So I have surfboard I like to strap to the roof of my max when I go to the beach, but it requires a strap going through the front windows and over the roof. With automatic seatbelts I have to have the seatbelt in the back position (like when you're driving) and then put the straps though the front windows, and then climb in through the window dukes of hazard style and climb out the same way (because if you open the doors the seatbelts try to move down and they get caught on the strap).

Has anyone ever wired a switch or anything to make the seatbelts automatic only when you want them to be? It would be awesome to turn off the automatic seatbelts in the back position and then be able to strap everything down and get in the car by using the door (a novel idea) and get out the same way.

Could I just wire a switch intercepting the positive or negative wire sending power to the seatbelts? Has anyone done this or know where easy access to these wires is?

 

I'm sure it can be done.
look at the wiring diagram in the FSM and just pull the fuse to haul your board.

 

^^^ +1

Or do it like this: http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=554239

 

Hah, I had my board sticking SEVEN INCHES out of the rear drivers side window (cause the pass rear reg broke) and I got pulled over for it.

 

is there no way you can make something with a hole in it large enough for the belt carrier to pass through if you unclip your belt from the carrier? something that can fit up in the window and allow the carrier to pass through so it won't catch?

tho then you'd have a block sticking down 4 inches and you wouldn't be able to get your windows all the way up. not to mention the strap would be running that much closer to your head... maybe its not such a great idea after all.

 

^^^^^^
That's not such a bad idea if you can somehow make a U shape box that is hard enough to handle the force of the strap.

Another idea is to skip the front doors altogether and simply pull the front straps diagonally to back windows and strap it there, and then buy one of those ratchet strap thing (don't know what its name is) to really secure the rack on the roof.

Or maybe just open the sunroof and run the strap in reverse order, using the oh **** handle as an anchor point and skip the sliding safety belt track altogether.

 

or get a roof rack....

 

Manual belt conversion ftw?!

 

I think I'll try the fuse idea, the only problem is that I think the fuse that knocks out the automatic seatbelts also knocks out the power windows and those are nice to roll up and down when going to the beach, but I guess I'll have to live with it.

 

run a switch and inline fuse from the fuse box. that way you can close the doors, seatbelts roll back, flip the switch off, unhook the seatbelt, open door.
1/4 " quick connects fit rather well in the fuse sockets. wouldn't be too hard, and only cost about $5

 

I been tryna figure out why thy stop puttin auto seat belts in cars. Do you think I can transplant a auto belt into a fifth gen?

 

This would be my plan...

 

It is my understanding that the feds started to mandate some form an active restraint system in the late 80's early 90's. So instead of making airbags standard Nissan went with automatic seatbelts as their device, but changed it in models there after. Anyone can correct me if I am wrong but that is what I have read.

 

I dont think it would look too bad, either. a dropped max with a surf board strapped to the roof rack, cruisin' to the beach.
it may prove safer for the board, too.

 

you are correct. Passive restraints were mandated in 1990 and most companies went with a seatbelt setup of some sort. they later changed to airbags as they couldn't be defeated as easily and are less annoying to people than having something move at them ALL the time.

 

I still laugh when my passengers start to panic as the seatbelt moves in, they think the car will strangle them!

 

Haha!..I've had a few people start swatting at like it was a spider or something when they hopped in the car..

 

I like my automatic belts. yes my BC has them, the b13 had them, the BJ had them, most of my recent cars have actually...

 

And then they try to escape, but the door handle is nowhere to be found!!!

 

That's not a BAD idea...nut you need to be carefull with those things. They can bend sheetmetal VERY easily, and withstand a couple hundred lbs of force....maybe more. I pressed a bushing onto my control arm using one of those (long story) so I know they can take LOTS of force. I've held up my engine with them when doing a trans swap, also.

It would suck if you were trying to get your board nice and tight only to find your roof bowed inwards from the ratchet straps.

 

Yeah well the automatic seatbelts can strangle lol. I had a '90 Accord with them. We put 9 people in the car including me to go pop fireworks. In the front seat was my friend and his GF. When the autoseatbelt came back it pinned her against him It was hilarious. We were out on private property so there was no other cars or anything.

+1 on no one being able to find the door handles. Maybe I should do a preflight safety announcement. "in the event of an emergency, exits are located here, here and here..."

 

AWESOME idea, this is definitely what I'll do.

 

i don't like them b/c of their resting anchor point. i would MUCH rather have belts that go into the seatback itself... so that they go over the shoulder rather than to a random point on the b-pillar. tho this is true on 1st gen Ford Probes as well with 'manual' seatbelts... their anchor point is too high. my neck is sore after riding w/ my friend because the belt rubs my neck all the time.

 

belts in the seatback is a new phenomenon at the OE level. and you don't really want to try swapping them in. Those seats are HEAVY.

 

capedcadaver

i find that the belt stays off my neck more than other vehicles
maybe its the way i sit or my stature 6'4" ish
what does everyone else think?

 

the neck rubbing is in my friend's 89 probe. it's just that with the way that our belts end at the door... they seem to float sometimes rather than being in contact, unless sitting very upright... a more rearward anchor point allows you to tilt the seatback more and still have the belt touching you.

 

+ 1 to scaring many passengers, but who here has managed to (temporarily) crush themselves? lol
I've had a few incidents in my 12 years of owning this car when the seat belt got 'confused'. There's that little moment of panic when you think one of your ribs is going to crack...

 

I have had it where the seatbelt was locked by the lockers behind the handbrake, and then i opened the door and it just about broke itself.

 

hey hadman where did u get ur lip kit from?

 

Stillen.

 

or leaned in an open window to start it after working on it and have the belt wrap around u

 

hahahah, glad I'm not the only one who has done this... gawd I felt like an idiot. Kinda scary too though...

 

one nice thing about a manual... hafta be in the car to push the clutch first but, yeah, I make myself dumber, not because ive done this, but TRYING to do it with my max...no clutch push, no start...

 

one nice thing about a manual... hafta be in the car to push the clutch first but, yeah, I make myself dumber, not because ive done this, but TRYING to do it with my max...no clutch push, no start...

(edit: well, the car DID have the seatbelts roll back, but the car didnt start...)

 

Just an update, pulling the fuse did NOT work. I used quick connects as suggested and wired them to a fuse and a switch so I could disconnect the fuse by flipping a switch. It's funny though b/c it only works one way - meaning that I can flip the switch (in effect pulling the fuse) while the seatbelt is down and it won't go up, but if it is already up and I flip the switch, the seatbelt will go down as soon as I open the door! So pulling the fuse stops it from going up, but not down. I tried both fuses that are associated with the automatic seatbelts (the bottom one on the left side of the box and the 4th one up on the left side of the box) and both have the same effect on the automatic seatbelts (but disable different things other than the seatbelts). Any suggestions? Should I cut a wire somewhere between the fuse box and autmatic seatbelt motors? I'd like to be able to disable both seatbelts at once while they are in the up position.

 

unplug the harness out of the controller. just under the cig lighter behind the coin tray and P/C switch if you're an a/t

 

I have a VE5. What is the harness you're referring to?

 

it's in the same place just that you don't have a p/c switch. i concede crappy wording. should have said "just under the cig lighter behind the coin tray and where the P/C switch is (or would have been, if you are m/t)"

 

What is the harness for (the seatbelt motors?)? And the circled things in your pic are the harness and where it connects? or two harnesses? or a harness for each seatbelt motor? Is this somewhere in the fsm?

 

it's in there somewhere. that's the automatic seatbelt control unit. pull those 2 harnesses once belts are in the desired position. BF section page 43 or something like that.