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Repair Summary
One of the more annoying issues that pop up in older model BMWs is the front seat belts failing to retract all the way. The reason why seat belts stop retracting is that the fabric becomes dried out and brittle with age. This causes the belt to seize up in the spring mechanism, leaving half the belt annoyingly caught in your door when you try and close it.
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All BMW Models
If the seat belt on your BMW is not retracting all the way, or is getting stuck when you unbuckle it, there is a simple repair that takes less than 20 minutes to make it operate like new again.
A quick and easy solution to fixing seat belts that do not retract is cleaning them thoroughly with furniture polish. Furniture polish will actually moisturize and lubricate the seat belt fabric, allowing it to retract like new again.
Any type of spray furniture polish will work, even the cheap stuff at the dollar store. It's just a matter of spaying on and wiping off. Multiple applications may be needed for severely dried-out belts.
View the detailed parts diagram for this repair.
Includes detailed part diagrams, part numbers and links to purchase all of the required components needed to complete this repair.
Before starting this repair, you must have the following required parts.
All BMW and MINI vehicles
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Section 1 - Performing a BMW Seat Belt Repair
- Pull the seat belt all the way out of the seat belt mechanism. Using an aerosol furniture polish, spray a section of the belt being sure to fully saturate the fabric. Let sit for 10 seconds then wipe off thoroughly with a clean cloth rag. Repeat on the opposite side of the belt.
- Repeat spraying the furniture polish all the way down the belt. For extremely dry and brittle seat belts, repeat the spraying process until the seat belt fabric becomes soft and retracts properly.
- When you are finished with spraying the belt, pull the seat belt all the way out then let it retract ten or more times until it retracts easily on its own.
BMW Seat Belt Repair Finished
