Retrofitting Tethers for 1998 Pontiac & Oldsmobile?

[Zannie]

Help!! I’ve gone to our local GM dealer requesting 2 tether anchors be retrofitted in each of our cars (’98 Pontiac Grand Am & ’98 Olds Intrigue) for use with our new Radian seats. The mechanic said he’d be happy to install them, but had no clue how to do it, or where to get the parts! (Um…inspiring such confidence!)

So, can anyone tell me the part numbers for these tethers and any other pertinent information I’ll need to actually get the job done? Is there a GM Technical Service Bulletin I should refer to when requesting the service again (so I sound halfway intelligent) since clearly the maintenance department at my dealership is uninformed?

[Jeanum]

To steer the dealership in the right direction, the '07 LATCH manual refers to GM Service Bulletin No. 99-09-40-004 dated January 2000 for Top Tether Anchor Hardware Package for Child Restraint Seats for 1989-99 Models.

No specific part numbers are listed in the LATCH manual, but the good news is at least one tether anchor retrofit should be free for you according to this (hopefully at least one per vehicle for you):

Tether anchor kits: Most General Motors vehicles manufactured in or after 1989 are tether compatible. GM part numbers for retrofit kits are not included in this manual as part numbers change frequently. General Motors' dealerships have an up-to-date list of the specific part numbers.

Tether anchor retrofit program: General Motors will provide and install free of charge one Child Restraint (CR) Top Tether Hardware Package for anchoring in most 1989 and later vehicles. The free installation must be for a forward-facing CR in one rear-seat seating position.

Hopefully this will help the dealership locate the appropriate parts and retrofit anchors for you.

[Zannie]

Thanks! I need to call them today on an unrelated issue, so I'll run the service bulletin by the mechanic & see what happens from there.

I appreciate your speedy reply. This website is full of such helpful people!

[Jeanum]

You're welcome. I love looking up stuff in the LATCH manual, lol. Good luck with the dealership.

[skaterbabscpst]

Good luck. I found that even with the service bulletan numbers and even part numbers I personally obtained from GN corporate my local dealer was clueless.

Our local Chevy dealership says there is a limit of 10yrs for installing a tether bolt. They want to charge hundreds of dollars... I called GM and they told me that they will install the first one free of charge. The company is giving us a hassle. Anyone heard of this? Do we need to attach the tether? It would only be for our second vehicle but I would feel safer with a tether...

[Jeanum]

Hi there, I realize this is an older thread, but the info. posted above from the LATCH manual about retrofitting older GM cars with tether anchors has not changed. I'm not aware of a 10 year restriction, either. One tether anchor should be done for free at the dealership for you, provided that your Chevy is a retrofittable model. You might need to find another Chevy dealership to assist you.

Tethering a forward facing harnessed seat is usually optional although recommended in the U.S., with a few exceptions like the Britax Regent which requires use of the tether for kids weighing 50 lbs. and up and also for certain installation methods. If you're in Canada, top tethering a forward facing harnessed seat is mandatory.

[skaterbabscpst]

The ten year restriction is a load of hooey. My Suburban is close to 15 years old and other than the usual "I have no idea what you're talking about" run around, I had no problems getting the tether anchor.

They do only provide one free one though, so if you need more than one you have to pay for each additional anchor.