Interior Panel Removal

[LeadDoggy]

How do you remove interior panels on a passenger van?

The seatbelt on the driver side and in the middle row does not let passengers loose. The belt just keeps getting tighter and tighter. Now what's up with that? Need to remove interior panel to get to belt and repair and or replace it. Does anyone know how to remove the interior panels without breaking anything?

Thanks
LeadDoggy

[SheepShagger]

Not sure on the panel removal, but it's the tensioner that's gone. For safety reasons you generally can't buy just the pre-tensioner, although you can replace it. So, buy a van seatbelt off eBay or something, usually about $25 and bolt that in, if it's the wrong color you can unwind the belt and replace the pre-tensioner from unit to unit. I bet if you search "replacing seat belt pre-tensioner" you'll get a ton of info / vids on how to do it.

[LeadDoggy]

Why would said "Pre-Tensioner" be gone so soon? This belt has probally only been used 5 times Max since I purchased the van. Is this one of FORD's better ideas?

Maybe replacing it with a complete unit for some other manufacture will be the way to go.

[jage]

It might not be "out" the belt might have gotten twisted or off track- until you get it fully retracted, the tensioner won't let go. It might be a matter of taking apart the wall and getting the belt to release.

[LeadDoggy]

Not twisted, not off track. Belt retracts in all the way when not in use. Belt comes out mostly all the way. It just grabs a-hold of passengers and keeps getting tighter. Must be haunted. What's with that? Anyone else have problems with passenger van belts?

[SheepShagger]

Originally Posted by LeadDoggy

Why would said "Pre-Tensioner" be gone so soon? This belt has probally only been used 5 times Max since I purchased the van. Is this one of FORD's better ideas?

Maybe replacing it with a complete unit for some other manufacture will be the way to go.

Because that's what usually goes and also matches your description. As Jage said, pre-tensioner could just be caught.
Similar thing just happened to my brother in a brand new rental ford, but it was so tight, he couldn't even unclip it and it had his daughter stuck. After 30 mins of fighting with it, he gave up and cut the belt off her in the end. Rental company was more than understanding, said it's not the first time it's happened.

[mjeffrey]

Removing the panels: there's usually a few screws, hidden in handle-wells or other depressions. Then, just pull straight out around the edges of the panel - there are plastic clips on the panel that go into metal clips on the van, they're pretty hard to pull out so you have to give them some force. The window surrounds I'm pretty sure have no screws, just the clips.

On the side, bottom panels, they lift up and then out, once the screws are removed. The clips are different and are more hook-like, I seem to recall.

Sorry I can't be more specific, it's been a while

[Bigduke6]

Just took out my drivers side panels to look at ac in back. The upper panels pop straight off- don't worry the clips look reaL TOUGH. There is a row of screws behind the weatherstrip at the back door. take these out then pop the bottom of the panel out-pull back when you get the bottom out and the clips that hold it into th next panel forward will slide out... The panel right behind the driver that has the cubbies has 3 mushroom pins in the cubbies... pull these out then pull TOP of panel out and lift up. Also took some pics of a seat belt retractor in case it is any help..has a weight that dogs the seat belt tight with inertia-the weight swings and lifts the dog into the teeth on the retractor. Hope it helps. Brian