Installing Frontier with lap belt

[Unregistered]

We just bought a Frontier for DD and I'm having trouble installing it. When I bought it Friday the SA told me that they had a no return policy unless the seat was defective. I asked her if it would fit correctly into my car ('97 Grand Am) and she told me that it would. The only tether in the car is in the center of the back seat. Because of the way the lap belt threads through the Frontier (the seatbelt comes out the back of the seat) and buckles, the seat belt won't lock. If I pull on the seat after it is installed, the seatbelt loosens. I called the store where I purchased it to ask them if there was seatbelt lock I could use to keep the belt from loosening and the SA told me that she had never heard of one and was confused as to why the seat belt would loosen. Are there locks I can buy? What are my other installation options? Even if we had a tether put on on one of the outer seats and installed with the lap/shoulder belt, the seat belt would still buckle at the wrong angle.

[canmom]

What sort of latchplate is on your middle belt? Many latchplates lock in some way... you can check in your manual to find out for sure. Where are you located? There may be a tech here that can help you.

[Jewels]

I'm not totally picturing what you mean.

I have my Frontier installed in the centre of my Accord. I didn't have the problem with the latchplate on staying tight but I couldn't tighten the seatbelt enough because of where it was sitting (in the beltpath). It was an easy fix by twisting the buckle stalk (the female end) 2-3 times before buckling it to keep the latchplate out of the beltpath. Twisting the stalk will pull the buckle down and change the angle that the latchplate is sitting and may help in your situation.

If the latchplate isn't staying tight and it isn't because it is in the beltpath of the Frontier you could try flipping the latchplate (male end) one half turn. Buckling it backwards helps you align the belt so it can function properly.

[Unregistered]

I did twist the female end 2 turns so that the buckle was not in the way of the seat. It is the latchplate that is the problem. It needs to sit flush against the actual seatbelt in order to lock. The way that it comes through the belt path on the Frontier to buckle, the latchplate doesn't sit flush. The seat that we were replacing (Eddie Bauer 3 in 1) the seatbelt enters and exits the beltpath from the side of the seat and buckles in a position that allows the belt to lock. I don't have a manual for the car, and plan to call my dealership in the morning. I'm near Lindsay, Ontario.

[Unregistered]

If the latchplate isn't staying tight and it isn't because it is in the beltpath of the Frontier you could try flipping the latchplate (male end) one half turn. Buckling it backwards helps you align the belt so it can function properly.

When we first installed my current seat in my car the car seat tech told me that I could twist the female end a max of 2 twists, but to never twist the male end. I'm pretty sure that if I twisted the male end that it would buckle in the right position to lock; is it safe to have both ends twisted at once? I have no trouble getting the belt tight enough, it just loosens off because the belt isn't locking.

[mommycat]

I was taught you can twist the female end up to 3x 360 degrees. You do not "twist" the male end, however, flipping it to get the belts to aligh and allow the latch plate to function properly is fine. I think that ideally you want the twist to be at the base of the belt and not in the belt path. But this is the remedy to your problem when the latch plate is positioned at an angle and the belt loosens.

[Jewels]

I was taught you can twist the female end up to 3x 360 degrees. You do not "twist" the male end, however, flipping it to get the belts to aligh and allow the latch plate to function properly is fine. I think that ideally you want the twist to be at the base of the belt and not in the belt path. But this is the remedy to your problem when the latch plate is positioned at an angle and the belt loosens.

Yes, but if the latchplate isn't staying tight you can give it a half flip, not so much a twist just a flip.



Often with twisting the stalk you will change the angle of the latchplate. If possible I would even try to do 2.5 twists to see what that does.

I might be tempted to try installing the seat outboard just to see what sort of fit you get. If you have locking seatbelts the angle of the latchplate won't matter as it will be the seatbelt that locks not the latchplate. But if you have a locking latchplate you could still run into the same problem. Often side installs are different then the middle as they sink down a bit since they aren't on the "hump" of the middle and the seat is more contoured.

[mommycat]

Good catch, Jewels, I was trying to keep the two separate with twist vs flip and then said twist after all. Oops. (The latch plate flip is just a 180 degrees flip.)

I can't remember the official position from my course on doing a half-twist - isn't the release button supposed to be facing out at all times? Or is this an exception to that?

The outboard install might work better, but then you would need to retro-fit another tether anchor. So hopefully trying another twist in the buckle or doing the flip with the latch plate will work out.

[Unregistered]

I made an app with local techs at my health unit. They suggested a locking clip to lock the belt, but when I arrived we unsure if we would even have a correct fit because even after twisting the female end of the seat belt, the buckle/latchplate sits between the seat of the car and the car seat.

Will this interfere with the seat functioning correctly or is only important that the seat is tight in the car? I can't see how we could buckle it so that it is beside the seat as the seat belt threads in and out of the back of the car seat.

Does any one here have this seat installed with a lap belt? Would you be able to post a pic so I can see how the buckle/latchplate sit when installed correctly?

[skaterbabscpst]

Just remember that you can ONLY use a locking clip on lap/shoulder belts. You absolutely can not EVER use it on a lap-only belt.

[Jewels]

I made an app with local techs at my health unit. They suggested a locking clip to lock the belt, but when I arrived we unsure if we would even have a correct fit because even after twisting the female end of the seat belt, the buckle/latchplate sits between the seat of the car and the car seat.

Will this interfere with the seat functioning correctly or is only important that the seat is tight in the car? I can't see how we could buckle it so that it is beside the seat as the seat belt threads in and out of the back of the car seat.

Does any one here have this seat installed with a lap belt? Would you be able to post a pic so I can see how the buckle/latchplate sit when installed correctly?

You can't use a locking clip on a lapbelt.

Not sure what you mean by the buckle/latchplate sits between the seat of the car and the carseat as i'm not sure where else it would sit. I cannot get the seatbelt to lay flat against the carseat if that is what you mean.

Here is a picture with my Frontier installed with a lapbelt it isn't the best picture as it was installed and has a MA on this side so this picture is taken looking down between the seats. I can try and go out and take some more pictures for you if you still need them. I twisted the buckle stalk 2.5 times and this is what it looks like when it is installed:
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o34/jewelleegeake/carseat/October012.jpg

[Unregistered]

Just remember that you can ONLY use a locking clip on lap/shoulder belts. You absolutely can not EVER use it on a lap-only belt.

That's what I thought, but that is what I was told by 3 techs, the store that sold me the car seat and Britax

[Unregistered]

You can't use a locking clip on a lapbelt.

Not sure what you mean by the buckle/latchplate sits between the seat of the car and the carseat as i'm not sure where else it would sit. I cannot get the seatbelt to lay flat against the carseat if that is what you mean.

Here is a picture with my Frontier installed with a lapbelt it isn't the best picture as it was installed and has a MA on this side so this picture is taken looking down between the seats. I can try and go out and take some more pictures for you if you still need them. I twisted the buckle stalk 2.5 times and this is what it looks like when it is installed:
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o34/jewelleegeake/carseat/October012.jpg

Thanks for the pic, that is what it looks like when I install mine too. My old seat, the buckle was to the side of the car seat, not in between the seat of the car and car seat. I wasn't sure if that was correct.

I will try to flip the seat belt and twist the stalk 2.5 times instead of 2 times and see if that will lock the belt for me.

Thanks for all of the help everyone

[QuassEE]

They're wrong.

Page 19 of the most recent training manual...
"Never install a locking clip on a lap only seat belt"

I have the darned thing memorized for training in a week ;) But really, any tech should know this.

Did flipping the male portion over help? Your latchplate will only lock if the belt comes in at less than a 30 degree angle, although ideally we aim for completely flat just to be safe. Flipping the male portion over will give you either flat or a negative angle, allowing the latchplate to lock.

-Nicole.

[Allport]

They're wrong.

Page 19 of the most recent training manual...
"Never install a locking clip on a lap only seat belt"

I have the darned thing memorized for training in a week ;) But really, any tech should know this.

.

What don't you have memorized and that's the part I'll make you teach!!

[Jewels]

Thanks for the pic, that is what it looks like when I install mine too. My old seat, the buckle was to the side of the car seat, not in between the seat of the car and car seat. I wasn't sure if that was correct.

I will try to flip the seat belt and twist the stalk 2.5 times instead of 2 times and see if that will lock the belt for me.

Thanks for all of the help everyone

I didn't flip the seat belt just the buckle stalk. Because the stalk is twisted pretty much as I could get it then it twisted back it bit that makes the latchplate look flipped.