Hi folks,

Yes, another question as I remember things I notice. My driver's seat belt is very slow to retract (2011 E350 CDI w/ 170,000 kms). It will retract by itself, but it does take a while. It is quite easy for me to help it along, but I don't think I should have to do that. It is not dirty, so I don't think anything is interferring with it. Any thoughts about this?

Thanks,
Glenn

 

Pull b-pillar to check mechanism: https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...ml#post7388839

 

You probably have dust inside the B pillar. Have a can of air duster handy to clean it out. Also no matter what you see or don't see, the seat belt is probably dirty. Just pull it all the way out and try cleaning it too. Don't use anything too harsh to clean it otherwise you'll damage the webbing.

 

There are a few common causes of slow seat belt retraction. Some are simple to remedy. One is a lot more involved.

First is grimy dirt in the turn buckle (aka D-ring). This is the device that the seat belt webbing comes out of, to the left and above the driver's shoulder. Pull out the seat belt webbing enough to lift it above the turn buckle, and inspect for grime. Thoroughly clean it up with interior cleaner.

Another is dirty seat belt webbing. If the seat belt webbing is dirty, it can get stiff, and it doesn't take up onto the seat belt retractor spool very well. Just clean the seat belt webbing. I recommend using a solution of warm water and Woolite. Put the cleaning solution in a bowl or small tub, that will fit on the driver's seat. Pull all the seat belt webbing out, and clamp the seat belt webbing up by the turn buckle, so it can't retract. Put all the webbing in the cleaning solution and let it soak for a while. Then scrub it with a soft brush. Once clean, replace the Woolite solution with warm water and rinse the cleaner from the webbing. Next, pat the webbing dry with a towel. Let the webbing thoroughly air dry before letting it retract. This may take overnight.

Lastly, the grease on spring, for the retractor webbing spool, gets thick over time. It is a lot of work to pull a seat belt retractor. And it takes quite a bit of careful work to open the spring cassette without having the spring pop out and uncoil all over the place on you. When I was working in a seat belt manufacturing facility, I did this hundreds of times. But I also had a few springs get away from me. I wouldn't recommend it for the inexperienced. If the spring pops out, it is all but impossible to reassemble, and at that point, you will need a new seat belt. So if the first two items don't remedy your slow seat belt retraction, you either have to live with it or get a new seat belt.

 

That is probably going overboard if you have to take it apart to repair it. You can play with the mechanism once you have the b-pillar apart and see if it retracts once you get all the dust out of it. I did manage to fix mine on the W211, had a lot of dust accumulated on it, worked like new once it was all blown out and I didn't have to take it apart. If it didn't work, I was just going to take out the whole mechanism and send it out and get it fixed. Not that much and I think you run into the same possibility if you end up buying a used one on eBay.

https://www.safetyrestore.com/conten...epair-services

 

As I stated earlier, I also do not recommend attempting to repair a seat belt retractor. It takes a lot of experience and practice. And a lot of intimate knowledge of the internal workings.

I did not know that there were seat belt repair services available. That looks like a great option, if the cleaning methods don't do the trick.

 

Thanks guys,

It seems to me that the grease shouldn't be interferring with the operation after only 11 years or it would be all over the internet about MB's terrible seat belts. More likely to be dust or dirty seat belt webbing, I think, given the possible causes. Only 171,000 kms, but mostly city driving. I'd expect lots of seat belt cycles, so I'll predict dirty seat belt webbing.

Can't get Woolite here. Do you think any other standard laundry detergent will do the trick?

Thanks,
Glenn

 

Do you have a laundry detergent that is specifically intended for cleaning delicate fabrics? That is what Woolite is. If I understand correctly, one of it's characteristics, that makes it well suited for cleaning auto interiors, is that it is ph balanced. Do you have a product like that available to you?

 

Thank you. I hadn't realized why Woolite. I'm sure there is something here for delicate fabrics. There are a million different ones on the shelf, so I will choose carefully. You recommended warm water. Sounds like you've done this before. If the water is hot, is there risk of damage? I only ask because hot is the way to go with other grease type cleanup. I do know that skin oil is not like gear oil.

 

Yes, I have. It works quite well. Be patient. Seat belt webbing is tightly wove, and it may take some time and effort to get all the stains removed. I can't speak to any risk of using hot water. Warm water is what was recommended in the instructions I found, when I was working on this. I suspect if the temperature of the solution is such that you can work with your hands in it, to scrub the webbing, it would be safe for the webbing.

 

Warm is probably also easier on your hands as opposed to hot. Get a bowl and you can soak the belt in the bowl of water. Once you pull the belt out, you can use something like a big binder clip to stop the belt from retracting so you can just let it air dry afterwards.