itr1197

I have the oddest problem.
A couple years ago I started noticing that the back passenger side seat belt at the very bottom had some sort of crust of salt buildup on it. I just thought somebody must have gotten it wet. But it never actually went away after cleaning it.

This past weekend I had a family trip to Clevland from Chicago and on the way home it started raining. After a few hours my Dad said the seat is getting cold so he got up and his pants were soaked. The seat seams dry to the touch but I'm pretty sure the cushion has moisture in it.

Again in Chicago its raining so I went to my back seat and sure enough the bottom of the seatbelt is wet.

What could possibly cause this? I don;t see any vissible leaks, and it seams to be coming up into the seat.

Thanks

itr1197

BTW it an '04 AT+navi

LoveMyTL-S

Is the carpet wet in the back too? I have heard of people having their A/C drain tube drain into the back area because it's plugged up. Perhaps others can chime in here that had the issue.

LoveMyTL-S

Perhaps this thread will help:

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/might-new-one-3g-tl-garage-f-127-a-566392/

Majofo

I can't imagine any correlation between the back seat and moisture unless it's getting in from the trunk seal. Inspect the top seal of the trunk and see if the carpet is moist. Doesn't sound good though.. I would take the bottom of the bench seat out and dry it out.. it will also give you a better view of what could be causing it.. I'd even run the hose over the car with the bench out and look for water seeping in.. strange.

itr1197

I'll check the floor board on the way home. The funny thing is that you would think after a few years of the leaking the car would smell like wet socks but nothing at all.

Majofo

was anybody sitting next to your dad trying to play a sick joke? how wet was the seat?

csmeance

theres a TSB on this, I had my dealer perform it but I can't find it. there is a grommet under the car which has a leak, the dealer has to take it out, clean it and put it back with some sealant on it... I'll try to find it for you...

itr1197

Would be very interested in the TSB. I'm posting a picture of the seatbelt. As you can see there is a somekind of crust that develops on the seatbelt once the moisture dries. But when its rains again, it travels up the seatbelt as you can see in the pic.

The seat is dry to the touch but oviously its wet.

Majofo

that's crazy.. you know my seatbelts have moisture stains like that but unfortunately I have tan belts so they're very noticeable. I used Blue Magic to remove the stains and it has been successful but there is so much moisture that has stained the belts that it's difficult to fully treat and remove the stains. I just figured the previous owner dumped the car in a river

Thanks for finding this for us csmeance.. can't wait to find out more.

csmeance

some more info, can't find that damn TSB!

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=566392

csmeance

FOUND IT! page for of this service bulletin might help:

http://www.in.honda.com/Rjanisis/pubs/SN/B050400.PDF

Majofo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rsJb-05Qlw

pbcmedia

man i thought i was the only one with this problem... im taking my car into the dealer wed mornin first thing... now i can stop banning people from my car. thought somebody or everyone for that matter was spilling water... the water damage messed up the rear seat pretty bad though, like the leather is hard with the cakey white powder hopefully some leather cleaner will fix that, and i gotta go find some stuff to get the cakey white residue off the seat belt...

being that my interior is blk, this sht is very noticeable and has been pissing me off for sometime now...

thanks CS for finding that bulletin.

LoveMyTL-S

Perhaps the dealer will take care of the leather as well.........

itr1197

Would the dealer still take of this even though I'm way out of warranty? Could there be any long term damage in the seats. It looks like and can do the seal myself. I'm more concerned with the damage it may have already caused.

LoveMyTL-S

Perhaps they will do a goodwill repair.

Majofo

I don't think there'll be long term damage. The seats & bolsters are poly so they shouldn't retain an odor. I would seal up the harness inlet and take the bench out.. spray a disinfectant and let it air out for a day (good opportunity to treat the leather too). I would then clean the belts by hand.. lightly soak soapy water over the belt and try to remove any excessive road water... then use a good stain remover, my preference is Blue Magic ($4 at Wally World). Just spray it in and let it soak in for about a minute and then get some paper towels to remove the stains. This may take a few applications. Just don't scrub the belts because they'll fray and dull.

I doubt the dealership will fix the problem although they're legally responsible since it is a design flaw that has caused damage and not simple wear & tear. Take it to them and find out.. otherwise.. try to amend the issue yourself. I don't think new seat belts would cost very much.. but nothing suprises me.. whatever you do.. don't pay them a dime for this issue.