Locking Clip (What is it and how do I use it?)

[MustangMama]

So I am trying to install the spare seat into my car. It seems as if it is just not getting tight enough to be used safely and properly. It has about 3" (!!) of wiggle room! I need to wash her current carseat so I need this one snug. I have never had to use a locking clip and was wondering A: What is the purpose of a locking clip and B: How do you use one? If anybody has some pictures that would be great help. I just saw it on the back of her carseat and thought maybe it might help?! Advice please :)

[skiersnowboarder3]

A locking clip locks the seatbelt if they don't lock on their own. Explaining how to use it is difficult without pictures. I'm sure someone will come along soon with some.

What kind of car is this in? That will help us to know if you need a locking clip.

[CDNTech]

From your signature it appears you have an '06 Mustang? If yes, then you do not need a locking clip. You need to pull the seatbelt out all the way. This will switch it to locking mode... when you start letting it back in, you will hear a clicking/ratcheting noise. If you try to pull it back out, it will not come because it is in locked mode.

A trick to getting a seat tighter is to install it and lock the seatbelt. Put a knee into the seat and pull out all the remaining slack. If it's still too loose... carefully unbuckle the seatbelt and let it retract back into the retractor 2 - 3 clicks. Then have someone kneel/rock/bounce in the seat, while another person works to re-buckle the seatbelt.

First things first though... what seat are you trying to install and is it forward facing or rear facing? What vehicle is it going in? These answers will help us give you some vehicle/carseat specific tips. :)

[crunchierthanthou]

here's a great site with info on locking clips-

http://www.carseatsite.com/lockingclips.htm

basically, they lock a lap/shoulder belt. You sometimes need them in older vehicles where the seatbelts don't lock on their own (locking seatbelts have been required since 1996). You may also need one if a locking shoulder retractor is causing a rear facing seat to tip or if a locking latchplate isn't staying tight.

What seat are you installing and in what vehicle?

[featherhead]

It looks like (from your signature) your vehicles should have locking seatbelts so you should not have to use a locking clip. Either they will lock at the latchplate (the part you buckle), or they will lock at the retractor (where the shoulderbelt comes out). Look in your vehicle manual to see what it says about installing carseats. What kind of carseat are you trying to install right now? Different seats have different quirks.

[christineka]

It appears that both of your vehicles have locking seatbelts, so you should not need a locking clip. The locking clip is used for belts that do not lock or to straighten out a rfing seat that tips with a locked belt.

Do you perhaps have those belts that lock at the latchplate? I think sometimes you need to switch the latchplae backwards to get it to lock the belt.

[Lenae]

In my sister's '05 Tahoe, she has seatbelts that lock at the retractor, but it seems to tip my sons SS1 sideways. Can I use the locking clip on a locking seatbelt? Or is that a no no?

[Unregistered]

From your signature it appears you have an '06 Mustang? If yes, then you do not need a locking clip. You need to pull the seatbelt out all the way. This will switch it to locking mode... when you start letting it back in, you will hear a clicking/ratcheting noise. If you try to pull it back out, it will not come because it is in locked mode.

A trick to getting a seat tighter is to install it and lock the seatbelt. Put a knee into the seat and pull out all the remaining slack. If it's still too loose... carefully unbuckle the seatbelt and let it retract back into the retractor 2 - 3 clicks. Then have someone kneel/rock/bounce in the seat, while another person works to re-buckle the seatbelt.

First things first though... what seat are you trying to install and is it forward facing or rear facing? What vehicle is it going in? These answers will help us give you some vehicle/carseat specific tips. :)

Yes. It is in an 06' Mustang. I thought the locking clip was for the car seat somehow. My belt does lock, but even with my 285# husband in the carseat- it will not go any tighter! I am trying to install her spare because I need to wash her Graco. It is a 2003 Eddie Bauer Cosco Booster w/ harness. I am trying to install it into the back seat of my Mustang, forward facing behind the drivers seat. I could use the LATCH/Tether option, but I am not familiar with it and not knowing makes me nervous!!

[crunchierthanthou]

In my sister's '05 Tahoe, she has seatbelts that lock at the retractor, but it seems to tip my sons SS1 sideways. Can I use the locking clip on a locking seatbelt? Or is that a no no?

there's no need if you're using the base. The SS1 base has a built in lock-off. It's required that you route the seatbelt through it anyway, so you may as well skip the step of locking the retractor. If you're installing without the base then yes, you can use a locking clip in place of the locking the shoulder belt to prevent the tipping. :)

[MustangMama]

First things first though... what seat are you trying to install and is it forward facing or rear facing? What vehicle is it going in? These answers will help us give you some vehicle/carseat specific tips. :)[/QUOTE]

Yes, I do drive an 06' Mustang. I now realize after reading your post that I have no clue what I was thinking, but the locking clip is not necessary in my situation. She is riding FF in a Graco CarGo, but we need to wash it and her spare seat is an Eddie Bauer Cosco Booster with a harness. I am a big girl (5'10" and 275 LBS) and it would not even get snug with me bouncing in it! :eek: I guess I could try to LATCH it in but I have never used LATCH so it makes me nervous :o

[CDNTech]

Something that caught my eye...

your spare is an Eddie Bauer Cosco Booster... these seats have a moveable headrest. The top (highest) position is for booster mode only. You can *not* use it harnessed... which means the second from top position is the highest harnessed mode position.

The reason I mention this is due to your daughter's posted height (39"... is she really this short at 5 years old?). The harness needs to be at or above her shoulders when forward facing and *most* kids typically outgrow this seat by height around 2.5 - 3 years old. Double check her height in the seat before going to all the trouble of trying to install it... if she's too tall for harnessed mode, then you will not be able to use this seat as a spare.

IF she still fits in harness mode... have you taken off the base of the seat? It is removable and makes installation much easier. The base comes off and a little foot flips down at the back of the seat for forward facing use.

Do you still have your manual for the seat handy? It will have directions/instructions on how to remove the base.

[Andie]

Can you pull back the cover and pull the belt back through the belt path? Sometimes that change in angle can help get more slack out.

[skiersnowboarder3]

Make sure you're not leaning against the beltpath so much that you are preventing the seatbelt from tightening when you pull on it.

[MustangMama]

Something that caught my eye...

your spare is an Eddie Bauer Cosco Booster... these seats have a moveable headrest. The top (highest) position is for booster mode only. You can *not* use it harnessed... which means the second from top position is the highest harnessed mode position.

The reason I mention this is due to your daughter's posted height (39"... is she really this short at 5 years old?). The harness needs to be at or above her shoulders when forward facing and *most* kids typically outgrow this seat by height around 2.5 - 3 years old. Double check her height in the seat before going to all the trouble of trying to install it... if she's too tall for harnessed mode, then you will not be able to use this seat as a spare.

IF she still fits in harness mode... have you taken off the base of the seat? It is removable and makes installation much easier. The base comes off and a little foot flips down at the back of the seat for forward facing use.

Do you still have your manual for the seat handy? It will have directions/instructions on how to remove the base.

Hers does not have a moveable headrest so I'm not sure which booster seat you are thinking of...:confused: Also, it does not have a base......or a little foot. It is a fixed booster.....:whistle:

Here is a link to one that is the same as hers. The top *looks* like it has a headrest but it is actually a removable pillow.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.priceleap.com/dm_pics1/777/7778117.L.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.priceleap.com/compare-prices/Eddie_Bauer_by_Cosco_Eddie_Bauer_Perforated_Leathe r_High_Back_Booster--7778117&h=200&w=200&sz=5&hl=en&start=10&um=1&usg=__QvMQQ8lkXgt4eftEfKA2HZMNilE=&tbnid=hhNK6AczqeZjLM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Deddie%2Bbauer%2Bcosco%2Bbooster%26um% 3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

And yes, she is still VERY small! LOL. We are looking into purchasing a Graco Nautilus VERY SOON as she is way too small to be not harnessed yet and is also growing out of her current carseats. She is on the last harness height on the spare carseat, and it sits just perfectly on top of her shoulders :)

And to answer your question about the manual.....it's long gone....LOL

[CDNTech]

Here is a link to one that is the same as hers. The top *looks* like it has a headrest but it is actually a removable pillow.

You have the only Eddie Bauer Cosco seat that does not have the moveable headrest (Dorel likes to name all their seats the same thing :rolleyes:). :D

Then the only other thing I can think of (as a previous poster mentioned), is to pull back the cover and pull the shoulder portion of the seatbelt straight up and in towards the center of the carseat (through the beltpath) to get all the slack out of the lap portion. Hold it tight in position and *then* pull remaining shoulder portion out of the retractor to switch to locking mode and feed all the slack back into the retractor.

After that... continue using this trick until the seat is in tight (posted earlier)...

If it's still too loose... carefully unbuckle the seatbelt and let it retract back into the retractor 2 - 3 clicks. Then have someone kneel/rock/bounce in the seat, while another person works to re-buckle the seatbelt.

Continue this step until it is tight enough and does not move more than 1" *at* the belt path. :)

[CDNTech]

One more idea... is it easier to get the Cosco seat in dad's car? Then you could just move the Cargo from his car over to your car.

[MustangMama]

Okay as you were busy figuring it out.....:ROTFLMAO:....I was outside in what seemed like WW3 trying to get her carseat in TIGHT!!! It was a battle :fencing:....and it is FREEZING OUTSIDE TOO!! LOL.....I also took some pics of DD in her seat so you can see exactly where she sits at the strap level......trying to attach them now.....:whistle:

[MustangMama]

Totally didn't think of that! LOL.....but Dad works out of town and we won't see him again until Saturday :(

[MustangMama]

and to the questions above....I have the belts that lock at the retractor.

[skaterbabscpst]

Wow, she's a tiny little thing! Those Cosco seats have really short harness slots.

That said, some seats are the very devil to install, and that's unfortunately one of them. You'll need to pull the cover away from the belt path to give yourself a little more room to work.

First, rout the belt through the beltpath and buckle it. DO NOT lock the belt yet.
Second, grasp the shoulder portion of the belt webbing firmly and pull it PARALLEL to the lap portion of the belt webbing. You'll need to kneel in the seat (you may want a folded towel to cushion your knee - this does NOT stay in the seat afterwards). You may need to push the seat DOWN and BACK into the seat crack.

After you hae the seat as tight as you can get it (remember, the belt isn't locked yet, so don't let go of the belt!), then lock the seatbelt retractor by GENTLY pulling the belt webbing out all the way and releasing it.

Once the belt is locked, repeat step two until you have less than one inch of movement in any direction - side to side or front to back.

Then attach the top tether.


If you cannot get less than one inch of movement, you may have to consider the seat incompatible with the vehicle. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen and if you cannot get the seat tightly installed it is not safe for your child to use.

[Defrost]

I just want to add one more tip to skaterbabs' excellent instructions:

Remember to focus on getting the LAP portion of the seat belt tight. That is what will be doing the holding. Use the tips above to get the lap portion just as tight as you can, and then the shoulder portion and retractor will keep it that way. :thumbsup:

[Shanora]

I find too that when you are kneeling in the seat, when pulling the seat belt tight, to rock the seat side to side...almost like rocking and tugging on the seat belt...also adding a little bounce into that mix can help...lol (I imagine it looks rather hilarious if anyone was to actually watch me install seats..lol)...that how I get my Marathon in tight in my van with the seat belt....sometimes it can rock it just enough to get that rock solid install. I do this with almost every seat I install (except infant bases...lol...thats kinda hard), and it seems to work every time.

[Misty-Bug]

In my sister's '05 Tahoe, she has seatbelts that lock at the retractor, but it seems to tip my sons SS1 sideways. Can I use the locking clip on a locking seatbelt? Or is that a no no?

ok tech correct me if I am wrong, sorry I am not a tech but this is my understanding...

if you are using it with the base you have lock offs. If you are using it without the base make sure it is the lap belt portion that goes across the seat into the notches. Don't include the shoulder strap in there. Leave the shoulder portion out. You really *shouldn't* get tiping when installing without the base.

but also you can use a locking clip on a locking seatbelt if there is a tip due to the shoulder being too tight. It is a prepositioner for crashes and holds the belt in place without tiping the seat. If I am wrong someone will correct me. :o

[Defrost]

ok tech correct me if I am wrong, sorry I am not a tech but this is my understanding...

if you are using it with the base you have lock offs. If you are using it without the base make sure it is the lap belt portion that goes across the seat into the notches. Don't include the shoulder strap in there. Leave the shoulder portion out. You really *shouldn't* get tiping when installing without the base.

but also you can use a locking clip on a locking seatbelt if there is a tip due to the shoulder being too tight. It is a prepositioner for crashes and holds the belt in place without tiping the seat. If I am wrong someone will correct me. :o

You've got it right, with a small exception - infant seats have different requirements for installing without the base, and they can vary quite widely. I know of at least one that requires the shoulder belt to be routed around the back of the infant seat. So - always check your manual! :thumbsup:

ETA: Oops, sorry about the horrible typo! Fixed now!

[skiersnowboarder3]

without the seat belt

I think this is supposed to be without the base. ;) I kept thinking you meant LATCH but then the rest of the statement didn't make any sense.

[Defrost]

I think this is supposed to be without the base. ;) I kept thinking you meant LATCH but then the rest of the statement didn't make any sense.

Oops! That's what I get for posting right before bedtime. Thanks for catching that!

[joolsplus3]

ok tech correct me if I am wrong, sorry I am not a tech but this is my understanding...

if you are using it with the base you have lock offs. If you are using it without the base make sure it is the lap belt portion that goes across the seat into the notches. Don't include the shoulder strap in there. Leave the shoulder portion out. You really *shouldn't* get tiping when installing without the base.

but also you can use a locking clip on a locking seatbelt if there is a tip due to the shoulder being too tight. It is a prepositioner for crashes and holds the belt in place without tiping the seat. If I am wrong someone will correct me. :o

Correcting... yes, you DO put both the lap and shoulder parts of the belt into the lockoff on the SS1 base. and then do NOT pull the belt all the way out to lock the retractor, just make sure the lap portion is super duper tight, then clip the belt into the lockoff. that's it, it should be tightly installed, locked in, and completely not tippy :thumbsup:

[Misty-Bug]

Correcting... yes, you DO put both the lap and shoulder parts of the belt into the lockoff on the SS1 base. and then do NOT pull the belt all the way out to lock the retractor, just make sure the lap portion is super duper tight, then clip the belt into the lockoff. that's it, it should be tightly installed, locked in, and completely not tippy :thumbsup:

thanks. Sorry I didn't make myself clear, I meant when installing without the base only have the lap portion of the belt that comes across the seat. Someone mentioned that SOME seats you have to have the shoulder belt come in behind but I am pretty sure that isn't on a Graco.
the best bet....OPer is to check your manual. It should show diagrams and such.

[joolsplus3]

Whoops, sorry! (yeah, no need to put the belt around the back of a graco...although, there are clips on the back for that, I assume for the European market who routinely does it and uses bases less frequently than N. America).

There are stickers with pictures on the side of the seat showing how to install it baseless, and instructions in the manual, too :)