Problem with inertia seatbelt....argh! Any ideas why this is happening please?

[NorbertDentressAngel]

Sudden problem with the drivers inertia seatbelt on our Picasso.

One day it was fine, the next day... everytime you pull it slightly it locks.

It is really infuriating as you can imagine as it takes about 20 attempts to pull out enough seatbelt to get it around you and plugged in.

Is there a simple, obvious reason this is happening? Or am going to have to try and book it in somewhere when I need the car every day between now and Christmas?

Dh said try pulling it out at a different direction very softly. Good luck.

My parents car did this. Tried the usual , like pulling very gently, to no avail. It went back to the garage and was easily fixed.

Tried pulling it rreeeaaalllly slowly but it still does it. Tried quickly (trying to catch it out ) and it still does it. It just makes me want to scream.

Looks like a garage trip is in order then.

I really hoped (by the power on MN) someone would say " aah, all you need to do is xyz"

Up-date

Why is it, just before Xmas, theres always something that ends up costing a load of money just when you could do without further expense.

Took car to mechanic -needs new seat belt. Parts are £170 plus fitting.

Ouch

poor you, not something you can save on. Phone round the local scrap yards to see if they have one.

they work in at least 2 ways

a small ball that tips and locks the reel with sudden movement - can lock if you park on a hill.

and a spring loaded fling out ratchet that locks if pulled quickly.

either can go faulty - sounds like weak springs in your flingy thing

i have dismantled and repaired them but you really need to know what youre doing - not all mechanics would risk it - its illegal.

you can try scrapyard - tho its illegal for them to sell them, or ebay - only trouble is you dont know if its been used in an accident. they stretch quite a bit on impact to releive the strain - but they only stretch once, next time they could fail.

i guess i'm heading for saying - either coax it into the new year or get a new one now - theyre usually fairly simple to fit.

itll probably fail its next mot if it doesnt work properly - sorry.

Thanks everyone.

Well the heap of French shit car is having a new belt fixed today.

In the meantime I've aged about 30 years by driving around in my Mums Vauxhall Agila ( a box on wheels that only old ladies ever drive ) whilst listening to BBC local radio (because I can't seem to change the channel).

singledadofthree -we used to have an old Beetle that had seatbelts that locked if you parked on a hill so that was my first thought (and the garages) but alas, it was more complex than that.