FTDP

 

FTTP

 

the new retractor assembly arrived at the dealer yesterday mid-morning and by the time I called to check up on them around 4, they had it installed and ready for pickup. I didn't pick it up until today because I had to stay late at work yesterday.

I doubt they will screw up anything while replacing the retractor. However when I picked up my car, the plastic piece holding the headliner near the rear hatch window was coming off, so I told the service advisor about it right on the spot and he had one of his techs bring it back in to reinstall properly and had it ready in 20 minutes.

ok they also turned my rear view mirror sideways when they were installing, but I think I'll let that slide for now

2 minor annoyances (both have been taken care of) for 2 completely operational automatic seatbelt, I think I'll take that tradeoff

 

Grrr I just got back from the dealer and they told me it would be ~$700 to fix it Stupid Parr Mazda!

 

ok i hate to bring this long dead post back, but both my seat belts don't work now. i called a mazda dealership about the recall and they said that the repair had already been done back in '99. also i called mazda and they said the same thing. now my only question is, how do i fix the problem myself? i have a service manual and it doesn't show anything on how to repair it. so i took the whole a-pillar apart and tried to find the problem. i know the motor still works cause i can hear it trying to pull the seatbelt back, but it's stuck and i can't see where the problem is happening. if anyone has any info, that would be great. i just bought the car 2 years ago and they were working fine when i bought it. PLEASE HELP!!!

 

Check this link:
http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/2n...lt_recall.html

Read it and do what it suggest and you'll get it straightened out. The recall can be done as many times as need be, it is for the LIFE of the vehicle.

 

Thank you!! Screenshotted and ready to take to the local dealership tomorrow. Im ready to have a nice argument if they deny fixing it.

 

What did you say? Not too interested in leaving my car with them for a whole day

 

I work for a dealer (VW not Mazda), we try and get you to drop the car off so we can address your concerns thoroughly and not be rushed. Nothing like someone pacing back and forth at the head of the service department staring at there car while you go through the concerns they brought the car in for.

 

 

probably, the recall only covers the rail and motor, the rest of the system is not covered. in theory if it is the part that is covered, then you should not be charged at all. if it is not the part that is covered, then they are right to do an inspection, although you can usually tell the seatbelt rail is bad by opening the door...

i would take it somewhere else, i think

 

I suggest looking into NHTSA recall guidelines/laws. If the recall is free due to legality I expect the inspection of the system must be free if it hasn't been performed already. The only way I could see paying for an inspection would be if they expect tampering with the system.

 

So, finally took the car to the dealer. I had contacted Mazda and they sent me an email with the letter attached. I did not take it to the dealer close to me(relatively), I took it to one near Chattanooga. The history does show the recall had been done to my car per VIN, but they checked with their rep and all seems good. The parts have to come from overseas though.
Please pray for my plastics! The Mazda rep suggested I leave them on so it didn’t look like I had messed with it. I took pictures just in case.
I will update when I get it back, it may be a couple of weeks with having to get parts shipped and my work schedule.

 

I would assume if any pillar plastics become broken the dealer would cover the repair or at least cover the cost for the opportunity for you to locate a used pillar/plastic.

Good luck and keep us posted!

-M

 

This is why i love my convertible, S5 and no seat belt issues, also 89 so i dont have to worry about those pesky airbags ... lol

 

From what I’ve heard you can install s4 belts into an S5. You would just need to source plastic to cover the tracks at that point or leave it there. Rather it went..

my 90’ GTU has working seat belts but the power to them is off and I leave them in the “secure” /behind driver shoulder/ position. I clip two buckles when I get into the car. A nuisance to an extent.. I just don’t wanna get caught one day with a broken sliding buckle..

 

You need to keep both the S5 tracks and plastics.
Why? I hear you ask.
Well...
The S5 headliner is cut narrower, so if you use S4 plastic, it won't cover and you'll have exposed metal.
Which really doesn't matter because if you remove the S5 tracks, there's nothing to mount the S4 plastic to anyway.
You can gut the S5 tracks but need to keep them installed.

Believe me, I tried but the easiest and most sanitary way to do it is to keep most of the S5 cosmetics and use S4 manual belts.

BTW, just so you know...for what seems like a pretty simple/straightforward little project, you'll end up disassembling a surprising amount of the interior.
Not just the obvious sidepanel and.a-pillar trim, but also the center console and to make life simpler, go ahead and pull the seats, too.
Or don't but you'll probably wish you had...

 

Finally picked her up today. Yes the A pillar was broken, but they made it good with no question. The mouse runs again!

 

I don't suppose they ordered an extra driver's side seatbelt rail?

 

I tried to get them to do the passenger side too, but it was a no go. Also, he mentioned that there were just a few kits left for drivers side, literally. He said he wondered how they could have a lifetime recall, and only have 4 left in stock, one of which he had ordered for my car. Here's hoping they produce them in batches, and that number will change. I'd say maybe the passenger side kit can be adapted, but it's probably the drivers kit for the RHD cars, and used up as well.

 

^The RHD countries where the FC was sold didn't have the same idiotic passive seat belt regulations that we had in the US at that time, so Mazda didn't bother to put motor mouse belts in those, or in any other non-US LHD country either.

 

Ah, that didn’t occur to me. Well then, maybe there is a decent amount of passenger side kits, and they can modified for the driver side.

 

Since this was up near the top, I figured I'd include my dealership experience when having my belts replaced on my old S5 just a couple years ago.
At the time, I was aware of the recall. When I finally needed it to be done, I drove my car to the dealer, Gem Mazda in Tallahassee FL. I brought the printed NHTSA documents and specifically asked if my car was covered. The service advisor lady was very rude to me and said that it was not covered because it had been done once in 1997, and that I would need to pay for the parts and the five hours to do the job, and leave the car there for a day (at the time, approaching 500whp, not about to leave the car there), and that it would cost around $2000. I explained that the documents from the NHTSA and Mazda NA stated the recall was good "for the life of the vehicle", and that my car was clearly alive and well. It also worked in my favor that I already knew that THE MOTOR AND CABLE TRACK ARE AN ASSEMBLY, NOT SEPARATE PARTS, AND THEY GET REPLACED AS SUCH. The SA still argued with me, and insisted that I leave the car for a few days. I walked her.outside and showed her what the problem was (sticking and chattering on both sides), and explained that that was the reason for the recall in the first place. She still said no go.
***At this point, it is important to know that I too was absolutely fuming from their idiocy, and it took everything I had to keep my cool, but again, I just followed the directions IN THE RECALL notice, and called Mazda NA. A 5 minute phone call and a 5 minute wait in the service department afterwards, and the phone rang at the SA's desk, it was Mazda NA saying my parts were on the way and to schedule my appointment for the repair. I too was told that it would take five hours and I would have to pay for an inspection. I told them that's not what Mazda NA told me, and I would do no such thing. I logged into AllData on the shop's account I was working for at the time and found a time for the seatbelt track assemblies at (1.4hr), and said that it needed to be done in that time, and I would be waiting for it. I continued to receive the heat from the SA. She said none of my interior plastic was covered if damaged, and the vehicle "would need to be extensively test driven after the repair", which was clearly not true. I left still angry, and brought the car back for my appointment (the following day, thanks Mazda NA!) with all of the pertinent interior plastics already removed. When I got there, I simply unplugged and removed my Haltech so they couldn't test drive the car. Belt swap was done in 40 mins and I was just tickled to watch them push my car into the service bay and back out when it was done, after all the **** the SA said to me. $0 and I was on my way. The moral of the story is at least try not to seem like you're mad. They will make you mad, but DO NOT listen to them or take their ****. If they tell you anything other than something like "it's free, it's covered, parts take a few days to get here, when can you come back," just call Mazda NA. Don't let the dealers yank you around, or they will continue to do so to others. Stand your ground and Mazda NA will do a good job at making sure they fix your belts. The guy I spoke to at Mazda NA said that they had a small, dedicated group of people who's jobs ONLY involve dealing with RX7 owners pertaining to this recall, and dealing with the dealerships in response. Just my $0.02

 

I believe you but not your source at Mazda.
Mazda is barely keeping it's head above water and the idea that they have allocated labor specifically to a 30 year old car and it's recall issues strikes me as far fetched.
They may have a guy who deals with the dealerships when they call and he may be familiar with their shenanigans, but I'll bet he does all sorts of other things as well.

 

the reason the S5 recall is difficult is because it is one of those Mazda things where you just have to know about it. for a warranty repair, or recall, you run a warranty history report, and it, in every other instance, tells you if the car is eligible for the repair, and if its been done. so this is the only repair (i'm aware of), that you run the report and then ignore it.

i do not think its very fair to expect a person to remember the one exception for a really old, and rare car, according to procedure it looks like the recall has been done and that would be that, they really do need to call Mazda...

there are a bunch of other things like that, its how Mazda separates the n00bs from the ****...