And this:
Well get thee to a wrecking yard and grab a rear seat belt retractor off a Jetta, Passat, Golf,
or Cabrio....
Jetta on the left, Cabrio on the right.
You will have to modify the Jetta, Golf, and Passant a wee bit, but the Cabrio is a Direct fit.
Why the mod? Well the Jetta and the Passat sit at a 45 dregree angle, and the gravity dog sits funny.
Gravity dog on a Cabriolet:
Jetta, Passant
Pull the weather striping off the corner of the door.
Remove the plastic cover off the seat belt (May be a small push pin that you will have to remove.).
Remove the cover off the belt.
Remove the 17mm bolt that holds the retractor to the car.
Fully un-spool the belt and use a pair of small Vice-Grips to hold it in place.
From the Back side you are going to push the belt out of the retractor frame.
Push the Keeper bar out of the belt.
Pull the Belt out of the Mechanism
Found a new trick, it works and have added it to the write-up.
Here it is......
If you have the Time,,,, Take your Webbing and Wash it in warm soapy water, this will remove the crud from the webbing and improve the function. Allow it to DRY........
Here is the trick. Spray the webbing with "Pledge" (YES Pledge) Both sides allow it to set a minute, then wipe it with a cloth. Wipe it again for good measure....
You can try spraying the Pledge on your "passenger" side belt...... Be warned..... You need to get it wiped off, and allow it to dry.....
I was pleasantly surprised at the speed difference between "Pledge and no Pledge".
Push out the pins that hold the big side cover on, do not pull the flat one off.
Carefully pry up and pull out the gravity dog.
On the Jetta/Passant
Remove the cover, pry it off the metal bar and off the cover sides.
Push the pins that hold the side cover on.
Take the metal keeper bar off the covers.
Remove the cover.
Carefully remove the Gravity dog, you will undo the clip on the back and pry it up, and off.
Using a pair of pliers remove the metal Stud from the frame:
Now, Unspool the Belt fully and lock it in place with a pair of Vice-Grips.
Remove the Belt as you did from the original.
Here is the Tricky part..... Get a thin screwdriver to assist you.
You will need to Carefully wind the Retractor Fully until you can't wind it any more.
Use a Screwdriver in the slot if your fingers get tired.
Once you get it fully wound clamp that sucker with a pair of Vice-Grips.
Insert the Gravity dog from the Cabriolet in to the receiver (it will stick up a wee bit).
Place the side cover back on and push the pins in, and replace the metal bar at the top.
Holding it with the bolt hole down, and the spool towards the rear, you are going to insert your belt in to the narrow
end of the slot, and use a thin screwdriver to push it through. (Be Mindful of the orientation of the belt)
The Belt goes down the frame and under the spool and through the middle.
After you get the belt pushed in Place the nylon peg in to the belt and pull it back tight in to the slot.
Carefully keep tension on the belt, and remove the Vice-Grips.
Let the Belt spool.
Leave the cover off and replace the assembled belt in to the frame, and bolt it tight.
Replace the Belt cover over the belt and then insert it back in to the door card, remember to
get the fingers under the top of the card.
Replace the Center pin on the cover.
Replace the Weather strip.
Now pull on the belt and let it spool and unspool. Remember it will take a few days to get the new Mech to fully run, as originally being in the rear of the car it wasn't used often, and it will re-lubricate.
If you use the Cabrio Rear Belt, you won't have to remove the Gravity dog, as that belt sits in the same angle as the
Cabriolet.
