Top tether use

[jessclear]

I just helped a friend re-install her DD car seat after moving the harness up and cleaning it. Her daughter is FF in a '06 Evenflo Titan. She has the seat installed in the center of a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer (pre-LATCH). Her DD weighs a little more than 30lbs, not sure exactly. She didn't have the manual to her car. Is it ok to tether the seat to a cargo hook on the side of the cargo area? Is there another tether point?

[crunchierthanthou]

No, those cargo hooks are not for tethers. She can have tether anchors retrofitted. I'm just going to link to a post the other day for a 1996 Ford Explorer. It's all the same info.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=40158

[jen_nah]

No, those cargo hooks are not for tethers. She can have tether anchors retrofitted. I'm just going to link to a post the other day for a 1996 Ford Explorer. It's all the same info.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=40158

Crunchier is correct that you can not use a cargo hook as a top tether.

[jessclear]

Thanks so much! One more question. What can I tell her about the top tether with regards to safety to help her decide whether or not to have them retrofitted? Should she definitely do it? Or is it ok not to since her daughter will only be in this seat to 40lbs (they should have a newer car by then)? She is very concerned about car safety and has been very receptive so far. I want to give her good information.
TIA
ETA: Just to make sure I am giving her correct info: her DD can use this Titan until she is 40lbs, her shoulders are over the top slots, OR the top of her ears reach the top of the seat back? I am unsure about the ears with different seats.

[crunchierthanthou]

Thanks so much! One more question. What can I tell her about the top tether with regards to safety to help her decide whether or not to have them retrofitted? Should she definitely do it? Or is it ok not to since her daughter will only be in this seat to 40lbs (they should have a newer car by then)? She is very concerned about car safety and has been very receptive so far. I want to give her good information.

Ford/Mercury will do it for free. She absolutely should have them retrofitted. While all seats pass testing without the top tether, it greatly improves the performance.


ETA: Just to make sure I am giving her correct info: her DD can use this Titan until she is 40lbs, her shoulders are over the top slots, OR the top of her ears reach the top of the seat back? I am unsure about the ears with different seats.

if by seatback, you mean top of ears reach the top of the shell, then yes- that's pretty much the same for all ff seats. the only exceptions are the radians that allow the shoulders to go past the top harness slots (as long as the child's ears are still below the top of the shell) and the Dorel Apex65 and clones that require support from the vehicle seat at least as high as the top of the child's ears.

[Defrost]

Yes, she should have the vehicle retrofitted so she can use the top tether. A tethered seat has drastically less head excursion in a crash. That will reduce the risk of injury or death regardless of the child's weight. There is at least one video that's been posted that will show the difference, if you do a search you should be able to find it to show her.

[jessclear]

Thank You! I will let her know.

[singingpond]

Do tell her that she may have to call several dealers, and perhaps be quite persistent also. Even though Ford corporate has a free installation policy, some dealers are pretty clueless. We called several dealerships when we wanted to get tether anchors in our '90 Crown Vic -- some claimed total ignorance, one offered to install one free anchor, another (the one we went to, of course) was willing to install free anchors in all three positions. Having the program and/or part number does help. But, be prepared to talk to some people who have no idea what you're talking about :rolleyes:. I think the problem is that new vehicles have come factory-equipped for so long now, that the memory of tether anchor retrofits has faded from memory at most dealerships (with the normal turnover of staff).

Katrin

[joolsplus3]

The shoulders will go over the top slots long before her ears reach the top of the seatback.....that seat has super short top slots...I'd use that (or 40 pounds) as the 'it's outgrown' indicators... I've seen a lot of 2 year olds get too tall for this seat! :(

Fingers crossed top tether installation is super easy for her (ie, the dealer has a clue)... at least being in the center gives some more space for head excursion forward and sideways so her head is even less likely to strike the interior in a crash (which is the main thing the tether prevents...the head hitting things in the car), so if it's impossible to get done any time soon, then it's not as critical as it would be if they were driving a teensy two door car with no back seat space :thumbsup: