Seat belt retractor grabs

[29tomt]

The seat belt retractor - tensioner is built into the seat back on my 2003 Tahoe and others models I guess. The belt can be pulled out before the latch is set into the floor anchor part but then it grabs and one can not move. Anyone run into this and what was the fix? Or does this mean a new part and tearing the seat back apart to get to it?? Thanks.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

I had to remove the seat belt bottom connection, in order to remove the front seat on my 07. It was easy to get access to and easy to remove. Remove yours and look at the mechanism to see if you can identify why it is not working correctly. If you cannot identify the issue, then I'd recommend picking up a replacement from a salvage yard, rather than purchasing a high-priced replacement from the dealer.

 

[YukonRog]

Usually a seat belt lock is activated by an inertia lock. Forward motion swings a little weight forward and locks the gear. Most cases of it locking by just pulling the belt out are from dirt. You'll need to access it, clean and lube it. The age of your rig says that's a fairly safe bet.

 

[29tomt]

I got a NOS replacement for $80 from a recycler on Ebay and replaced it. The bugger was getting the bolts out that were installed with blue tread locker.