I found this on another Toyota board and was wondering if anyone here had or is willing to attempt it on their T100. It sounds like it might fix the non-retracting seatbelt problem. I have always wondered about doing this but never got around to trying it. Here's the text from his post:

Posted by Josh Carlson on October 29, 2002 at 18:58:37:

It only took about 15mins. Remove the 14mm bolt and unhook the plastic housing. Now unravel the entire seatbelt from the holder. The trick is to hold the unit completely level so it will come out. Now for the hard part, keeping it level, keep turning it past the end so you can get a very small screwdriver in the side of the end. There is a fat white pin that holds the seatbelt in the center peice. push the seatbelt though or pry the end out. take out the plastic pin and pull the seatbelt back out. The pin keeps the seatbelt from falling out of the holder. MAKE SURE TO HOLD ON TO THE PART THAT SPINNS AT ALL TIMES!!!! If let go, it will take a very very long time to reravel the spring inside. Once the seatbelt has been completely removed from the unit, tighten the spring by turning the center 4-5 turns more(note you coundn't do this with the seatbelt still in there). Once you have it as tight as you feel confortable, push the seatbelt back though the center, replace the pin and seat it back in there. Let the spring take up all the slack and walla!!! Your seatbelt works again.

I may sound a bit complicated but it took me 15mins to figure out and do. Just don't let go of the center with the belt removed!!!!!!

Josh

Josh performed this on an '86 Toy truck, it may involve more work on a T100 though.If anyone is willing to try it and see if it will fix the problem with seatbelts, let's let everyone with a T100 know. Sorry for the long post.

This sounds like one is just adding more tension to the spring to wind up (4-5 x more).

If this is the fix, why doesn't Toyota get it? Are they afraid that the belt will snap back too fast and hurt someone???

Now you KNOW if I try it, the spring...oops! There it goes!!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" />

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Originally posted by uzombie:
<strong>Now you KNOW if I try it, the spring...oops! There it goes!!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">LOL @ Ed.
Exactly! As nice as this would be, I'll probably just keep tossing them inside the truck for just that reason. Well, and I can continue to have a reason to be pissed at Toyota.

While we're back on seatbelts, though - does anyone else have a problem with the buckle not always catching and having to prise it out with a key to set it up to buckle again?

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Originally posted by uzombie:
<strong>
Now you KNOW if I try it, the spring...oops! There it goes!!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">kind of like the little ball in teh manual hubs and the cone washers on teh manual hubs.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Originally posted by surlynkid:
[QBkind of like the little ball in teh manual hubs and the cone washers on teh manual hubs.[/QB]</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Well, I never had problem with the cone washers. I did lose a screw into Cylinder #1 spark plug hole...once. I also bought a magnetic retrieval tool after that! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" />

As for Adam's ? diet time?? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" />
Haven't had that problem. More the opposite:

Well, here is a scary trick I saw on the new about Toyota Seat belts, back in 1996:

Buckle the seat belt. Take a video cassette (that is what they demoed with...but anything that can hit the buckle fastener will do) and smack the fastener (not the button). The belt will pop free!
So if in a car accident and something interferes with the buckle fastner (like the seat, or an arm), or even hits it, the shock will release your belt.

This was done to me, while driving and till this day, freaks me out. Airbags are one thing...but seat belts...supposed to keep you seated.

Ed-

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Originally posted by uzombie:
<strong>As for Adam's ? diet time?? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" />
Haven't had that problem. More the opposite:

Well, here is a scary trick I saw on the new about Toyota Seat belts, back in 1996:

Buckle the seat belt. Take a video cassette (that is what they demoed with...but anything that can hit the buckle fastener will do) and smack the fastener (not the button). The belt will pop free!
So if in a car accident and something interferes with the buckle fastner (like the seat, or an arm), or even hits it, the shock will release your belt.

This was done to me, while driving and till this day, freaks me out. Airbags are one thing...but seat belts...supposed to keep you seated.

Ed-</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans"><img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> diet time he says. Bout 150 soaking wet, so I don't think that's it. People I fly with in the bush get pissed cause I weigh less than most of the women getting on the plane...all that good fatty dried fish and seal oil - mmm-m-good. Yeah, they actually holler across the hangar - "How much do you weigh!?" And you gotta answer for all to hear, no matter how big and self conscious you are.

Actually that's a symptom of what I'm describing, Ed. It's random, but it doesn't always catch. Usually I then find the push button hasn't come back all the way from the last time I got out. Then if I convince it to without actually monkeying with it, yeah, any little tap will cause it to release. Most times I've gotta jam a key in there and pull it the couple of microns back into place to get a good hookup.

Defnitely screwed up that of all the problems this model does or could have, the bloody seatbelt is one of them.

<small>[ October 31, 2002, 06:30 PM: Message edited by: adam ]</small>

I have not tried this yet, but I think the seatbelt retract problem is not in the mechanism, but in the piece that redirects the seatbelt. My reasoning for this is that when I replaced my speakers this summer I intended to get to the seatbelt mechanism and try to fix it. When I started to try to make it hang up and not retract I could not duplicate the problem. I tried it on both of them with no results, the damn seatbelt retracted as fast and as quickly as other vehicles I have been around. I started looking at the whole mechanism and I think the plastic piece causes enough friction with too tight of tolerances to allow it to retract. The spring in the mechanism is not strong enough to overcome the friction, so the fix as I understend it is to strengthen(tighten) the spring to overcome the friction.

I have a few concerns with this approach. Mainly I think that taking apart the seatbelt mechanism and adjusting it may cause unforeseen problems in the future. Vehicles with airbags also have an explosive charge built in the retracting mechanism, called a pre-tensioner. In the event of an accident that triggers an airbag, the pre-tensioner tightens the seatbelt to pull the person back into the seat so as to minimize the air bags negative features. It is right there where a person would be working on the drivers side retracting mechanism. I checked my FSM and I could not find the pre-tensioner but I am sure I remember seeing the yellow wiring that denotes SRS equipment. This thing should not go off until it receives a signal from the SRS ECU.

I have checked the retraction on all four of my seatbelts and they all are quick retracting if I try it from ahead of the anchor, if I pull the belt after the anchor they hang up and do not retract right. It seems that if a way could be found to either smooth the area or increase the diameter of the turning area it would work better. Our Subaru has plastic anchors also, but they are bigger in diameter and retract better.

Someday I intend to get around to trying this fix, mainly I wanted to run it by everyone to see what you think.

I've seen what you mean, if you pull on the seat belt between where it emerges from the pillar and the shoulder anchor - it snaps back just fine. Anybody know of a lubricant that could be applied to the belt or the plastic that will not damage either? Spray silicone?

In our first Sienna (sacrificed itself for my wife and kids), the seat belts gradually began to do the same thing. I wonder if friction increases over time or if it is just the spring?

Scott

For all the trouble, seems like working the friction aspect is much more sensible solution, if you can find a way to put some type of lubricant (that dirt and everything else wont stick to).

Springs wear over time, always have always will. Laws of physics, spring tension doesnt last. You can tighten it and tighten it, but its a metal spring, eventually it will fatigue again. And the seatbelt isnt someplace that I would want to find out about it.

Just another 2 cents...

I thought about using a lubricant, but I think it would transfer itself to the seatbelt and onto clothing. I have cleaned dirt and grime from the anchor before, but it did not help. I also have a problem with my passenger side belt locking up when someone is trying to put it on. I just hit below the slot in the panel and I can hear a small click and it works fine for awhile.

Scott