Question Need help.....Evenflo Discovery 5 Install

geministars26 · Mar 15, 2011

Hi everyone,
So I need help on installing my Evenflo Discovery 5 seat. I wanted it in the middle of my backseat but I'm not sure it's right. I know the handle has to be 1.5" from the seat and not touching. The pix are just simply for help. Our daughter is due Friday and we just put it in yesterday. Only my 2 outboard seats have latch, the middle is seatbelt only. I have leather seats and had to get a mat that goes underneath the baby seat to get it to grip good. Also, we bought a head support for her head. I know some things hender the safety of the seat if added but ive had no issues working the straps. The manual said the locking clip has to be 1/2" from where the belt buckles. I think this is right but I'm not sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks ladies!

Baylor · Mar 15, 2011

What car are you installing it in?

The head support did not come with the seat? You could use rolled infant blankets instead to help on either side. They will support her head and not interfere with harness straps at all.

christineka · Mar 15, 2011

Why are you using a locking clip? If your car has latch, the seatbelts lock. How does the middle belt lock? At the retractor or at the latchplate? Also, you are correct that the head support you bought separate is not allowed in your car seat. Instead you can roll up some receiving blankets and place them on the sides of your baby. That is an approved safe method of supporting your baby.

Keeanh · Mar 15, 2011

I think I see a lap-shoulder belt in the middle of the backseat. If so, that's gotta be a newer car with locking belts. Take the locking clip off. Then pull your belt all the way out, as far as it will go, and then slowly let it retract. It should lock. If it won't lock, let us know what vehicle & year it is, and check your vehicle manual to see how to lock the belt.

Judi · Mar 15, 2011

That is a switchable retractor. You pull the seat belt all the way out slowly. That will lock it.

Get rid of the after market head rest and the pad under the seat.

The pad gives a false sense of tightness.

The head rest can fall behind the baby's head in a crash, causing the baby to not be able to get their head up to breath.

Mom2FiveGirls · Mar 15, 2011

Like the others said, you do not need the locking clip, remove the headrest and use rolled blankets if you need something to support the baby's head, and take out the mat under the seat. Where do you live? Maybe we can help you find a tech/seat check station that can help you make sure everything is right before the baby is born. Its impossible for us to tell you if your seat is/is not installed correctly over the internet. We can point out things we see that may not be right, but that's about it.

Congrats on your baby girl!

Jennifer mom to my 7 · Mar 15, 2011

Hi! Welcome to the board

If you need to use a mat/seat protector to get the seat to stay tight, then it isn't tight enough. Remove the mat.

You do not need a locking clip, and it is in the wrong spot on the seat.

Here is a great primer on locking clips and how seat belts work, what types there are, etc.

http://carseatsite.com/lockingclips.htm

It looks like your belt locks at the retractor. Like stated previously, pull it out slowly all the way, then let it retract back in. It should then be locked if you try to pull it out.

If you need to get the buckle part of the belt (female end) lower in order to tighten down the seat more, you can turn it 3 full turns. That will pull the buckle lower, so it sits further out of the belt path.

The head support will still most likely hinder you and the baby and the straps when you actually use it. Baby will sit on it, it will drop, head support might end up behind baby. You really do not want anything extra in the seat under baby. Not even heavy coats/buntings/etc. Rolled recieving blankets on each side of baby's head really do the trick nicely.

Hopefully a tech will be along to help you more

ETA: I was a little slow.

Judi · Mar 15, 2011

A tech has been here. A couple really.

Pixels · Mar 15, 2011

In addition to the comments made by the previous posters, make sure you properly store the LATCH hooks. You don't want those hooks flying around loose in a crash; they could hit someone.

Angela · Mar 15, 2011

Another comment to add is that the handle needs to be all the way down when being used in the car.

wendytthomas · Mar 15, 2011

Right. The handle has to be down AND 1.5", the mat needs to come out, since it'll move in a collision, and the headrest can be a suffocation risk in addition to an ejection risk (if the headrest goes behind your baby and pins their head, they'll suffocate, if it interferes with the harness working in a crash, not just moving around out of the house, it can cause ejection), and you don't need the locking clip.

There is at least one tech from the board in your area. May I suggest you PM them to meet up? http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=59135&highlight=technician

Wendy

geministars26 · Mar 17, 2011

Wow! I really have a lot to learn. Obviously I'm completely new at this. I'm good with meeting with a tech. My car is a 2007 Kia Optima Ex V6. We just upgraded from a 2004 Chevy Malibu and I'm still getting familiar with it. The seats are heated and cooled so there's little holes all around them. I can take the mat out but what can I use to keep from damaging the seats? The rolled towels I can do. We plan on getting another seat soon that's better equipped. I have the latch hooks stored where the manual said to store. I know about the handle clearance. The seatbelt is weird on one side. I will take a picture today and post. Surely someone will know about it. I live in Vilonia but I'm always in Conway and Morrilton and sometimes north little rock. I called conway pd and they said I would have to wait til next month until their next carseat check. She will be here soon! 4 cm already just not active labor yet! I'm am definitely an amateur but I don't want to worry about her safety in the car. I have read the carseat manual and car manual and honestly its French to me. My husband installed it once but the straps were all twisted and loose so I re installed with the locking clip.

I am a new mom and no carseat experience.

geministars26 · Mar 17, 2011

Also what is a retractor or a locking plate? I seriously have no idea about any of this.

Pixels · Mar 17, 2011

geministars26 said:
Wow! I really have a lot to learn. Obviously I'm completely new at this. I'm good with meeting with a tech. My car is a 2007 Kia Optima Ex V6. We just upgraded from a 2004 Chevy Malibu and I'm still getting familiar with it. The seats are heated and cooled so there's little holes all around them. I can take the mat out but what can I use to keep from damaging the seats?

It won't damage your seat. There may be dents left behind for a little while, but they will pop back out given a bit of time.

The rolled towels I can do. We plan on getting another seat soon that's better equipped. I have the latch hooks stored where the manual said to store. I know about the handle clearance.

Good, good, and good.

The seatbelt is weird on one side. I will take a picture today and post. Surely someone will know about it.

That kind of seatbelt is fairly common in the center seat. It gets used just like a regular seatbelt.

I live in Vilonia but I'm always in Conway and Morrilton and sometimes north little rock. I called conway pd and they said I would have to wait til next month until their next carseat check. She will be here soon! 4 cm already just not active labor yet! I'm am definitely an amateur but I don't want to worry about her safety in the car. I have read the carseat manual and car manual and honestly its French to me. My husband installed it once but the straps were all twisted and loose so I re installed with the locking clip.

I am a new mom and no carseat experience.

Check out the link that Wendy provided. Often techs from this board will meet one on one with parents, and you probably won't have to wait until next month.

geministars26 said:
Also what is a retractor or a locking plate? I seriously have no idea about any of this.

The retractor is the part of the seatbelt system that pulls the seatbelt back up so there is no slack. It retracts the seatbelt into the vehicle at the shoulder.

The latch plate is the male part of the buckle.

Your vehicle is new enough that the locking clip is probably not necessary. Your seatbelt locks at the retractor. Slowly pull all of the webbing out of the retractor. Listen for a clicking as you let a bit of seatbelt go back in. If you hear clicking, the belt is locked. Test it by gently trying to pull some more belt out. If it doesn't let any more belt out, the belt is locked. With this type of seatbelt, the only time you would want/need to use a locking clip is if the shoulder belt is pulling up on the seat, causing a tilt. A little tilt is okay, and usually bothers the parents a lot more than it does baby. If it tilts a lot (base coming off the vehicle seat on one side), then you'll need to use the locking clip instead.

Judi · Mar 17, 2011

Hey, you are already doing better than a lot of seasoned parents. You will get this!

geministars26 · Mar 19, 2011

Ok, well nevermind this seat. We took it back today for many reasons. It would do the job, but I didn't want the frustration.

wendytthomas · Mar 19, 2011

What did you get to replace it with?

Wendy

jourdysmom · Mar 19, 2011

What did you get instead? We may have a few tips to help you get it installed correctly

geministars26 · Mar 20, 2011

We got a Graco Alano Travel System in Greer fashion I think and it came with a snugride 22? We got a 2nd base too!

I think my dweebiness just sky rocketed cause I have obsessed over the carseat thing since we took the first one out of the bag. Lord help me. Lol

Judi · Mar 20, 2011

Still a back adjust, but easier than the other one would have been!

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