Service Procedure

For vehicles which are sold units, ask the vehicle owner whether he has inspected all of the vehicle's safety belts. If he has, ask him to describe any difficulties he may have had in latching or unlatching each of the belts. If the owner has noted a problem, perform the campaign repair procedure described below on the belt or belts with the described problem.

If the owner has not inspected his own belts, or if he is unsure about his inspection (and for dealer in-stock units), perform the inspection as described below to determine if a repair is necessary.





INSPECTION

1. Without sitting in the seat, buckle each safety belt. You should hear an audible click which indicates that the latch is buckled.

Then, push the red release button. The latchplate should pop right out.


A problem exists if:

^ The seat belt cannot be buckled at all; or

^ The latchplate does not pop right out when the red release button is pressed.

2. If no problems are found during the belt inspection, no replacement is necessary. Install the Campaign Identification Label and return the vehicle to the customer or to dealer stock.

If any of the belts had either of the problems described in the inspection procedure, replace the retractor side safety belt assembly for that belt, using the procedure described below.


REPLACEMENT

1. First check the buckle to be sure that there are no foreign objects (such as a penny or gum wrapper) interfering with its operation. If you find a foreign object, replace the buckle side of the assembly first. Then check the belt system again, using the inspection procedure above.

If the problem no longer exists, there is no need to replace the retractor side of the assembly. If there are no foreign objects in the buckle, or if the problem still exists after the buckle has been replaced, go onto the next step.

2. Replace retractor side of the safety belt system, following the procedure found in the 1991 Pontiac Firebird Service Manual, pages 10-10-2 through 10-10-3.

When you are through, be certain to test the newly installed belt to assure that it works properly.

3. Install Campaign Identification Label.