I have a Saturn Ion II problem...

Aubs · Mar 14, 2011

So we bought a new car in September and from the start we had issues with my son's car seat. We had bought a new seat for him for the new car and it did not fit right.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-Scenera-5-Point-Convertible-Car-Seat-Black-Santee/13004563

We ended up taking it back and using this one that I had got for my 5th child but he never used it. This one does not fit to well either but it is a better fit.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-High-Back-Booster-Car-Seat-Parker/13373503

The first seat would not fit right rear facing or front facing and of course the second has never been rear facing cause it is only a front facing seat.

I guess what I am asking is what seat will fit in my car? I am looking at this one;

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Graco-MyRide-65-Convertible-Car-Seat-Mavo/15579367

and this one;

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sunshine-Kids-Radian65SL-Convertible-Car-Seat-Granite/12429523

My son is 17 months old and is around 30lbs and I am also wanting on for my 6 month old 20lb girl. I don't want to spend over $150 a piece but I will go to the price of the Radian.

I guess I am asking what seat will fit in my car, I have taken my car to the sheriff's office, 2 car seat inspections and I have 7 kids and know a thing or two about seats. No one has been able to get the convertible seats to tighten down right. My daughter's Graco Snug-ride fits just fine and is nice and tight but I am just dumbfounded on the others.

I have also tried the latch and the belt but neither have worked.

My car is a Saturn Ion II 4 door Coupe

This is not my car but it is exact to how the doors open and how deep the seats are, mine are also buckets and not a bench;

Judi · Mar 14, 2011

I have no idea why a tech can't figure out how the properly install a seat in that car. Did you tell you what the problem is? The only thing I see that may cause an issue is front the back space.

canadiangie · Mar 14, 2011

Where are you located? Maybe one of the techs around here can help you.

Looking at your backseat and having owned an SC1 (precurser to what you have now) I don't see anything really special about your backseat. The seats are a bit scooped, but that's nothing a few pool noodles cant fix for a rear facing install. And for a forward facing install I can't see why a fairly basic seat like a Scenera or Air-whatever (Protect? the basic one, about $80US?) wouldn't work.

I will say you can probably cross that MyRide off your list as forward facing it likely won't work, but that's true of many vehicles, actually.

I would skip the Radian for a rear facing install, but I could see it being pretty awesome for a forward facing install.

Honestly, no idea why you're having such issues. But I'm hopeful someone will come along and be able to help you in real life.

Judi · Mar 14, 2011

Here is the link to techs from the forum.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=59135

Aubs · Mar 14, 2011

Thank you so much for your response's. I don't understand it either. I am just dumbfounded as is everyone that has tried to get a tight fit in there. It's like you can't pull the latch tight enough or it get's caught on the car seat itself.

It has nothing to do with the back of the seat hitting the front seats, that is a perfect fit. They just will not tighten down. I thought maybe the Radian, with it having such a narrow and shallow base might fit but if it won't rear face then I don't want to go that route.

I will go to the link you posted and see what help I can find. I am post this link to this post in there so I don't have to type it all out again?

Aubs · Mar 14, 2011

Oh and I am in Far Northern California:thumbsup:

MonkeysMom615 · Mar 14, 2011

I have installed my True Fit in the back of my DH's car which is exactly the same. You'll need a noodle (or 2) to fill that little gap at the bottom of the seats but I got it in there super snug. It's totally do-able.

Aubs · Mar 19, 2011

I wanted to update a bit on the seat my son is using right now, I rolled up a fleece lap blanket as we did not have any noodles and you can't seem to get them in the store in the winter. I put that under the seat and tightened it down as far as I could get it to go. It was still really loose but then I did the top tether and it is really snug now. I guess I needed to fill the gap and then use both tether's. I am going to keep looking at seats and maybe try my friends seat out in my car to see if I can get it in right, I am not sure what she has but it is worth a try.

ketchupqueen · Mar 19, 2011

Aubs said:
I wanted to update a bit on the seat my son is using right now, I rolled up a fleece lap blanket as we did not have any noodles and you can't seem to get them in the store in the winter. I put that under the seat and tightened it down as far as I could get it to go. It was still really loose but then I did the top tether and it is really snug now. I guess I needed to fill the gap and then use both tether's. I am going to keep looking at seats and maybe try my friends seat out in my car to see if I can get it in right, I am not sure what she has but it is worth a try.

A few problems here.

If it's forward-facing, you can't put anything under the seat.

If it's rear-facing, you can't use the top tether (unless you got the Radian, or a Britax) and you can never use the top tether to improve an install, only to add further stability AFTER it's properly tight (less than 1" of movement when checked at the belt path.)

If LATCH isn't working, try the seatbelt instead. And try pulling the cover back and pulling from inside the belt path. If the belt buckle hits on the edge of the seat, you can twist the buckle stalk down up to 3 full twists to help you keep it out and get a better fit.

I highly recommend making arrangements to see a tech on this board if you can; we tend to keep up a little more with tricks and hints for tricky installations than many techs do.

There are some in NorCal and also some in Oregon, maybe you can arrange to meet someone part-way.

Judi · Mar 19, 2011

Where do you live? How far north in CA?

Misuse of a seat can be deading in a crash. I would not use this vehicle for children until this can get fixed.

Aubs · Mar 27, 2011

I am in Shasta Lake, the closest is in Chico and we just don't have the money to get down there right now. I am not able to get this seat to fit with any way it is done. I used the lap belt, the latch and the tether. I know not to use the tether if the seat is rear facing, the seat I am using is an only front facing seat.

The seat it self will not tighten, it lifts out of the seat about an inch or more. It rocks side to side and falls over when I turn corners. There is no way I can not not use this car, it is our only car, we have nothing else. I am going to be getting new seats but I just need some info on what seat will fit well in my car. I want a set that can be ERF for both my children and that will fit in my car.

Thank you so much, oh and if it is allowed is there a way I can take a video of what it is doing to upload here to show you? That I think would explain better than I can :thumbsup:

safeinthecar · Mar 27, 2011

A Classic Britax Marathon will fit, both rfing and ffing.

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

Aubs · Mar 27, 2011

Oh yikes that is way to expensive for us, we have to get two of them and we just cant afford $199.99 a piece

Judi · Mar 27, 2011

How do you fit all the kids?

Aubs · Mar 27, 2011

My older kids live with there dad due to me not reading my divorce papers. That is getting fixed but for now this is our only car. I had a van when I had the kids and these seats fit fine in there.

safeinthecar · Mar 27, 2011

I haven't tried it in that car, but you might have good luck with the Evenflo Triumph Advance, Momentum, or Symphony. The problem with that car is 1: the LATCH anchors are set high and forward, and 2: the seat belts geometry causes the car seat to be suspended over the vehicle seat instead of sitting on it. You need a seat with a high belt path or that sits up on a base.

*Techs, the install in the car is very much like the outboard install in an early 90's Land Rover where the seat belt was anchored about 3 inches above and 5 inches in front of the bight.

The Britax Frontier will fit great later on, once a convertible is outgrown.

Aubs · Mar 27, 2011

safeinthecar said:
2: the seat belts geometry causes the car seat to be suspended over the vehicle seat instead of sitting on it.

Exactly, this is exactly what is going on :thumbsup:

I will look at the seats you mentioned, thank you so much

Judi · Mar 27, 2011

Please post pics of the installs so we can help.

Aubs · Mar 27, 2011

OK I will go try to get one, it is raining really bad right now but I will see what I can do, thank you so much

Aubs · Mar 27, 2011

Ok here are some pictures;

Sorry for the wet look to parts of the seat, he had eaten a cookie and when I wiped it out it was still wet LOL

The latches

With the tether and blanket under;

I took a video for you to see, sorry it took so long but I took it all with my camera then it would not download the video so I had to get my husbands camera to take the video with

This is totally tightened down as far as it will go, this is how the two seats that I have tried fit in the car, I tried the first one I posted that I ended up taking back then this one;

I have a Saturn Ion II problem...

New member

CPST/Firefighter

New member

CPST/Firefighter

New member

New member

New member

New member

CPST and ketchup snob

CPST/Firefighter

New member

Moderator - CPS Technician

New member

CPST/Firefighter

New member

Moderator - CPS Technician

New member

CPST/Firefighter

New member

New member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics