[MSCW list] mazda mechanics and seat belts

[John Becker]

Miata mechanics:
Phil ruhl at Gaithersburg Mazda: always go to for all things Mazda, and for
the rotary crowd

Executive wholesale tire, Rockville: not only does tires, but also basic
engine work, maintenance trouble shooting, we have taken our cars there
since the 1990s.

Like everything else these days, when you visit a repair shop, write down
what the problem is (who, what, when, where, why, how, because) for when its
described verbally things get lost in translation.
By that I mean taking down the info into a database, contact between intake
person and the actual mechanic, and conveying the information between all
parties.
plus you'll have a document to refer to when the verdict arrives.
This does assist the investigation of the problem

Seat belt tensioner problem
The retraction on both of our cars, driver side seat belts has become weaker
over time (16 yrs. old and 12 yrs. old)
Dealer quoted $550+ to fix one car.  I was informed now days seat belts are
connected to monitoring devices including the air bag
If you can remove the interior panel without breaking the plastic panel
anchors, and prying away the panel,  where the seat belt retractor is
located, cleaning lubricating does help
However as long as the tensioner works: locks up with sudden forward
movement and only needs assistance in guiding the belt to retract... meaning
its up to the owner driver whether they want to play thrill seeker and not
have it replaced or to be safe and replace it.

I had to replace the passenger side seat belt system on my 1988 RX7
Convertible (long since gone) 
the part was $150 bucks requiring removing the interior panel unbolting the
defective assembly and installing  new. 
Simple easy such that even I could do it.
It's not so simple with 21st century vehicles

Good luck

Regards,

John Becker
D: 301-852-9051