Clek Fllo FF Install Problems

Hello Everyone,

I am not able to get a secure install with the Clek Fllo using the shoulder belt in FF position. Vehicle is a 2012 Land Rover LR4, second row passenger side with leather seats.

I feel like I am losing my mind! I have read the manual over and over again, watched the install videos and other troubleshooting / tip videos; I know to get in the seat to depress the vehicle seat cushion and work through the belt several times to pull out the slack. I have also engaged the vehicle shoulder belt locking mechanism. Nothing will keep this seat in place - it literally slides right out of position a good 6"+ in any direction.

As a test, I tried the center position and achieved a much tighter install but the seat was vertically tilted for some unknown reason and it still moved around way more than 1". Notably, the shoulder belt was getting locked off on the right side (as you look at the seat) in the center position, whereas it is getting locked off on the left side in the outboard rear passenger position.

Here are some things I'm noticing that are possibly causing a problem...

1. The angled back of the car seat base causes the car seat to slide very easily on the leather seats. This was never an issue when using LATCH, so I assume it has something to do with the shoulder belt not being tight enough to keep the two lap belt points tight enough around the car seat base to prevent slipping back onto the angled portion of the base.

2. The seat belt slides very easily through the shoulder belt lock-offs when closed. On other car seats I have used, the belt was completely immobile once locked off. Its possible this is one of the reasons why the center position install seemed tighter than the outboard rear passenger side position (two different lock-offs), but I cant say for sure. The belt slides through both of them.

I have engaged the shoulder belt retractor lock and still cannot get the belt tight enough it seems. I can't get shoulder belt lock to click into the next lock position because the red lock-off is in the way; so there is still too much slack when using the shoulder belt lock alone.

Any advice? I'm ready to send this thing in to be recycled. I have zero faith that I can install this correctly because I can't tell if its my error, a design fault / fit issue, or a component failure.

Thanks for the help,
Sarah

Two suggestions.

What if you leave the lockoff open, buckle, lock the belt, add weight, pull tight, and then test for movement. If good, then close the lockoff. If not good, unbuckle, let it click back a few clicks, and rebuckle.

Or, buckle, add weight, pull tight, then try locking the belt. See if doing it after you tighten helps.

Another option is to stand in front of it and shove back with your knees as you put a hand in the seat to tighten it. Compress it two ways, back and down.

Wendy

Thanks for the suggestions.

Only thing I haven't tried from your list is unbuckling, letting it click back one or two and then trying to re-buckle. Worth a shot. I can also try adjusting the height on the shoulder belt.

My main concern is that lock-offs are faulty. The belt slides right through them. The manual makes no mention of locking the shoulder belt retractor so presumably the lock-offs should be locking the belt to the appropriate length to keep the seat base secure. If the belt slides right through them and the shoulder belt retractor isn't locked, the car seat would slide all over the place.

I haven't installed our Fllo FF, but in the video it certainly looks like the lockoff secures tightly onto the belt (as I know the RF ones do). http://clekinc.com/apps/fllo-manual/#/

Seems like you might want to call Clek and ask them about it.

Clek has finally returned my call and replied by email. We are working on it. They have sent me photos from their database of a correct install in an LR4. I'm kind of amused because the car seat base in the photo overhangs the seat edge, which I thought Clek considered a no-no.

More importantly, however, they said they have added rubber bumpers to their FF lock-offs to achieve a secure installation and can send parts to update the lock-offs. I'll keep updating as new info is available.

The Fllo cannot overhang the vehicle seat while rear facing but it can while forward facing.

Thanks for the clarification aporthole! <3

I can not get this thing to stay in place! Please help!

Grr I'm having this same issue! Thanks for posting - it makes me feel less insane. Have had this car seat since summer '15 but just bought a second one recently and they haven't fixed the lock offs. They are the same. So frustrating.

I am having similar issue with my 2015 fllo which I have installed forward facing using shoulder and lap belt and top tether in my Acura TSX. The car seat would slide side-to-side for almost an inch no matter how hard I pushed down and inward during installation. The lock-off seemed to secure the seat belt quite well. I would appreciate any suggestion.

Does a 2015 Fllo require the belt to be locked? If your manual says yes, make sure you're using the lockoff and locking the belt.

Wendy

The Clek fllo does not require the seat belt to be locked. I tried locking the seat belt but it didn't help.

wsxcde said:

I am having similar issue with my 2015 fllo which I have installed forward facing using shoulder and lap belt and top tether in my Acura TSX. The car seat would slide side-to-side for almost an inch no matter how hard I pushed down and inward during installation. The lock-off seemed to secure the seat belt quite well. I would appreciate any suggestion.

Click to expand...

If it is moving less than an inch, it is a proper install. Make sure you are using the top tether and call it a day. It does not have to be shake-the-car solid!

I called clek. They suggested to put the fllo at a more recline angle. By doing this, my fllo won't slide out when I pull it forward. It still slides side-to-side for almost an inch. I can live with this for the time being.

I'm glad it's not just me! I've been down in my car for almost an hour trying to get this thing to install tightly. Rear facing I had no problem, but forward facing is impossible. I can slide the seat several inches no matter what I do. I can't call clek because it's a Saturday. Honestly I'm upset with this design. You would think with a Clek car seat it would be better.

Given all of the different cars, and the different backseats, and even the different shapes and headrests and everything for different positions within the same car or even the same row, I think it's more amazing that carseats do just generally work.

No carseat will be compatible with 100% of backseat positions.

Kelli, have you tried lower anchors if they're available? Seatbelt? Tried it in a different spot in the car?

Wendy

I've had tremendous problems both FF and RF with our Fllo. One solution I've had to use in our 1997 Grand Prix (FF and no top tether, so a tight install is a must) is twisting the buckle stalk. The problem is that the stalk / buckle end contacts the Fllo in such a place that you can only tighten it so far; you get to a point where it cannot flex over the curvature of the seat.

Twisting the buckle (180 or 360 degrees) removes enough of that length / height that I can get a secure install.

I don't even want to talk about installing it in our 1999 Cadillac, which has locking latchplates which exacerbate this problem by being even bigger.

Even in our van I never got a good install RF; I can't understand why so many rave about it, honestly. I don't mind having trouble with our $50 Scenera, but the amount of difficulty I've had with a $400 carseat is a bit hard to swallow.