Improvement to front seat belts - W203 C200 Kompressor SE Auto

[johnsco]

This car is the coupe version.
The front doors are large and the seat-belts are set well-back using a presenter at the top.
Surprisingly the seat belt buckles sit on the floor.
The plastic button that exists on my E280, and which holds the buckle at a convenient height, is not there on the C200.
This means that it is very awkward to get hold of the buckle once the door is shut.
Also - The seat-belt is reluctant to retract fully (old age !!).

I've made a couple of screw rivits and have positioned them in the centre of the seat belt web about 12 inches below the presenter to hold the buckle in this position..
This means that both driver and passenger can both get hold of the buckle easily when seated in the car with the door shut.
Result !

I've also given both seat belts a coating on both sides with Holts Silicone Spray (ECP : 552 99 6170).
The seat belt now retracts much better than before.

 

[Petrol Pete]

A quick question . Has the car had an MOT since you modified the seat belt ?

 

[Will]

The part that you’ve fitted, MB do sell something similar as a spare part. Plastic rivets basically.

Not sure silicone is a good idea on the webbing though?

 

[johnsco]

A quick question . Has the car had an MOT since you modified the seat belt ?

No ... I only did it yesterday.
Why do you ask ?
The operation of the belt mechanism is unaltered, except that the buckle rest position is no longer on the floor and therefore inaccessible when the door is shut.

Regarding the silicone.
It's a good way to ease the return of the belt.
It's certainly improved it

 

[Petrol Pete]

Just asking because poor retraction of seatbelt can be an MOT failure and a fussy MOT tester might take a dim view of an additional hole in the seatbelt webbing . If the work looks like it came from the factory the tester probably wont even notice, or care.

I am curious about how you say the buckles lie on the floor of the car . Has it always ben like that ? is that normal on a C coupe ?

 

[johnsco]

Just asking because poor retraction of seatbelt can be an MOT failure and a fussy MOT tester might take a dim view of an additional hole in the seatbelt webbing . If the work looks like it came from the factory the tester probably wont even notice, or care.

I am curious about how you say the buckles lie on the floor of the car . Has it always ben like that ? is that normal on a C coupe ?

The retraction of the seat belt is greatly-improved following the silicone spray.
It's most unlikely that an MOT inspector would even notice that the rivit is not an original feature.
I was also curious about the buckle sitting on the floor.
I couldn't believe that this is the way it was designed - Certainly most inconvenient !
I can only guess that the seat belt may have been changed at some time in the past.
BUT
Both seat belts are the same.
????

 

[Petrol Pete]

It does seem a bit odd johnsco, the last time I saw seat belt buckles lying on the floor of a car it was some old ford my dad used to drive back in the 70's !

Hopefully a member on here has a car the same as yours and might join in the thread .

 

[johnsco]

I think W1ghty's CLK is pretty-much the same.
Is the CLK a Coupe ?

 

[markjay]

The seat belt 'stoppers' supplies by MB require expanding the pin head using a heat gun. It's doable, but without the special tool it just looks messy.

I have used seat belt 'stoppers' from Amazon/eBay, they just clip-on and work much better and the result looks neater.

As for drilling a hole in the seat belt, instinctively it doesn't sound like good idea, I agree.... but as far as the MOT tester is concerned, if the mod looks fine (and not like a DIY improvisation), I don't see how the tester can tell it isn't an original fitment?

 

[alecmascot]

As for drilling a hole in the seat belt,

I have used the stoppers and it is not necessary to "drill" any hole.
The pin can be inserted through the belt without breaking any threads if the belt is not under tension.

 

[johnsco]

I didn't run a drill thru the webbing.
I carefully parted the threads with a pointed pick and then inserted the rivit thru the hole.