Can I use later seat belts on an earlier car?

MGF/TF appears to have used three different long side seat belts over the years, and two different short side stalk tensioners.  The Early and middle year cars used the same latch/stalk short end, but had different part numbers for the long side seat belts.  

I have an earlier car that needs new long side seat belts.  The middle year seat belts are significantly cheaper than early seat belts.

Has anyone used middle year belts in an earlier car?  

Thanks, John

As far as im aware there were only 2 types of seat belt receiver stalks (aka pretensioners). The early one was common to the Mk1 and Mk2 F plus the Mk1 TF, (any car that had the original Lucas square fob (usually upto 53 plare). These had a red electrical plug for the SRS. 
  The later type was for Mk2 TFs and had a yellow plug. (Mk2 TFs had the later Pektron electrics and oval key fob )

For the seatbelts themselves there was one type for the Mk1 F and then a later one that is for the Mk2 F and all TFs.  I am assuming the seatbelt design was changed at that point to accommodate the changes to the interior layout (to work around the position of the rear speaker bar and different seats).

Given the 2 parts did not change at the same time there should be uniformity between the buckles. 

Note that the stalks/ pretensioners are handed but the seatbelts are not.

Hello all

I have two short seatbelt stalks from a later Pektron-electrics TF, with the yellow connector for the SRS
Can I fit them to my Lucas-electrics early TF without playing havoc with the SRS, ECU, immobiliser...?
If so, anyone knows the ref number of the corresponding connector (the one to fit in the "car wire" to engage the seatbelt yellow connector)?

Thanks so much, 
Pedro

The electrical connector can just be cut off and replaced by a generic one, easy enough, but I have absolutely no idea if the different types communicate with the ECU in the same way! It would be rather unfortunate to find out they don't in an accident!

I will add some information here.

Seatbelt pretensioners changed from red connector one to yellow connector one with MG TF serial number 4D 620549. That is the serial number from which alarm system changed from Lucas to Pektron. That is because how Lucas and Pektron system receive information about if or not seatbelt is buckled-up or not in order to lit dash light.

Airbag ECU changed from RC5/EC5 model to AB Autoliv model with MG TF serial number 5D 639631. That means yellow connector seatbelt pretensioners worked on both systems: RC5/EC5 and AB Autoliv. 

Having this in mind change of pretensioners might work for part of airbag ECU but will not work for part regarding seatbelt warning light on dash.

Amazing answer, Roverlike, as usual.
It’s a luxury to have you in this forum.

Thanks so much

Other useful information pertaining to the STS /airbag system would be concise information on dual airbags, particularly the controller.
It took me a while to sort mine out & to be quite honest I’ve no recollection of how I achieved this “plateau of safety” I now enjoy.
I usually make notes of the various devices used, part numbers etc, but not on this occasion apparently.
I’m not willing to upsetting the equilibrium I have achieved by stripping it all down to make notes.
It is not plug & play & it’s very unlikely that it’ll work after putting a passenger bag in & connecting it up, even though the wiring is installed.
M

I do believe that we had this discussion before.

RC5/EC5 controllers are preprogrammed and cannot be reprogrammed by use of T4. They can be ordered as:
- Single (driver) airbag controlles - part number for ordering new is YWJ101220
- Dual airbag controllesr - part number for ordering new is YWJ101230

AB Autoliv controlles are programmable by T4 and are bought unprogrammed as new with part number YWJ000290

For RC5/EC5 controllers you have various numbers written on them and if you are buying them as second hand you will have advertised only these numbers. What is recognized is as follows:
- Single (driver) airbag controllers can have any of following numbers written on them: YWC001610; YWC105410; YWC105230
- Double airbag controllers can have any of following numbers written on them: YWC001600; YWC105400; YWC103380

Since same controlles are used across MG-Rover range of cars other numbers might as well be written on controllesr, but it would need to be checked if they are single airbag or dual airbag modules. Check might be easy if you know from which car controller is coming.

 

Yes we have indeed discussed this & it was reassuring that the combination I had installed was in accordance with your information.
The reason I raised this again is the arrival of new members who might be asking questions & could be considering an update, particularly as there was a glut of new airbags on eBay a short while ago.
Again you conjure all the appropriate information, as a rabbit from a hat; how do you do it?
Three cheers for Roverlike, hip hip!
M

Truly amazing knowledge..kudos.