least.

In almost all cars, the buckle is attached either to the car or to the seat frame by a single bolt or it is attached to a rail which itself is attached to the car by a single bolt. On modern cars there may also be a two or three pin electrical connector for the purposes of the air bag and the incredibly irritating warning to fasten your seat belt. A good thing to do would be to stoop down on your knees and have a good look during the day time (so that you have a chance of seeing clearly how it is arranged).

Seat belt buckles rarely are every expensive and (at Mercedes) generally are available for all models since the late seventies.

[Marcellus]

Ah yes, sorry must update my profile, it's a 2011 C-Class Merc.

Also forgive the lack of technical detail i didn't know the names of the parts.

So the issue is that the "tongue" doesn't got in to the "buckle" unless we shake the buckle, whilst holding down the relase button and pushing the tongue into the buckle.

Once it's in it stays there no issues.

I think that the car has the system which shortens the belt in a crash as yiu can feel it when you put the seat belt on. Would that be on the buckle end or belt end i've never worked it out.

Inany case it sounds as thought it's a straight and relatively easy replacement of the buckle to the car/seast, am i right?

Also any idea of the cost of the buckle assembly?

[r129sl]

I think the tightening is done on the belt end at the reel. The buckle is pretty rudimentary. I expect there's something fallen into the slot.

If you send me your chassis number, I can check for sure, but I think the part number is A2048602369 (item 300 in the attached picture) and the price is £35.75! And it looks relatively simple to fit although you might have to remove the seat. That in itself is usually easy enough but they are surprisingly heavy and I always end up scratching the paintwork or the interior trim or my leg or whatever.

Edit: the buckle bolts to the seat structure, not the car. You never know, you might be able to get at it without removing the seat.

[Marcellus]

That's great thank you, once again PH shows it's the font of knowledge for everything!!

It's going in to our local (non merc) garage on the 9th for them to "have a look" and if we do need to order the part I'll come back to you!