Ek9 Seat belt tensioner working very slow


JDMjunkies.ch

1st Swiss EK9 (Rx) owner!
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Aug 29, 2007
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407
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EK9 Rx, S30 Z
Hi guys. Not sure if the name of the device is correct. but in my EK9 the seat belts are tensioning / retracting (rolling back in) very slow, once they're pulled out.
Is there anything i can adjust or improve here? it's the same on both sides, and im worried i need to replace both tensioners, but i'm hoping i can adjust or clean something to get it back retracting fast and with a certain tension.

Once you get out of the car, the belts often retract so slow that they hang out the door and get stuck once you close the door without checking, and on th e other hand it's also a safety issue if you ask me....

Any suggestions or inputs here? I prefer of course solutions where i don't have to take apart half of the car of course, but if that's the only serious solution then that's the way to go :)
 
Normally it is clogged with dust. Take off the plastic panel that covers it, extend them fully and clean outside the car with a jetwash etc, clean out the mechanism inside the car and make sure to grease it back up.

It might need doing a couple times if it quite bad inside there like mine were. If that doesn't work, new tensioner.
 
Thanks for your input! So you cleaned the belt itself with the jetwash and the mechanism with some cleaning fluids (degreaser?) and then re-greased? i might give it a try in a few days. thanks a lot for your advice
 
Thanks for your input! So you cleaned the belt itself with the jetwash and the mechanism with some cleaning fluids (degreaser?) and then re-greased? i might give it a try in a few days. thanks a lot for your advice
I pulled mine outside the car fully extended and shut the door, jet washed them off then cleaned them in a bucket to make sure the belt was clean.

When that was sorted, I looked at the mechanism and cleaned it out of dust etc then greased the rollers.

Works fine now.
 
Also, just an FYI, Honda seat belts are lifetime warranty so you should be able to get them replaced for free at the dealership if need be.
The belts in my former '96 USDM hatch got really bad over time to the point of not fully retracting and getting caught in the door just like yours. I had them replaced under warranty at my local dealership free of charge. I was not the original owner of the car and it was far beyond any initial vehicle warranty. In my case the new belts didn't seem to retract quite as well as I remembered my original belts initially retracting, but they did retract fully and were a definite improvement over the worn and/or dirty originals.
 
Also, just an FYI, Honda seat belts are lifetime warranty so you should be able to get them replaced for free at the dealership if need be.
The belts in my former '96 USDM hatch got really bad over time to the point of not fully retracting and getting caught in the door just like yours. I had them replaced under warranty at my local dealership free of charge. I was not the original owner of the car and it was far beyond any initial vehicle warranty. In my case the new belts didn't seem to retract quite as well as I remembered my original belts initially retracting, but they did retract fully and were a definite improvement over the worn and/or dirty originals.
Might be a USA thing as over here in UK, They are not warranty items.

If they are frayed or doesn't retract, i price up new ones for the customers.

I even asked my colleague here in parts and he has never heard of that before aswell.
 
Might be a USA thing as over here in UK, They are not warranty items.

If they are frayed or doesn't retract, i price up new ones for the customers.

I even asked my colleague here in parts and he has never heard of that before aswell.
Yes this is only applicable to USDM cars in the USA. Honda UK will laugh at you if you try argue it too. (i already tried:bow:)
 
Spikeyhairdude and Dzero4 that's interesting... but seems to be true unfortunately.
The warranty manuals that that I've seen don't specify but are from USDM Hondas. Searching online I found other general Honda warranty manuals but they do specify "US models" pertaining to the seat belt warranty. So apparently it is only an American Honda thing rather than a general Honda thing. Other UK and Canadian members on different forums have confirmed this as well.

I guess that I probably won't be able to warranty my EK9 seat belts when the time comes either then :angry:.
 
Spikeyhairdude and Dzero4 that's interesting... but seems to be true unfortunately.
The warranty manuals that that I've seen don't specify but are from USDM Hondas. Searching online I found other general Honda warranty manuals but they do specify "US models" pertaining to the seat belt warranty. So apparently it is only an American Honda thing rather than a general Honda thing. Other UK and Canadian members on different forums have confirmed this as well.

I guess that I probably won't be able to warranty my EK9 seat belts when the time comes either then :angry:.
yeah i believe they only do it there to avoid any form of lawsuit, since its much more common for someone to litigate against anything they can in the event of injury or damage etc. cheaper to replace some belts than face damages of xxxxx$
 
yeah i believe they only do it there to avoid any form of lawsuit, since its much more common for someone to litigate against anything they can in the event of injury or damage etc. cheaper to replace some belts than face damages of xxxxx$
Certainly makes sense.
 
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