Middle rear seat belt problem

[ming666]

My middle rear seat belt appears to have the connector on the wrong side of the plastic button (see pic) which means it can't be plugged in with someone in the middle seat.
It doesn't look like it will easily be pushed back past this button.
Am I being really dumb and missing something here that enables me to get it past this button and thus functional?

 

[SMS]

If you can’t get it thru the hole, you can get replacement buttons from mb, so carefully remove and put new button on correct side.

 

[ming666]

Thanks.
How the hell did it get there in the first place!?

 

[C220DLondon]

Thanks.
How the hell did it get there in the first place!?

Quite... I had exactly the same on an Audi a few years back. Really very strange... Maybe there were a batch made for different manufacturers and the person kept getting it wrong.

I eventually fixed it but not before ruining the original seatbelt. My tip for fixing is...

Buy a new plastic stopper from Mercedes. Drill out the central peg of the one that's not right in your car. Move the thing up, install new stopper. Don't attempt to remove with pliers!

 

[ming666]

Thanks, great advice
I'm tempted to remove the button and not replace since it's the middle belt and will very rarely get used. It actually better with the buckle not half way up the seat.

 

[Will]

Those plastic buttons/rivets/stoppers are easy enough to remove - just take your time and carefully prise the two halves apart, ideally with tools that won’t mark the plastic (and avoid damaging the webbing)

I would not recommend using a drill, it’s only a very tiny pin size hole that goes through the seat belt - you don’t want to make a hole or damage the webbing.

Start by twisting the two halves backwards and forwards and then use a flat wedge either side to prise them away.

Worst case if you damage the rivet it’s about £1 from Mercedes - a new belt will be far more expensive!

 

[ming666]

Thanks
I'll have a look later

 

[ming666]

OK I just used a pair of wire cutters, got the sides under the edge of the button and squeezed gently and the button pinged off undamaged
Moved the buckle and put the button back on and it clicked into place.
result

Thanks for the tips