Seat belt frayed

[Mark]

Hi all.My driver's seat belt on my 04 Vibe all of a sudden started to fray along the top edge, right across my chest. I have no idea what started this, but about 8" or so just started coming apart.I tried trimming it and then "fusing" it with a lighter, but that left a rough edge and didn't stop the fraying completely. Has anyone else seen this? Any ideas how best to repair it, before I have to resort to duct tape? My mechanic quoted $270 to replace it, which I think is too much, but I still need to call the dealer and see what I get from them. Any idea what a seat belt replacement should go for? Has anyone replaced one, and is it a DYI type of repair? Thanks!

[star_deceiver]

Get one from the wreckers, I see no reason why it should cost more then $20. That $270 for installation is probably mostly labour.

[djkeev]

Seat belts are IMPORTANT. IF you get one from a wrecker find out how the car was wrecked. Was if a rear impact or was the car killed because of cancer or mechanical issues.You DO NOT WANT A BELT FROM A FRONTAL IMPACT!!!!! It's been used, stressed, it's garbage now. Sure it may still work and may operate just fine but I'd move on to a different car or even spring for a new one. If the air bags have deployed, I'd pass on that seat belt.I haven't any written support for my statement, just years of automotive experience and advice from the manufacturers I've worked for, Minor brands like Mercedes Benz, Volvo, Nissan, BMW, Pontiac, etc. I must be forward and state that I don't remember which manufacturer taught me this but it was one of the above.Any one have more documentation if this is true or not?Dave

[ColonelPanic]

I've seen many warnings in GM owner's manuals owner's manuals over the years that state you must get seat belts replaced after a crash. Even before pretensioners and the like... I'm sure it puts a tremendous stress on the belt.If you get one from a car that was involved in a frontal impact, in addition to any damage on the belt caused by the forces themselves, the pretensioner in the belt retractor assembly most likely was activated. I believe the pretensioners can work on their own as well, so even if the air bags didn't deploy there's no good way of knowing the pretensioners didn't. Until you hook it up and the air bag light stays on...

[dpwiener]

After my seat belt began to fray a couple of years ago, I investigated repair and replacement options. Buying and installing a replacement for my car was ridiculously expensive – hundreds of dollars. I tried trimming the loose threads, but new ones came loose, even if I melted the edge of the nylon belt with a flame. What finally worked was Gorilla Glue. (IMPORTANT LEGAL DISCLAIMER: I’m not recommending this to anyone else, just reporting what was successful for me!) After trimming loose threads and wetting the edge of the seat belt (since the glue needs moisture to cure) I soaked the damaged portion (and adjacent area) in Gorilla Glue. Several hours later, after it had dried and puffed up, I used sand paper to sand it back down so it was smooth and flat and flexible and able to easily slide through the plastic sleeve holding the belt. I’ve had no problems since. I lost about 10% of the width of the belt in the damaged area, but I’d be amazed if the seat belt manufacturers didn’t build in a much larger safety margin than that.

[09vGT]

Get a new one. Saving a few bucks now won't be any use if next week you are in a wreck and the used belt breaks.

[vibenvy]

Quote, originally posted by 09vGT »Get a new one. Saving a few bucks now won't be any use if next week you are in a wreck and the used belt breaks.x2IMO when it comes to things like seat belts, you're better off to get brand new, even if it costs a little more. It's a matter of your safety so it should be well worth it to spend a little more and have the peace of mind knowing it's brand new.A brand new driver's seat belt is $161.20 on GM Parts Direct. I would order a brand new one and install it yourself. Installation should be pretty straight forward. Remove trim pieces to access the belt itself, then remove the bolts that hold the belt in, re-install everything.

[tpollauf]

I would agree with most other comments here EXCEPT that this would give me a reason to "blow the dust" off of my Pfaff 545 industrial sewing machine and repair the belt Back in the mid 80's when I modified wheelchairs for special needs folks, seat belts were a requirement and I was introduced to the webbing, sizes, latches, and all kinds of neat buckling mechanisms which "restraint" a person from falling out. The webbing used AND latches were exactly what the automotive manufacturers were using at that time. In fact, there were a few adult patients who we went out of our way to locate buckles that said "Ford, Chevy, etc." so they got the feel as if they were in a car. These were obviously taken out of older JUNK cars but served their purpose. Enough of my thoughts, but in your case ............ REPLACE the entire belt

[09vGT]

BE CAREFUL if you do it yourself when taking off the plastic trim pieces. They tend to snap

[vibenvy]

Quote, originally posted by 09vGT »BE CAREFUL if you do it yourself when taking off the plastic trim pieces. They tend to snap Not so much the pieces themselves, but rather the retainers, plugs, etc. that hold the pieces in place .