Troubleshooting
BEFORE YOU START
Read the instructions enclosed with your seat belt. These provide important safety information on how to install your seat belt correctly. The majority of the questions we receive from installers are because they have not read the instructions before commencing installation
Why can’t I pull the seat belt out of the retractor?
All Australian Made retractors are designed to specific angles. If they are held in your hand or positioned off that angle the cogs inside will be locked and you will not be able to get the seat belt out of the retractor.
To pull the seat belt out of the retractor check the designed angle eg 99º and hold the retractor up against a wall or on the edge of a bench and tilt to within +/-3º of the correct angle and the belt will pull freely out of the retractor.
Why does the Aftermarket retractor look different to my OEM one?
Simply put this in an aftermarket product that has been designed to AS/NZS2596 Seat belt Assemblies for Motor Vehicles and for the majority of OEM seat belts worldwide it looks different. For this to be a truly universal seat belt it needs to have some similar aspects but not all of them are going to be the same. The dimensions of the retractor/reel frame are usually similar but the bolting points and distances from the reel that the bolts are located in are usually different. Even car manufacturers have different shaped retractors from vehicle to vehicle. The Toyota Landcruiser retractor is not the same as the Toyota Hilux even though they are a similar size vehicle made by Toyota
Why don’t the little locator holes line up like my old retractor?
The Australian made Aftermarket belts in some cases have 2 small holes located just above the large bolt hole at the bottom of the retractor. These are part of the Australian design and they are there for brackets that need to be added to the retractor to adapt it to different vehicle applications.
They will not line up with your original locator pins where you bolt it into your vehicle. The only belts that will have holes that line up for your locator pins/lugs will be the OEM seat belts. These are only there for assembly line production when they are manufacturing the vehicle so they get the seat belt on the right angle every time for the 400 cars they push through in the day. This is not a necessary requirement, the Australian made Aftermarket belts along with thousands of OEM seat belts worldwide only have the one large bolt on the retractor to hold the retractor in place and on the right angle. This single bolt anchorage at the base of the retractor has been tested and complies to AS/NZS2596 Seat belt Assemblies for Motor Vehicles. To replace the OEM belt with the Australian Made belts you will need to push the locator pins flat so that the new retractor may be bolted in place flat with the mounting surface.
Why is there no top locator point/hook/screw on the Aftermarket retractor?
Some OEM retractors may have a 2nd anchor point on the top of the retractor frame.
These are only there for assembly line production when they are manufacturing the vehicle so they get the seat belt on the right angle every time for the 400 cars they push through in the day. This is not a necessary requirement, the Australian made Aftermarket belts along with thousands of OEM seat belts worldwide only have the one large bolt on the retractor to hold the retractor in place and on the right angle.
The single bolt anchorage at the base of the retractor has been tested and complies to AS/NZS2596 Seat belt Assemblies for Motor Vehicles
Why is there no arm on the Aftermarket retractor and what do I do with this K4425 bracket?
Some OEM retractors have a large arm which extends down below the retractor a few inches and the bolt goes through it to mount it into the vehicle.
The K4425 bracket that you have been supplied with simulates this arm and can be cut and bent to the shape of the original retractor arm. If you have to bend the bracket ensure that the retractor when mounted on the bracket is vertical when viewed from the front of the vehicle and is not hanging into or out from the middle of the vehicle as the designed second angle needs to be 90º
Do not attempt to use this bracket to emulate any locator points at the top of your OEM retractor. This top mounting point/hook/screw is not required as described above.
Follow the instructions that are included with the kit on the inside cardboard flap.
Why is there no wire coming off the Aftermarket retractor?
If you have purchased an inertia reel or web clamping belt from us you will notice that there are no wires coming off the retractor. These are standard retractors and do not require any wiring to operate. If you have pretensioner seat belts installed and you have purchased a non pretensioner seat belt please contact us.
Some vehicles such as some Nissan and Japanese vehicles have a system where there is a wire coming out of the retractor and when the engine is off the seat belt will not be able to be pulled out. There is currently no product available in Australia that is able to be fitted to the retractor to simulate this. Please call us to discuss this with us if you find you have an OEM seat belt with this wiring system.
Why is there no wire coming off the Aftermarket buckle?
All of our standard seat belt buckles (female end) are not able to be hooked up to your car electronics. We do however have electric buckles available that you can easily use in conjunction with your existing OEM buckle plug.
If you find that you have a seat belt warning alarm or electric buckle that you have not made us aware of please give us a call and we will be able to assist you in an alternative replacement electric buckle. We stock many of the standard sizes.
Why is all the plastic parts black on the Aftermarket seat belt/buckle?
Both the Australian Aftermarket seat belt manufactures produce black plastic trim on their belts and buckles. The OEM products are normally colour coded to your interior trim so they can be all different colours. We are able to get different colour buckle heads but most times there is a minimum order of 10,000 units or the belt and buckle are going to cost $1200 per belt to produce in the colour required. It is therefore in no way economical for our customers to go outside the standard black designs so we only stock the standard black trim options. When it comes down to it most people are happy to have their occupants safe with a certified product rather than have that colour coded matching grey buckle head. We can however in most cases colour co-ordinate the seat belt webbing to your choice of colour from our range.
Can I return it if it doesn’t fit or it’s not right?
If, after reading the installation instructions with your product and the FAQ’s above, you still are unable to fit the seat belt to your vehicle please contact us via phone or email. There may be something we have missed or are unaware of.
You must contact us first before returning your seat belt so that we can advise you if there is a solution available.
Special orders assembled with details provided for the order by the customer are non-refundable.
Due to our products being a safety item, all returned products must be returned in NEW condition and not show signs of being fitted to any vehicle or machinery.
Consumer Credit Information
As we are an Australian business we are bound by Australian Consumer Law. Consumer credit information can be obtained via the ACCC website http://www.accc.gov.au/consumer/consumer-rights-guarantees