This concerns my Yeti but the seatbelts will be common to various other models on the common platform particularly the MK2 Octavia.

 

Indeed the problem may well be due to the unknown provenance of my seatbelts and that they may have come from a different vehicle.

 

I rebuilt the car 18 months ago after an airbag deployment, the seat belt pyrotechnics had been set off and the seller I bought the airbags, dashboard etc from gave me exchange units where the explosive charges had been replaced, I dont recall any problems with fitting but it is possible that the passenger one had a bracket that needed some tweaking, I really cannot recall, I was unfamiliar with the vehicle and may not have realised something was wrong.

 

Due to Covid & all the confinements I have very rarely carried passengers, some have struggled with the belt but it has always worked when I leaned over & pulled it progressively. However staying with friends las week & being the designated driver it was clear there is a problem, parked on their drive with the car facing uphill & also a side to side incline the passenger belt would not retract until the vehicle was on the level or facing downhill, the drivers belt has always been fine.

 

I have just checked it parked here at my UK place and its the same deal, its facing slightly uphill with a more significant lean to the right, left had side is higher, drivers belt fine, passengers will not release at all.

 

When the car is on the flat pulling the belt out quickly to lock it operates correctly as it shouldon both belts.

 

Is this a problem with some belts or could it be that I have the wrong belt or bracket for the passenger (left) side of my Yeti?

If its the wrong belt it wouldnt fit proper i'm guessing. My MK2 fabia was terrible for doing what you cars doing. Both front belts had those stopper things on the belts. Passengers side one was by far the worst, both did it even on a flat surface and parking on any sort of angle meant the belts often wouldnt go at all. Anyhow I fixed the passengers side by taking the belt out and removing a little plastic cover on one side of the belt, where theres some cogs hidden under it. Got a spray can of silicone lubricant and sprayed the hell out of the gears. Then I pulled the belt out and started spraying as I was unwinding the belt. It seems to have done the job, no problems since I did it a few weeks ago.

Thanks, I will give it a try, nothing to lose.

 

On the flat the belt unwinds as it should and also locks as it should when pulled sharply which is how the MOT guys test them.

 

There is also I believe the "inertia" mechanism that is something along the lines of an upturned saucer with a round weight inside, it if rolls up the side of the saucer through its inertia be it heavy braking or a shunt from any angle it will lock the reel, these mechanisms by their nature are affected by the inclination of the vehicle but should not behave like yours and mine at shallow angles.

Some jags have the problem you and I got because of the placement of the belt reel making them sensitive to being parked on an angle.

Mine passed NCT by some miracle, belts werent plugged in when it went in. I saw the tester struggle with both seatbelts but fair play to him he didn't give up!

The pictures I attached are of the cover I removed doing it. I imagine it will be similar on your car.

Thanks for that, I could not see the image clearly yesterday but can today now the sun is not reflecting on the screen.

 

I can make out the ball in the cup now and reckon that the orientation when fitted in the car would be either exactly as photographed or perhaps rotated minus 90°, I cant see the small detail clearly enough to decide.

 

Thanks to your photos I am 100% confident now that its worth the trouble of releasing the reel knowing that I can access the parts that are locking and decide if the mounting angle is wrong.

 

Finding the time? - Now that is something else entirely, I'm in the middle of a house and garage between countries and two property sales, the rare passengers I have will just have to poke up with it.