Manual Seat Belt Install
Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:06 pm
I know that the auto belts have different stuff going on but I have never seen them so i am unsure as to all the differences. Hopefully seeing how manual belts come out will help aid in understanding how they go in.
Be so gentle, because 15+ year old plastic is just jonesing to snap
Trim Components
Belt Components, big bolts are 16mm
First thing is to take off the B pillar bottom trim. You have to take off the rocker trim first since it overlaps on both sides
With the tabs exposed pull from the rear bottom corner to start and then the top pulling towards the front. With the B bottom trim off the tensioner is now exposed
which is held on by two bolts
Top
and bottom
The other end of the belt is under carpet
with the trim off you can pull the carpet back to reveal a white plastic piece with a hole in it which allows access to the bolt
the bolt sits in a black metal piece with a 90° bend coming off of it (as seen in the 2nd pic on the left side) This must be insterted and then rotated for the piece to seat and the bolt holes to line up
^^^if the belts you take out have this pay attention to how it comes out. If auto belts are different in this way then let me know if a better description of how this goes on is needed
this guy here seems self explanatory
moving upwards the shoulder corner comes off before the trim. pop the cap off to expose the 16mm bolt
careful, even though the B pillar trim appears to be the topmost layer, it has a tab underneath this joint, so pulling it straight off will break the tab off
when pulling these trim pieces off i don't use a tool, just grab both edges and slowly & firmly pull the piece perpendicularly away from the body
also, the metal retaining clips tend to come out of the holes instead of the tabs sliding out of the retainers. so when installing, you may need to take the clips off of tabs, put them into the holes and then gently press the tabs into the clips
So take the A trim off first being very careful about where it meets the B top trim and then the B trim comes off. conversely the B trim will have to be put in place first and then the A trim seated under it with the tab when installing
I am not sure but it might be a good idea to seat the trims together first and then put the joined ends of A and B in at the same time. Third arm anyone?
"installation is opposite of removal"
Die Haynes manual DIE!
When installing I would go in this order
1) A trim
2) B Trim top *careful of tab joining to A trim*
3) Shoulder corner
4) little black guide thingy
5) tensioner
6) end of belt with black bent piece
7) B bottom trim
8) rocker trim
The other thing with these belts is the buckles, which bolt directly to the body and not the seat
The bolt hole is just slightly underneath the center console and behind the seat rail. It will likely be covered in carpet but you can feel the depression through the carpet and cut a hole big enough to seat the bolt cleanly.
Here the entire center console is gone and you can see the harness to plug the drivers belt in. Not sure if this wiring will be there on a car with auto belts
If you have WRX seats you will have found this bolt hole already as the newer seat rails use this hole for the inside rear. If you are like me and have WRX seats AND manual belts you use the belt bolt to secure both the seat and the buckle
Be so gentle, because 15+ year old plastic is just jonesing to snap
Trim Components
Belt Components, big bolts are 16mm
First thing is to take off the B pillar bottom trim. You have to take off the rocker trim first since it overlaps on both sides
With the tabs exposed pull from the rear bottom corner to start and then the top pulling towards the front. With the B bottom trim off the tensioner is now exposed
which is held on by two bolts
Top
and bottom
The other end of the belt is under carpet
with the trim off you can pull the carpet back to reveal a white plastic piece with a hole in it which allows access to the bolt
the bolt sits in a black metal piece with a 90° bend coming off of it (as seen in the 2nd pic on the left side) This must be insterted and then rotated for the piece to seat and the bolt holes to line up
^^^if the belts you take out have this pay attention to how it comes out. If auto belts are different in this way then let me know if a better description of how this goes on is needed
this guy here seems self explanatory
moving upwards the shoulder corner comes off before the trim. pop the cap off to expose the 16mm bolt
careful, even though the B pillar trim appears to be the topmost layer, it has a tab underneath this joint, so pulling it straight off will break the tab off
when pulling these trim pieces off i don't use a tool, just grab both edges and slowly & firmly pull the piece perpendicularly away from the body
also, the metal retaining clips tend to come out of the holes instead of the tabs sliding out of the retainers. so when installing, you may need to take the clips off of tabs, put them into the holes and then gently press the tabs into the clips
So take the A trim off first being very careful about where it meets the B top trim and then the B trim comes off. conversely the B trim will have to be put in place first and then the A trim seated under it with the tab when installing
I am not sure but it might be a good idea to seat the trims together first and then put the joined ends of A and B in at the same time. Third arm anyone?
"installation is opposite of removal"
Die Haynes manual DIE!
When installing I would go in this order
1) A trim
2) B Trim top *careful of tab joining to A trim*
3) Shoulder corner
4) little black guide thingy
5) tensioner
6) end of belt with black bent piece
7) B bottom trim
8) rocker trim
The other thing with these belts is the buckles, which bolt directly to the body and not the seat
The bolt hole is just slightly underneath the center console and behind the seat rail. It will likely be covered in carpet but you can feel the depression through the carpet and cut a hole big enough to seat the bolt cleanly.
Here the entire center console is gone and you can see the harness to plug the drivers belt in. Not sure if this wiring will be there on a car with auto belts
If you have WRX seats you will have found this bolt hole already as the newer seat rails use this hole for the inside rear. If you are like me and have WRX seats AND manual belts you use the belt bolt to secure both the seat and the buckle