1994 Mazda Protege DX Seatbelt issue

[Spectrum]

Just recently, my driver side seatbelt stopped automaticly retracting when the door opens. The passanger side is fine. It's a 1994 Mazda Protege DX, automatic, SOHC, has 44,xxx miles, no recent accidents or anything that could have caused this. Any ideas? Thanks.

[rage557]

I dunno but I would like to know whats wrong too. My passanger side is doing the same thing. It works every once an a while.

[MazKid]

I believe that the seat belt system has a lifetime warranty so you might be able to just get it fixed at the dealership free. Not 100% sure, but I remember my dad saying something about it when I was thinking of switching to the manual seatbelts from Canada/Europe/Japan.

[mino3]

seatbelt fix

There is really nothing you can do.. The dealer won't fix it for free. They want their hourly rate to work on it, and they won't guarantee that they will work when they are done.

I've changed every component of my seatbelt system and they still won't work.

[D323]

you just have to complain enough. Its a recall that they are supposed to fix for free if they havent already.

[funkdaddysmack]

Why do so many people switch over to the manual belts in our first gens? Do they find them that annoying? I like mine, but then again I ALWAYS wear my seatbelts

[D323]

Why do so many people switch over to the manual belts in our first gens? Do they find them that annoying? I like mine, but then again I ALWAYS wear my seatbelts

dunno its just kinda ghetto. I actually thought about keeping them though so that way you could use a race harness and if a cop sees you, the automatic one looks like your buckled in.

[MazKid]

I don't mind the automatic belt at all. Sure, it's pulled me into the dash when trying to lean out the door, but it doesn't know better. I wear the lap belt too. You never know when some idiot will cut you off or pull out infront of you. I've had some close calls, and I know that the seatbelts will do thier job to prevent me from hitting the windshield. Because while a small wreck can screw up the front, a flying person can screw up a dash.

[charles]

the problem is in the door latch. The sensor is near the exterior door sensor, somewhere.

[EricM]

it'd be a good how-to...lets be honest...everybody's gets sticky sometimes...slam the door harder on an intermittently working belt...sometimes a good slam makes it work the next time u open it (on mine anyway...)

[Spectrum]

Yesterday, when I filled up on gas after running some errands, I opened the door and the seatbelt went up like 15 seconds late and when I got back in, went down, but it didn't work after that. This morning going to school, it was still down and didn't work. A few minutes ago, leaving school, it went up and down just fine. So, yeah, this is odd. I talked to my dad about this, since this isn't "my" car, it's just mine to drive, and he said this has happened before and goes away on its own. Can someone link to me information about the recall so if I go to a dealer, I have something to work off of? Any idea on where that sensor is? I might have damaged it while washing my car perhaps? Thanks for your help guys.

[D323]

http://web2.airmail.net/theman/protegefaq/tsb/

thanks to Edwin. 1st gen, then about 1/2 way down look for 1108 Passive Seatbelt system.

[Gro Harlem]

FYI Those ****ty ass power seatbelts came from FORD. The design of the rails & electrical was all ford's engineers.

i thought that was funny...one of the only unreliable parts on the 1st gens isn't mazdas doing lol

[EricM]

so what are you supposed to do with that fuse? jiggle it around a little bit and hope for the best? I'm almost positive mazda won't fix it

[*PL*]

Install canadian seat belts.