FF install in 97 Acura Integra?

[Leche Mami]

DS just hit 33 pounds so we will need to turn him forward facing in his Britax Boulevard (older model that goes to 33, not 35). DH tried installing it forward facing in the center of his 1997 Acura Integra and could not get a good fit. Plus, the car doesn't have a tether anchor. Does it have to be installed in the outboard position? Is there some type of anchor he can install in the back window area to tether to? The seat bottom was also wiggly because it was sitting on a hump and thus not level. How do we get a good install? We'd prefer him to be in the middle. Also, do we have to turn him now or can we wait till he tips the scale to 34 pounds which would give us another few weeks rearward facing?

Thanks!

[Jeanum]

Your Blvd's rear facing maximum weight limit is 33 lbs, not 33.1 lbs. or up to 34 lbs., so it's definitely time to turn him forward facing if he's 33 lbs. Congrats for rear facing up to that 33 lbs. limit, well done, and welcome to car-seat.org. :)

The Blvd. doesn't require use of the top tether unless you're in Canada where top tethering is mandatory. It is highly recommended to top tether a forward facing harnessed seat whenever possible to an appropriate top tether anchor in the vehicle to reduce head excursion, though. According to the LATCH manual, it is definitely possible to retrofit the '97 Integra with top tether anchors. :thumbsup: Up to 2 tether anchors can be retrofitted in the 2-door '97 Integra model, which apparently doesn't have an actual center rear seating position according to the info. listed about it in the LATCH manual, and thus cannot have a carseat properly installed in the center rear at all, only outboard. Up to 3 top tether anchors can be retrofitted in the 4-door '97 Integra, which has 3 rear seating positions. The Acura tether anchor retrofit part number is 82410-SE3-C01, called a "plate assembly" and available from an Acura/Honda dealership for approx. $13-15 per anchor. All retrofittable Acura and Honda models have exactly the same tether anchor retrofit part number, and there's at least one online Honda parts vendor that sells the part for under $10 per anchor if you Google the part number. The tether anchor installation instructions are supposed to be included in the Integra's owner's manual and installation can probably be done yourself with a torque wrench. :)

As for installing in the center vs. outboard, outboard is the only allowable seating position if your Integra is a 2-door model lacking an actual center rear seating position and center seatbelt. In the 4-door Integra where there is an actual center seating position and center seatbelt, you can technically install in the center if you can achieve a proper installation with less than 1 inch of movement at the Blvd's belt path. If that's not achievable in the 4-door's center seating position due to the hump/contouring of the vehicle seat, then outboard would be the next best alternative if you can achieve a tight installation outboard. Proper installation with less than 1 inch of movement at the Blvd's belt path is the goal.

[Leche Mami]

Thanks! Yes, it is a 4-door. We bought the top tether anchor on Saturday and installed it in the center position on Sunday. My husband was able to get the seatbelt pretty tight but then the more he tried to wiggle the seat the more it actually wiggled. So, he started out with probably an inch of movement and ended up with more. Is that just a fact of life that we will have to tighten it up every now and then? Or does that mean that we should have installed it in the outboard position?

I'm not sure how long it will be before we muster the courage to actually take him somewhere in that car. :p He's still rearward facing in my car and luckily spends most of his time there. He's ONLY 2 years 9 months. I want a Swedish/Norwegian seat that rear faces to 40+ pounds! :soapbox:

Thanks!

[Jeanum]

If he's like my DH, he might be trying with all his might to budge the carseat like it's a football practice tackle block, lol, which is overdoing it when it comes to testing an installation. :) Child passenger safety technicians are taught during our training to check for movement at the carseat's belt path using one hand only, the non-dominant hand, and not pushing or pulling with all our might. If the carseat moves more than 1" at the belt path when tested for movement with the non-dominant hand, then it could be it needs to be installed more tightly by pressing down more on the carseat while tightening up the seatbelt, or that it's not compatible with the center seating position and to try an outboard installation.