Help! Driver-side seatbelt goes to open position but doesn't come back.
 

I was one of the fortunate people who rarely had to open the door before turning off the engine to get the auto seatbelt to travel forward to the open position. It still travels forward but now it doesn't come back to the closed position. I'll crank it back and then open the door and sure enough it'll travel forward but not come back when I close the door. So, I've been driving around town lately without the safety of a seatbelt.

The other seatbelt works fine. But the seatbelt warning light does not ever come on.

Anyone care to suggest what the possible problem is? I need to fix this promptly.

I am having the same problem. I have not figured it out yet. I am looking at the contact that tells the thing that the door is closed. That is the only thing I can think of to check. If you figure it out, let me know, and I will do the same. Good Luck. I know I will need it. :rolleyes:

You may want to take the interior door panel off. If this plug is loose or one of the wires is faulty, that could be the problem. Just a guess.

seat belt won't go back
 

Try resetting it first. Disconnect the battery for a few minutes then reattach. I spent hours trying to figure out my XT auto belt and once I found out the computer for it needs reset it worked like a charm. The thing won't work until you reset it so you'll want to do it after each thing you try to fix it.

Yeah I've tried reseting the computer twice by disconnecting the battery. It doesn't do any good.

I'll check the connection inside the door, but I'm wondering why a connection inside the door would be the culprit. If anything shouldn't I take a look at the connections surrounding the seatbelt motor? Is it possible that the motor is partially burned out and only can go one direction?

The open door sensor works properly because the light comes on when I open the door and off when I close it.


IMHO, this is the biggest reason why buying an older car can be a real nuisance. Electrical problems start creeping up and trying to diagnose them is very difficult, unlike mechanical problems. Could you imagine all the problems the current 7 series BMWs will have in 11 years?!

I have reset mine too and it still doesn't work. :mad:

Maybe, but that plug I showed you consists of three wires. When it's unplugged, the seatbelt will not work at all. While it's a total long shot, it seems to me that if one of those wires were bad or not connected, the seatbelt might not function properly.
Again, it's a total guess, but might be worth a look considering it's fairly easy to get inside the door.

Ok, sounds good. I'll check 'em out this Thursday with a volt meter.