Making safe pre tensioners

From CEM to VEM, from LED to lightbulb and more. If you have an electrical problem, like a broken info-centre, search for answers in this category. This is also the place to be when you expect the problem to be of an electrical nature...

Moderators: jifflemon, coyote1980, Rachel

Post Reply
User avatar
Slash01
Knows where Volvo is from
Posts: 149
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 5:28 pm

Making safe pre tensioners

Post by Slash01 » Fri Feb 07, 2014 8:13 am

HI all, I've recently acquired a full leather interior from an srs model.
My car doesn't have srs so the pre tensioners are not needed. However the seat belt stalks are, one of mine is damaged.
Does anyone know a way to either remove the pre tensioner part of the stalk or to make them safe?
I've tried to removed them from the seats but they are on too tight.

Another concern is that the 2012 MOT update's specifies that cars with pre tensioners that are unsuitable are failable.
Now this could mean that the pre tensioners themselves are unsuitable because of their condition, or it could mean that a car without srs shouldn't have pre tensioners and is therefore dangerous.
There are always ample warnings and there are always subtle signs,
And you would have seen them coming but we gave you too much time.

User avatar
glasgowjim
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 4830
Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2006 5:28 pm
Location: GLASGOW SCOTLAND

Re: Making safe pre tensioners

Post by glasgowjim » Fri Feb 07, 2014 5:17 pm

turn the red button on the pretensioner so that the arrow runs across the spring. This is the locked position it is now not possible to trigger the release of the pretensioners.

User avatar
Slash01
Knows where Volvo is from
Posts: 149
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 5:28 pm

Re: Making safe pre tensioners

Post by Slash01 » Fri Feb 07, 2014 8:38 pm

So I need to turn the arrows to point in towards the seat cushion, at the moment the arrows are pointing forward.
There are always ample warnings and there are always subtle signs,
And you would have seen them coming but we gave you too much time.

User avatar
glasgowjim
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 4830
Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2006 5:28 pm
Location: GLASGOW SCOTLAND

Re: Making safe pre tensioners

Post by glasgowjim » Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:49 pm

yes

Alan 480
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 1489
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 9:03 am
Location: Aberdeen

Re: Making safe pre tensioners

Post by Alan 480 » Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:35 pm

if these are the pretensioners with the LARGE spring running along tunnel then they are MECHANICALLY triggered so you can leave them as they are

BUT you say one 'triggered' in which case that belt buckle will be VERY low and pulled down into the plastic case, not sure Mr MoT would feel about one being triggered and on enot? ? ? :?

I reset the drivers side on mine ! not for the faint hearted as there is a heck of a strain in the spring
Alan

480 ES 2litre 'Celebration' ? , C30 1.8ES, SS1

User avatar
Slash01
Knows where Volvo is from
Posts: 149
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 5:28 pm

Re: Making safe pre tensioners

Post by Slash01 » Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:43 pm

The seat belt stalk that is damaged is a non pre-tensioner type, there is a hole in the release button
Image

I've turned the arrowed button to point sideways on the pre-tensioners, so they shouldn't go off. I've seen what happens to the buckle when they fire, I've also seen that dropping them on the floor can set the off, even with the power disconnected.
But the passenger seat with the pre-tensioner on is in the car, the drivers seat I rounded the front seat bolts trying to remove the old one so I've got a full leather interior apart from the full cloth drivers seat. Looks weird but as my friend said when I'm in it you don't notice my seat.
There are always ample warnings and there are always subtle signs,
And you would have seen them coming but we gave you too much time.

Alan 480
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 1489
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 9:03 am
Location: Aberdeen

Re: Making safe pre tensioners

Post by Alan 480 » Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:50 pm

ah I see, some serios attacks with the buckle then !

I reckon mine were 'accidently' triggered when a previous owner fitted a multichnager CD in boot and was mucking about with wires under seat OR the car had a wee bump but I've not seen any sign of it (had car twelve years)

presently still wrestling with getting a consistent speedo working
Alan

480 ES 2litre 'Celebration' ? , C30 1.8ES, SS1

User avatar
Slash01
Knows where Volvo is from
Posts: 149
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 5:28 pm

Re: Making safe pre tensioners

Post by Slash01 » Sat Feb 22, 2014 8:40 pm

I've had a very strange experience with my speedo which has lead me to believe that my car is truly alive with it's own personality.
Last Saturday I was simply driving along the motorway when some w****r decided to overtake a lorry whilst themselves only doing 65mph.
So I blasted it to 90mph in the outside lane to overtake. After, as I was coming back down to 70 to speedo stopped at 80mph, though the miles kept counting.
Crap I thought, so I started banging the dash to try and get it to come back down. Then the dash started vibrating and buzzing at me.
After about 10mins the buzzing stopped and the speedo came back to 70.
I took this to mean that my car doesn't like to go to 90 and then because I hit her she started buzzing to get her own back by annoying me.

Some say that this could be the same problem as the temp and fuel gauge (S Model) that don't work properly.
There are always ample warnings and there are always subtle signs,
And you would have seen them coming but we gave you too much time.

User avatar
jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2501
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:19 pm
Location: Cambridge

Re: Making safe pre tensioners

Post by jamescarruthers » Sun Feb 23, 2014 9:54 am

Mr Slash, good news: you can change the back rest over in a few minutes if I remember correctly so at least half the seat will be right

Wind the seat back fully and you'll expose the pins at the hinge, held in with little clippy pins (terry pins?). Voila backrest released after a little persuasion to come out of the holes with a pair of plyers.

Next you'll have to trace the wire to the backrest heater. You may have to destroy a few ring-like staples that hold the seat fabric together, or not. Anyway, they can just be replaced with thin Ty-Raps.

As for the backrest release cable, I can't remember it being a problem just to follow it and unhook it if necessary... infact it mightn't need done at all!

The base is a bit more problematic if I remember correctly but it can't be that hard! More ring-like staples and a few rods I think but may be impossible from the top.

Now is a good time to make sure your heater pads work and if not repair the wiring or swap them from seat to seat. It's generally just the backrest that goes in my experience.
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)

Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)

User avatar
glasgowjim
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 4830
Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2006 5:28 pm
Location: GLASGOW SCOTLAND

Re: Making safe pre tensioners

Post by glasgowjim » Sun Feb 23, 2014 1:58 pm

go to how to section of forum ....


read...

remove / replace seat covers

http://www.volvo-480-europe.org/forum/v ... 24&t=32974

:D

User avatar
Slash01
Knows where Volvo is from
Posts: 149
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 5:28 pm

Re: Making safe pre tensioners

Post by Slash01 » Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:59 pm

Thanks guys for the info, I've read the topic on removing the seat covers before. Didn't think it could be done with the seats in the car. But anyway that will be as a last resort.
I'm hoping that next weekend my friend can come and help remove the rounded bolts, he's going on holiday after that so if he can't get them out I'll have to give the cover swapping a go. But that'll still leave me with the hole in the release button as I can't remove the pre-tensioner stalk from the leather seat. Bolt must be thread locked or something.
There are always ample warnings and there are always subtle signs,
And you would have seen them coming but we gave you too much time.

Post Reply