Seatbelts in Impala

[mish]

I just helped a grandfather install two car seats in a 2001 Chevy Impala. We could not get the seatbelts to lock. What am I missing? I feel pretty stupid right now. He said they have always locked before. I ended up using locking clips. I got his information and told him I would come to his house later and help him. Does anyone know how to lock the seatbelts? :confused:

[crunchierthanthou]

Did he have the owner's manual?

Are they locking latchplates? Those are common in GM vehicles of that era. They're about the smallest LL I've ever seen, but they do lock. They had a Pontiac Bonneville (which I think is a clone of the Impala) in our tech course. Almost everyone missed the locking latchplate because it looks like it's just a sliding one.

[mish]

The owners manual described switchable retractors. They just didn't switch. I have a 2002 Grand Am with the pathetic locking latchplates, so I checked for that. I am just confused.

[fyrfightermomma]

I have an 02 impala and have switchable retractors and sliding latchplates . My inlaws have a 01 impala and same thing.

Maybe something's broken??? Do any of the seatbelts lock?? If they locked prior according to him, something's gotta be broken. I'd either take it in to get fixed, otherwise you are stuck with locking clips

[snowbird25ca]

So neither lap/shoulder belt was locking? Maybe it was catching coming out of the retractor or something so the belt wasn't actually pulled out all the way when it seemed like it? I could see the retractor doing something funky in one seatbelt maybe, but to have both do it at the same time just seems odd to me...

[Ahzryn]

My 2000 Impala has lightweight locking latchplates, but that could certainly have changed from one year to the next :(

[thepeach80]

My 2000 Impala has lightweight locking latchplates, but that could certainly have changed from one year to the next :(

This is what my MIL's is and I thought hers was an 01. They lock at the latchplate vs the shoulder.