Testing seat belts

[christineka]

I have doubts about my vehicles' seat belts. They aren't the Gen3 ones. (Not sure what they are.) I'm worried about whether they will actually lock in an accident or not. I am planning to take both vehicles in to the service center to have them test the belts. Anyone know how they might do that? When I called to ask if they could test the belts the guy said to just pull real hard. I told him I did that and they didn't lock, so wondered if there was some other way to test the belts. He said, sure, but not over the phone. Okay, so I was clling to know if THEY could test them... So, can they do some other better test on the seatbelts than just pulling them fast?

Christine

[southpawboston]

you should be able to slam on your brakes and feel them lock. this happens in our car all the time. we can even feel them lock when going fast around on-ramps and off-ramps.

i wouldn't trust that a dealer tech would know how to formally test a seatbelt for proper function. i doubt it's even written into the service manuals.

[beeman]

:yeahthat: to SPB. As for the service centres advice, try pulling them fast, rather then hard. If they don't lock with those suggestions, then you have a problem.

[skaterbabscpst]

Keep in mind that pulling hard on them is not a reliable way to test - some lock a different way.

[christineka]

So, how in the world do I find out if my seat belts are safe? If I am driving I won't be in the back. My kids won't know if they're belts locked or not.

We have a 1997 ford aerostar. The front belts lock when pulled quickly, but the back ones don't. We also have a 1994 ford tempo. The shoulder belts in front are attached to the door. I can't see them stopping anything and they tend to leave slack. I don't want to fly through the window! I've been reading about seatbelts today. It is awful how many seatbelts are reported to be unsafe. I want to be safe! Why can't they all be safe? Isn't that why we have seatbelts???

If you were me, what would you do?

Christine

[skaterbabscpst]

I'd stop worrying. Just because they don't lock up when you pull on them hard is NOT an indication that they don't work.

Let me see if I can explain this clearly.... Some emergency locking retractors work from the force of you pulling on them, but some have a little ball thingy (like that technical term ;) ) that rolls forward in a crash or sudden stop to lock the belt. The latter kind can't be tested by pulling on it.

Obviously that's not a very thorough explanation, but mechanical things aren't exactly my area of expertise. :p

As far as your kids, if you mean locking the belt to install a child safety seat, that's a complete different story.

[gbpmama]

Does it not say in your manual? We have a 97 Ford Explorer. Our manual states that the belts lock up when you hit the brakes hard enough, go around a sharp corner, etc.

I feel my belt lock when I slam on my brakes, even if my body doesn't seem to move forward - I can hear the belts lock up and feel it get tight against my chest.

Not that I am suggesting you should go out, drive and then slam on your brakes. I mean, it doesn't have to be you driving fast. I literally can go down my residential street at 10 MPH and then put the brakes on (stopping in say, 3 seconds - not as fast as I could but putting the brake on enough anyway) and the belts lock.

Try having someone sit in your backseat maybe and.. ? I don't know.

[skaterbabscpst]

After a conversation with my DH (who is obsesses with understanding the inner workings of all things mechanical lol), this is how he explained it:


Some seatbelts are the ones you can test by pulling hard on them. Others use what is essentially a ball bearing or marble in a "basket" (his words!) and you cannot test these the same way because they rely on the movement of the vehicle changing speed and direction at the same time (like when the nose of your vehicle goes down during a sudden stop.) This movement jolts the ball bearing out of the "basket" and it then locks the seatbelt.

[christineka]

Yes, my dh looked up how seatbelts work. I know they can't all be tested by pulling hard. I still want to know if they'll work in an accident.

Christine

[skaterbabscpst]

What kind of car is it?

[christineka]

1997 ford aerostar and 1994 ford tempo.

[skaterbabscpst]

They should lock in a crash or sudden stop. You do not have Gen3 belts - that's a Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep thing.

Is there a specific reason you're concerned about seatbelt failure? It is exceedingly rare. The seatbelts attached to the door are not ideal, but as long as you're not using them with car seats, and you remember to attach the lap belt, you are safe.

[southpawboston]

Some seatbelts are the ones you can test by pulling hard on them. Others use what is essentially a ball bearing or marble in a "basket" (his words!) and you cannot test these the same way because they rely on the movement of the vehicle changing speed and direction at the same time (like when the nose of your vehicle goes down during a sudden stop.) This movement jolts the ball bearing out of the "basket" and it then locks the seatbelt.

right. sometimes instead of a "ball in a basket", they use a simple weighted pendulum, and the swinging of the pendulum in any direction triggers the belt to lock. that's why i suggested going around an on-ramp or off-ramp and generating some g-force, or slamming on the brakes (when you see no one is behind you ;)) to see if that triggers the belts to lock. i feel this all the time in my car, even without driving aggressively, just taking normal turns.

[BookMama]

Why not go for a drive, with you or DH taking turns sitting in the seatbelts in question, and test them by stopping suddenly, making quick turns, etc? Not enough to hurt you if the seatbelts DON'T work, but enough to make the seatbelts lock.

[beeman]

My '95 ford will lock up if I pull the belt out quickly, go over rough terrain, or with sudden braking. Either of these tests should give you results with your vehicles. If the retractors are not working properly on your tempo, they should definitely be repaired.

[ConnorsMommy8407]

I've been in an accident in a 97 aerostar, and the belt tightened when the driver slammed on her breaks. Fortunately it was all adults in the car, and none of use were hurt but we all had bruises from the belts.

It had just started snowing, then suddenly went to white out conditions... next thing we know, we see taillights, and headlights in front of us (a previous accident), and thankfully, the driver braked in time and swerved so we didn't hit the other cars (it turned out that there were 3 other cars). She moved the van to the side of the highway, and the 6 of us got out to help the others (even though we could hardly see.) I know it was unwise, but we helped take the kids out of one of the minivans so if it got hit again the kids wouldnt be in it... but we took them out carseats and all. we just cut the seatbelts and brought them over to our van so they could be warm til the ambulance got there.

So, how in the world do I find out if my seat belts are safe? If I am driving I won't be in the back. My kids won't know if they're belts locked or not.

We have a 1997 ford aerostar. The front belts lock when pulled quickly, but the back ones don't. We also have a 1994 ford tempo. The shoulder belts in front are attached to the door. I can't see them stopping anything and they tend to leave slack. I don't want to fly through the window! I've been reading about seatbelts today. It is awful how many seatbelts are reported to be unsafe. I want to be safe! Why can't they all be safe? Isn't that why we have seatbelts???

If you were me, what would you do?

Christine