While having a road trip, my sister in law managed to "loose" the rear, right side seat belt buckle, inside the small belt slit. The buckle is inside the plastic vault on the right side.  I have to accept a strike on my ego. Defining myself as practical guy, former electrician, now engineer, I cannot understand where to begin to open this s* up. Anyone have a tip?

Hi, what about the old wire hanger. I have two that I've had for years, it's amazing what can be done with them.

There is just a small hook on the end, can something like this be put down the space to see if if it can be hooked up ?

37 minutes ago, NZ100 said:

Hi, what about the old wire hanger. I have two that I've had for year

 

The same one carefully rolled up has been in my toolbox for 30 years from back when I was fishing cables every working day, it was used in the last week during some rewiring of my neighbours house.

 

Its actually a triggers broom because a couple of times it did not get put back in the toolbox by my trainees and when I next wanted to use it I had to ask the householder to donate me another one.

 

It was part of the Trade Test I would always put to prospective employees, I would look at their toolbox to see what tools they carried, how many of them had been used and what others had been adapted like my wire fishing tool, then I would give them a virgin coathanger and my rolled up one with a looped end and ask them to make another from the coathanger with just their hands.

@J.R. Thanks, great advice. The steel wire is mandatory eqp. for both stake up and fetching. I have it both on my sailboat and in my toolbox. Sadly I've already tried it with no game. The slit is narrow, and I can't get a grip on the buckle with anything I've tried. I've concluded that I have to open the covers. Idk if its 3D printed, casted on site or just made by magic.. I can't see a logical point to start. Tried to loosen some obvious screws in the back and bend a bit, but it doesn't seem right. Tried to look for topics for replacing the rear seat belts as well but haven't found any. Still in need and grateful for leads.

I only have experience of the Yeti, the Octavia is probably similar, the loading area side trim goes forward of the wheelarch and wraps around to meet the door seal, this includes the slot for the seatbelt.

 

You will have to partially remove the trim starting from the rear to get access to the area you need, there are several screw fixings some well hidden like behind the fold down luggage hooks and within the T headed cleat type lashing attachments and there are also lots of spring clips, you have to really strain it to release and often its a hidden screw that is actually holding.

 

The front part is mainly spring clips, you might be able to start releasing it from that end if you remove all the screws that are closest, I think you may even have to remove the upper C post trim which also has a screw hidden behind the Airbag warning logo.

Hopefully this helps...

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6mvh3pqryshv3rp/AAAYSoCsp-vVWz-h4ko4QoAha?dl=0&preview=Body+Work.pdf

 

Edit, just checked the link, it only takes you to the contents, so you'll need to navigate to page 390 - however, you'll be able to go to any of the others as well.  Good luck. 

 

Edited 28 September, 20232 yr by Cakemonster
Link

Yes that looks exactly as I thought it would and how I was trying to explain.

 

You can probably spring it away from the front, the forward fixing screws shown will need removing, the door seal and the C pillar trim also it looks like there is a central floor level trim between the two sides which will also need removing.

Any room for one of these? Through the slit or past the edge of the moulding?