Help!!! Diono RF seatbelt install

Loony

New member
I have been battling for what seems like hours with my Diono Radian RXT. I'm about ready to smash it to bits with a giant mallet ;) Hoping someone can save it from this fate...

My 4 year old son has just passed 40 lbs, so as I understand it, I must stop using latch and install with seatbelt instead. Problem is I CANNOT get a tight install with the seatbelt, especially not when using the angle adjuster, which is necessary if anyone is to ride in the passenger seat, which is necessary if our family is to ever go anywhere all together (we also have a two year old in a britax Advocate click-tight). We have a 2002 Audi S6 wagon.

Right now I have the Diono installed without the angle adjuster, using both latch and seatbelt because I cannot get it tight enough with seatbelt alone. I kneel in the seat and rock back and forth to tighten, pulling the lap side of the belt, but I just cannot get enough to retract into the retractor in order to stay tight enough without also using the latch (which I'm not sure is even safe, to use both latch and seatbelt together). And, without the angle adjuster my son is practically lying on his back and can't see out of the car - not to mention, the front passenger has to ride jammed up on the dashboard. It's seriously ridiculous.

Whenever I try to use the angle adjuster, the install gets way worse - no matter how tight I try to get it, the seat slides wildly on the angle adjuster across the seat (they are leather seats in case that's an issue).

Can anyone help?? I want to keep my son RF as long as possible (longer, really! ;) ) and really don't want to have to shell out the bucks to buy another seat. We have a clek fllo in the nanny's car. I have to keep that one there because the diono install is even worse in that car. I don't even love the fllo that much - I've had trouble with the lock-offs popping open and my son complains that the seat is too hard.

Sorry to be so negative here - perhaps some of you can relate to being beaten down by carseat battles - like I said, hoping someone can give me some helpful advice :)

Thanks for your time!
 
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krasota

Well-known member
You can have up to an inch of horizontal movement along the belt path with a belt install. You cannot use the lower anchors and the seatbelt together with a Diono seat. Maybe someone has experience with your particular vehicle. You can install the seat completely and then slide the angle adjuster under if the adjuster is giving you that much grief.

I've installed our radian with the belt in several vehicles, but not an Audi. In some cars, I find the belt easier than the lower anchors.

And of course, ERF is commendable, but most children are entirely okay to forward face at four years. I get it, though. My 4.5y is still RF for many reasons (health, seat kicking, my wanting to sneak chocolate, etc).
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Were you locking the seatbelt? Also, put the toes of the Radian's base flat on the backseat, not up on the higher crease. I'd install it first with the locked seatbelt, then add in the angle adjuster afterward.

And don't forget you're checking for movement at the belt path only. I like to grab the white sticker under the belt path and give it a shake there.

Wendy
 

CPST_girlmom

New member
In my vehicle it was much easier to get an RF Radian to install securely with the seat belt when a locking clip was used. This isn't the case in every car, but it's something you could try if you are locking the seat belt, and still not able to get it tight enough at the belt path.

It'd be worthwhile getting someone trained to have a look at your installation.

http://www.safercar.gov/cpsApp/cps/index.htm?

http://www.safekids.org/events/field_type/check-event


Also, have you gotten the new (2016) lock-offs for your Fllo? If you email customerservice@clekinc.com, they can send you replacement lock-offs that (hopefully) will no longer pop open.
 

brooksfamily

New member
I don't have the same car as you, but in both our cars, 1 with leather seats one without, I get the best seatbelt install by sliding the passenger seat all the way up getting behind the seat and pushing it down and into the seat bight with my hips while pulling on the belt. In my husbands car which has the leather seats I have to rock it side to side a bit to get a tight install. Then once it's got a good tight install I slide the angle adjuster into place. I can't get a good install in either of our cars if I try to install the seat with the angler adjuster in place.

Hope you are able to make something work.
 

Loony

New member
Thank you all for your advice! :)

I did try installing first without the angle adjuster and sliding it in after. Something about having the angle adjuster in there just makes the seat slide more, even testing at the belt path. So, that solution doesn't seem to work.

I think the problem is that the belt really isn't tight enough. I am pulling it out all the way and then letting it click back, but I just can't stuff enough of it back into the retracting mechanism for it to stay tight enough. Could there be something wrong with the seatbelt?? (although I have had this problem in other cars too).

wendythomas, what did you mean by: "put the toes of the Radian's base flat on the backseat, not up on the higher crease"? I think you're talking about the extra piece that you clip on for rear-facing, and I'm putting the prongs that stick off that into the seat bight. is that right, or should I be putting it somewhere else?

I am interested in trying the locking clip - I don't get exactly how those work. Can anyone recommend a video that demonstrates?

I know the technique of putting the front seat all the way forward and leaning and rocking on the carseat from above during install. However, I don't think there's enough room in our car for me to squeeze in to do that (I was thinking about trying it and it didn't seem like it I was going to fit ;) ).

Getting a professional to look at the install directly is a great idea and I will do that!

I hope that something can be figured out. I HATE this seat right now! I am committed to keeping my son RF at this point. The physics of what happens to their necks when forward facing freaks me out, and add in that Sweden seems to have essentially eliminated fatalities of children in car crashes with extended RF and I would keep my kids RF until they got their licenses if I could! ;) ha ha ha

(oh, and I have gotten the new lock-offs for the fllo - they are better than the old ones! although I still have troubles with them. I think I try and get the belt a little too tight - I've found the lockoffs work better when I leave just a slight amount of slack in the belt.)
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I think the problem is that the belt really isn't tight enough. I am pulling it out all the way and then letting it click back, but I just can't stuff enough of it back into the retracting mechanism for it to stay tight enough. Could there be something wrong with the seatbelt?? (although I have had this problem in other cars too).

Are you pulling the belt tight closer to the buckle? That often helps.

wendythomas, what did you mean by: "put the toes of the Radian's base flat on the backseat, not up on the higher crease"? I think you're talking about the extra piece that you clip on for rear-facing, and I'm putting the prongs that stick off that into the seat bight. is that right, or should I be putting it somewhere else?

Put them flat on the backseat, not lifted up into the bight.

I am interested in trying the locking clip - I don't get exactly how those work. Can anyone recommend a video that demonstrates?

Install a Locking Clip - YouTube

(oh, and I have gotten the new lock-offs for the fllo - they are better than the old ones! although I still have troubles with them. I think I try and get the belt a little too tight - I've found the lockoffs work better when I leave just a slight amount of slack in the belt.)

They usually do. If you over tighten the belt you can't close the lockoffs without breaking them.

Wendy
 

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