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Rear seart belts. AM i missing something?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by snoggin, May 14, 2006.

  1. snoggin

    snoggin New Member

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    This could just be a matter of digging deeper into the manual but the rear drivers side seat belt is boggling me. I jus tgot the car two days aago and tonite was the first time anyone had ridden in the rear seats. both sides of the belt come out of the slot at the upper end . hence the belt does not go acroos the lap of the occupant. I tried sitting back there and could not get the belt to extend far enough to click in for me. I am not oversized. So my question is , Wth? I tried to fidlle with it but didnt get it sorted in the short time I allowed but I have never seen a seatbelt arranged like this. My experience is somewhat limited I guess . Are they all like this and how is it used?
     
  2. auricchio

    auricchio Member

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    I've had three people in back without that problem.

    There is one unusual situation, however. The clip-in "receiver" end for the drivers side and center actually cross over each other. They're installed this way for some odd reason. Same on a friend's 2005.
     
  3. benighted

    benighted New Member

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    Both of my rear seatbelts have been shut in the rear seat latches so there is some fraying. I took it to the dealer but they told me they can't fix it since it wasn't a manufacturer defect, wich is what I was expecting but it never hurts to try...
     
  4. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    No, that's not right. The lap part of the belt comes out low and goes across the passenger's lap. Did it get clipped into top seat belt clip by mistake?

    Tom
     
  5. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Alright. I'm going to need some pictures of this to get my head around it.

    But here's my initial thoughts: There are two ways I can think this would happen. (we all know that it's a single belt with a loop and not in "sections". We can think of it as a quantum loop string unless you don't understand quanta in which case we'll think of it as two sections of the same belt)

    First, both belt sections come out of the car's interior from the same molding slot. That would mean that the "lap section" runs up behind the interior molding to come out of the same molding slot as the "shoulder section". If this is the case, the mistake was clearly made at the factory or by someone who once had the ability to remove or attach the interior section of the car. Someone who's owned the car for only two days woud hopefully not be removing interior panels.

    Secondly, both belt sections come out of their respective interior molding slots. The lap section runs up the side of the seat (exposed to view) and then routes through the loop on the corner of the seat by the headrest. This could have been done by anyone since there is nothing required other than slipping the belt through the passage in the loop by the headrest.

    Without pictures we will never know for sure. But if it is the latter rather than the sooner, then you can simply remidy the situation by pulling it out of the loop by the headrest. Either way, it is neither normal nor safe and should be corrected as quickly as possible.
     
  6. tcooper185

    tcooper185 Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Auricchio @ May 14 2006, 01:00 AM) [snapback]255055[/snapback]</div>
    I wonder if this is a standard thing on Toyotas...my '96 Camry is this way too.
     
  7. tmorrowus

    tmorrowus Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tcooper185 @ May 14 2006, 01:31 PM) [snapback]255265[/snapback]</div>
    I'm assuming this is to accomodate larger people when there are only two in the backseat. If the anchors were placed on the "correct" side then that would make the anchor a couple of inches further under the butt of the big American sitting in the back.
     
  8. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Actaully, the crossover of the receivers allow for more seating room. If they did not cross, the belts' pattern would be more like a V whereas this way they make more of an X with the hips of the occupants in the crossing part of the X. The V would serve to push them apart.
     
  9. snoggin

    snoggin New Member

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    wELL IT IS REALLY STRANGE oops. I looked for another loop or clip down under the side panel etc and cannot see or feel anything also there is not enough length available for me to clip it in even just running it over my shoulder let alone over my lap as well. I'm going to run it by and give Toyota Marin the big?????. LUckily it is only five minutes away :D
     
  10. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Tim. Can you take pictures?

    It's supposed to look like this:
    [​IMG]
     
  11. snoggin

    snoggin New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ May 14 2006, 02:56 PM) [snapback]255315[/snapback]</div>

    I 've b een busy today but will take a pic and post it soon like this evening

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ May 14 2006, 02:56 PM) [snapback]255315[/snapback]</div>

    It does NOT look like that at all.
     
  12. snoggin

    snoggin New Member

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    Here are some pics the first two are the passenger side which i can't figure out and the last one is the drivers side which appears normal.

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]
     
  13. unruhly

    unruhly New Member

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    Pull the buckle out just a little ways to give you some room.
    Remove both belts from the retaining clip on top of the seat.
    Lower the seat back about 3/4 of the way.
    Work the lower part of the belt back around into the gap between the seat cushion and the seat back.
    Raise the seat.
    Put the belt back into the clip on top. :rolleyes: That should do the trick.

    The hard part is going to be figuring out who dunnit! :lol:
     
  14. snoggin

    snoggin New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(unruhly @ May 15 2006, 09:42 AM) [snapback]255641[/snapback]</div>
    I did in fact look into that but no go. I would thing it would need to be retained somehow at the bottom. It is probably something along those lines though. the other side terminates at the bottom. n It looks like it should go behind the panel outside of the seat but no clip or loop or nothing I found yet. going to stop by service this pm and have them check it out. I will then put on my dunce cap nand let you all know the result
     
  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    ehh... That definitely doesn't look right. We'll see what Toyota has to say about this.
     
  16. RichBoy

    RichBoy New Member

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    maybe you need the seat belt expander...;)
     
  17. seasidetraveler

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    Looks to me that the driver's side is caught behind the seat... that's my guess.
     
  18. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tim Baker @ May 15 2006, 12:21 PM) [snapback]255825[/snapback]</div>
    And you're SURE it is not retained at the bottom? It sure looks like Unruhly is on the money. The part that is supposed to go down to the lower retainer bolt first is incorrectly threaded up and over the top of the seat back... it could then travel down behind the seat to eventually end up at the proper anchor point. My money is still on this - like it got tangled up when the seat was tilted forward, and then somebody tried to "help" by shoving them both in the belt guide at the top of the seat.

    One thing for sure - it ain't supposed to be like that - ever!
     
  19. snoggin

    snoggin New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ May 15 2006, 06:25 PM) [snapback]255960[/snapback]</div>
    Hah, no dunce cap for me. I took it by toyota and the service manager was scratching his head about 30 seconds after looking at me smugly and saying " well let ME take a look". :lol: I am now driving a rental scion xb which sucks by the way but i thought it looked different and wanted to try it. Like a little bus . All they can figure is somewhere at the factory something was misrouted. They have to disassemble the whole back of the car to fix it. Ah well, I am really liking the carr and am disappointed only in that i was going to get to go to the gas station "finally" and see how many gallons i could squeeze in.. Oh well Hopefully they wont top it off for me as a gesture of good will. its kinda like the wedding night when you put the first gas in your prius.
     
  20. darelldd

    darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler

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    Oops! Never mind then! :0