Seat belt design problem?

morphomeman · 12-06-2019, 06:13 AM

Last year, the front passenger seat belt on my 2015 235 got twisted and would not retract. The dealer replaced the entire belt assembly under warranty.
This week, same problem with driver belt, but no more warranty, so it cost me $500!
We all know that the belt sits quite far back and there are all sorts of threads on how to manage reaching for it and even on how to untwist the belt in some cases.
On the 3-series coupe that we had a decade ago, there was a robot arm that 'offered' you the seat belt. I am pretty sure that the 4-series coupe still has this gizmo. The 2-series is presumably too down-market for such a system.
I suspect that there is a design/geometry flaw on the 2-series and that the seat belt mechanism malfunctions because of this design: the anchor point is far back, so that the angle when pulling it leads to the twisting and eventual malfunction.
Anyone else out there experience this problem? I am thinking of writing to BMW.

overcoil · 12-06-2019, 11:23 AM

thats interesting...I hadn't had the problem in my 235. Though when my mother used the seat belt in the passenger seat and unlatched it to exit the car the seat belt wouldn't retract and would fall onto the painted door jamb...now I don't buckle my mother into the seat when she's in the car, the seat belt warning chime stops after driving one-mile.

Sportstick · 12-06-2019, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morphomeman

We all know that the belt sits quite far back and there are all sorts of threads on how to manage reaching for it and even on how to untwist the belt in some cases...Anyone else out there experience this problem? I am thinking of writing to BMW.

I have not had this problem in my 5 years. I am trying to imagine the movement that causes the problem. When I sit down, my left arm reaches back and grabs some of the webbing (lays flat...no twists...against interior trim) and pull it forward. My right hand then takes the belt, finds the buckle, and completes the motion. In the entire ownership, it has never twisted.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottSinger

...now I don't buckle my mother into the seat when she's in the car, the seat belt warning chime stops after driving one-mile.

She rides unbelted? You must be joking?

240Newbie · 12-06-2019, 11:54 AM

Haven't had this issue but google how to untwist a seat belt. Pretty easy to do once you get a fold into it. Not sure how a bmw dealership couldn't figure this out.

Climate Changer · 12-06-2019, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottSinger

thats interesting...I hadn't had the problem in my 235. Though when my mother used the seat belt in the passenger seat and unlatched it to exit the car the seat belt wouldn't retract and would fall onto the painted door jamb...now I don't buckle my mother into the seat when she's in the car, the seat belt warning chime stops after driving one-mile.

bimercode fixes the warning chime. as far as the mother goes. up to you if you want to throw mama off the train.

paposalsa · 12-06-2019, 08:12 PM

I had this problem, the Dealer ordered the assembly but when they took off the panel it was just twisted ....

BM235iW · 12-06-2019, 10:06 PM

My seat belt shoulder straps have twisted several times when retracting. I since installed these seat belt shoulder pads. These pads seem to slow the speed the shoulder straps retract and keep the straps from twisting. Besides solving the twisted belt shoulder strap problem the padding keeps the shoulder strap from rubbing directly on my neck and shoulder.

morphomeman · 12-07-2019, 04:20 AM

Do you have a parts number for the shoulder pads?

paposalsa · 12-07-2019, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morphomeman

Do you have a parts number for the shoulder pads?

That is old school, but if it works

John in VA · 12-07-2019, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morphomeman

Do you have a parts number for the shoulder pads?

I don't believe they are a factory item. There are hundreds available from eBay & Amazon.

BM235iW · 12-07-2019, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paposalsa

Quote:

Originally Posted by morphomeman

Do you have a parts number for the shoulder pads?

That is old school, but if it works

I'm an old man. It's inexpensive, works, I'm happy.

BM235iW · 12-07-2019, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morphomeman

Do you have a parts number for the shoulder pads?

Sorry I don't. See John in VA's post. You can try this link. Hope it works.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Car-Seat-Be...k/253691424943

morphomeman · 12-09-2019, 04:47 AM

I am an idiot. Amazon had tons of off-brand pads. I ended up buying a pair of generic black sheepskin pads for $10.00. I am not a fan of logo items, especially fake ones. Let's see if these do the job.

KennyFSU · 12-09-2019, 12:26 PM

I think it's user error, happens to my gf all the time but has never happened to me. I also always "walk the belt back."

morphomeman · 12-09-2019, 06:24 PM

A belt that has to be walked back is not a normally functioning seat belt, though I do give you credit for being careful.

Sportstick · 12-09-2019, 07:00 PM

Maybe "walk back" sounds like more than it is...when I release my belt, my left hand doesn't let the buckle/belt just snap back around me, but I just pass the belt across my front, release in front of the left shoulder area, and it takes up the last bit of slack by itself. Never had a twist in all this time.

makrop · 12-10-2019, 11:26 AM

So ya'll animals just unclip the belt and let it fly back across on its own? Ha I've always held on to it and at least waited until its to the edge of the seat and then let it go. I didn't think that was out of the ordinary...

dradernh · 12-10-2019, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by makrop

So ya'll animals just unclip the belt and let it fly back across on its own? Ha I've always held on to it and at least waited until its to the edge of the seat and then let it go. I didn't think that was out of the ordinary...

I let go of the tongue with my right arm across my body and my right hand up behind my left ear. The belt's untwisted and pretty well retracted by that point, and the tongue drops down from up by the retractor. This has always worked well for me.

KennyFSU · 12-10-2019, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morphomeman

A belt that has to be walked back is not a normally functioning seat belt, though I do give you credit for being careful.

It's a habit that I've done ever since I started driving, not "walking it back" just for this car lol.

AndDown · 12-10-2019, 05:36 PM

Guess I'll chime in too...haven't had any problems as I "guide" the retracting belt with my left hand as it retracts. Maybe that's what was meant by "walking it in"? It's really a non-issue for me.

I do find, when reaching for the belt to buckle up, that it's easier with the coupe to reach down and back with my left hand to grab the belt buckle since the B pillar is so far back. With our other cars that are 4-doors, it's an easy reach back over the left shoulder with the right hand.

Shovelman · 12-12-2019, 06:14 AM

$500 to untwist a seatbelt!! Whether motivated by money or lawyers that is indefensible.

fryguy · 12-12-2019, 08:59 PM

I had this happen to me recently too, and thought for sure I was going to need to get it serviced. I ended up ultimately having luck by trying to untwist it by using a TON of force while sitting in the back seat. The back seat positioning gave me the leverage that I needed to finally get it untwisted.

I had tried a lot of other things at first, some that made it much worse (including getting the belt pulled almost completely out at one point).

So give sitting in the back seat for leverage a shot. I had almost given up after about an hour total of trying to untangle it and was ready to schedule an appointment and then it just sorta popped back into place.

12-06-2019, 06:13 AM	#1
morphomeman Major 593 Rep 1,219 Posts Drives: 2015 M235ix Join Date: May 2015 Location: United States iTrader: (1) Garage List 2016 BMW X3 [0.00] 2015 BMW M235ix [0.00]	Seat belt design problem? Last year, the front passenger seat belt on my 2015 235 got twisted and would not retract. The dealer replaced the entire belt assembly under warranty. This week, same problem with driver belt, but no more warranty, so it cost me $500! We all know that the belt sits quite far back and there are all sorts of threads on how to manage reaching for it and even on how to untwist the belt in some cases. On the 3-series coupe that we had a decade ago, there was a robot arm that 'offered' you the seat belt. I am pretty sure that the 4-series coupe still has this gizmo. The 2-series is presumably too down-market for such a system. I suspect that there is a design/geometry flaw on the 2-series and that the seat belt mechanism malfunctions because of this design: the anchor point is far back, so that the angle when pulling it leads to the twisting and eventual malfunction. Anyone else out there experience this problem? I am thinking of writing to BMW.
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12-06-2019, 11:23 AM	#2
overcoil Major General 3074 Rep 5,577 Posts Drives: M235i 6spd Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Mid-Atlantic iTrader: (0)	thats interesting...I hadn't had the problem in my 235. Though when my mother used the seat belt in the passenger seat and unlatched it to exit the car the seat belt wouldn't retract and would fall onto the painted door jamb...now I don't buckle my mother into the seat when she's in the car, the seat belt warning chime stops after driving one-mile.
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12-06-2019, 11:54 AM	#4
240Newbie Learning 62 Rep 121 Posts Drives: 19' M240 M Performance Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: PA iTrader: (0)	Haven't had this issue but google how to untwist a seat belt. Pretty easy to do once you get a fold into it. Not sure how a bmw dealership couldn't figure this out.
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12-06-2019, 08:12 PM	#6
paposalsa Second Lieutenant 50 Rep 243 Posts Drives: 2015 BMW 228i Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Williamsburg, VA iTrader: (0)	I had this problem, the Dealer ordered the assembly but when they took off the panel it was just twisted ....
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12-06-2019, 10:06 PM	#7
BM235iW Private First Class 97 Rep 145 Posts Drives: 2015 Black Sapphire M235i Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Cerritos, CA. iTrader: (0)	My seat belt shoulder straps have twisted several times when retracting. I since installed these seat belt shoulder pads. These pads seem to slow the speed the shoulder straps retract and keep the straps from twisting. Besides solving the twisted belt shoulder strap problem the padding keeps the shoulder strap from rubbing directly on my neck and shoulder. Attached Images
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12-07-2019, 04:20 AM	#8
morphomeman Major 593 Rep 1,219 Posts Drives: 2015 M235ix Join Date: May 2015 Location: United States iTrader: (1) Garage List 2016 BMW X3 [0.00] 2015 BMW M235ix [0.00]	Do you have a parts number for the shoulder pads?
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12-09-2019, 04:47 AM	#13
morphomeman Major 593 Rep 1,219 Posts Drives: 2015 M235ix Join Date: May 2015 Location: United States iTrader: (1) Garage List 2016 BMW X3 [0.00] 2015 BMW M235ix [0.00]	I am an idiot. Amazon had tons of off-brand pads. I ended up buying a pair of generic black sheepskin pads for $10.00. I am not a fan of logo items, especially fake ones. Let's see if these do the job.
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12-09-2019, 12:26 PM	#14
KennyFSU Captain 1104 Rep 736 Posts Drives: Lexus RC F Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Florida iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 BMW F22 M235xi [0.00] 1991 Suzuki Intrude ... [0.00]	I think it's user error, happens to my gf all the time but has never happened to me. I also always "walk the belt back." __________________ Estoril Blue E36M3 Mineral Grey M235ix/12.02 @ 115 Ultra White Lexus RC F
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12-09-2019, 06:24 PM	#15
morphomeman Major 593 Rep 1,219 Posts Drives: 2015 M235ix Join Date: May 2015 Location: United States iTrader: (1) Garage List 2016 BMW X3 [0.00] 2015 BMW M235ix [0.00]	A belt that has to be walked back is not a normally functioning seat belt, though I do give you credit for being careful.
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12-09-2019, 07:00 PM	#16
Sportstick Major General 4653 Rep 6,028 Posts Drives: '15 228i and '24 X3 sDrive30i Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Southwest USA iTrader: (0)	Maybe "walk back" sounds like more than it is...when I release my belt, my left hand doesn't let the buckle/belt just snap back around me, but I just pass the belt across my front, release in front of the left shoulder area, and it takes up the last bit of slack by itself. Never had a twist in all this time. __________________ 2015 228i 6MT/Track Handling/Tech/Cold/Premium/Lighting/Driver Assistance/KCDesign Strut Brace/M2 LCAs/Rogue SSK/BBS SR/PS4S/ER Chargepipe/AA Intercooler/Dinan Shockware/MPerformance Spoiler/Black Grilles/Xpel Ultimate PPF & Prime XR+ Tint/Adam's Ceramic/no CDV 2024 X3 sDrive30i/MSport/Premium/Dynamic Handling/Shadowline/Parking/Xpel Prime XR Plus/Weathertech Cargo Liner
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12-10-2019, 11:26 AM	#17
makrop Lieutenant 151 Rep 475 Posts Drives: '18 M240i 6MT MGM/CR Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Broken Arrow, OK iTrader: (0)	So ya'll animals just unclip the belt and let it fly back across on its own? Ha I've always held on to it and at least waited until its to the edge of the seat and then let it go. I didn't think that was out of the ordinary... __________________ 18' F22 M240i \| 6MT \| MGM/CR 02' E46 325i \| 5MT \| SBM/B (beater - 200k+) 10' E82 135i \| 6MT \| BSM/CR (sold) 03' E46 330ci \| 5MT \| JB/B (sold)
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12-10-2019, 05:36 PM	#20
AndDown Just Copacetic! 177 Rep 616 Posts Drives: 2019 F22 230i MSport Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Redlands, CA iTrader: (0)	Guess I'll chime in too...haven't had any problems as I "guide" the retracting belt with my left hand as it retracts. Maybe that's what was meant by "walking it in"? It's really a non-issue for me. I do find, when reaching for the belt to buckle up, that it's easier with the coupe to reach down and back with my left hand to grab the belt buckle since the B pillar is so far back. With our other cars that are 4-doors, it's an easy reach back over the left shoulder with the right hand. __________________ '01 X5 3.0 AlpWhite '16 428i GC AlpWhite '19 230i MSptPkg AlpWhite
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12-12-2019, 06:14 AM	#21
Shovelman Lieutenant 244 Rep 525 Posts Drives: 2017 230i Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Michigan iTrader: (0)	$500 to untwist a seatbelt!! Whether motivated by money or lawyers that is indefensible.
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12-12-2019, 08:59 PM	#22
fryguy Enlisted Member 5 Rep 45 Posts Drives: '16 m235xi Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: MA iTrader: (0)	I had this happen to me recently too, and thought for sure I was going to need to get it serviced. I ended up ultimately having luck by trying to untwist it by using a TON of force while sitting in the back seat. The back seat positioning gave me the leverage that I needed to finally get it untwisted. I had tried a lot of other things at first, some that made it much worse (including getting the belt pulled almost completely out at one point). So give sitting in the back seat for leverage a shot. I had almost given up after about an hour total of trying to untangle it and was ready to schedule an appointment and then it just sorta popped back into place.
	Appreciate 0 Quote