Seat belts in 1998 Ford Escort?

[notsomuch]

Hi. Does anyone have any experience with the seatbelts in a 1998 ford escort? The seat is the True Fit. I'm traveling out of town. My sister is picking my child and me up from the airport in the car above for an hour drive. She doesn't know the owner of the car well enough to ask her to make changes to the car/seat belts.

My question is, does anyone know if there is a latch? Based on the research I've done (basically inconclusive) it seems it doesn't.

Next question -- do the seat belts have ratcheting (or locking) belts? My daughter is 4. She'll be riding forward facing. If the car has none of these, am I correct in assuming that there's nothing I can do? Any help would be helpful.

Thanks.

[skiersnowboarder3]

No it would not have LATCH. I can't remember the exact year that seatbelts had to lock pre-crash but I don't think your '98 will lock. You can still use the seat belts you will just need to use a locking clip in it.

The middle seat, however, will have a lap belt locking latchplate and you will not need a locking clip.

[Maedze]

The belts will lock in some way, either at the retractor (ratcheting) or at the buckle (locking latchplate).


The center belt will likely be lap-only, with a locking latchplate at the buckle and a 'tail' you pull to tighten. It should be quite easy to install a FF seat in this car.

[Maedze]

No it would not have LATCH. I can't remember the exact year that seatbelts had to lock pre-crash but I don't think your '98 will lock. You can still use the seat belts you will just need to use a locking clip in it.

The middle seat, however, will have a lap belt locking latchplate and you will not need a locking clip.



No, she will not need a locking clip. All cars after model year 1996 were required to have locking belts. Furthermore, many Ford vehicles had locking belts several years before the requirement.

[skiersnowboarder3]

No, she will not need a locking clip. All cars after model year 1996 were required to have locking belts. Furthermore, many Ford vehicles had locking belts several years before the requirement.

I didn't realize it was as early as '96. I thought for sure my '94 escort would have needed a locking clip. Of course I never had to install a seat in that car.

[Simplysomething]

My 97 has locking seat belts, lap/shoulder outboard, and lap belt only in center. You may run into a no top tether anchor issue. I'm not sure if the 98 has factory installed top tether anchors, but the 97 does not (had to have one installed by a local dealership). To the techs here, if there is no top tether anchor available, would you recommend and outboard installation--or what?

But yeah, the seatbelts lock just fine. Unless they're broken.

[BookMama]

My 97 has locking seat belts, lap/shoulder outboard, and lap belt only in center. You may run into a no top tether anchor issue. I'm not sure if the 98 has factory installed top tether anchors, but the 97 does not (had to have one installed by a local dealership). To the techs here, if there is no top tether anchor available, would you recommend and outboard installation--or what?

But yeah, the seatbelts lock just fine. Unless they're broken.

I have a 1998 Escort. :) It has lap/shoulder belts outboard (switchable retractors), and lap-only belt with a locking latchplate in the center. No top tethers, so I'd install it in the center. (For the record, though, I'd rather see a FF seat outboard and tethered than center and untethered.) Oh, and the seatbelt stalks are kind of long and floppy, so you may need to twist it up to three full twists to keep the latchplate out of the belt path.

You shouldn't have any trouble - it's a pretty nice car to install most car seats in, though I've never installed a True Fit in it.

[mburks26]

If the seat is a True Fit it has bulit in locking clips right?

[BookMama]

If the seat is a True Fit it has bulit in locking clips right?

You're right, the True Fit has built-in lockoffs - no locking clip required. Good catch! :thumbsup:

[notsomuch]

Thanks everyone. It looks like this will work out. I have to google all this lingo -- outboard, twisting things to do something or other, tether (no need to explain though), but I do have a week to figure all this out.

Also, I did forget that it does have the locking mechanism built into the seat. How awesome is that. Side note: I really love this seat, people -- even 10x more than a Marathon!

Okay, so based on the info I received since the car has no top latch, I'll need to install the seat in the center with the lap belt, right? I just pray my sis is a good driver. We'll be travelling from Baltimore airport to DC. Phew! Okay, thanks, guys.

BookMama, I may try to contact you as questions arise if it's okay. I want to make sure she's absolutely safe.

Also, I know it's a bit late in the thread to ask this, but has anyone ever checked a seat on a bus before? We'll be taking a chinatown to chinatown bus. It seems I can ask them to put it on last. Also, I am thinking it may be a good idea to wrap it in some sort of bubble wrap. What do you guys think? Just don't say, "Don't check it." Be gentle if you have horror stories, because it seems I will have no choice but to check it. :) Okay, anyway thank you for all of this helpful info. Have a great night/morning.

Katy

[skiersnowboarder3]

Thanks everyone. It looks like this will work out. I have to google all this lingo -- outboard, twisting things to do something or other, tether (no need to explain though), but I do have a week to figure all this out.

outboard- the seats next to the window
twisting- You can twist the belt stalk (attached to the buckle) up to 3 times and it will still be safe in a crash. Sometimes people do this when the belt stalk is too long and it interferes with a good installation.
tether- The tether is the strap that comes from the top of the car seat. It connects to a tether anchor which is located behind the seat in different positions depending on the car. It could be above the trunk in a rear hatch, under the rear of the seat in a van, on the floor behind the seat, or on the ceiling.

Okay, so based on the info I received since the car has no top latch, I'll need to install the seat in the center with the lap belt, right? I just pray my sis is a good driver. We'll be travelling from Baltimore airport to DC. Phew! Okay, thanks, guys.

You don't need to install the seat in the center. We would recommend the center since that is statistically the safest position but you should install the seat wherever you can get the best install. And on a side note, BWI to DC is not that far.

Also, I know it's a bit late in the thread to ask this, but has anyone ever checked a seat on a bus before? We'll be taking a chinatown to chinatown bus. It seems I can ask them to put it on last. Also, I am thinking it may be a good idea to wrap it in some sort of bubble wrap. What do you guys think? Just don't say, "Don't check it." Be gentle if you have horror stories, because it seems I will have no choice but to check it. :) Okay, anyway thank you for all of this helpful info. Have a great night/morning.

Katy

Car seats are shipped from the manufactuer to the dealer/ store and then possibly to you if you buy it off the internet. Bubble wrap could help. I would also use the original box if you still have it.

[BookMama]

BookMama, I may try to contact you as questions arise if it's okay. I want to make sure she's absolutely safe.

Sure, but I'll be gone most of the day at a seat check event. :) Simply's 97 Escort sounds the same as mine, so I'm sure she (or others) should be able to help you if you have any questions.

[notsomuch]

I do have the box, but it is currently a tiny painted house with little heart, circle, and square cut outs. Plus, I'll be flying with it too, so the box would be impractical. Well, maybe a little bubble wrap and dollop of Jesus would help the thing survive. I just don't want to have it break. I'll call the bus company and see what they say. How does this sound?

Would it be safer to install in the center with just a lap belt or in the outboard with the shoulder strap?


Thanks again,

Katy

[christineka]

My 1997 Ford aerostar forbid installing a forward facing car seat in the middle position UNLESS the seat was tethered. The should belt adds one more point to the installation.

[TechnoGranola]

What kind of Escort is it? If it's a ZX2 (the coupe version of the Escort) it does NOT have a rear centre seat belt. Thus, you can only install a child seat outboard. But, yes the seat belts lock in a '98 ZX2. There are tether anchor locations on the back panel (window area) behind the 2 outboard seats, and it took DH about 5 minutes to put one in, but you have to make a hole in the panel behind the seats to put the anchor and the owner of the vehicle may not want the look of a tether anchor there (or a hole if you remove the anchor after you're done).

Here's the vehicle manual if you want to look at it before you have to ride in it. http://www.motorcraftservice.com/pubs/content/~WOWEST/~MUS~LEN/42/98estog1e.pdf Seat belt stuff starts on page 47, child restraint stuff starts page 66.

[Simplysomething]

When I had my tether anchor moved, they put a plug in the old hole, same color as the uh package shelf.

[TechnoGranola]

When I had my tether anchor moved, they put a plug in the old hole, same color as the uh package shelf.Right, you can usually get plugs. I was just thinking if they have only have the car for a few hours, if they installed something, they might not be able to get a plug for the owner of the vehicle. I know that in Canada, the Escort actually comes with a tether anchor package, so you don't even have to go to Ford (or anywhere else) to pick up the parts. But no plugs in the package.

[notsomuch]

Hi again,

I don't think the owner would let me put anchors in her car. Is this not safe? I am a little confused about the anchors discussion. I can install the seat in the outboard seat. This isn't safe enough?

Katy