Replace seat belt latch—question about wiring

[JimBee]

My drivers side seat belt closes properly but is difficult to release.

Picked up a freely working one from a donor, then noticing the wire, which I snipped (long lead) on the donor one to complete the harvest.

Question: does that wire plug in to the latch and is there a way to open the latch case without damaging it to plug in my car's wire to the replacement? Battery disconnected, of course.

[scot850]

The wire is for the seatbelt warning. Not sure if the cases can easily be opened.

With your own seatbelt latch, often the issue is dirt build up over the years is often the issue. Removing it and cleaning it with alcohol and cotton buds will often fix the issue, followed with a little silicon oil.

Neil.

[JimBee]

Okay, that's certainly worth a try. The installed one buckles okay, but is sticky unbuckling which could be a problem in a bad situation. I'm going to fiddle with the case and see if I can open it. If so, I'll take a pic and post it.

[scot850]

I have had several rear latches that would not work or were sticky. In all cases gooey residues were found from small rear seat occupants! Once cleaned they returned to full operation.

Neil.