Rear seat center seatbelt removal?

**sandspeed** · 05-15-2008 01:58 PM

OK, who here has a Bentley for our cars? I picked up a set of Euro S-line seats for my car, as a temporary fix untill I drive to Germany and get my Recaros, but the rear one came without a center seatbelt. It was there, but I guess the breakers over here removed it. How the hell did they get it out without destroying the seat? There has to be a way to remove and replace it if they got it out. I need help with this so I can actually put these into the car and get rid of the tan seats. Right now, because that seatbelt is not there along with it's tensioner which connects to the emergency restraint/airbag system, I can't install these seats without getting a hard airbag light and having to jumper a connection. Both of those options would suck.

**pondside36** · 05-15-2008 02:16 PM

I can take a look for you in a few and post up what I find... I can't seem to copy any diagrams out of it though so hopefully a description will work for you...

**pondside36** · 05-15-2008 02:48 PM

Ok it seems pretty straight forward:

#1 - It says to remove the seat back/seat bench but I figure you know how to do that
#2 - There is a belt cover guide (visible part) that can be depressed and slid off and up while prying rataining tabs on each side of it.
#3 - Remove 2/3 rear seat backrest(just the bigger seat panel) upholstery until you can remove anchor with upholstery . (the diagram doesn't show this, may be evident in person)
#4 - there should be a bolt visible that hold belt relay (just an anchored guide under cover slipped in between anchor to seat back)
#5 - Remove Wire harness from tensioner/belt spool using a screw driver
#6 - Remove one nut holding tensioner/belt spool to anchor bracket
#7 - Remove one blot at base of seat for free end of belt

I hope this helps... GL

**sandspeed** · 05-15-2008 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by pondside36

Ok it seems pretty straight forward:
...
#3 - Remove 2/3 rear seat backrest(just the bigger seat panel) upholstery until you can remove anchor with upholstery . (the diagram doesn't show this, may be evident in person)
...

This is the confusing part. Are they talking about the front upholstery, like the fabric or leather that is covering the seat? Or do they mean the seatback, like the hard carpeted area on the back that you see when you fold the seats down?

**pondside36** · 05-15-2008 03:03 PM

Like I said the diagram is vague, it is basically just an exploded view of the anchor bracket and tensioner/belt spool and that is it, no view of the rest of the seat covering pulled back or anything... my only guess is you may be able to pull the actuall seat covering on the passenger side enough to gain access to the wiring harness and nut that hold down the tesioner/belt spool assembly. Oh if you do get to this the nut appeared to be on the right hand side of the tensioner and the wiring harness would be on the same side (spool facing out towards front of car...I'm leaving work and I am going to go look at my car to see if anything pops out and will check back in a bit...

**pondside36** · 05-15-2008 03:50 PM

Ok.. so I looked at my seat and I think you will be able to get at the bolts and harness after you remove the top trim cover, I can't see you having to remove the upholstery from the back of the seat, that would be a PITA and would require some professional assistance to get it back together properly... you said the seats you had already had the seat belt removed? Maybe you can see if it looks like they removed and re-attached the upholstery.. GL

**sandspeed** · 05-23-2008 10:36 AM

They cut the belt on the one I have. Damn junkyards. Those idiots would make more money if they'd stop destroying parts to remove them. I ended up using a trim removal tool (looks like a cross between a screwdriver and a prybar, with a notch in the face of it) to pry the upholstery out of the edges around the seat back. Then you have to peel the cover back and you get access to the seatbelt.

**pondside36** · 05-23-2008 10:48 AM

Why would they cut the seat belt like that??? So you actually did have to pull the leather back to get full access.. wow...were you able to just push it back in with the same tool?

**sandspeed** · 05-23-2008 10:54 AM

I haven't pushed it back in yet, since I need a replacement seatbelt. And the seat is cloth. I wonder how much that seatbelt will run me... I'm thinking about just running a resistor in the restraint system plug for the center rear seat and not replacing the seatbelt. Then I can have the seat retrimmed to cover up the center belt hole. I mean, I never plan on having more than 4 people in the car ever anyway. And if there are 5 in the car, they never use that belt either and it would be for a very short ride.

**pondside36** · 05-23-2008 11:00 AM

Sounds good... three in the back is tight unless they are umpalumpa size. I always have people sit behind me in the back since I'm only 5'6"... the back seat in our cars is pretty tight when you have a tall person in either seat. I bet you the Audi seatbelt assembly is pricey since it is a saftey device.

**daima** · 10-04-2010 06:40 AM

Hi, have you managed to get the seatbelt off at the end? I'm facing the same problem at the mom, managed to pry off the trim near the top to reveal the anti-twist stop, but still cannot get to the reel...seems the headrest guide sleeves have to be removed to pull out the complete trim to work on the seatbelt...