850 Driver Side Seat Belt will no longer deploy

NJ95-850GLT · Post by **NJ95-850GLT** » 21 Jul 2012, 23:52

With some help from this site I was able to read enough postings in order to determine that the Fire Piston on the belt tensioner assembly can trigger for no apparent reason at high mileage. I wasn't able to find one through my local salvage yard and none at the time were available on their link system. So with the strict NJ Seat Belt Laws I did an internet search, found the best price, and purchased a brand new Volvo OEM assembly. The vehicle was in storage and getting readied for my daughter the new driver, well she got her license and I wrapped her in Volvo safety. A long story short... a hose split and with her short trips, she never realized or payed attention to the Temp Gauge and boiled the engine dry cracking the head. Needless to say I stripped the brand new assembly out in order to possibly help one of you out before my baby went to the salvage yard with 263K.
The assembly is currently posted @ http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0926494040

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 22 Jul 2012, 15:47

You might be able to save the one that you have.

Disconnect the battery (you will need to know the radio code).

Remove the cover on the B pillar where the seat belt comes out.

Pull the belt upwards, toward the head liner. It should start to come out but it will likely do so in short lengths. Keep working it until you get it nearly fully extended. If you can't get the belt to release at all use a flat blade screwdriver to pry the bottom of the belt spool upwards and continue to pull the belt up.

Once you get it extended use a penetrating oil, I have used PB Blaster, to generously apply the oil to the spool shaft - just below the spool. Leave the seat belt extended.

Let it sit overnight and then work the belt back and forth until it operates smoothly.

From there just make sure the trigger wire is still plugged in and replace the B Pillar cover and hook the battery back up.

The oil tends to get dry on the pawls that catch the seat belt spool and it sticks.

If all fails PM me. I have one that I picked up at a salvage yard but never used. I did oil it but I have never tried it to make sure it works. I wound up just fixing the old belt as described above.

...Lee

Post by **Ben850** » 22 Jul 2012, 16:11

I think you misunderstood Lee. He already bought a new one and now the car is dead. So he wants to sell the new one and scrap the car.

Anyhow, I know you must have paid like $195. or so for it new. Sorry to hear about that. I got lucky at our local yard, and was able to pick up four belts to choose from for $7. each after an accident deployed everything.

Once again, sorry to hear the unfortunate news.

NJ95-850GLT · Post by **NJ95-850GLT** » 22 Jul 2012, 19:05

When the seat belt and tensioner assembly failed in mine... it worked when I had shut the car off, but on start up would not pull free from the pillar when I went to put it on. Once home and with the trim was removed, the cable to the firing piston was loose and the belt retracted in and would not budge.
The car @ 263K was starting to snowball with failures and I had to pick up another ride to make it to work everyday. While in storage I was able to chip away at the needed repairs knowing my daughter was going to need a car of her own, and what better a vehicle than a Volvo for her first car. I almost felt relieved to be forced to get a new seat belt and tensioner assembly rather then risk her safety with a high mileage used one, but you already know the rest of the story.

Post by **rspi** » 22 Jul 2012, 21:30

Sorry to hear about the car overheating. I promise you, no one catches the temp gauge raising, just to many other things to do. The temp gauge needs to be bigger than the speedo but then no one will buy the car.