locking clip AND locking seatbelts?

stayinhomewithmy6

Senior Community Member
I have a '96 Ford Windstar with automatic locking seatbelts. My 3 yr old DD's Intera is installed RF with a locking clip on the middle bench seat, closest to the door (which is actually almost in the middle, does that make sense?) My DS is FF in the middle of the back bench seat, so he has to crawl under the shoulder belt of the Intera in order to get back there. He almost always ends up pulling it out, causing it to lock. So, I always have to reinstall the Intera so that it is back in with just the locking clip (it isn't a good install with just the seatbelt). My question is whether or not I actually need to reinstall it every time. Is it okay to have the seatbelt locked when a car seat is installed with a locking clip? I'm guessing the answer will be no, but thought I'd ask anyway! TIA!
 
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Victorious4

Senior Community Member
I don't know that there's any specific answer to this, but generally we keep things minimal -- if the carseat will install without the locking clip, then we might say not to use it ... however, if the seatbelt easily becomes unbuckled then (such as by an older sibling) then I've used a locking clip to ensure that the carseat is easy to reinstall.

Your situation seems different though: if the carseat cannot install securely without the locking clip, but you have ALR seatbelts & kiddo is RF then you may want to engage the ALR to help prevent older toddlers from becomming entwined in the seatbelt (there was a scare somewhat recently when a child in California was strangled by the ALR belt).

So, basically, I would leave the carseat alone when the ALR is engaged even though you have to use the locking clip for secure installation -- just watch to make sure the ALR isn't causing the carseat to loosen over time....
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
Can you explain to us the trouble you're having with just the seatbelt install? Can you move the RF seat to another position?
You're not supposed to use both the locking clip AND the built in locking mechanism.
 

stayinhomewithmy6

Senior Community Member
I have had it in with just the locking seatbelt before, but it moved just a little more than I felt comfortable with (although it definitely didn't have more than an inch of movement) and the seatbelt pulled up on the edge of the seat making it tip a little bit. When I use the locking clip, I just feel like its a better installation, very solid with no movement at all and it isn't tipped at all now, but do you think it would be better to just go with seatbelt and make it work? I could if its the best thing to do. I think I read about the child getting strangled in the seatbelt, but I don't remember the details at all. I have 5 seats installed in my van, so its nearly impossible to move them around much. Right now I have the Intera and the WZ RF in the middle bench row, and I could try switching them around. It would solve the seatbelts locking issue, but it would make it more difficult to get everyone loaded into the van. Thanks for your responses!
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
I don't think you've got any strangling issue at all (part of me wonders how these kids are so unattended this can happen, but I hate to judge...)... And I know the Intera is a locking clip loving seat, it really tips mightily when installed with ALR...I mean, tip-central. One thing... can you leave the locking clip on when you reinstall it. Does it retract far enough to swtich back into ELR mode with the locking clip on it, or do you have to re-do the locking clip every single time? Either way is a pain, but having to redo the locking clip ever time would drive me batty pretty fast. I don't think the locking clip and the belt locking is actually a safety issue, it's just 'don't do it, because you don't have to do it' kind of thing...so if you install it with the LC and then your ds locks the belt by accident, then it's ok to just keep driving that way until it starts really tipping horribly, then re-do it (wow, I had to ramble to get to that answer, lol, sorry)

:)
 

stayinhomewithmy6

Senior Community Member
I didn't think you were rambling at all - I totally get it! And, thats just the kind of answer I was hoping for. No, I don't have to take the locking clip off every time, thankfully. The only thing that makes it hard is that I can't pull back the cover at all to thread the belt through, so I have to stick my hand pretty far into that little space until I can grab it on the other side. Trying to get it around (or actually in front of) the buckle strap and under the separate piece of foam that's in there is a hassle. This is only when the Intera is on the base, though. When you take it off the base, you can easily pull the cover back, but of course, when its not on the base, it rocks way too much for my taste! Thanks for your help!
 

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