I put the rear seats down in the car earlier. When I came to put them back up, the backrest jammed halfway up and it turns out the centre belt (who’s reel is inside the backrest of the seat) has locked, it needs to extend to allow the seat to go upright.

So now half my rear seats are stuck down. I can’t get it to release. The bolt under the seat is a huge Torx which I’d need to buy, and its fiddly to get the socket onto anyway as there is no room with the seat down.

So, any tips on getting it unstuck (without turning the car upside down or anything silly!) Its a Ford Fusion. I suspect the MOT man broke it yesterday, but then surely he would have just failed it. Then again, its the first time I’ve had a car back from an MOT without the rear belts still belted up…are they obliged to fix something they break? Downside is they are an ‘MOT only’ place, so beyond the odd bulb they don’t do general spannering.

Remove seat from car and position it so the back of the seat is in it’s normal position. Slowly put the seat back into the correct position but keep the back it the normal position. The inertia release should remove as the belt is back it it’s proper position. Return seat to car.

Had this a few times with the rear seat of my Berlingo…lucky removal of seat was a 2 minute job.

That was my next step but its not designed to be removable, I will need to put something on the belt to stop it from taking up any slack I create and then undo six torx bolts on the backrest hinges. Even then I don’t think I will have enough length on the belt to be able to raise the backrest without undoing the big Torx anchoring the end of the belt as well 🙁 Think it might be easier the undo just the biggie…at least its an excuse to expand my toolbox box again!

My mate had a similar problem with a Sierra, someone suggested he park it on a steep slope facing bonnet upwards and it worked, seat belt lock released. Give it a try before taking apart. I also have a t55 torx which i think may be the size you’re after? If you’re any where near Brum/Worcs you can borrow it?
Matt.

Thanks Matt but I’m about 300 metres from the South Coast 🙂 Its already on a hill but maybe I’ll get the ramps out and drive up them!

Put the seats back down again, raise them more slowly?

I’m puzzled.Just had a look at mine and the middled seat belt has no affect on raising or lowering my seat and doesn’t contract or stretch however much I move the seat.Is it fastened or caught on something so it when you try and move the seat back the inertia thing kicks in?

Had a SAAB with same problem, pull belt as hard as possible with one hand and hold, push seat back with thumb compressing seat cushion as much as possible. This should create a couple of inches between belt and cushion, slowly release belt and hopefully it should unlock and if you keep an inch of pace between seat and both should go back together. Hope this works for you.

Seriously, remove seat from car and get it positioned so the back is sitting in it’s normal upright position…the lock will release and you can refit the seat…

Cougar, the seat is stuck down!

Nick, I guess you have the same car? Mine is the prefacelift (53 reg). The seat base is folded forwards, when the backrest is down and the double hinge pushed down to create a flat floor, the belt is bar tight. As it raises it goes slightly slack, and then as the headrest passes the raised base it goes tight again. When I tried to raise it the first time I gave it a yank thinking the headrest was just stuck behind the base and it ripped the plastic trim off the top of the seat where the belt goes into the backrest, doesn’t look damaged thankfully.

Argoose, thanks will try that.

Thanks Dick, I will try that as a last resort but the backrest has to be unbolted from the car, and as the lower belt anchor is bolted to the car, I don’t think I will be able to get the backrest upright without undoing the anchor point, in which case I might as well just undo the anchor point first which will allow the seat to go upright without removing it. Need to buy the torx bit for that though. Once the seat is upright I have 12 months to worry about getting the belt working for the next MOT…its the seat being stuck that is the main issue!

spooky
Mine an 03 also but I usually only put the backrests down. On the occasions I have lifted the back seat bases for a flat floor the headrest got wedged just like yours! My inertia seatbelt can be a bit tempremental and seems to get stuck and won’t unwind sometimes but it is very rarely used
I’m sure with a mix of gentle coercion and vigorous persuasion interspersed with plenty of cursing you will sort it.Good luck.
I am resisting the temptation to try and reproduce your problem in my own car 🙂

Some cars with inertia reals inside the backrest actually lock the real when the seat is down. there is a bowden style cable running from the real to the backrest retaining catch at the side of the seatback. I have seen a small plastic part wearing/breaking in the catch, which then fails to “unlock” the real when the seat is returned back to upright. Take the catch appart and look for a cable to pull, that should release the real. I then zip tied the cable to stop it happening again.

Er, why not try and release the seatbelt? try and reach under the seat back and press the release button … Or am I missing something? There may also be a release button ( press with a screwdriver stylee) inside the actual intertia reel as well.

Oh and Spooky, just don’t go mentioning who I work for ok? 😉

Thanks Maxtorque, I’ll see if I can fool the catch into thinking its clipped back into place, it stays popped out (and red as a warning) when the seat isn’t properly back into place. However the other half never seems to notice the two red things are still up so it would make sense that the centre belt refuses to work until its safe.

Guy, do you mean the release button that you would use to undo the belt? The belt isn’t clipped in, its tight between the reel and the floor. And the interia reel is sealed inside the seat as its the centre belt.

I’m sure with a mix of gentle coercion and vigorous persuasion interspersed with plenty of cursing you will sort it.Good luck.

This generally, you need to work it and trick it into letting go, or pop down the ford dealer and make a loud noise about how bad the seat belts are in the showeoom

you’re ‘parked on a slope’?

🙄