Center latch position 2007 mdx

Hello,

This is my first time posting so thanks for all your advice and help. I currently have a 2007 Acura MDX and we recently had our third child. I am trying to install our Graco Snugride (2007 - expires at the end of this year) in the center position. I am trying to install our Britax Blvd in the passenger rear (using belt as child is 40lbs) and a Graco full booster in the drivers rear for my 5 year old. The problem I am running into is that the center latch positions are off center in the MDX (noted in many posts) and this makes it impossible to use the other car seats. If I use the shoulder belt - I cannot get the base tight enough. The solution I have come up with is to use the inner latch from the passenger rear spot and the standard center latch connector. Connecting this way, I have all seats secured very tightly and no seat is connected to two latches etc. my concern is that I cannot find any verification that using these two latch connections is approved? I have read that as long as the two connections are more than 11" and less than 20" apart you are ok (which is the case now) - but want to triple check.

Thanks very much for your help.

Welcome. I'm a little confused here. You have five anchors back there. From passenger to driver side they go:

A_____A/B_____B C_____C

So you MUST use that inner passenger side one for the center LATCH. There's no other option. That's the second one for the middle.

Did you mean you were using the inner one from the driver's side? If so, no, that's not allowed. You can see from my diagram, they're not connected to one another.

Your Snugride is good until December 2013. It should say that under the feet, next to the locking clip.

Are you locking the belt if you try with the seatbelt? Or using the locking clip? You have locking belts, so you should only need the locking clip if it tips.

Wendy

No Wendy, she has 6 anchors. Sounds like she's using the inner passenger side and then correct centre one. And sorry OP, you can't do this.

Yes the centre set is offset. It's to aid in being able to flip the passenger seat forward for 3rd row access.

The centre seatbelt sucks, I agree. It makes installation of certain seats very difficult. I'll tell you that a seatbelt install there also shifts to the driver's side. You can try to force it to be even, but it never seems to get tight that way.

The BLVD is FF right? I'd try it FF centre with seatbelt, the SR outboard drivers side with seatbelt and the booster on the passenger side.

What booster do you have?

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Oops, sorry!! I was going off of my 2007-2011 CRV knowledge, not actually looking at the MDX on its own.

Wendy

Pre '07 MDXs did have the set up you described. They added the 6th for 07+.

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Thanks for your response - that was what I was worried about. Unfortunately the SR can't gobehind drivers side b/c the seat would have to be way too far forward. Our FF blvd would ideally go on the passenger side as our sons school requests this for pick up and drop off. What are your thought on putting a 3 year old 40 lbs child in a full booster instead? My problem is if I put the graco full booster on the drivers side next to the sr when it is connected via latch you cannot access the seat belt for the booster. Maybe I could buy a thinner full booster for the drivers side?

A booster is not a safe option for a three year old. They're recommended here starting at five or six years old.

How tall is your driver? My husband is 6' with a 34" inseam (not typical short guy legs) and we can fit the larger SnugRide 35 on the MDX driver's side. The driver needs to sit more upright. Sitting more upright will enable the driver to move their seat bottom back for more leg room. It will be an adjustment sitting differently but it's safer and provides room for the seat behind.

That being said, it doesn't seem that will solve your problem anyway.

The SR35 base installs super easy and tight with the seatbelt in the centre. Are you open to a different infant seat? But the SR35 is a bit wider which might give you other problems. The new SR30 may work though. If you're open to meeting with a tech in your area, they could see about getting your current SR base to work.

You didn't answer which booster you have? There might be something narrower. I had a BV rear facing in the centre with seatbelt and an Oobr installed with LATCH driver's outboard and wow that was hard to buckle, but we could do it. I'm happier now that I swapped the booster to the passenger side.

Even if your 3 year old could be in a booster (which as Wendy said, he can't), it wouldn't solve your problem. Your problem is getting a RF seat installed tightly in the centre with room for a booster beside it driver's side. The BV isn't the issue.

One other thing you could try is the booster in the centre with the SR outboard driver's side. That just may work for you.

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Another thought, are you open to moving the baby to a convertible?

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