check this MA RF install please

[kc916]

My DH took our new Marathon to the fire station to be installed the other day, but I have my doubts about the quality of the install. For one, the guy couldn't find a tether point. From reading here, I knew exactly what to do and had it installed in a jiffy. DH also mistakenly told the guy that I was insisting on an outboard install, which is why it's outboard instead of center. Anyway, looking at it, it looks too reclined to me. The guy had to use a pool noodle and the seat belt and insisted on a 45 degree recline, and to me it looks too far back. The base is not level with the ground at all. I don't know how to check the angle. We only have a laser level.

This is a 2005 Toyota Highlander. We were using a Snugride, but I can't carry DS in it anymore. (He's 18 lb at 9 months.) Sorry about the size here, they're showing up much larger than Photobucket says they are.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg71/basketcat/IMG_2557.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg71/basketcat/IMG_2558.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg71/basketcat/IMG_2559.jpg

[UlrikeDG]

The base isn't level with the ground, because it's not in the reclined position (as it must be for a rear facing install). Either he didn't recline it at all, or he popped it out of recline when he pushed on it. Either way, you are correct that the seat is not properly installed.

There's a great guide to estimating rear facing recline angles here (http://www.carseatsite.com/reclineangle.htm).

[4boysmom]

It also just looks "off" like you said. Is any real amount of the base actually touching the seat? It looks like perhaps 10% of the seat is actually touching the vehicle seat, the rest is on or angling off the noodle.

[Mom to a few]

You don't need the fire station to install a seat for you--by reading the instruction manual for your vehicle and carseat (and all the great info here!), you should be able to do a much better job yourself.


If you want your son to be in the center, you can install with the seatbelt. If you want it to be outboard, then you can use LATCH to install.

There's a handle on the front of the carseat (right in front of/below where ds's feet would be) that will allowed it to go into the recline mode that is required for rear-facing. I'd also recommend trying the installation without the pool noodle. At 9mos, your son doesn't have to be at a 45 degree angle--He can be as upright as 30 degrees at this point.

If you decide that you don't want to use LATCH for installation, then you need to store the connectors (see your instruction manual to see where) so that they won't be swinging around if you are in a wreck.

Take pictures after you re-install, and everyone will be happy to help! :)

[kc916]

So we reinstalled it without the noodle, with the tether and using the lap-shoulder seatbelt for a center install. Now not only is it loose (my husband in frustration was shaking it back and forth at least an inch either way), but it tips. This is after using the lockoff, which my husband swears is making it impossible to tighten adequately. I'm not sure it's evident from the pictures, but the side toward the buckle is digging down into the edge of the center seat (folds down to access the third row), and the other side is tipping up.
At least this time the seat is reclined and the base is pretty much horizontal.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg71/basketcat/IMG_2593.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg71/basketcat/IMG_2592.jpg

[ali's mom]

Your harness is not put together all of the way. Do you see under the LATCH bar where the end of the harness comes out? There is another little hole under where it comes out that it needs to also feed through. So, the "bar" on the end of the harness should not be visible unless you are looking under the seat.

[keri1292]

Yes, you have a piece hanging down that shouldn't be there. Examine the other side of the seat to see how to route it properly.

Twist the buckle down to get the latchplate out of the way. You can twist the female end 3 full 360degree twists.

Are you locking the belt at the retractor (up at the shoulder)? You leave it unlocked when using the lock offs. That also prevents any tipping. :)

Have you watched the installation videos on the Britax site?
Here is another one, scroll down to Rear-Facing Britax Convertible with Tether http://carseatsite.com/videos.htm#rear-facing%20videos

[ali's mom]

Yes, you have a piece hanging down that shouldn't be there. Examine the other side of the seat to see how to route it properly.

Twist the buckle down to get the latchplate out of the way. You can twist the female end 3 full 360degree twists.

Are you locking the belt at the retractor (up at the shoulder)? You leave it unlocked when using the lock offs. That also prevents any tipping. :)

Have you watched the installation videos on the Britax site?
Here is another one, scroll down to Rear-Facing Britax Convertible with Tether http://carseatsite.com/videos.htm#rear-facing%20videos


The other side doesn't appear to be routed correctly, either.

[crunchierthanthou]

Here's a post with pictures on how to correctly route the MA harness. The metal plate at the end needs to be routed back through to the inside.

http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=178986&postcount=6

I would try twisting the buckle stalk as well (the short piece of webbing the connects the female end of the buckle to the vehicle frame). You can do up to three full twists of 360 degrees each. That will move the latchplate lower so that it isn't hitting against the shell. That should allow you to tighten the seatbelt a bit more.

Like a PP said, don't lock the shoulder belt. Doing so often causes rf seats to tip. Use the built-in lockoff in place of locking the shoulder belt. Get the lap portion as tight as you can before you close the lockoff. that's the part that's really holding the seat in place. Also, make sure the seat moves less than 1" in any direction at the beltpath before you tighten the rf tether. When you do tighten it, the rf tether just needs to be taut so there is no slack, but not so tight that it affects the recline angle.

good luck :)

[kc916]

Eek, thanks for catching the harness issue. That is now fixed. However, we were using the lockoffs and not locking the belt, and it was still tipping. Twisting the female end of the belt didn't solve it. So I gave up and tried installing it with Latch in the outboard position, which worked. It's now level, tight, at a good incline, and tethered.

FWIW, I did watch the Britax install video twice before attempting the install this morning. It was frankly less than helpful. She installs the belt on top of the padding and then tightens it across the seat (that is, off camera, her body is blocking what she's doing).

[An Aurora]

The seat might be incompatible with the center position in your vehicle due to the 60/40 bench split. You will have more luck installing it outboard.

ETA: I see from your last post that you did that :) I think that is the best solution.

[courtfrog2]

Okay... to the OP... don't worry-- you aren't the only one to have the harness straps threaded wrong. I am a tech even! I am SO happy that I read this post because I have been doing this incorrectly for MONTHS :eek:

To add to this... OT... Does the Regent have any special routing for that piece on the harness??? I have two and I changed the covers on both. Please tell me I'm doing it right!!! Someone???

[Defrost]

To add to this... OT... Does the Regent have any special routing for that piece on the harness??? I have two and I changed the covers on both. Please tell me I'm doing it right!!! Someone???

No, nothing special about the Regent harness in that regard as far as I know. Now that I think about it, I've only got a Husky, but I've never heard of any difference or noticed one when checking out Regents.

To the OP, about the video - Britax allows you to install the carseat by routing the seat belt over the cover. Outboard with LATCH is fine, but just in case you get ambitious and want to try the center again, here's some more tips. :)

One nice thing about installing with the seat belt over the cover is that you can tighten the seat belt at a better angle. You can get the same result when installing with the seat belt under the cover by lifting the cover back so you can access the seat belt. Remember you are focusing on tightening the lap portion of the belt. So, you route the seat belt, buckle it, pull the cover back, and then tighten the lap portion by pulling on the shoulder belt from the center of the seat. Tightening the seat belt from the center of the carseat rather than the side gives you a better angle and prevents the shoulder belt from tilting the carseat. :thumbsup:

Also, you are correct that the latchplate in the center is interfering with the install because the buckle stalk is so long. You can shorten the buckle stalk by twisting it 360 degrees, up to 3 times.

[crunchierthanthou]

To add to this... OT... Does the Regent have any special routing for that piece on the harness??? I have two and I changed the covers on both. Please tell me I'm doing it right!!! Someone???

no, the metal plates just route to the back side of the shell on the Regent- similar to the crotch buckle. Really, you should never have to unthread the bottom of the harness to change the cover or even adjust the height. The only time you need to is when you are removing the harness completely (which is rarely necessary).

[thepeach80]

I didn't know that either. I know mine are right b/c I've seen them, but I've never taken the harness all the way out to really know, kwim?