Just successfully completed a top-end R&R on my '96 A6 Quattro after the timing belt sadly broke and INTERFERED with the valves. I'm now turning to other areas of repair, one of which is the irritating sloppy front seatbelts that will no longer retract on their own. I know, I know, this is a common problem with all cars as they age and those front belts get used, but I am curious if anybody has any knowledge/experience with making some kind of repair on this malady. If repalcement (liabilities???) is the only option, anybody have a source for new ones. I've yet to open up the B pillar post trim panels to see what the retractors even look like but hope somebody out there has some ideas. . .

 

Bump for a damn good question - mine are irritating me for the same reason. Anyone with any ideas?

 

Great to have at least one other fellow sufferer! I'm my preliminary investigating, I'm getting the sense that a thorough cleaning and lube of the return mechanism will do the trick. Where I live @8,000', it's still very much winter and too cold yet to try to separate the plastic B Pillar trim panels from the car! Cold + Plastic = Break! So, I'm living with the sagging belts for awhile longer and will report back when I attempt a repair. Let me know if you find any better wisdom as you suffer and explore this as well. Lovely ride, your Audi!

 

I have this problem on the front passenger side and have noticed that when the car is running, the belt retracts much more easily. When the car is off, it won't move. I think you're right marblehead, a little TLC may be all it needs.

If and when you do this, please post a few pictures

 

Great to hear from a fellow sufferer and I'm just now staging to pop off the plastic B billar panels and see what behind 'em. Just replaced some burned out dash bulbs and am waiting for a new gear indicator display module, am buying new summer Michelins for it next week and removing the wonderful Blizzaks for the season. However, just got another spring snow up here at 8,000' in these Colorado Rockies so I'll have a bit of delay until it warms up again next week. Ah, spring- remember the fomular for removing plastic panels from cars: Cold + Plastic = BAD!

Stand by. . .I'll try to snap some pics as I go along.

 

Tell me about this colorado weather. The other day we had 3 storms in one day in Denver... makes it freaking impossible to get out and get stuff done. Please post pics when you finish up, I might make a preemptive repair if it gets really nasty in there.

 

Yes, I'll be sure to take pics of the job! More snow up here, too, keeping Ol' Man Winter around waaaay past his welcome!

 

Howdy to all out there!
Got into the passenger side seatbelt retractor today and found the actual unit to function just fine! This ONLY happens, however, when I create some slack between the B-pillar attachment point and the retractor unit down by the floor. Otherwise, the retraction is slow as molasses! I detached the B-pillar loop from the pillar and played with it a bit and was able to get the belt to operate properly when I, by hand, angle that loop just enough so that it doesn't bind against the belt (I think that binding action is designed that way so that the belt, when it was new, retracted just fine). My suspicion is that the belt has aged by thickening and becoming less flexible (just like me!) and that if I can create a shim that'll replicated that non-binding angle and/or open up the slot that the belt courses throught, I might solve the problem. I also tried spraying a Teflon-based lubricant on the contact areas but with no joy. See the attached pics and I welcome any thoughts/ideas.
Having fun thought, yes, I did manage to bust some of the plastic sill cover, further keeping Shokan Parts in business!

 

Hey Out There!
Okay, last night I wrestled and wrestled with re-coiling/winding the retractor, which is really challenging, trying to hold it all together and keep it from exploding or unravelling. Got 'er done and tried it out but no joy. The only thing that really seems to work is angling that belt buckle on the "B-pillar" to such a degree that it does not bind/restrict the retraction of the belt. Therefore, I'm going to try to fabricate an angled spacker for that buckle to replicate the proper alignment that'll make all this happen. Hey, if there's enough of you out there and this works, maybe I'll market it and make my first million!!!! Not!!! Stand by. . .
Couldn't take any pics of the rewinding process 'cause I was literally tied up managing the coil spring!

 

Anybody ever solve this issue? I'm getting sick of my seatbelt getting stuck in the door when I forget to nicely feed it back into the pillar.