93' Nissan Sentra install ?

[*Spoiledinmyhouseofblue*]

My husband is starting nights for a few weeks. I feel better him taking the van to work(since he will be leaving when I am done with daycare and home before I start). This place is out in the middle of nowhere(nuclear plant).

So, that said. I will have his beater car(which is the best 500.00 we ever spent). ;-)

It is 1993 Nissan Sentra. I am wondering what seats I can install in there(his back of his car is so messy I can't even get near it right now ;-) ). Honestly, we had this car for 2 years and never even tried carseats in it. Also, who should I put where?

Just in case i have to go somewhere here are my carseats to chose from:

Logan's seats:

Graco Nautilus
Evenflo Chase
Cosco Scenera

Michael's seats:

(he can fit in Logan's nautilus, but pukes every time he is in a 5-point harness for more than 10 minute drive-so, it would be fine if I just had to go somewhere close).

Britax Parkway
Graco High back booster
FPSV

Here is a picture of a backseat of a 93' Sentra
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/mommyto2boys0205/a217_12.jpg

[skaterbabscpst]

The first thing you want to do is check to see if the car has switchable retractors - it may not. If it doesn't it just means you'll need a locking clip for the outboard seats when installing anything BUT a booster (no LC with boosters ever). The middle lap belt is great for installing car seats.

The seat itself looks pretty flat, so I don't think you'll have a particularly difficult time installing the individual seats, but you'll need to play a bit to see what fits best where. I think the PW may be your best bet of you're trying 3-across just because of the lack of armrests.

[ketchupqueen]

I think that seat looks like it would be pretty easy to put seats in.

The buckle stalks are twistable if neccessary, the belts are probably lockable, and the seats are pretty flat.

[*Spoiledinmyhouseofblue*]

The first thing you want to do is check to see if the car has switchable retractors - it may not. If it doesn't it just means you'll need a locking clip for the outboard seats when installing anything BUT a booster (no LC with boosters ever). The middle lap belt is great for installing car seats.

The seat itself looks pretty flat, so I don't think you'll have a particularly difficult time installing the individual seats, but you'll need to play a bit to see what fits best where. I think the PW may be your best bet of you're trying 3-across just because of the lack of armrests.

Luckily I will not have to do a 3-across since my daycare kids will be home by then.

Ok, I feel dumb, but what are switchable retractors? If the seatbelts don't lock I need to use the locking clip for the carseats(I know boosters you don't).

I hope I don't have to go anywhere, but just in case ;-).

[skaterbabscpst]

There is a very easy test to see if you have switchable retractors. I can tell from the pic you posted you don't have locking latchplates, which is not unusual for imports of that era.

To test if you have switchable retractors, SLOWLY pull the seatbelt out as far as it will go and let it retract just a little. If it kind of ratchets back as it feed into the retractor it has switched to ALR mode. (This just means it's locked.) Most of the time with vehicles of this age you'll hear the racheting, but it's not unusual to have a quiet mechanism either.

After you've let it retract just a little, try to pull it back out again. If it DOES pull out, you DO need a locking clip because it means it does not automatically lock unless there is an emergency. (ELR or emergency locking retractor.) This is the same way your driver's seat works in that it locks up during rapid deceleration due to a sudden stop or crash. If it does NOT pull out then the belt is locked and no locking clip is necessary.

Hope that helps! For what it's worth, if I were to hazard a guess I would say the odds are that you do NOT have switchable retractors and you'll need to use the locking clip with your younger child's seat just because many imports didn't implement the lockability standard until they absolutely had to do so.

[ketchupqueen]

My mom had a Sentra of approximately that era and the belts DID have switchable retractors, because she used to lock my brother's belt to keep him seated properly.

I'm just not quite sure what year she had so I can't tell you 100% for certain if the 93 should or not.

[*Spoiledinmyhouseofblue*]

Thank you. :-)

I am going to check it out today. Hopefully, I can have him clean out the backseat before he goes to work(talk about projectiles :eek:).