Seat Belt stuck!

[CodePoet]

Hey all, you would think it would be good day, tomorrow I get my explorer back from clutch work. But unfortunatly it looks like (according to my father) that the seat belt is now "stuck". He said when he got in it the seat belt was hanging loose and wouldn't pull out, then when he got home he started messing around with it and it retracted but now it won't come out. Does anyone know what the problem could be? And most important how hard/costly it is to fix it.
This shop has really pissed me off.

THanks
CP

 

[JDraper]

Could be a couple of things. If it's twisted down inside the mechanism, it can jam. There is also a tensioner that can break and cause it to jam. It could also be gummed up causing to jam. It's not too hard to remove. You have to loosen the plastic trim on the side of the truck, and there is one big bolt with a torx style head that holds it in place. Sometimes you can take 'em out, clean them up and they work fine.

 

[RangerX]

Mine occaisonally won't pull out, due to some permanent wrinkles in it from my first rollover. I keep the plastic trim unhitched near the floor, and when it sticks, I reach in there and push the belt into the retractor a half inch or so, then pull it out freely.

 

[CodePoet]

Cool thanks for the suggestions. Tomorrow when I get home i'll start in on it. I'll try and get in there and see if I can tell if the tensioner is broken/gummed up. It was pretty shocking to me since I have never had a problem with it before. If it is broken, can it be replaced? I wouldn't think it would be too expensive. If it is gummed up what would you recomend I use to clean it? Thanks for all the help!

Later
CP

 

[JDraper]

If it's broken, it can be replaced. Unbolt the old one, and bolt in a new one. I have no idea how much one would cost. WD-40 should clean it nicely if it's gummed up. Just make sure you wipe it clean after you spray it down. WD-40 can also gum stuff up if you leave it on...

 

[RobertF]

Use LPS #1 instead of WD-40. It will clean it out but won't attract dirt. You can find it at most auto places and hardware stores.