90q Seat Belt Question

[KSMITH1@mailgw.sanders.lockheed.com]

Today's question is:

Having spent a considerable time this past weekend hugging the front 
differential of my wife's 90q in order to install a new "automatic" 
seatbelt, I came to question the efficacy of Audi's design.  The seat 
belt assembly includes a cable that starts at the take-up reel, 
travels forward along the edge of the passenger compartment, 
penetrates the firewall, and has its outer cover fastened just beyond 
that point.  The inner part of the cable continues to pass over the 
transmission to the other side of the car where it is fastened.  My 
assumption is that tension on the inner cable with respect to the 
outer cable locks up the belt.  However, the mounting points allow 
several inches of slack to exist over the transmission.  This suggests 
that the vehicle frame would have to be seriously ravaged before the 
belt would be locked due to cable motion. Under these conditions, the 
belt's acceleration lockup mode would surely be expected to already be 
in operation.  So, can any of you more experienced Audinauts explain 
under what conditions the cable part of the belt assembly is 
functional?

TIA

P.S.  This replacement was a serious PITA, mainly because the exhaust 
pipes occupy an area critical for the desired two-hands approach to 
repair.

***                 ...Kirby    (Kirby A. Smith)                 ***
***                      2 X 1988 90q                            ***
***              ksmith1@mailgw.sanders.lockheed.com             ***
***              [=]   kirby.a.smith@lmco.com                    ***
***  Opinions expressed herein are entirely those of the author. ***