Britax Marathon rear-facing

[Unregistered]

Hi!!

First of all I'm sorry for my bad english. I hope you will understand..


I just bought a Britax Marathon for my 6 month baby. I heard it's the best. I live in Montreal, Canada. I was not sure who to install it so I went to the police station.
The sergent install it that way

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/dedou/mai032.jpg

Is it the right inclinaison? He said that it is 45% and it should be like this and he's certain of that. My baby didn't like it at all!! He wants to be sit. He make some research and call me and said it's really how it goes.

[QuassEE]

45 degrees is for *newborns*.. your baby is no longer a newborn, and as such can sit more upright. Was the person who checked your seat a certified tech? I can't see a tech making that error.

I'm just heading out the door...Are you able to reinstall the seat more upright on your own? It also looks like the rear-facing tether is not in use--I personally do advise it's use, as does Britax. Once you have reinstalled, you can send us multiple photos from different angles and we'll see if we spot any errors for you. Make sure your install is TIGHT at the beltpath, and we'll go from there.

-Nicole.

[Unregistered]

Yes he was certified and send the picture to a couple of other policeman and everyone says it's ok.

I look here yesterday and saw that you talk about the tether. I called the policeman this morning and he said that we DON'T use that in Canada!!!

I will ask my husband to install it more upright this evening. I will post new photo.

[Debn31]

Hi,
I would recommend finding a car seat technician to look at it...

In Manitoba, we have car seat "clinics" (at least in Winnipeg) where trained child restraint technicians ( I THINK that's the official term) will look for you. You drive there with your baby and car seat and they will look for you.

Perhaps you can contact your province's automobile insurance company? Ours is MPI, and they are (so far as I know) who provides the car seat clinics to parents who want to have their car seats checked.

[TechnoGranola]

Take a look at your manual, it will say that the seat can be installed anywhere from 30°-45° and your son is older now so can handle the seat being more upright (especially if he likes it that way). Maybe it's just the angle the pics are taken at, but that looks like more than 45° to me.

[An Aurora]

No wonder your poor baby doesn't like it--he's pretty much flat on his back! I would un-install, take out the towel, and re-install it with the seat belt. Read through the manual of your car seat and you should be able to figure it out :)

[TerisBoys]

Just my :twocents: but I think it looks like it's reclined PAST 45 degrees. It might be the angle of the shot, but it looks like he's practically laying down on his back.

[BudgieStew]

Yes he was certified and send the picture to a couple of other policeman and everyone says it's ok.

I look here yesterday and saw that you talk about the tether. I called the policeman this morning and he said that we DON'T use that in Canada!!!

I will ask my husband to install it more upright this evening. I will post new photo.


If a Rear facing tether was not allowed to be used in Canada...it would not be on a Canadian seat. Nor would they include it in the Canadian Marathon manual. It would be much too confusing for the public to have an option that they are not allowed to use. Using a rear facing tether is really easy but if you have trouble with it ask here.

We have the Onyx cover too, it is perfect for winter in Quebec really hides the slush\dirt well.

I agree it looks much more reclined then it should be. Try reinstalling it at less at a recline without the towel and your DS should be much happier.

[QuassEE]

I'm home now, and I looked at the photo again.. That towel seems quite loosely rolled..moreso than I would ever be comfortable with...not that I would ever be comfortable with a rolled towel being "needed" under a Britax convertible. It's hard to say if the seat is at more than 45 degrees, since the angle of the photo is off. It does look like it's more than 45 degrees. I can't imagine trying to sit in that passenger seat!

Also--what vehicle (model and year) is this in?

-Nicole.

[Debn31]

My goodness!!!
If even the police/firemen who are supposed to know how to install these don't know about the tethers and other details, how are regular parents (untrained) supposed to!?
How frustrating!

[Qarin]

Erm. It looks to me like the seat is installed with its bottom up against the vehicle seat back. This doesn't look to me like a poor install in the details, but in the fundamentals- that seat is not sitting on the vehicle's seat bottom.

[QuassEE]

I have a difficult time believing that these were trained technicians. Any trained technician would've pulled out the manual and read it. I can't see someone who read the manual doing an install like that. The Canadian manual is in both languages, so there isn't even a language barrier excuse.

It's simple--read the manual that comes with your carseat. I'm a tech and I still pull out the manual for reference in 1/4 of all installs I do--and almost always with certain seats that have different beltpath routing (Marathon, for example) and other differing instructions depending on when the seat was made.

-Nicole.

[An Aurora]

I have a difficult time believing that these were trained technicians. Any trained technician would've pulled out the manual and read it.

We would certainly like to think so, but unfortunately there are lots of not-so-great techs out there :(

[Unregistered]

the policeman read the manual (in french) to install it!! he took half and hour! He said he was fully train and that he is 100% sure that's the way it goes :(

I have and honda civic 2004.

I will show all your post to my husband. He is better than me in english too.

[QuassEE]

Did he explain to you why he did not use LATCH?

-Nicole.

[TechnoGranola]

Erm. It looks to me like the seat is installed with its bottom up against the vehicle seat back. This doesn't look to me like a poor install in the details, but in the fundamentals- that seat is not sitting on the vehicle's seat bottom.I was trying to figure out where the base was myself, I almost thought it looked like it was on the vehicle seat back as well!

[Debn31]

Now that you all mention it - yeah it DOES look like the base is not on the seat of the car itself...
As in, on the back of the seat of the car.

[Unregistered]

He said it is more fix and secure with the seatbelth instead of LAtCH.

[TechnoGranola]

He said it is more fix and secure with the seatbelth instead of LAtCH.Did he actually try LATCH and compare it with the seat belt install? If he didn't actually try the LATCH install, then he can't really say this is true. Seat belt installs *might* be better with some seats in some vehicles and LATCH *might* be a better install with some seats in some vehicles. It all depends on the seat and the vehicle! I'd try a LATCH install if I were you, the Marathon is VERY easy to install with LATCH and VERY easy to get in nice and tight.

[QuassEE]

J'obtiens TOUJOURS de meilleures installations avec le système UAS (LATCH) dans des Civic plus neuves... Pourriez-vous ressayer l'installation avec le système UAS et sans la serviette pour que ce soit plus à la verticale? Ensuite, lorsque vous êtes certaine que le siège est serré là où la gance du système UAS passe (moins de 1 po. de movement latéral) vous pouvez accrocher la gance de l'ancrage supérieur pour que ce soit serré mais sans que ça tire le siège vers le bas. Ensuite, prenez des photos et on regardera s'il y a des erreurs.

Vous devriez idéalement vous abonner en tant que membre du forum, comme ça nous n'aurons pas à approuver chacun de vos messages à l'avenir ...et si quelqu'un veut vous envoyer un message privé il en sera capable.

-Nicole.

[snowbird25ca]

He said it is more fix and secure with the seatbelth instead of LAtCH.

Neither seatbelt or LATCH is superior to the other unless one gives a better installation than the other.

I'd suggest you and your dh read the carseat manual and your vehicle manual, and then start over. Britax recommends using lower anchors for installation when they're present for the seating location that is being used, and the Marathon is so easy to install with LATCH that I would absolutely use it whenever it's available with a rf'ing install.

I think once the two of you read through both manuals and then re-do it on your own, you'll be surprised at how much more secure it is and how easy it actually is. Carseats seem intimidating sometimes, but if you follow the instructions step by step it's not as hard as it seems. The MA manual has good illustrations to go along with the written instructions, and if you run into problems along the way we'll be able to help.

I can't speak for the certification of the policemen who helped you, but I can definitely add to the chorus of saying that the seat is installed improperly right now and could fail to protect your son in a collision if it's not corrected.

[tiggercat]

I agree with the others, the seat appears to be reclined more than the recommended 45 degrees, and the base does not appear to be fully on the vehicle seat.

I think it is likely that the officer was not familiar with the seat, and perhaps hasn't had a whole lot of experience installing carseats (if he was in fact a certified technician). Are there ever carseat clinics in your area?

I would suggest that you remove the towel, and try installing the seat with the UAS system. See the black metal bars on either side of the child seat? Those straps each have a black connector which clips onto the u-shaped anchors in the vehicle's seat bight (or crack, whatever you want to call it). Once they are attached, pull the straps to tighten while you push down on the child seat. Continue to do this until you cannot move the child seat side to side more than 1 inch. Let me see if I can find you a picture...
Does this one help at all?
http://media1.dropshots.com/photos/85554/20070220/101635.jpg (my straps are beige, not black like yours)
http://media2.dropshots.com/photos/85554/20070220/101552.jpg
Rearfacing tethering IS allowed in Canada, however some techs in Ontario (namely ones trained by Ottawa instructors :whistle:) have been taught not to use it. Personally, I feel that it is an added safety feature of the Britax and SSK seats, and did tether my daughter's seat RF.

Do you ever come to Ottawa? I'd be more than happy to help you if you ever come over this way.

[caprice]

ok so we reinstall it without the towel. We can't put the teether, there is no anchor on the floor!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/dedou/mai034.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/dedou/mai035.jpg

my baby is sleeping.... :)

[QuassEE]

From what I can see, that looks better! Is there any movement to the seat, when you push and pull it from the sides near where the LATCH anchors are attached to the seat? When you do a test run, you'll know if the angle is appropriate for your baby.

You should really read your manual, as it has the instructions on attaching the tether. From your earlier photo, I can tell that you do have a place to attach the d-ring strap (that strap that came with the seat, attached to the tether at the back when you bought it) around your seat track of your front passenger seat.. the tether attaches the metal clip on that strap. Can you read that portion of your manual?

-Nicole.

[QuassEE]

Here's the portion you need to read.. Figure "D" is simply a picture of the strap I described--short loopy strap, with a metal bit on one end.

Comme chaque modèle de véhicule est différent,
il est possible qu'on ne trouve pas d'endroit pour
ancrer correctement la sangle d'attache ou encore
que la partie structurale du siège soit trop grosse pour
le crochet. Utiliser la sangle de connexion d'attache
pour aider à créer un point d'ancrage (figure D).
Repérez un point d'ancrage fixe 1 qui soit boulonné
au plancher du véhicule.
• S'il est impossible de trouver un endroit acceptable
pour créer un point d'ancrage, communiquer avec le fabricant du véhicule
pour qu'il vous aide à repérer un point de raccordement approprié pour la
sangle d'attache.
2 Passer la sangle autour du point d'ancrage fixe du véhicule.
3 Prendre l'anneau en D en métal et le passer dans la boucle de sanglage à
l'autre extrémité de la sangle.
4 Tirer l'anneau en D en métal complètement jusqu'à ce que la sangle soit
tendue.
5 Utiliser l'anneau en D comme point d'attache pour le crochet sur la sangle
d'attache.
REMARQUE : Ranger la sangle de connexion d'attache dans la pochette de
la sangle d'attache.

Référence: http://www.britaxusa.com/support/documents/Marathon_CAN_P312800_R1.pdf

In your case, you'll be using the seat track, but make sure you wrap the d-ring strap around the back of the track and not over the track so the front seat can adjust freely along the track.

-Nicole.

[Unregistered]

ok so we reinstall it without the towel. We can't put the teether, there is no anchor on the floor!

Bonjour d'une franco-canadienne à une autre...je suis dans l'ouest du Canada (au BC) mais j'ai habité au Québec durant 12 années (Sherbrooke, Victoriaville, Rivière-du-loup etc.). :-)

Pour ancrer ton siège lorsqu'il est dos à la route, on peut utiliser la petite gance qu'ils fournissent de plus qui a un bout de métal avec un trou dedans. On le met autour d'une patte du siège d'en avant et on met le bout de métal à travers le trou du gance, et ensuite on attache le crochet de l'ancrage sur le bout de métal. Il est strictement interdit d'utiliser ce gance (appelé "D-ring") lorsque le siège est dirigé vers l'avant car les forces d'un impact sont beaucoup plus graves, mais pour une installation dos à la route c'est le moyen correct de ce faire.

Si tu as d'autres questions tu peux me contacter en perso à macbump @ gmail.com (en enlevant les espaces, bien évidement). :-)

Fio

[QuassEE]

Thank you, Fiona.. you should join us more often! We're seeing more and more Quebecois(e) here.

-Nicole.

[Mommy090804]

Here are a couple pictures of a Britax Marathon tethered rear-facing in a 2007 Honda Civic. HTH!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v448/PinkBundle1/DSC00946.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v448/PinkBundle1/DSC08673.jpg

[An Aurora]

Here are a couple pictures of a Britax Marathon tethered rear-facing in a 2007 Honda Civic. HTH!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v448/PinkBundle1/DSC00946.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v448/PinkBundle1/DSC08673.jpg

Nice pics, but you need to turn your tether over. It's upside down ;)