Vent Carseat ruined my sestbelt. :(

Ninetales

New member

• Dec 3, 2012

• #1

Grrr. I was out for the day on a little road trip with my kids, sister, and niece. We were getting everyone in the car to leave when I couldn't tighten Elsa's harness. I tried several times but they wouldn't budge. I couldn't figure out what it was hung up on and really didn't want to uninstall It considering I had two other kids already buckled up on either side.

When I finally did give up and take it out I found that the splitter plate was hung up on the seatbelt and my pulling on it had actually punctured it. The hooked edge of the plate poked a hole right through. So now my middle seatbelt is useless. Thank goodness I have middle LATCH, at least.

But since she's 45 lbs LATCH won't really be an option much longer so now I have to put her outboard. Her being so young and FF I really liked having her in the middle.

Lesson learned, I guess. If it doesn't go, just take it out.

 

J

jjordan

Moderator

• Dec 3, 2012

• #2

Wow! I wouldn't think that you'd be able to do that! You must be strong! Sorry about your seatbelt. How old is the car? You could price out replacing the seatbelt and see if it's worth it.

 

Ninetales

New member

• Dec 3, 2012

• #3

It's an '04. I don't think I was pulling that hard either. But we were tired, the kids were starting to lose it, so maybe I got frantic and overdid it. Who knows.

My reaction was pretty much "you have got to be kidding me."

 

N

NicoleCPST

Senior Community Member

• Dec 4, 2012

• #4

How the heck do the splitter plate puncture the seatbelt? On all of mine the edges are smooth.

 

Ninetales

New member

• Dec 4, 2012

• #5

I can get a picture later.

 

Ninetales

New member

• Dec 4, 2012

• #6

What I found when I tried to uninstall my seat.











The belt damage.



Looking at it today it appears more like the splitter plate managed to work through the fibers of the belt without severing them. However I'm no expert and would guess that it's not safe anymore.

 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician

• Dec 4, 2012

• #7

:jaw:

 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician

• Dec 4, 2012

• #8

How... How... HOW does that even happen?!


That splitter plate has the tooth on the INTERIOR on the plate, that's like... I can't even fathom. Seriously, how???

 

Baylor

New member

• Dec 4, 2012

• #9

That is crazy!!

 

N

NicoleCPST

Senior Community Member

• Dec 4, 2012

• #10

Carrie_R said:

How... How... HOW does that even happen?!

That splitter plate has the tooth on the INTERIOR on the plate, that's like... I can't even fathom. Seriously, how???

Click to expand...

WSS! That's crazy!

 

Brianna

New member

• Dec 4, 2012

• #11

That's crazy! Sorry it ruined your seat belt

 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician

• Dec 4, 2012

• #12

Is the splitter plate sharp?

 

Beckers

Active member

• Dec 4, 2012

• #13

OK, I'll be the voice of decent and say your seatbelt is most likely fine if it just worked through the fibers. My seatbelts in the Focus all have button like things on them to prevent the latchplate from sliding down too far. We have to take them off so we could put in a car seat (the button landed right where the latchplate needed to be) and all they are is 2 plastic circles with a metal pin connecting them through the seat belt.

I totally understand if you don't want to take a chance, but wanted to share that observation.

 

Ninetales

New member

• Dec 4, 2012

• #14

I'll take a closer look to see if it's a hole or not.

The splitter plate really isn't that sharp. It's just a freak thing. It must have snagged on the belt when I tried to tighten it, and in my desperation to get it tightened so we could get two toddlers and an infant on the road before they started losing it, I did yank pretty hard.

 

featherhead

Well-known member

• Dec 4, 2012

• #15

Ok, did you have it installed with LATCH and the seatbelt buckled behind the seat? I can't quite picture how it could happen if it was installed with the seatbelt.

 

Ninetales

New member

• Dec 4, 2012

• #16

No, it was installed with the belt. The shoulder portion goes down toward the buckle and it's open so if it's loosened enough the splitter does touch it.

 

bubbaray

New member

• Dec 4, 2012

• #17

I don't understand how the splitter plate could be close to the belt if it was a seatbelt install

 

Ninetales

New member

• Dec 4, 2012

• #18

I don't know either! All I know is it didn't tighten, I unbuckled the damn thing, and that's what it looked like.

 

bubbaray

New member

• Dec 4, 2012

• #19

But if the seat is installed FFg, the seatbelt is forward of the splitter plate, not behind it. If it was installed RFg, the seatbelt is behind the splitter plate.

 

M

Mommy!

Active member

• Dec 4, 2012

• #20

Ninetales said:

I'll take a closer look to see if it's a hole or not.

Click to expand...

Use a magnifying glass, you can even get a decent one at a dollar store.