One more problem on my list - seat belt completely jammed!

[Gangis]

So this morning I got in my car and tried to put on the seat belt. However, something happened and it is now completely jammed. It won't retract, I can't pull on it. I went to Toyota and they quoted me $310 for part + labor saying it needs to be replaced.

This is the final straw... I have so many problems with the car now and since I got laid off a few weeks ago, I cannot afford to fix any of them. The car still shakes pretty bad at high speeds (even after alignment/balancing), the top is leaking, etc, etc. Seriously, this is pretty bad considering Toyota's reputation...

Any advice on what to do? I don't know how to remove the cover so I can visually inspect the mechanism. It seems pretty difficult as I've tried and failed. Thanks.

[MCOjerry]

I'm soory, I don't know the answer...and sorry that you are having so many problems. It sounds like it was possibly not treated well in it's former life.

So, no luck with a job yet??

[trdkamuri51o]

there is a lil locking pin inside that when tensioned hard (like was possibly done) locks up similar to the lockup from hard braking.. this mroe than likely failed.. you can probably pull it apart and loosen it to fix it..

problem is i dont know how topull apart the solara like a camry (this happened to a rear seat belt long story)

[Gangis]

Update... On a whim I decided to pull the entire backseat apart. Took quite a lot of guesswork (and minimal destruction, three of the four tabs for the driver's side interior panel broke off, but it's a non-issue as the panel was screwed in anyway) and lo and behold, the seatbelt was merely wedged in the slot on the panel. Simply yanking it from the inside fixed the problem.

How about that? And Toyota said I needed a new belt, $310 incl labor!

This also gave me a chance to look at (and disconnect) the blown speaker behind the backseat. It's been annoying me for a few months now (Yes, I can tell the difference) and I'm hoping to be able to replace it someday when money comes in. Nope, no news on job hunting. Believe me, when I get a new job I'm gonna be announcing it in the general forum! I REALLY hope this is the last of my problems for a while... right now I have to contend with the car shaking at 45+ mph (even after balancing/alignment/inspection) and a leaky convertible top. Oh well! At least these two doesn't really impact safety like the seatbelt did.

[PXLpainter]

Congrats on fixing it yourself! Just look at all that money you saved! You know the stealership woulda charged you for it whether you needed it or not... bastids!

Hope you can figure out the shaking issue - that can really be annoying!

Good luck on the job front!

[Gangis]

Thanks, Grandpa! I just hope it's not the struts or anything, those can be a bitch.

[MCOjerry]

It's Papi...call him Papi!

[NeFaRiOuS_SLE]

^^Or abuelito!
Here's why

Sorry you're having such problems; especially when you're laid off... I had to change my own oil and the brakes/rotors when I lost my gig a long time ago. As for the leak, where exactly is the leak coming from?

[Gangis]

The leak is coming from holes in the top... it seems like in the last six months I've gotten a lot of holes (mostly along seams) in the canvas. It rains and the water travels down the headliner to where the door meets the windshield and drips there. Drove me nuts last week when I was driving to Orlando in a storm. It's kind of like the chinese water torture.

[trdkamuri51o]

^^^duct tape ftmfw!!!

[Gangis]

That's just... too ghetto!

['Cole]

duct tape is not so ghetto anymore...they make it in clear and in all sorts of colors so that no one would really know but you, and really, being ghetto is at least a little better than chinese water torture...

about your vibration, you say its at 45 mph, is it all the time after 45? does it get worse if you let off the gas? does going faster make it better or worse (once you are at 45)?

[Gangis]

I'm not sure, I'll report back next time I have the opportunity! Thank you.

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Shaking is a difficult issue to troubleshoot. Some possibilities:

Tires
bent rim

wheel bearings - usually noisy. Might not be tight. Did it happen after the brakes were replaced?

drive U-joint - typical clunk when put in gear
Rotors

Worn rack - steering wheel will move from side to side above a particular speed. Typically low frequency. Replaced on on an 82 Celica.

Loose motor mount

Tires/tires/rotors - generally create an out of balance issue. Generally the higher the speed, the greater the shake. Typically high frequency.

You need to correlate with RPM, Speed, sound, frequency and whether or not the car will stay in a straight line when you let go of the steering wheel. Any kind of service before it was noticed? What happens to the shake when you brake?

I put a 1/2" bolt in a tire and diddn't lose air. That created one mean shake. I didn't know what happened.

Just some ideas.