How do you repair a seat belt for a 97 Pontiac Montana?

Answer 1

I assume your seat belt is stuck (locked in place and will not come out). First, to access the place where the seat belt rolls up: For the rear seat belts, the plastic pops off easily. For the front mechanisms, simply pry off the plastic guard near where the seat belt enters. If that's not enough leverage, remove the plastic guards on the floor near the doors and you can pry the plastic wall toward the center of the vehicle. On my own Pontiac Montana I employed 3 strategies to straighten out twisted belts: 1. Short and quick tugs on the belt. Sometimes this jarred the belt loose. 2. Screwdriver into the seat belt mechanism. If the seat belt won't simply come loose, there is most likely a fold in the belt deep inside the roll. Pushing and prying with a screwdriver I have been able to straighten out the turn in the seat belt enough to let the seat belt pull out fully. Afterward, make sure there are no twists in the belt as you feed it in to the mechanism. (Alternatively, use the screwdriver to force the belt in "just a little farther" and the mechanism may come loose. There are metal ridges on either side of the roll you can push.) 3. Remove your daughter's necklace Yes, um, the seat belt somehow ate my daughter's beaded necklace. Removing the obstruction in the roll allowed it to flow freely. If your belt is ripped or frayed, simply replace the entire seat belt. The seat belt can lose up to 50% of its strength after receiving a 5mm cut into the belt (1/2 a centimeter).