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seat belt buttons
- Thread starter c1run1
- Start date
I think Jan has a step by step on how to replace them. You can still by the push buttons from the dealer. I have a set I need to install as well. If I get over to the garage I'll dig the bags out and get you the GM part numbers.
WS6
Stay thirsty my friends
Yes, he's got the part number but I haven't heard back from him yet. I bought the kit from "modern day muscle.com" and they cut out the part number on the package. But they did leave the group number, so off to the parts counter I went to trace it backwards. And like you, they had no clue and found no reference to "button kit" in that group number. So it must have been part of a service campaign or recall campaign. So the service writer started combing through old campaigns till he found reference to the button kit by name and there it was. 85-90 F bodies is what the campaign covered, I don't know if it was a recall or service campaign, but none the less I got a good part number with a similar description of the kit as to what I had in hand from modern day muscle.
I ordered a couple and I should have them in today and I'll post up as whether tey are the same kit...I sure hope they are 'cause they're cheap!
I put this kit in my wife's '92 and it really crisps up the interior. I didn't realize how faded the buttons had gotten till I had new ones to compare.
Stay tuned....
I ordered a couple and I should have them in today and I'll post up as whether tey are the same kit...I sure hope they are 'cause they're cheap!
I put this kit in my wife's '92 and it really crisps up the interior. I didn't realize how faded the buttons had gotten till I had new ones to compare.
Stay tuned....
I went through this last spring and I can share some good info.
GM had a seat belt recall back in the day. There is no expiration date on a safty recall. Which means the General will pay for your new seat belt buttons! Call your pontiac dealer and ask them to run a GM vis (if you PM me with your vin I could also do this for you). For my car (and I believe also for yours) the vin should bring up an open recall. With the recall # in hand the pontiac dealer can order the kit to update your seat belt.
Your pontiac dealer WILL question running your vin because the car is so old. Most Vins are discontiued after 10-15 years but with an open recall they stay in the system for longer (so have them run it anyway). The only way it should be out of the system is if the recall was already done. A good way to tell is when they put the new buttons in place (part of the recall) they also put a metal reinforcement on the inside belt buckle. The metal shows up a little bit over the top of the buckle. If you don't see the metal you are probably on the right track for getting the new buttons for free.
As GM dealers we are not used to doing warranty work on cars this old but I got my recall paid!
Good luck, if you have any problems just pm me
Eric
GM had a seat belt recall back in the day. There is no expiration date on a safty recall. Which means the General will pay for your new seat belt buttons! Call your pontiac dealer and ask them to run a GM vis (if you PM me with your vin I could also do this for you). For my car (and I believe also for yours) the vin should bring up an open recall. With the recall # in hand the pontiac dealer can order the kit to update your seat belt.
Your pontiac dealer WILL question running your vin because the car is so old. Most Vins are discontiued after 10-15 years but with an open recall they stay in the system for longer (so have them run it anyway). The only way it should be out of the system is if the recall was already done. A good way to tell is when they put the new buttons in place (part of the recall) they also put a metal reinforcement on the inside belt buckle. The metal shows up a little bit over the top of the buckle. If you don't see the metal you are probably on the right track for getting the new buttons for free.
As GM dealers we are not used to doing warranty work on cars this old but I got my recall paid!
Good luck, if you have any problems just pm me
Eric
Nice work on the part number. $4 is really cheap but if you can get the general to do the job for FREE...either way it is a lot better than replacing all of the buckles. When I opened up one of my buckles there were some internal pieces cracked so it was a good thing I has started digging into this recall. I guess there really was a safety concern! Of course I got the GM to pay for that one new buckle too. I really like it when they stand behind their 19 year old products. I wonder if toyota would do that...wait that would mean that there would be something left to a 19 year old toyota...nevermind.
Good Luck
Eric
WS6
Stay thirsty my friends
Make : PONTIAC Model : FIREBIRDYear : 1989Manufacturer : GENERAL MOTORS CORP.Mfr's Report Date : MAY 04, 1990NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 90V105000 EA90001
NHTSA Action Number: EA90001 Component: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLYPotential Number Of Units Affected : 1500000Summary:
PLASTIC COMPONENTS OF SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES DO NOT CONTAIN AN ULTRA VIOLET STABILIZER, AND EXPOSURE TO DIRECT SUNLIGHT AND ELEVATED INTERIOR TEMPERATURES COULD WEAKEN THE PLASTIC COMPONENTS.Consequence:
THIS COULD RESULT IN BREAKAGE OF PLASTIC COMPONENTS WHICHCOULD PREVENT BUCKLE FROM LATCHING AND PROTECTING OCCUPANT IN A SUDDEN STOP ORACCIDENT.Remedy:
REPLACE OR REPAIR SEAT BELT BUCKLE.Notes:
SYSTEM: SEAT BELT BUCKLE.VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER CARS.
This is the actual recall campaign and it really has to do with the RED pushbutton,if you had a broken internal that may have been another problem all together.
I can appreciate getting someone else to pay for the repair, but I get the sense that dealerships, in particular the assigned service tech, gets paid less for warranty work, making a small claim like this one a pain in the A$$ for the dealership.
I don't know about others, but I have an outstanding realationship with my Pontiac/GMC dealership from the parts counter to the service desk. And a recall request for something like this is not worth spinning off some of my "good will" I have aquired over the years. The time I would have spent setting up the appointment,fetching a ride home, picking up the car wouldn't have made sense for me.
But, to each his own.
...
I am my local pontiac dealer. My warranty administrator will gladly run my warranty because I write his paycheck. You are right, the dealership would not make much money on the repair. Certainly wouldn't be the first time that has happened in our service department though. There are lots of warranty repairs that are 8 hours finding a problem and GM pays the dealer a .3hrs of diag. IMO, looking at the big picture this is a pretty small job and not enough to really get any dealers too excited. I still thought it was pretty cool to get my job covered. I guess it is your call how you want to handle it and what your relationship is with your local Pontiac Dealer.
Eric
Order 14097930, it's a complete kit for 4 seat belt recievers includes the red plastich poush button, springs and also a metal shield supposed to be used on recievers manufactured before Jan 1989 or so. This is the kit the dealers used to repair any broken / brittle push buttons as outlined in the TSB you mention. This happens on all F-bodies. I replace all 4 in my car as they were all pink in color and looked bad took me about 30 min. The kit is about $6 USD from any GM dealer. If you like e-mail me privatly and I can send some before and after pictures if you like.
This is a cheap and quick fix to does ugly lucking "pink" push buttons. I looked everywhere to replace my setup until I found this kit ... I even did my spare set I have for my 89 TTA.
http://www.members.shaw.ca/crussel/...0c22/90c22.html
Takes 10 min to do all 4 seat belts ... no need for a special tool you can use a small flat screwdriver to pry out the old red button and at the same time use a flat table knife pushed down behind the button to support it from tilting and that is it ...
This is a cheap and quick fix to does ugly lucking "pink" push buttons. I looked everywhere to replace my setup until I found this kit ... I even did my spare set I have for my 89 TTA.
http://www.members.shaw.ca/crussel/...0c22/90c22.html
Takes 10 min to do all 4 seat belts ... no need for a special tool you can use a small flat screwdriver to pry out the old red button and at the same time use a flat table knife pushed down behind the button to support it from tilting and that is it ...
