Seat belts in a 1992 80 and MOT

[Bat21]

The seat belts in my 20 year old Land Cruiser are the type that 'lock out' when the car is breaking, IE the sudden deceleration allows the weighted pendulum in the mechanism to stop the belt from reeling out. Old type belts don't engage when the vehicle is stationery, this weighted pendulum swings to engage, hence when the vehicle is on a hill, or during sudden deceleration the belt locks.

The MOT guy today decides that they should lock out just by pulling them when the vehicle is stationary.... due to their design, that is never going to happen So he has issued a fail notice.

On the way home I tested the belts out numerous times and they DO lock when the brakes are applied.

Does anyone know if the seat belt MOT test method is different for 20 year old cars?

Also, can you guys with old 80 series LCs go and test your belts.... do they lock when the vehicle is stationary?

My truck is a JDM import.... would that make ant difference to the way the belts work?

Apart from this she passed with flying colours, even the smoke test result was just 0.14/m

 

[Andrew Prince]

Seems overly pedantic to me. Try a different MOT man perhaps?

when the vehicle is stationery

New theme on a paper-plane?

 

[piers_finlayson]

Paul, can't give you chapter and verse on the MOT rules I'm afraid, but I have the same type of belts in the front of mine, and they always pass.

(I know they work cos I've done some stops facing uphill on very steep slopes recently and when I get back in the truck can't get the belts back on. This led to a brown trouser moment when the truck started to slip backwards and sideways down the hill and I had no belt on...)

 

[Bat21]

Seems overly pedantic to me. Try a different MOT man perhaps?

Yes he is a little OTT some times.... he gets excited when he sees rust on the discs too, and we're not talking about the bit the pads brake on either

 

[Bat21]

Paul, can't give you chapter and verse on the MOT rules I'm afraid, but I have the same type of belts in the front of mine, and they always pass.

(I know they work cos I've done some stops facing uphill on very steep slopes recently and when I get back in the truck can't get the belts back on. This led to a brown trouser moment when the truck started to slip backwards and sideways down the hill and I had no belt on...)

Piers, so what happens when you pull yours (the seat belts that is) when stationary? Are they like mine and don't lock?

 

[piers_finlayson]

Paul, can't give you chapter and verse on the MOT rules I'm afraid, but I have the same type of belts in the front of mine, and they always pass.

(I know they work cos I've done some stops facing uphill on very steep slopes recently and when I get back in the truck can't get the belts back on. This led to a brown trouser moment when the truck started to slip backwards and sideways down the hill and I had no belt on...)

Piers, so what happens when you pull yours (the seat belts that is) when stationary? Are they like mine and don't lock?

Yes front ones are like yours. Back do lock when pulled.

 

[Bat21]

Yes front ones are like yours. Back do lock when pulled.

interestingly, mine are exactly the same.

 

[LandCruiser1978]

mine lock when you pull them !

 

[Bat21]

mine lock when you pull them !

Aye.... but yours is a bit newer than mine Bob

I have a feeling this might just be the early JDM models that are affected.

 

[joinerman]

Just tried mine, 94 import & both front and back lock with a sharp tug.

 

[Andrew Brierley]

Just tried mine, 93 UK spec. Both front and back lock with a sharp tug

 

[Bat21]

As Alice once said, curiouser and curiouser..... click here and then on the 'Seat Belts' label on the car roof... it says:-

Notes: 1. For technical reasons the inertia locking mechanism is not checked.

But HERE it says:-

Check the operation of inertia belts by pulling them suddenly. they should lock and allow no further movement until pressure is released.

So that's as clear as mud then

 

[Bat21]

Eureka..... no I've not just leaped out of the bath but, I have found this.

It seems there ARE two different types of seat belt:-

'Pendulum' based - Known as vehicle sensitive i.e. lock when the 'pendulum' moves because of sudden vehicle movement.
Webbing acceleration based - Known as snatch sensitive i.e. lock when webbing is snatched.

As mine are pendulum bassed, they are never going to 'lock' while the vehicle is stationary.... so I think Mr M. OTman needs educating tomorrow

 

[Mal Eade]

Yep

Go and tell him, he's a T**T

Same bloke failed mine for the same reason.

So took out all the seats and belts except the drivers. Seems this belt was ok and went for re-test Passed, but he was not happy about removing the seats and belts.

Second time he did give it a good looking at trying to find a fail reason but no it passed.

Mal

 

[frank rabbets]

Your MOT man should be able to point to the written word in the MOT manual covering the belt test, age of vehicle etc. There is no room for opinion on his side. Eg how does he know he has pulled hem correctly. Only a machine calibrated for such a test can do this and there isn't one.

Frank