Hi

 

I’ve just bought a 2017 Octavia SE L and it’s a great car. It’s our third Skoda now and we love it!

 

I’m having an issue with both front seatbelts. When we first get in the car both seatbelts are jammed and will not pull out at all. The problem seems to clear after the car has been running for a while, but can reoccur at any time. It seems odd that it’s happening to both seatbelts at the same time and they both correct themselves at the same time! The car has previously been in an accident and I don’t know if it’s something to do with that! Any advice would be gratefully received!

 

thanks

13 minutes ago, Gkchunk said:

Hi

 

I’ve just bought a 2017 Octavia SE L and it’s a great car. It’s our third Skoda now and we love it!

 

I’m having an issue with both front seatbelts. When we first get in the car both seatbelts are jammed and will not pull out at all. The problem seems to clear after the car has been running for a while, but can reoccur at any time. It seems odd that it’s happening to both seatbelts at the same time and they both correct themselves at the same time! The car has previously been in an accident and I don’t know if it’s something to do with that! Any advice would be gratefully received!

 

thanks

I think you have probably answered your own question. Ive never had an issue with seatbelts but then again I've never had a car that's been in an accident. 

 

I would suggest get it back to wherever you got it from quickly and insist it is fixed immediately,  I wouldnt risk driving around in it with defective seatbelts. 1. The law may have something to day about it and 2. Should you be involved in an accident you may be trapped!

1 hour ago, JamiePvrs said:

Should you be involved in an accident you may be trapped!

 

Or the inertia reel mightn't work full stop and you headbutt either the dash or a solidly inflated airbag.

 

@Gkchunk Get that looked at ASAP

The seat belt mechanisms have an explosive charge inside which is deployed simultaneously with the front airbags to pretension the seatbelts in an accident, they usually wont pull out at all after the initial retraction but I had mine replaced (reconned in fact) and did not try driving with them.

 

If the charge has deployed the airbag warning light should be illuminated as the airbag will be open circuit, they may have bodged a shunt resistor in parallel, remove the B post trim and inspect, you will see evidence of scorching and combustion deposits if they have been deployed.

 

The controller should also have been replaced but there are companies that can erase the crash data and reset them.

 

It could be that aside from them not functioning properly the airbag system and seatbelt pretensioning systems may not work in an accident, I would start with a VCDS scan and then a visual inspection of the belt mechanisms.

 

Tunedude, an airbag can never be solidly inflated, they have a series of holes to let the expanding gases out progressively on deployment, the risk is that if you are too far forward through not wearing a seatbelt or a non functioning one and/or pretensioner it will push the head back causing a whiplash injury.

28 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Tunedude, an airbag can never be solidly inflated, they have a series of holes to let the expanding gases out progressively on deployment, the risk is that if you are too far forward through not wearing a seatbelt or a non functioning one and/or pretensioner it will push the head back causing a whiplash injury.

 

Oh right, I've always been lead to believe that for a split second they're very hard because of the amount of gas produced and it can't escape quick enough. That's why you need your seatbelt.