Installing Snugride in Taurus

[jewlsvern]

I installed my SR base in my sis's Taurus last night. I had to use the seat belt since the LATCH anchors are 5" in from the edge. We need to get a SR and 2 Evenflo HBB across. Well, I locked the seat belt and when I shook the seat at the belt path the seat belt kept loosening at the latch plate. Would a locking clip solve this probelm and do I not lock the seat belt then?

[crunchierthanthou]

What year is the Taurus? Is it a lapbelt or a lap/shoulder belt in that position?
If a lapbelt, you cannot use a locking clip. They are for l/s belts only. Flipping the male end one half turn (180 degrees) should keep it from slipping. By buckling it backward, you properly align the belt portions and allow it to function correctly.

If a lap/shoulder belt, a locking clip may help. However it should be locking at the retractor. If it is loosening at the latchplate, it either wasn't sufficiently tight or the retractor isn't working.

If it's a lap/shoulder belt in the center, can you put the boosters side by side with the infant seat outboard. That way you can use LATCH if you aren't able to get an acceptable install with the seatbelt. Although, according to the LATCH manual the inner lower anchors for the outboard positions should have standard spacing to allow for a center install.

[jewlsvern]

The car is 2003 or 2004. It has a l/s belt. It is the kind of belt where the latch plate slides along the belt. I tightened it at the retractor. The retractor was staying tight, but the belt was loosening at the buckle. I can't use the LATCH because it is too far inward (like 5" or so) and I won't be able to fit the other 2 boosters. There is just enough room when I use the seat belt. There are 2 sets or LATCH, one in the center and one behind the driver, but the drivers side is off set from the door.
Can I flip the buckle on a l/s belt? I am getting in checked by a tech tomorrow I just wanted to know the options for a tight install.

[An Aurora]

I'm not understanding how it can loosen at the buckle if it's locked at the retractor. Did you pull it all the way out and let it feed back in?

You don't need to flip the buckle, as that is only for locking latchplates.

[Misty-Bug]

I don't understand what you are saying. I have a 1996 taurus and my snugride fits great. I have found though that I need to use the locking clip come to think about it. Cause the shoulder part locks and thus did not give a tight install. But I am not a tech

[crunchierthanthou]

It should be locking at the retractor. If it is loosening at the latchplate, it either wasn't sufficiently tight, wasn't locked or the retractor isn't working as it should. Make sure you get the lap portion as tight as you can before you lock the retractor- slowly pull it all the way out and then allow it to retract back naturally. If you feed any extra webbing into the retractor, the shoulder belt can cause the infant seat base to tip.

[jewlsvern]

I got the base as tight as I could (knee in base). It felt really tight so I locked the belt (pulled it all the way out and fed it back in). But, when I gave the base a good shake at the belt path it just became looser and looser the more I shook it. The seat belt did not retract any more; the belt just loosened at the latch plate. It's like the belt kept sliding through the buckle. Sorry it's hard to describe. I have installed this in other cars before and never had a problem. I just could not get it to stay tight no matter what I did. I just thought a locking clip would keep the latch plate from slipping. I just hate to use those things. They are a PITB.

[An Aurora]

The latch plate isn't supposed to hold the belt at all, since you don't have locking latchplates. It sounds like you must not have all the slack out, or you are having a problem with the retractor.

[jewlsvern]

It is really weird because the seat belt stayed locked (I think its the retractor, where the belt comes out of the car), but the belt kept slipping at the buckle (where the 2 ends clip together). Sorry, my terminology may be off. I have been able to succesfully install this seat in like 5 other cars both with and without a base. I just don't why I can't get it tight.

[Misty-Bug]

I just thought of something. The center belt....is it a shoulder belt? If not then put the snugride there and the TB outboard.
I use a locking clip on mine cause when I got it tight enough to keep it from moving it would lean the seat. Try the locking clip. It sounds really odd. What you are going through. Can you show pics?

[crunchierthanthou]

Is the latchplate hitting against the rigid plastic of the beltpath before it's sufficiently tight? That will make it seem like it's tight because you can't pull any more of the seatbelt through when really the base will still move more than 1" at the beltpath. If so, did you try twisting the buckle stalk? You can twist the webbing that connects the female end of the seatbelt buckle to the frame up to three full twists (360 each). This will move the latchplate away from the beltpath and hopefully allow you to get it tight.

If the retractor is truly locked and functioning as it should, the only reason it would loosen up is that it wasn't really tight. Also, you only need to tug with one hand at the beltpath to check for movement- no extreme force is necessary.

[Kecia]

It might not be anything that you're doing wrong. The SnugRide might just be incompatible with the outboard seatbelts in that vehicle.

I used to have a 2001 Taurus and I had some real incompatibility issues with car seats over the years. The problem is that the seatbelts stalks are forward of the bight (which means that they originate from a point a few inches forward of the crack in the rear cushion).

When DS2 was born I could NOT get the infant seat I had installed outboard with the seatbelt no matter what I tried. I finally was able to get it installed in the center position (with seatbelt) after a lot of work. The car had LATCH anchors but the seat I was using didn't, so I was stuck with using the seatbelt.

In this case, her SnugRide does have LATCH attachments and the Taurus has 4 evenly spaced lower anchors so you can install the SR in the center seating position using LATCH and place the 2 boosters on either side. That might be your best bet.

HTH!

Kecia

[Misty-Bug]

can the LATCH anchors be borrowed though??
why not use the locking clip? I really don't find it that big of a PITB. It would be safe cause it would give you a tight install.

[crunchierthanthou]

yes, both the vehicle and carseat manufacturer allow borrowing in this case.

A locking clip won't necessarily solve the problem. It locks the seatbelt in the absence of another locking mechanism. If the shoulder belt retractor is locked and the seat is still loose, then just throwing a locking clip on isn't going to fix anything. The latchplate on this particular seatbelt isn't meant to lock (that job falls to the ALR), so the fact that the webbing is slipping through it isn't the issue. It's likely a matter of the seatbelt not being tight enough.

[jewlsvern]

Thanks for all the advice. I went back and did the install again right before I took it to a tech to get it checked. I was able to get it tight enough and she agreed that it was tight. I did it again there in front of her and was able to get it tight. Must of been a weird fluke or maybe I was pulling too hard.