Front seat belts and MoT

E

Elfyn

New Member
My 1973 3500 recently failed an MoT for, among other things, the front seat belts not locking when tugged (ref 7.1.2(c) - seat belt not functioning as intended). The car is fitted with Britax Auto-Lok mk 3 belts and I understand that the design of these belts means that they will not lock when tugged but only under sudden deceleration.
I have been unable to find the specification for these belts anywhere so can anyone please point me at a source of information that I can present to my local friendly MoT tester?
I know that the car is MoT exempt but I intend to keep it in test anyway
 
They should lock on decelleration, but most times a sharp pull will lock them at a standstill, I think you've been unlucky. They are called "Inertia" seat belts, and it's the decelleration that overcomes the inertia to lock the belt.
 
Many thanks - that should convince him. I took the car out earlier today (on a private road, so quite legal) and tried braking sharply - both belts locked properly.
 
Pulling the webbing out to see if it locks is not part of the inspection.
 
Last edited:
clive P62 said:
Pulling the webbing out to see if it locks is not part of the inspection.
Click to expand...

I thought that, but I'm not a tester, so I looked in the manual, and I couldn't see it there either, so it's good to have it confirmed by someone who knows.
 
It doesn't matter if it's a classic or not ,it's not a requirement to check it locks when webbing is pulled.
If you couldn't pull out the webbing from the reel that's different.
 
Seatbelt pretensioners which remove the slack from a seatbelt in the event of a collision are tested on an mot

Otherwise if they didn’t work you would have people flying through the windscreen in an accident
 
and that is literally true, I have seen the driver (seat belt ignored) laid out on the bonnet of his car (unconscious) having gone through the windscreen, hi speed smash, not a pretty sight, yes it does happen, mind you , I know P6s don't have airbags for driver or passenger but maybe in the modern cars that do, the airbag would save them
 
Thank you to everyone who has contributed and offered advice.
The relevant section of the manual states "7.1.2(c) Seat belt not functioning as intended or of an incorrect type" so if they are meant to lock, they should lock otherwise the tester is justified in noting it as a major fail.
From the research that I have done there are two types of locking mechansim - centrifugal and pendulum. The centrifugal ones will lock when tugged, the others can only be tested by driving the car at a speed of about 15mph and braking - see above from rover p480. As long as testers are aware of the difference there should be no problem. Despite the inconvenienc that it has caused me, I prefer it if the tester does a thorough job.
 
I agree with you there Clive :)
1965 anchorage points to be fitted to the front of new cars.
And in 1967 it was a requirement to have front seat belts fitted, to new cars.
 
Elfyn said:
Thank you to everyone who has contributed and offered advice.
The relevant section of the manual states "7.1.2(c) Seat belt not functioning as intended or of an incorrect type" so if they are meant to lock, they should lock otherwise the tester is justified in noting it as a major fail.
From the research that I have done there are two types of locking mechansim - centrifugal and pendulum. The centrifugal ones will lock when tugged, the others can only be tested by driving the car at a speed of about 15mph and braking - see above from rover p480. As long as testers are aware of the difference there should be no problem. Despite the inconvenienc that it has caused me, I prefer it if the tester does a thorough job.
Click to expand...
I disagree . The test for a belt, is to latch the tongue it into the stalk, see that it wont release without pressing the release, see that it does release when the button is pressed and if an inertia real type, see that it retracts properly and webbing can be helped to return. Nothing is mentioned about seeing if it locks when pulled.
 
It’s under the mot test requirements
That’s why mot testers pull the belt to see if it locks?
 
Ban306 said:
It’s under the mot test requirements
That’s why mot testers pull the belt to see if it locks?
Click to expand...


As I said before, and had it confirmed by Clive, who is a tester, if you actually read what it says in the tester's manual, the test is only to see if the belt comes out, fits into the stalk and locks, then releases when the button is pushed, and then the belt retracts.
 
2.6 Seatbelts
The vehicle will be inspected to check that:

the mandatory seatbelts are in place
they are suitable for the vehicle
they are in a good condition
they work properly
they are attached securely
The malfunction indicator lamps (MILs) or dashboard warning lights will be checked for the:

air bags
seatbelt pretensioners (which remove the slack from a seatbelt in the event of a collision)
seatbelt load limiters (which release a small amount of belt when it’s too tight)
 
From the current testers manual.

"7.1.2. Seat belt fitment and condition
You must check any visible parts of:

  • all seat belts fitted
  • all child seat restraints fitted
You do not need to inspect:

  • a belt fitted with no corresponding seat
  • a buckle or stalk with no corresponding belt
You should lift folded seats to inspect seat belts. However, you do not have to do this if you’d need tools to do it. If you cannot lift seats because there are heavy or fragile items on the seat, you can refuse to test the vehicle. For details, see item 4d in the Introduction.

You do not need to inspect buckles or stalks with no corresponding belt.

To check the belt buckle:

  1. Fasten the belt locking mechanism.
  2. Try to pull the locked sections apart.
  3. Press the release mechanism while pulling on the belt.
  4. Make sure the mechanism releases when required.
For retracting seat belts, check that excess webbing is wound into the retracting unit with the mechanism fastened and the seat unoccupied. Check this with the seat base set in its rearmost position.

Some types of retracting belt might need manual help before they retract. If a temporary device is fitted to prevent retraction, you can remove it.

A seat belt installation check might be required on vehicles fitted with more than 8 passenger seats first used before 1 October 2001. If you’re not sure, see Section 10 of this inspection manual."

It's doesn't say to check that the webbing locks.
 
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