Tracer L4-116 1.9L SOHC (1991)
Seat Belt Retractor: Customer Interest
Front Seat Shoulder Strap - Locks Up In Retractor
Article No.
91-8-2
04/17/91
PASSIVE RESTRAINT - FRONT SEAT SHOULDER STRAP LOCKS UP IN RETRACTOR - UNLOCKING PROCEDURE
FORD:
1991 ESCORT
LINCOLN-MERCURY: 1991 TRACER
ISSUE:
The front seat shoulder strap may lock up in the retractor and cannot be extracted after the shoulder strap tongue is released from the
emergency release buckle. This usually occurs because the shoulder strap retracts too quickly and traps air between the layers of webbing.
This causes the locking bar to engage prematurely.
ACTION:
Use the following procedure to unlock the front seat shoulder strap retractor.
NOTE:
MAKE SURE YOUR HANDS ARE CLEAN BEFORE HANDLING THE SAFETY BELT WEBBING.
Figure 1
1.
Grasp the shoulder strap webbing near the opening in the floor console and try to feed some of it back into the retractor, Figure 1. Sometimes this
unlocks the retractor.
2.
If the shoulder strap retractor is still locked up, unbuckle the opposite side shoulder strap and allow the webbing to SLOWLY retract to prevent
the retractor from locking up.
3.
Remove the rear portion of the floor console as follows:
a. Pull the parking brake handle up.
b. Remove the four (4) screws retaining the rear portion of the floor console to the floor.
NOTE:
IT IS NECESSARY TO MOVE THE SEATS FULL REARWARD TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE FRONT RETAINING SCREWS AND
MOVE THEM FULL FORWARD TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE REAR RETAINING SCREWS.
c. Pull the tongue ends of both shoulder straps through their openings in the console panel and lay the panel aside.
NOTE:
IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO REMOVE THE ENTIRE FLOOR CONSOLE.
