Rear seat stuck down

[helston90]

Over the weekend I had to move some rather large items around and so lowered the rear seats in my 406 estate as I've done 000's of times before.
However when putting everything back together the built in centre inertia seatbelt had managed to lock in place and therefore wouldn't give me enough slack to raise the seat back again.
In the end I had to unbolt the strap at the other end to gain the slack and lift and bolt back in place and now it flows freely in and out.
I'm now concerned this may happen again and find me stuck again- has anyone had this before? or heard of a way of preventing it?
Thanks in advance.

[benczuk]

Happened to me once and I had to do the same rescue job as yourself, the bolt goes through the floor so its an idea to give it a good coating of something so it doesn't rust up in the sea air in case it does happens again.

It hasn't happened since, but I don't fold that side down without lifting the base up in case it does. If it were to happen with the base folded down you cant get at the bottom anchorage.

[puggy]

before folding the seat down pull enough of the offending seat belt out
to tie a loose knot in it this stops it fully retracting so stopping the belt from locking .

[stuartkeith]

before folding the seat down pull enough of the offending seat belt out
to tie a loose knot in it this stops it fully retracting so stopping the belt from locking .

Yep I do this everytime now. I spent 30minutes with a toolkit and a 2inch gap undoing the sodding bolt. It felt like a foot long, and I got cramp bad!

[martinez]

as I've also suffered this fate, I did try to remove the bolt but it may be coroded, where is it underneath ? easy to get to ?

[piglet]

Mines the same, but now I can't pull it out with the seat in the upright position.
Worse still, I can't see how to change the reel AND I've got MOT looming
Any suggesions?

[benczuk]

It wont move with the seat in the upright position as it will be tensioned and locked on the rachet.

As its up though its an easy job to undo the bolt where the end attaches under the seat base. This will loosen the tension which should allowing it to retract and disengage the ratchet.

I should mention that I have a new theory on why this happens. I have noticed that sometimes the black plastic rivet stop in the fabric of the seatbelt will make it through the plastic surround at the top of the seat. (which on my car is pretty loosely clicked in, if at all) This allows the seat belt to retract too far when the seat is folder down creating the problem.

[piglet]

Thanks Benczuk,
I should have said, the bolt is already out, I struggled and got cramp just to get the seat back up.
What you say about the travel limit stud makes sense, playing with it last night I managed to get it to uncoil by tugging at different angles and when it's out it seems to work fine.
My plastic seat top trim is completely knackered and doesn't stay in the hole at all, I will look at the press stud tonight.