Sticky seatbelt buckles
 

Hi Guys

Had a search but dont see anyone with issues with seatbelt buckles sticking in the retainer.

I have NSF and middle (middle) rear - you need to tilt the seatbelt buckle forward then press the release button to disengage the belt... which is a real pain.

I am surprised that this is not a common failure, given that I have two duff ones!

Can anyone confirm its an easy and straight forward swap of the stalks, and are they the same over years 2004-2011 as there are a fair few on ebay of that age.

I am assuming its disconnect battery, then remove seat to do the swap - and hope the pre-tensioners are not an issue )think they are in the reel rather than in the stalk) - the images I have seen of the stalk looks like its one bolt and a connector for the switch in the release.

Thanks in advance

David

I had this problem on my old V70 a few years ago and cured it quite simply with a quick squirt of ptfe lubricant into the buckle.
As the ptfe is dry, it does not attract dust; wet lubricants such as WD40 or silicone sprays could offer a temporary fix but cause problems later when dust sticks and clogs things up.

Hi - thanks for the reply.

Do you mean something like this?

I dont feel that its down to the release button not being or rather allowing travel - but wear, and especially in the passenger seat, the buckle never seems to be pulled "square" inline with the retainer so its at a bit of an angle.

A couple of quid for a can is cheap rather than the time and cost of the stalks!

David

I pulled an old seat belt buckle to bits to see exactly how it worked.
When the tongue is inserted, a small pawl engages in the slot in the tongue and locks it in. When the release button is pressed, it pushes a wedge shaped piece of plastic down which, in turn, allows the metal pawl to move clear and release the belt tongue.
What was happening with my seat belt was that years of accumulated dirt and lack of lubrication was making the pawl stay engaged when the button was pressed.
The PTFE I used was WD40 Specialist Dry Film PTFE which I bought from Wickes for about £3; it should be easily available in places like Halfords or diy shops.

Thanks - £3.99 in Halfords with the Trade Card... so gone up since you bought it.

Thanks for the tip. Just got a 2011 Volvo with a fair few miles (and no doubt dust in the mechanism too) and both front buckles need a push to get them to release. Just went to dealer for something else and mentioned this, and he said 'have you tried lubricating'. I've got a spray can of silicon lubricant around here somewhere, so will give it a go when I get the car back.