98.5 QC seatbelts

[wil440]

Had a seat belt warning light on ever since I got the truck, now after over a year I just can't put it off anymore as I need to MOT it ( Ministry of Transport) safety check, once a year up until 40 years old then not needed.

Checked it out and drivers side didn't feel right, 4 wires to the seat not 2 so I checked the ones for the belt solenoid and 12v and earth as expected, jumpered the 2 and still the same, I swapped the controller and it was still the same so took the drivers seat out and swapped it for the seat out of my 3500, still the same, finally swapped the passenger seat and now all is good, warning light goes out after the check, I suppose it could be the passenger belt on it's own but the drivers side does not feel right, the drivers out of my 3500 is power so swapped in the power seat fuse and thats all working, I probably won't leave them in the 2500 as for 1 they are leather and get way too hot in the sun and I prefer it to look as close to factory as possible, so what are my options being as I can't got to parts yards and I can't ship 2 seats to the UK, has anyone replaced the solenoid ??      Can't see any on ebay.com either

[Mopar1973Man]

 

 

[wil440]

Just checked again as per the information above, drivers side 50ohms passenger side open circuit so I just need a passenger side seatbelt retractor for a 98.5....

[wil440]

Need hepl

 

So I removed the seat fabric and got to the seatbelt retractor, guess what.... no solenoid... previous owner must have removed just the solenoid off of the end and left the rest of the retractor, I can see where the solenoid has been on the foam as it's blackened in a small area as if it got a bit hot before popping the fuse SO I can't even see what type/shape or anything to try and replace just the solenoid, the PO of this truck was a backyard blindman when it came to repairs, Part I need is 5FP64LAZAC seatbelt retractor although the 5FP64 is the trim code so not to important... I can't find it anywhere, has anyone got any ideas, I can't even get a replacement used seat as shipping will be $$$$, is anyone breaking a 98.5 to 2002 with solenoid retractors, anyone know anywhere that has NOS, Moparpartsgiant.com has it but doesn't ship outside of USA  GGRRRR.

Have all of 98.5 to 02 got these solenoids on the seatbelts or have some just got plain inertia belts instead of restrain belts ???

My next thought is if the module is expecting a 50ohms resistance to put the warning light out I could fool it by disconnecting both left and right and using a 50ohms resistor between + and - on each harness, the belts would still work but not lock ? HELP as I can't leave the 3500 seats in it forever

[wil440]

Searched ebay.com and messaged a lot of parts sellers and also a seatbelt repair company. None specifically listed ship to uk but who knows

[Mopar1973Man]

@wil440 well at least I just learned you can remove the seat fabric and change the seat belt retractor. I might have to do that for my driver side some day in the future. 

[wil440]

Several places have the drivers side oem new but not pass side. One of the first I messaged has just replied he doesn't have pass side, maybe 4 or 5 to go

Edited April 26, 2019 by wil440
Added to

[dripley]

Are the solenoids the same for both passenger and driver? If so I might can help. I srill have my old seats. Might have time this or next week end to open them up and see whats in there.

 

I do have to say that my seat belt light at the time I pulled them out was on. Many years it started coming off and on irregularly. For a while I could get it to go off just by pushing on the latch. I always figured it was the connection in the latch itself. The seat belt would still lock up and not extend. When I installe my new to me seats the light turns off as soon as I connect the belt. 

 

Reading your last post it would appear they are different. I will look and see anyway. I need to strip the old ones of usefull things and get rid of the rest anyway.

[wil440]

22 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

@wil440 well at least I just learned you can remove the seat fabric and change the seat belt retractor. I might have to do that for my driver side some day in the future. 

At the back of the seat at the bottom there is a zip on the leather seats in my 3500 that zips the front to the back as the front tucks through the gap at the squab, on my 2500 with cloth seats same idea but a strip of metal sits inside a u shaped strip to keep both together,the cover then slips upwards and off, on the front there is a strip thats hog ringed to the seat so cover has to slip forwards as I didn't fancy disturbing them

3 minutes ago, dripley said:

Are the solenoids the same for both passenger and driver? If so I might can help. I srill have my old seats. Might have time this or next week end to open them up and see whats in there.

 

I do have to say that my seat belt light at the time I pulled them out was on. Many years it started coming off and on irregularly. For a while I could get it to go off just by pushing on the latch. I always figured it was the connection in the latch itself. The seat belt would still lock up and not extend. When I installe my new to me seats the light turns off as soon as I connect the belt. 

 

Reading your last post it would appear they are different. I will look and see anyway. I need to strip the old ones of usefull things and get rid of the rest anyway.

I haven't looked at the drivers side yet and there isn't a solenoid on my passenger side as PO removed it,the solenoid looks like it unbolts off of the belt reel,  so I have no idea what it looks like, mine also has no electrics at the latch so no warning for seatbelt not fastened,wiring goes up the back of the seat inside the cover to the retractor. Be great if you had a solenoid at least

[wil440]

3 replies so far no luck.... even a seatbelt repair company on ebay.com is a no, think if no one on here has anything I'll just have to ohms resistor both to fool the module so no warning light.

MOT test wouldn't have been a problem last year but april 2019 it got tighter, now any warning light on the dash on is a fail

 

This is just the type of problem that I think will be the killer of these trucks and a reason to get it gone and buy a 40's job rated, can't really see the point of a million mile motor when the rest just falls to bits, I've read most posts on here and you just have to conclude reliability is not good especially electrics.

I could sort this in about 2 seconds flat but I really don't want to scrap my 3500, although I could buy a 40's job rated and use the v8 and some running gear for the JR and keep the rest for parts for the 2500

 

[wil440]

every one I have contacted says no go, Mopargiants.com has the seatbelt but won't ship outside of USA, MOT is tomorrow with seats out of my 3500 in it, once it's passed I'm going to refit reel and see if I can add a resistor to seatbelt harnesses to fool the control module and make the warning light go out, but besides that if anyone has seatbelt reels for  a 98 to 01 QC with the reels in the seat I'll take them

[wil440]

Truck has failed it's test on passenger side lower ball joint, front brake pipes corroded, rear shock rubbers, worst thing is after all the seatbelt hassle and changing the front seats  for my 3500 ones he never pulled the reels at all... typical..... if I'd have left the original seats in he woulld have checked them I'll bet

[wil440]

I tried bridging the 2 wires to the passenger side tonight, this makes no difference and after the checks the light comes on so I've ordered 50 ohm resistors to bridge the wires to see if the seatbelt controller needs to see a resistance, I'll have them tomorrow...

No luck anywhere getting the seatbelts or a solenoid so this is my prefered option over leaving the seats out of my other truck fitted

[98whitelightnin]

Send me a pic of what your looking for and where its actually located in the seat and I'll find you one next time im in a wrecking yard.

[wil440]

3 hours ago, 98whitelightnin said:

Send me a pic of what your looking for and where its actually located in the seat and I'll find you one next time im in a wrecking yard.

If you could that would be great,I'll get pitures tonight when I get home.... thanks

[wil440]

Here's pictures of the passenger seat with the seatcover took off and the seatbelt retractor removed, as you can see PO has removed the solenoid so I have no idea what it is like but it over/around the white gear. The retractor slots into the top/outside part of the headrest area and is held onto the seat with 2 torks bolts which are at the back of the headrest,

[98whitelightnin]

You need that whole assembly or just the solenoid? What size torx and does the little plastic cover that goes on the seat and the belt slips through, just pry off? I would go take mine apart but then ill break it and have to find two. Passenger assembly only or both sides?

Edited May 22, 2019 by 98whitelightnin

[wil440]

I'm not bothered whether the whole seatbelt assembly or just the solenoid, you know i'm thinking if you can find both I'll have both or just passenger side at a push, I wouldn't take your own apart well not unless the solenoid is faulty as I can use my truck as i've fitted seats out of my other truck.

The cover has a long clip at the back of the seat back (zip if leather) then the front piece slides forwards through the gap between seatback and base, work it slowly up, there is a bead hog ringed into the front of the foam so the back of the cover goes forward, the seatbelt trim pops out of the cover and it all then works back through the hole, the torks are largeish, i'd say 50, pretty sure they were the same as the seat hold down torks, just as and when is ok for me and I'll pay all costs including time, cost of parts and shipping,  I am also going to try the resistor deal in my wiring as I think these things will cause a problem certainly here as we cannot as from april have any lights on on the dash. Hopefully you'll be able to find them and I appreciate you time and help.... thank you

Neil

[98whitelightnin]

Ive never seen a seatbelt light in my 98 12v at all. Ill head out to a yard in the next few weeks and see if I can come up with a couple.

[Mopar1973Man]

Wish I knew more about the difference between the early and late. The late system like my truck only have the seat belt switch in the latch. As for the early with the under the middle seat module, I've never even seen one yet. If there was a way to convert over to the latch light as the later series does that would be the best choice.