Tether anchors are RIGHT behind the headrest. :(

[Patriot201]

I love my 2006 Civic, but I am getting very frustrated with the tether anchors, which are located just barely behind the headrests. Most seats' tethers don't adjust enough to make for a tight tether. It drives me nuts!


If a seat installs beautifully but the tether can't be made tight, does that make the seat and vehicle incompatible? Do you all have any suggestions? I know you can request a tether extension from Evenflo, but can you make tethers SHORTER?


I will go take some pictures so you can see what I mean.

[Patriot201]

Pictures:
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w95/patriot20171/Carseat%20stuff/DSC_0191.jpg
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w95/patriot20171/Carseat%20stuff/DSC_0190.jpg
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w95/patriot20171/Carseat%20stuff/DSC_0192.jpg
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w95/patriot20171/Carseat%20stuff/DSC_0193.jpg

[bobandjess99]

if the tether is so long as to actually not be able tighten, i think it is sort of alike a "long buckle stalk" situation.
i knwo in my car, the TA's are basically where yours are, and it was really hard to get the tether to tighten, but by pulling it through the carseat, i was able to get it to tighten down.....what seat are you trying to put in? With mine, i was trying to put in a GN, and the headrest needs to be in the second from bottom, but what i did was put it all the way up, creating a hole through which i could reach up and pull the tether at just the right downward angle as to get it to tighten down shorter than was possible by pulling it from the top. I'm having a hard time making that sound good, but im not sure how to describe it better. then i repositioned the heasdrest down with the tether tightened.

[tiggercat]

I've come across this a few times at clinics, it is so frustrating. Sometimes I've been able to get a tighter tether by tightening the tether strap to the desired length before attaching it, and then pushing back on the top of the child seat to get it clipped on. It doesn't look like it is physically possible to tighten the strap on your seat anymore though.

Can you install the seat more upright? If you can, that might help, because the top of the restraint would be further from the tether anchor. Remember that it doesn't have to be as tight as the seatbelt/lower anchor straps, taunt is fine.

[Patriot201]

It is very frustrating.

I can just barely make it work on the GN and Scenera. The Boulevard is fine, which is really weird to me. I guess it is the way the tether is attached to the seat.

I have also had this problem with many, many other seats. It is getting very old.

The GN is tethered and the tether is tight, but I can still pull the top of the seat forward about 1/4 inch or so. :mad: Maybe I am expecting too much.

[Defrost]

It's been a while since I read the LATCH manual, but from what I recall, it does talk about this problem and states that you should just tighten it as much as possible, and it will still provide a certain degree of benefit.

One other thing, though - does the vehicle manual address this? Could you possibly be allowed to route the tether over the headrest?

Also, call Honda and complain! They won't know it needs changed if we consumers don't tell them. :thumbsup:

[tiggercat]

The GN is tethered and the tether is tight, but I can still pull the top of the seat forward about 1/4 inch or so. :mad: Maybe I am expecting too much.

Is the GN the seat in the picture?
I wouldn't worry about being able to pull the top of the seat forward a smidge. As long as the tether is taunt it will do it's job.

[Patriot201]

Is the GN the seat in the picture?
I wouldn't worry about being able to pull the top of the seat forward a smidge. As long as the tether is taunt it will do it's job.

Yes, the GN is the seat in the picture. There is also a Snugride base, but you can't see that one. :)


One other thing, though - does the vehicle manual address this? Could you possibly be allowed to route the tether over the headrest?

Also, call Honda and complain! They won't know it needs changed if we consumers don't tell them. :thumbsup:


The manual doesn't address it. :( I will definitely call Honda, though!

[Defrost]

The manual doesn't address it. :( I will definitely call Honda, though!

I looked up the '06 Honda Civic manual (http://www.analogstereo.com/pdf/om/honda_civic_owners_manual_2006.pdf) online, and for outboard installs, it says on page 48 (italics mine):

After properly securing the child
seat (see page 46), lift the head
restraint, then route the tether
strap over the seat-back and
through the head restraint legs.
If this does not fasten the
child seat securely, route the
tether strap over the head
restraint.

For center installs, it says to always route the tether over the headrest, with the headrest in the lowest position.

Looks like that will solve your problem! :thumbsup:

[joolsplus3]

Oh, it CAN go over. I feel so smart! (Thanks, Debbie)

:D

[Patriot201]

I looked up the '06 Honda Civic manual (http://www.analogstereo.com/pdf/om/honda_civic_owners_manual_2006.pdf) online, and for outboard installs, it says on page 48 (italics mine):



For center installs, it says to always route the tether over the headrest, with the headrest in the lowest position.

Looks like that will solve your problem! :thumbsup:

Doh! How did I miss that? :o

Thanks!

[Defrost]

I think it's the way the manual is set up. I noticed the difference when I downloaded it - it's got a lovely little table of contents in the front (much more comprehensive than most!) but if you look up "headrests" it doesn't say ANYTHING about tethering. To find that you have to go through all the info in the "car seats" section.

Glad to help! :D

[Patriot201]

I think it's the way the manual is set up. I noticed the difference when I downloaded it - it's got a lovely little table of contents in the front (much more comprehensive than most!) but if you look up "headrests" it doesn't say ANYTHING about tethering. To find that you have to go through all the info in the "car seats" section.

Glad to help! :D

Thank you so much. I thought I had read every word of that manual at least a dozen times, but I guess I kept missing that rather important information! :o

[Defrost]

Thank you so much. I thought I had read every word of that manual at least a dozen times, but I guess I kept missing that rather important information! :o

We all have our blind spots! I only thought of it because it's come up before, but usually the headrest is just in the way, and we HAVE to route the tether under it, so it's easy to miss. :)