Seat belts save lives and reduce severe injuries during car accidents. But they need to work correctly.
Whether in a fender bender or your dog chewed the buckle to oblivion, your seat belt may need a little TLC. Here are some expert tips for choosing the best seat belt repair service.
Choose a Shop That Specializes in SRS Seat Belt Repair
Modern seat belts feature pretensioners to help keep occupants firmly pressed in their seats during an accident. These are controlled by the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), which includes airbags and seatbelt sensors. If any of these fail, the SRS light will come on and can even deploy the airbags. That’s why using a shop with experience working on SRS seat belt repair is essential.
The SRS system uses a computer to monitor impacts, deceleration, braking, whether the passenger seat is occupied, and other variables. The SRS computer signals the seat belt pretensioners to tighten when a significant frontal impact is detected. It also sends a signal to the front airbag to inflate, which does so within 50 milliseconds—less than the time it takes to blink.
Sometimes the computer detects faults that don’t cause the SRS light to turn on. For example, a coin in the seat belt buckle mechanism can cause the system to think the belt is unfastened and trigger the airbag light. Mechanics can check for foreign objects inside the seat belt buckle and reset the SRS computer.
The quality of the SRS components is also essential. Look for a shop that offers replacement seat belts made in the USA, including new pretensioners. The webbing is cut and assembled in the USA, too. Be careful not to use old webbing or pyro sensors, which must be replaced with new ones to be safe.
Check Their Reviews
Having your seat belts working properly is necessary for your safety, but sometimes, you must turn to an expert to get it done, like fixing a seatbelt that won’t retract. This is especially true if your seat belt retractors or pretensions are broken in an accident or if you have a problem with the seat belt webbing, such as frayed ends or a buckle that won’t “SNAP” together like it used to.
Even if you’ve never been in an accident, bringing your car in for a seat belt repair service is an excellent idea to prevent it from breaking down or not working. This will not only prevent you from getting injured in an accident but also ensure that your car passes state safety inspections, and you’ll avoid a ticket if you drive with faulty seat belts.
When choosing a shop for seat belt repairs, check out the reviews other customers have left about the company. You want to find a company that has a good reputation and will do high-quality work.
One great seat belt repair service provides a simple process where you send your seat belt in, and within 24 hours, they will ship it back repaired. This is an excellent option for people who don’t have the time to wait around at a mechanic’s shop and want to save money on buying a new seat belt.
Look for Hazmat Certification
Working with seat belts, airbags, and computer control systems requires more than a pair of skilled hands. These life-saving safety components contain explosives and are engineered to be as safe as possible, so only trained professionals can take them apart, work on them, and ship them back to the customer.
Sadly, some seat belt repair services do not follow proper HazMat procedures, and they put their employees and customers at risk by doing so. When looking for a seat belt repair service, ensure they have HazMat certification and follow the government’s regulations.
A promising sign is when they have ANSI/ISO 17024 accreditation, OSHA approval, and years of experience. The latter shows that they have been around a while and are less likely to disappear on you after your course ends.
Check Their Pricing
A properly functioning seat belt can make all the difference in preventing serious injury and even death during an accident. So, if your seat belt is damaged, feel free to get it fixed as soon as possible. Having your seat belts repaired by an expert can help you avoid costly replacement costs and save time, effort, and money.
In most states, driving without a fully functional seat belt is illegal. A broken seat belt can cause you to fail a state safety inspection. That’s why choosing the best shop to repair your seat belts is essential so they can perform their vital safety function again.
When choosing a shop to fix your seat belts, you must ensure they have a good reputation among past customers and all the proper certifications. You should also check for competitive pricing and quality repairs.
When your seat belt isn’t retracting as fast as it should, you may find it clogged with dirt or grime. Try using a spray-on cleaner, hot water, and laundry detergent to scrub the seat belt and buckle until all the grime is gone. If the problem persists, you should seek professional assistance from a reputable seat belt repair service. They can fix your seat belts for you and ship them back to you in 24 hours.