What are good seat belt guide prevent/replace/ fix options? Can we list them here?

[Z3MROADY]

Would it be possible to just remove the seat belt guides and plug the holes with something plastic?

Off hand I cant think of a plug that would work for this but if you want something really quick and cheap get some thick black (or color matching) hook & loop material, cut it into a small circles (or the shape of your choice) and attach them to cover the hole. A small dab of adhesive between the two patches (not on the seat material will help it stay together longer. Or, instead of hook & loop, a piece of leather and snaps (with a female snap installed on the backing piece) may work too. That may help you out until you get time to do it right.

[Vintage42]

Best time to fix them is before they break. Mine were still intact and I used the Velcro because it's cheap, and easy to get the belt out for removing the seat.

[Kram71]

Off hand I cant think of a plug that would work for this but if you want something really quick and cheap get some thick black (or color matching) hook & loop material, cut it into a small circles (or the shape of your choice) and attach them to cover the hole. A small dab of adhesive between the two patches (not on the seat material will help it stay together longer. Or, instead of hook & loop, a piece of leather and snaps (with a female snap installed on the backing piece) may work too. That may help you out until you get time to do it right.

They have something like that on Ebay for around $12. I may go that route or try the heat shrink wrapping. It is not a big deal to me so I do not want to invest a lot of money or time.

Best time to fix them is before they break. Mine were still intact and I used the Velcro because it's cheap, and easy to get the belt out for removing the seat.

Sadly they were broken before I got the car. It is strange that so many broke on so many cars. I figured they would have noticed in the first year or two.

[BimmerBreaker]

After a few years of dwelling on this issue, I think the best fix short of replacing the thing with a leather loop is the first option in OP. Remove the broken guide, install a new guide in it's place without sewing or cutting or anything hodge-podged. Drill the screws in a bit farther and you can cover them with a dashboard cap or something. Why do anything else?

[Kram71]

After a few years of dwelling on this issue, I think the best fix short of replacing the thing with a leather loop is the first option in OP. Remove the broken guide, install a new guide in it's place without sewing or cutting or anything hodge-podged. Drill the screws in a bit farther and you can cover them with a dashboard cap or something. Why do anything else?

I think that is the best way to go price wise and time wise.

[LannVouivre]

Why do anything else?

I require the seat to be all the way forward and up. It's probably not easy on the guide.

[BimmerBreaker]

I require the seat to be all the way forward and up. It's probably not easy on the guide.

And thats a fair concern, for someone always "using" the guides (I usually slide the belt out of them to avoid breaking them, completely defeating the purpose of them to start with) then that method only replaces the faulty OEM guide, but any of the reinforcement methods would work to help keep it from breaking again.

I do like the leather strap idea but still not sure how to install that with the seat in situ

[LannVouivre]

The seat is so much easier to remove than an F-150 seat that I honestly wouldn't much be able to complain if I had to remove it for a better guide solution. The belt is on my "bad" side and became much more difficult to deal with trying to grab. I might be willing to use black duct tape to make a loop until I can replace the leather upholstery without feeling wasteful.

[one wolf]

Decisions, decisions.

I'm inclined to go with OP option #1. Does anyone know of a refreshed how-to now that photobucket decided to kill the internet?
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...2&postcount=45

[BimmerBreaker]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfOzarfn...-by=ascfabrics

[one wolf]

Interesting option - would want leather obviously.

But I'm still more interested in simply over-securing the existing broken bracket in situ, which is what this thread apparently described through a series of wonderful pictures, which are now gone...
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...2&postcount=45

[Revtimprather]

I'm new here and am so glad to be able to access all of this good info. I'd like the custom leather loops, as well. Where in the world would I get them, though?

[nahvkolaj]

Interesting option - would want leather obviously.

But I'm still more interested in simply over-securing the existing broken bracket in situ, which is what this thread apparently described through a series of wonderful pictures, which are now gone...
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...2&postcount=45

On my broken drivers side bracket, I decided to try and epoxy it. I cut a plastic shim the width of the channel on the back side of the bracket to brace the fracture, then epoxied it and used duct tape to hole the ensemble together as it cured. Once that was done, I wasn’t totally confident that the epoxy would hold, so I got some large diameter shrink wrap (same application as on the first page of this thread) to secure it as well. It’s been working well for several months now.

I really didn’t want to go through taking the cover off to install a new guide.

[Kram71]

After trying a few temporary fixes I finally bought these off Ebay for $14 and now I'm wondering why I waited so long. They fit very tight and do the job very well. The Ebay seller was great. It is cool that I no longer have to search for my belt and that I do not see a broken clip when going in to my car.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325152155412

[Hoyt Clagwell]

After trying a few temporary fixes I finally bought these off Ebay for $14 and now I'm wondering why I waited so long. They fit very tight and do the job very well. The Ebay seller was great. It is cool that I no longer have to search for my belt and that I do not see a broken clip when going in to my car.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325152155412

Well that's one very good approach. I decided to get creative and make one out of wood. I just used drywall anchors to secure the #10 brass screws to the plastic plate under the leather. That was 2 years ago and it's still holding.

Seatbelt guide Aug. 2023 1080 X 720.jpg

Here's my drawing for it.

Seatbelt Guide 1.jpg

Of course the eBay clip is prolly the easiest best way for most people.

[Pinehurstz3]

There is also this one... This is on someone else's car but I also have a set and they are pretty nice. They are black anodized aluminum clips. Very small and work really well. They almost look like they are ment to be there from the beginning.



http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...3#post27191313

Agree these are great, makes the guides much stronger.
Z3 Seatbelt Guide Clip (1).jpg
Z3 Seatbelt Guide Clip (2).jpg