It is necessary to adjust the seat belt so that it fits as tightly as possible to the body, while maintaining the comfort of the seat. Only in this case the seat belt will be able to effectively perform its protective function, for which it is installed on the car. A sagging seat belt significantly reduces the effectiveness of passive protection of the passenger.
Make sure that the seat belt straps are free of polish, oil, and other chemicals, especially the electrolyte used in the battery. Use neutral soap and water to clean your seat belts. Replace the seat belt if the strap is worn, dirty, or shows signs of damage.
It is essential to replace the entire seat belt assembly if it has been used by the driver or passenger in a severe vehicle collision, even if there is no visible evidence of damage to the seat belt.
Do not use a seat belt if the strap is twisted.
Each seat belt should only be used by one passenger at a time. It is dangerous to use the same seat belt for a passenger and a child sitting on his/her lap.
Any modifications to the seat belt design that interfere with the normal operation of the automatic slack adjusting devices or make it difficult to adjust the belt to eliminate slack are prohibited.
Fig. 1.128. Fastening the seat belt: 1 – guide bracket
Retracting the belt onto the inertia reel can be difficult if the webbing and intermediate guide bracket are dirty. Therefore, make sure that the webbing and guide bracket are always clean (fig. 1.128).
If the seat belt is pulled onto the reel, it will operate in the emergency locking mode. In the emergency locking mode, the seat belt does not interfere with the passenger's comfort. In the event of a vehicle collision, the inertia reel blocks the release of the seat belt, which holds the passenger in place. If the seat belt is completely pulled out of the reel, it will switch to the automatic belt locking mode. If the belt feels too tight or interferes with the passenger's movement in a stationary vehicle or while driving, the possible cause is that the inertia reel has switched to the automatic locking mode after the belt has been pulled out too far from the reel. To return the inertia reel to the more comfortable emergency locking mode, stop the vehicle in a safe place on a level surface and completely retract the belt onto the inertia reel. This will switch the reel to the emergency belt locking mode. Then pull the seat belt out again to the required length to fasten the seat belt.