How to fix slow retracting seat belts

It is a commonly known issue. The seat belt is not retracting correctly anymore. It not only sucks big time cause the seat belt gets into your way when getting out of the car but also can get stuck in the door when you close it. Other than that, it can have dangerous consequences as the belt is not working correctly anymore. So the earlier you fix it, the better.

But why?

Good question, what is the reason causing this issue? Most of the time, its a combination of old car and just dirt on the belt and the belt pre-tensioner. So a good old clean fixes the problem most of the time.

Clean the seat belt

You could now clean the belt with soap water by unrolling the complete seat belt, fixing it somehow with a clip, and give it a good rub. Let it dry completely before letting it roll back into the seat belt pre-tensioner. But there is a much easier and faster way to achieve the same or an even better result.

The magic ingredient

To roll the seat belt like new again, you can use silicone spray. Sounds strange? Maybe, it did to me at first, but its working. Everything you need is silicon spray and a good microfibre towel. Roll up the complete seat belt at first and fix it with a clip. Then spray a thin film onto the belt. Let it soak shortly and rub the belt with the microfibre towel. You will see some dirt in the towel. Repeat this a couple of times until there is no sign of dirt on the microfibre towel after rubbing the belt. Now its time to release the clip and enjoy the seat belt rolling up as new.

I made very good results with silicone spray from WD40. Get it here:

👉 WD40 on Amazon 👉 WD40 on Amazon DE

Happy cleaning!

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