At 02:06 AM 12/30/2010, Bret Berger wrote...
>BTW, after washing the seat belts in my (front load) washing machine
>and
>giving the inertia reel mechanisms a very light squirt of (non WD-40)
>lubricant they work like a charm.

Yes, they work much better after cleaning the belts. They get stiff
when dirty, which keeps them from retracting easily. You don't have to
remove the belt from the spool to clean it, just pull it out all the
way and let it soak for a while in a bowl of warm water and Woolite (or
similar), flexing it occasionally.