2001 Subaru Forester Carseat Install Help!

[kcorrice]

I cannot install my carseat in the middle seat of the subaru forester (2001). I've tried following the manual directions...doesn't work. There is too much slack from the harness that comes down through the bottom of the carseat. It doesn't have the Latch system and I've taken the headrest off. Has anyone had success with this at all? Help!

[crunchierthanthou]

which seat? ff or rf?

[kcorrice]

I'm trying to install a carseat in the middle spot in the forester....or anywhere in the vehicle for that matter! The straps aren't locking. I tried pulling the strap out all of the way and letting it go, but the carseat is still really loose. It's a 2001 with the Latch system....does anyone know how to fix this?

[twokidstwodogs]

Can you also clarify the slack issue? What exactly has too much slack--the car seat harness or the seat belt? And does your Forester have a lap/shoulder belt in the center, or just a lap belt? One problem commonly encountered in older Subarus is that the center seat has a long buckle stalk, which ends up at the wrong place on the seat. Is that part of your problem? It was certainly a problem in the 99 Forester I used to own.

[twokidstwodogs]

Cross-posting here. Does the 2001 Forester have LATCH? Even if it does, you almost certainly cannot use the lower anchors in the center. (You can use the top tether anchors, though.) You should get a good installation outboard with the LATCH lower anchors if you have them. But from what you've written, it sounds like you're doing seatbelt installations. Is that right?

You need to give us more info, though. First, what seat are you installing, and are you putting it rear-facing or forward facing?

[kcorrice]

forward facing..

[crunchierthanthou]

I'm sorry, I meant which carseat- as in, which child restraint are you trying to install? Some carseats have quirks and we may be able to give some specific tips if we know which one it is.

[Jeanum]

Hi Kcorrice, your posts are moderated as a newly registered user until a moderator can review and approve them (this became necessary due to spam attacks, sorry for the inconvenience). I combined your posts into a single thread to make it simpler to answer your questions. In order to help you better, I did a quick check of my LATCH manual and the '01 Forester does not have lower LATCH anchors, only top tether anchors, so you're doing a seatbelt installation. To help you better, and other members/techs who've already replied are very Subaru savvy, please post back with the brand and model name of the child restraint you're installing.

[pastrygirl]

I can provide some info...

My 2001 Forester does not have LATCH, but I'm able to install my MA RF without a problem. I haven't tried to do a FF install.

I'm assuming that all 2001 Foresters have the same seatbelt in the center. It's a 2-piece belt that you need to thread through the guide in between the headrests, then buckle at the bottom before crossing over the car seat to buckle on the other side. The first buckle is very small and doesn't look like the regular seatbelt buckle. The buckle on the other side says "Center" for the center seatbelt, to make sure you don't buckle it into the wrong one.

It is an ALR seat belt. You have to pull it all the way out, then tug it to get it to lock. Then you should be able to slowly feed it back in and hear it click as it goes back in, like a ratchet. I keep it all the way out while I install, then when I get to the point of final tightening, I remove the slack as much as possible and let it ratchet back in. Then I continue to tighten. If it doesn't ratchet when going back in, then it isn't locked yet and needs to be pulled all the way out again.

[kcorrice]

The carseat I'm trying to install is a cosco convertible seat.

[kcorrice]

cosco convertible carseat....forward facing.

[kcorrice]

hmmm.....i've pulled it out all the way and don't hear any noise...this may be the problem.

[kcorrice]

cosco touriva car seat....

[SusanMae]

The child restraint does not have the LATCH system? If so, then it MAY be expired, meaning you'll need a whole new child restraint.

Susan

[twokidstwodogs]

hmmm.....i've pulled it out all the way and don't hear any noise...this may be the problem.

You say that you can't get it installed outboard either? You might want to try a different carseat, just to see if it's the seat. Center installations in Subarus can certainly be a royal pain, but I've never had any difficulty with a forward-facing outboard seatbelt installation in either of the Subarus I've owned.

I don't know what you've tried thus far, but I find that I generally get the best forward-facing installations by getting into the car facing the seat (not so easy in a Forester, I know!) and putting my knee into the seat to push it down and back. I hold the shoulder belt with the hand nearer the window to keep it from retracting, while pulling the slack out of the lap belt with my other hand. I then feed the slack through the hand holding the shoulder belt. That usually does the trick.

If, however, you are having the infamous Subaru long buckle stalk problem, it will not do the trick. That is when the "female" part of the buckle comes up too high on the seat and sits at an angle on the part where the belt is supposed to curve over the seat. If you can get the buckle all the way into the belt path (parallel to the seat behind it), then it's fine. Otherwise, you can twist the buckle stalk up to three times to shorten it and keep it out of the belt path. And if that doesn't work, you might want to try a different seat with a different belt path.

[kcorrice]

Sorry for the confusion...my carseat restraint does offer the LATCH, but my vehicle doesn't accomodate. I can get the seat FF tight on the bottom, but the shoulder restraint still is too loose. This is incredibly frustrating.
Any more suggestions that I could try. I have also tried my daughter's Eddie Bauer Convertible carseat FF. Neither of these are tight enough. They slide and tip over.:confused:

[pastrygirl]

Were you able to confirm that the shoulder part of the seatbelt is/was locking, once you pulled it out all the way? If you don't hear the click-click-click as it goes back in, then we need to figure out why it's not locking. I would check that without the carseat, just to make sure the seatbelt is working properly. I pull mine all the way out, then when it's all out, I do a quick tug. Then I let it start going back in, and it clicks the whole time. If I try to pull it back out, I can't, because it's locked. If I need to pull it out again, I have to let it go all the way back in, then start over. (So, every time I redo the install, I have to let it go all the way back in before I start again.)

With my center install, I had to twist the buckle stalk on the driver's side of the car, to make it shorter so that the buckle wouldn't interfere with the installation. Without that, it was getting caught on my MA's lockoff (my seat is RF). I haven't tried a FF install, though.

I know that for RF, you only check for tightness at the belt path, not at the top/back of the seat. I'm not sure if it's the same for FF. My son's seat does move if I try to move the top, but it doesn't budge if I try it at the belt path.

[kcorrice]

okay...sorry for so many questions...I hope I don't sound like a complete idiot when I ask this but is there a distinct loud clicking sound? I heard a slight click, but then it's tight. I can get it tight along the bottom, but the shoulder strap is still loose. I'm really hating this car right now....


thanks for help...also, what part did you twist around again...maybe I'll try this.

[pastrygirl]

I don't mind helping! :)

Don't worry about the lap part or the car seat for now. If you pull out the shoulder part of the Forester's seatbelt all the way, then let it retract, you should hear a series of light click-click-clicks. It should click-click-click nearly the whole time that it's retracting (it stops clicking near the end). If you stop letting it retract and try to pull it out again, it should feel stuck. If you're not hearing the click-click-clicks, then it's not in the locked mode (sorry, I don't know the real terminology!).

I just made a couple of videos to capture the sound. If the format doesn't work for you let me know -- I can convert it. Locked, with clicking (http://www.bumblerootdesign.com/images/sigs/Seatbelt_01.wmv) and unlocked, no clicking (http://www.bumblerootdesign.com/images/sigs/Seatbelt_02.wmv).

[momtoirs]

We have a 2000 Impeza Wagon. On our outboard lap-shoulder belts, I've found I have to pull them out slowly and carefully to get them to switch modes and lock. In our car, at least, they have to be pulled all the way out "just so" in order to switch and hear the locking sound. If you pull them out too fast, they don't switch andnlock. I was having a similar problem where the belts didn't seem to lock until I figured out to really take my time, pull the belts all the way out very carefully, and then listen for the ratcheting sound as it feeds back in. If I don't hear the sound, I try again. I pretty much have down how it feels now to switch them, but it took awhile.

Hope that helps!

Tina

[bombedier]

If you cannot seem to get your belt to go into locking mode, you will have to use a locking-clip to install the seat. I would advise making an appointment with your nearest Child Passenger Safety technician for help with a locking-clip installation as it is a bit tricky when you try it for the first time.