Sienna seat belt stuck and rear window issues

[thrasher911]

Hi,

I'm the original owner of a 1998 Sienna LE. We've run it over 100k miles with only one sensor failure and no other real issues.

After a rear-end collision several years back, we started to notice intermittent failure of the driver side rear vent window. It usually gets stuck in the open position, but after repeated tries (sometimes over the course of weeks) it will close. We then get afraid to re-open it. Any ideas where the connector that may be loose is and how can I get to it?

Also, this past weekend the 2nd row driver side seatbelt got stuck in the pre-tensioned position (halfway out). We normally keep it pretensioned for my youngest child's carseat, but we took it out to shuttle a group of adults this weekend and the belt stopped retracting (with the clicking) before it would fully retract and resume normal operation.

Any ideas or suggestions on either issue is greatly appreciated!

[bpsmicro]

Basically the plastic panels can be pulled off to reveal the innards. On my 2000 Sienna, there are no screws or anything, but sometimes you just can't get the panel off without damaging one or more of the plastic "pins". But usually you can get it all back together again.
For the rear window, there will be a small motor right behind the panel near the "arm". But short of something being obviously loose, there's not a lot to be fixed there. On my van, it appeared at some point somebody pushed on the open window from the outside and cracked the motor housing. After several failed gluing attempts, I just got the window closed and disconnected the motor, leaving it closed forever (but allowing the other side to open). That may be your best bet.

For the seatbelt, just the other week I had the precise same problem. Basically clumsy passengers had managed to twist the belt, and it had gotten jammed in the ratchet assembly (which is attached to the floor). It took some fiddling to get it all untwisted. I don't know if it's something specific to the Sienna, but this has been the worst for me as far as seatbelt twisting problems. :-(

Brad.

[thrasher911]

ok, thanks for the tips. Just start pulling on the panels and hope for a pop and the rivet will come out?

In our case, it was more likely careless adults, since I was shuttling a group of my wife's lady friends to a winery for a sampling :-) I assume the panel removal is the same on the seatbelt fix?

[bpsmicro]

Yes, you basically start in a corner, tuck your fingers inside an edge and give short sharp tugs (emphasis on *short* tugs, lest there be things attached to the inside). I'm sure there's an "official" way to do it, but brute force has always worked for me. :-)

[thrasher911]

As a follow up to anyone with the seatbelt issue...

On the second row driver's side belt: I was able to access the tensioner by simply popping out the cupholder above it. This gave me enough access to use a screwdriver to untwist the belt and roll it up. Once it was rolled up, I pulled it back out and it became completed untwisted.

It's working fine again.

[kwok3d]

Hi thrasher911 & bpsmicro,

I have simular problem on the vent window on my Sienna98 LE, the screw and nut attach the window to the motor is broken. The worst thing is that the motor arm's rotation is off, so both sides are not balance. Do you have any idea how I can fix this? Also, I don't know where to find the replacement of the screw, nut/cap. Please help, thanks!

kk

[bpsmicro]

When I tried my first "repair", what I did was hit the switch to open (or close) the windows, which closed the "good" side. I then disconnected the wire on the good side and hit close again until the "bad" side synced up. When reassembled the bad side and reconnected the wires to both. That lasted a while until the glue I used to try to repair the broken bits gave out. Then I just tie-wrapped the bad side permanently closed and disconnected the wire, and had done with it.

Brad.