Top Tether anchor location?

Mom2One+One · Jul 17, 2007

I know this really doesnt matter as of right now, since I just turned my DS back to RF.

Just a question about top tether anchors. In my 03 Chevy Trailblazer I have the third row of seats. I usually keep them folded flat to allow for more cargo room in the back. My manual shows a set of three anchors for top tethers for models that DO NOT have the third row of seats. It does not show anything about models WITH the third row. The only think I see back there is a hook on the back of the seat that my carseat is in stalled in. Its way down at the bottom, almost underneath. Could this be the top tether anchor?

Melissa

Loves2sing · Jul 17, 2007

That is probably not a tether anchor, but a cargo hook to tie down cargo in the back. It is very possible that you do not have tether anchors in the 3rd row. You need to be asking a tech with the LATCH manual. Hopefully one will chime in!

UlrikeDG · Jul 17, 2007

OK, the LATCH manual says very little about the TAs for the extended version of the Trailblazer, just that there are 3 TA locations for the second row (the two outboard positions have LATCH) and none for the third row. One would think that the TAs would be the same between the models. Here's what the manual says for the smaller version:
Center: Tether Anchor is on floor near seat
Outboard: (2) LATCH w/ TAs on floor near seat
Notes: TAs are triangular cargo tie downs nearest to the seat, not the ones at the liftgate.

HTH

Mom2One+One · Jul 17, 2007

Yep...thats basically what my manual says. Gives all sorts of info for the model WITHOUT the third row. NOTHING for the model WITH the third row.

Does this mean there are no anchors on the extended model?

UlrikeDG · Jul 17, 2007

Well, the LATCH manual says they're there (one in the center, plus two outboard as part of LATCH). It just doesn't list details for where. The locations listed in your manual don't have any type of anchor?

Mom2One+One · Jul 17, 2007

Here is what the manual says:

The three hooks shown behind the seat in the pic above are NOT THERE. And there is nothing on the floor between the 2nd and 3rd row.

jen_nah · Jul 17, 2007

Mom2One said:
I know this really doesnt matter as of right now, since I just turned my DS back to RF.

Just a question about top tether anchors. In my 03 Chevy Trailblazer I have the third row of seats. I usually keep them folded flat to allow for more cargo room in the back. My manual shows a set of three anchors for top tethers for models that DO NOT have the third row of seats. It does not show anything about models WITH the third row. The only think I see back there is a hook on the back of the seat that my carseat is in stalled in. Its way down at the bottom, almost underneath. Could this be the top tether anchor?

Melissa

Can you take a picture for us? I have installed rf'ing CSR in Trailblazers in the past but can't think of any ff'ing ones and the TA locations.

snowbird25ca · Jul 17, 2007

I'm wondering if they've put the TA's on the back of the vehicle seat itself? Since your vehicle has LATCH, there'll be a symbol on top of the cover for the tether anchor, or else right beside it.

Have you tried raising your 3rd row seats and then looking? Maybe the seats being folded are hiding the tether anchors? Since your vehicle has LATCH, it absolutely does have top tether anchors installed already, it's just a matter of finding them. In a lot of GM vehicles the symbol for the top tether is a small sketch of a carseat on a bench with an anchor type rope going over the back of the bench. It'll likely be the same picture/symbol as what is marking the lower anchor locations on the bench itself. :thumbsup:

Mom2One+One · Jul 17, 2007

I certainly can!!

This is the back of the truck, with the third row seats folded down (please ignore the junk....) Notice the storage compartment. In the pic above from the manual it shows anchors just above this compartment in the model WITHOUT the third row seats.

This is the floor between the two rows of seats with the third row upright.

The floor between the two seats under the floormat.

The back of the seat that DS seat is strapped into.

And the little hook thats down at the bottom, almost under that seat.

Jeanum · Jul 17, 2007

That hook at the bottom sure looks like a top tether anchor. :twocents: Is there another hook like that at the bottom of each second row seatback? My MIL had an '04 Envoy without a third row, and that hook in your Trailblazer looks like the tether anchors in her Envoy, from what I remember of installing FF carseats in it.

Mom2One+One · Jul 17, 2007

Jeanum said:
Is there another hook like that at the bottom of each second row seatback? .

As a matter of fact, there is.....

How weird though, that I dont have lower anchors for the middle (just the outboard) but there is a hook in the middle seat position too. My manual specifically says NOT to use a CR in the middle position.

This is the seat (2nd row) folded up just so I could see

The seat in its correct locked in position (outboard) Sorry its a bit blurry.

Middle

And the page in the manual that says not to use the middle

Jeanum · Jul 17, 2007

I think it was Jools who confirmed with a GM engineer that a center installation is allowable in the Trailblazer and its corporate siblings if the carseat fits properly in the center position. I believe GM issued a revision to the owner's manual retracting the statement about not installing a carseat in the center of the Trailblazer, with the caveat that the carseat must fit properly between the very narrowly spaced center seatbelt anchors to achieve a proper installation.

Mom2One+One · Jul 17, 2007

Jeanum said:
I believe GM issued a revision to the owner's manual retracting the statement about not installing a carseat in the center of the Trailblazer, with the caveat that the carseat must fit properly between the very narrowly spaced center seatbelt anchors to achieve a proper installation.

I called GM about that and I was told that I could d/l a "revised" manual off the www.gm.com. I did so and that statement is still in the manual. So either, they didnt change it or its still the rule! I vote that they didnt change it...I have YET to be impressed with a GM owners manual....they are NOT updated regularly enough.

Jeanum · Jul 17, 2007

Bummer that the manual is less than helpful. Aha, here's a note I found in the LATCH manual about center installs being allowable in the second row for the '03 Trailblazer model with three rows of seats

:

Seats 7; all models can have a child restraint in center if good installation is obtained.

:thumbsup:

jen_nah · Jul 17, 2007

That hook on the seat bottom is the TA. I called my neighbor down the street and asked her if I could look at something on her vehicle. She probably thought I was nuts as she has no kids but she knows I am a CPST and she is a good friend.

snowbird25ca · Jul 17, 2007

Can you take a look under the seat for the little LATCH symbol? It looks like the hook on the little indent shown in the back of the vehicle seat could be the anchors that were described earlier - is there a symbol there and are those in all 3 seating positions? That the place in the seatback where my anchors are located in my Outlook. (GM made vehicle.)

Look for the symbols, that the most definitive way to know which hooks are in fact the tether anchors. That area on the back of the seat - was it covered with a plastic piece at one time? If it was, that would've been where the symbol was. Check the other 2 seats and see if you can find it.

eta: I'll go take a pic of the symbols in my truck so that you can see what I'm talking about... maybe that'll help. :thumbsup:

snowbird25ca · Jul 17, 2007

Ok, here's a bunch of pictures, I cropped so you could see the symbol and anchor clearly.

*I couldn't resize because I'd lose the dimensions, so these are just thumbnails - click the picture to see the full size picture. That will give you the close up of the symbols. :thumbsup:

3rd row tether - is a hook, middle position only, no lower anchors in this seating location.

2nd row tether anchors, cover and then a pic of hook without the cover:

View of back of 2nd row:

*note that the 2 splits of the 2nd row are normally in line with each other as required per the vehicle manual, they're just uneven in the picture because I moved the one side forward so that the anchors were more readily seen. :thumbsup:

Mom2One+One · Jul 18, 2007

Thanks for the pics! None of my anchors have plastic over them. They are WAYYY down low on the seat, almost underneath. I think it is safe to say though, that they are the top tether hooks!

Thanks for the great info!!

snowbird25ca · Jul 18, 2007

Mom2One said:
Thanks for the pics! None of my anchors have plastic over them. They are WAYYY down low on the seat, almost underneath. I think it is safe to say though, that they are the top tether hooks!

Thanks for the great info!!

Just wondering what this black spot on the back of the seat is? This is what I've been wondering if it's the tether anchor since it looks like the black metal piece might lift up.

Because your vehicle has LATCh, both the lower anchors and tether anchors are supposed to be marked by symbols. If there's no symbol anywhere around those on the bottom of the seat, I'm just not sure that they're the anchors.

Have you lifted the rug between the 2nd and 3rd rows? Or can you check closely at the bottom of the seat where it looks like the anchors are to see if there's the symbol? I know your anchors are different than mine, and there'll probably be a variance on the symbol, but that's what you need to be looking for. :thumbsup:

You could also call the dealership and speak to someone in the service dept and ask. Is your manual for both body styles? If there's a seperate manual for the 3 row model, then it would have the info in there.

Mom2One+One · Jul 18, 2007

I posted a pic of the floor between those two seats with the floormat lifted. There is nothing under there. That black latch is the seat release for the third row. For instance if someone were sitting the in third row and the person in the second row forgot to lift the seat so they could get out, they can release the seat themselved by lifting that latch.

Here is the pic of the floor again:

Top Tether anchor location?

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