944 Seats & Seat Belts — Inspection & Mounting Torques
Safety-relevant interior service data for the 944: how to inspect the seat belts (function, condition and the tear-seam overload indicator on airbag cars), the front-seat removal-and-installation procedure with its synchronous seat-rail locking sequence, and the rear inertia-reel belt anchor tightening torques. The belt-anchor torques are safety-critical — treat them as exact.
Safety-relevant interior service data for the 944 — seat-belt inspection, front-seat removal and installation, and the tightening torques for the rear inertia-reel belt anchors. The belt anchors are the load path in a crash, so every anchor torque here is safety-critical: use the stated value and a fresh, correct fastener. The one switchable figure on this page is the anchor torque (N·m); nothing else converts.
Inspecting the seat belts
A seat-belt check has two parts — does the mechanism work, and is the webbing sound. Both must pass; if either fails, replace the belt.
Checking function. Pull the belt off the reel steadily: the strap must feed off the inertia reel through its reversing fitting without hesitation, and the tongue must be heard to engage in the buckle. Then pull the strap sharply — the inertia reel must lock.
Checking condition. Inspect the webbing visually. There must be no damage or signs of wear. Replace the belt if the strap shows cuts, fringing, torn seams, chafed (rubbing) spots or similar damage.
Overload indicator (tear seam) on airbag cars
Cars with the airbag system use belts fitted with an overload indicator — a tear seam in the webbing just above the holder. It is designed to tear open when the belt has been overloaded, flagging that the belt has taken a heavy load and must be replaced.
On these belts, add one check to the function-and-condition inspection above: the tear seam above the holder must be intact. A torn or disturbed tear seam means the belt has been overloaded and must be replaced, even if the rest of the webbing looks sound.
The indicator area is made up of the anchorage point for the holder, the anchorage bolt, the holder, a plastic cap over it, the tear-seam indicator, and the belt strap.
Removing and installing the front seat
The front seat is held by four bolts — two front, two rear — through the seat-rail carriers. Getting the seat-rail locking to work smoothly on both sides is the point of the procedure, so the tightening is done in a specific slide-and-lock sequence rather than by a single torque figure.
Removing.
- Slide the seat fully forward and unscrew the two rear bolts.
- Slide the seat back and unscrew the two front bolts. On power seats, disconnect the electrical plug. Lift the seat out of the car.
Installing.
- Check the seat rails for wear and replace them if necessary before fitting the seat. Grease the seat rails.
- Run the seat rails on the seat forward and let them lock fully on both sides.
- Set the seat onto the seat-rail carriers. On power seats, reconnect the electrical plug. Line the front of the seat up with the hole pattern, then fit and lightly tighten the front bolts.
- Slide the seat forward and let it lock completely (check visually). Fit all four bolts and tighten them lightly.
- Slide the seat back and let it lock completely (visual check). Tighten the bolts.
- Slide the seat forward and let it lock completely (visual check). Tighten the bolts.
Tip: If the seat-rail locking is not synchronous side-to-side, loosen the outer front bolt, slide the seat forward and let it lock completely (visual check). Loosen the outer rear bolts and take out any residual tension by sliding the seat until it sits free, then tighten the bolts. Slide the seat back and tighten the outer front bolt. Confirm the seat-rail locking engages fully in every locking position.
Rear inertia-reel belt — anchor tightening torques
The rear inertia-reel lap-and-shoulder belts are anchored at three points: the inertia reel itself (A), the upper attachment (B) and the lower attachment (C). To reach them, remove the sidewall trim panel far enough to gain access, then feed the belt with its lower and upper attachments through the opening in the sidewall panel. Fit the inertia reel with the broad face of its cover pointing down.
Every anchor bolt is tightened to the same value:
| Anchor / bolt | Tightening torque |
|---|---|
| Inertia-reel bolt (A) — hex bolt without collar | 40 N·m30 ft·lb |
| Upper-attachment shoulder bolt (B) | 40 N·m30 ft·lb |
| Lower-attachment bolt (C) — hex bolt | 40 N·m30 ft·lb |
These are the belt's structural fasteners. If a bolt, spacer, or washer is damaged or worn, renew it rather than reuse it, and torque every anchor to the value above.