Passat seatbelts

[Superbean_77]

Both of my rear shoulder belts have jammed. They seem to be folded, but I can't figure out how to remove the plastic housing over them to fix it. I tried to pry it off for 45 minutes today. Am I missing something? Anyone know how to remove it?

[blkrb2006]

I recently changed my rear struts on my 95 Passat GLX and had the same problem removing the seatbelt trim cover. The hard plastic covers a metal bracket that holds the seatbelt retractor in place and is released by a tab located just under the front side (inside of car). It's hard to see without a flashlight due to the seatbelt material being in the way. You'll need a screw driver to release it too. Once the cover is removed you'll have to get at it through the trunk. The trunk material is easily removed (folded out of the way) and a 14mm (i think) bolt holds the retractor to the back dash. The two sides to the retractor covered in black plastic house the mechanism. One side has the gears and inertial lock, the other has the retractor metal coil. DON'T OPEN THE METAL COIL SIDE! Check very carefully when opening the covers. My coil exploded and cut my fingers. I spent another 30 min wrapping up the coil by hand. It was a pain! Use eye protection and gloves for safety. Take the gear cover off, hold the part of the lock (near metal ball) away from the gear teeth, and slowly work the seatbelt until it comes completely loose.

Hope this wasn't too long and hope it helps.