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I have a 1998 Durango SLT that I've yet to put on the road, so I can't test if they lock while in motion, but I've noticed that none of the seatbelts will lock when I yank on them. Doesn't seem to matter at what angle or speed, they just don't. I find it hard to believe that all 4 outboard belts have failed. Does anyone have any experience with this Gen Durango.....possibly Dakota as well?
Do these require both the shoulder and the lap belt to be pulled at the same time? Are they on a pendulum system?
If these are Gen 3 belts, I'm going to try and find a replacement for them anyway, but those have a separate issue than what's going on here.
If you can, check the belt receivers to see if they look like they've ever gone off (like from an accident). If you fully pull a belt out, does it switch to ratchet mode?
Don't hold me to this, but I think belts operate via inertia and have to be suddenly jerked to lock up. Maybe your tug wasn't enough to do it. I can pull out the ones on my daily driver and they come all the way out smoothly, but if I try to move them too fast they lock up.
You might have to have your foot on the brake for them to lock, or maybe have to be moving and experience sudden deceleration. I seem to remember years ago in my Caravan of about the same era trying to reach down to pick something up and not being able to because of the seat belt lock and being able to do it after taking my foot off the brake.
At any rate, I wouldn't assume anything is wrong until you've tested it with the vehicle in motion. I agree that it's unlikely that all four of them have stopped working.
Did you check the owner's manual? It might have detailed information as to how the locks work.
Don't hold me to this, but I think belts operate via inertia and have to be suddenly jerked to lock up. Maybe your tug wasn't enough to do it. I can pull out the ones on my daily driver and they come all the way out smoothly, but if I try to move them too fast they lock up.
Don
Modern seatbelts have an intertial lock that will seize if the belt unspools too quickly (usually you can yank on them and get them to lock), but also have explosive tensioners that will cinch the belt immediately when the vehicle is in an accident, and these are one-time use. If they ever went off, the belts may have all fired and no longer will work properly.
Seatbelts don't need you to have the brake pedal depressed to work; they are an independent safety system.
Okay, SO.......I was yanking on the seatbelts, still getting no results, when I happened to give it a quick yank, and then a quick sharp one immediately after. It locked up at that point.
Should I take that as a sign that they function properly?
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