Have you got its springs checked?

 

Seat belt retractors are well engineered and will last a long, long time if kept clean. Most problems can be traced to 'crud' accumulated from french fries and other fast food consumed in the car.

You can try vacuuming the retractor mechanism. If that fails, you might need to remove the shrouding and clean with a brush.

 

Thanks for your inspiration in replying to this thread I posted from awhile back! Yup, you're very, very correct in stating the retractor's lifespan is good as long as they're kept clean and free of floor crud. When I attacked this problem about 1 year ago, I first thoroughly cleaned the units, particularly the driver's side (most use, of course), then lubricated the retractor. No joy! Simply put, and I've found this to be the case across aging seatbelt retractors of all manufacturers), the coil spring gets tired/worn. I added a few rotations to the coil springs and they retract much, much better. The only problem in so doing is that I now get a periodic code, likely prompted by the seatbelt tension not quite up to factory specs. I suppose the code lights off about every 15 faults or so and I simply clear it with my laptop and have learned to live with this. The alternative is sloppy/floppy seatbelts that get slammed in the door when exiting, etc..

As an Audiphile/hobbiest, I'm now working on installing a replacement fuel pump in my son's '97 A4 2.8. It's had an intermittent stalling problem for a long, long time and the only possible explanation I have left, after having eliminated other possibilities, is an intermittently failing fuel pump (170,000 miles on the car). I noticed a very noisy operation from the pump, emitting from the trunk of course, even though the car does not stall/quit while in motion, leading me to suspect the pump. Moreover, I get an erratic fuel level reading, so I'm changing out both the pump and the VDO sending unit. It's nice to be able to access the units via the trunk hatch but man, it's a tight fit! Hopefully, I'll get it in and up and running today ! Any interested parties may wish to view my thread here: https://www.audiforums.com/forum/aud...1/#post1357126

 

I solved the seatbelt retraction problem in my car by cleaning the nylon belts.

- Soak fully extended belt in a bucket containing hot water mixed with powder laundry detergent for 15 mins. I used vice grips locked on the belt to keep it from extracting

- Soak belt in a fresh batch of water and detergent for 15 mins

- Soak the belt in just water for 15 mins

- Dry the belt as much as possible with a towel, then air dry overnight

 

One more thought. I am not sure about VW/Audi but do know that when presented with a clean seat belt assembly that isn't functioning properly and has not been abused, dealers for most brands will when asked replace or repair it for no charge regardless of the age. Most manufacturers/importers view this as liability exposure.

 

Well, that is a most fascinating thought. I'd have never imagined that auto dealers of any brand would consider such a thing, but it does make sense, given the safety issue. I'm wary of dealers at all (which is partially why I'm on this Forum in the first place ) but might consider it. My '01 Chevy Suburban's seatbelts are starting to falter in retracting and likely for the same reasons. Aging belts (the nylon belts do get stiff with age just like me!) and then the wearing of the coil springs within the retractors. Liked the idea of "laundering" the belts as a means of bringing some renewed flexibility to them. I may try this this summer, when outdoor laundering weather is back! Where I live it's currently 19 degrees outside so I don't even have any running water. Thanks to you all for contributing to this posting/thread!

 

Vacuum out the loose debris and wash the belt(s). Most problems occur because of crud.

When you get them clean, stop eating french fries and ice cream while driving. <G>