Re: 1988 Camry I4 station wagon. No matter how hard/fast I yank on the shoulder or lap belts for either side of the front, they do not lock up. So they seem to be totally useless for protection in an accident. How can this be? all four inertial reels are bad? Surely not? Shouldn't they lock up with a hard yank?
Question about shoulder and lap belt
Dec 13, 2006
8 Replies
They won't lock up unless you are braking or decerating. Bg
Yhey won't lock up unless you're Braking or decelerating.
How is that? Unless there is an accelerometer to sense g-forces that activates them. Thanks, Geronimo
I believe there is a pendulum that activates them..........A decelerometer of sorts. Steve
Think of a weight swinging like a pendalum, sudden stop, weight swings forward and locks the belt.
Slim
I don't have any info on this at all, such as operators manual...is there any way to test the belts? (Short of running into a wall ;-) )
Sure. Get up to speed on a deserted highway and lay on the brakes real hard while feeling the tension on the belt.
On the 1988 models, a hard yank won't lock it up. That ended around 1980! But, put your belt on, snug it down as tight as you can stand, and then snug it down again, and drive down a bumpy road. It should lock up.
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