seat belt not long enough for regent long path install??

kalika44 · Mar 20, 2008

Anyone else have or heard of this problem?? A tech and I tried to install a Regent with the long belt path in the 3rd row of a Town n Country and the belt isnt long enough. We tried moving the seat as close as we could to the outward position but it only gave us another inch or two. Its still about 2 inches too short.

Airforcemomma · Mar 20, 2008

I had that problem when installing a regent into a 2004 Pontiac Grand Am. There was no way it would go LBP with the vehicle belt.

I went to the dealership, told them what the problem was and they handed me 2 brand new seat belt extensions free of charge.

I believe most dealerships provide them free of charge. You should call your dealership and see if they will give you one.

I no longer use the extenders because I have a new vehicle and the belts are long enough.

If you are unable to get one from your dealership I would be happy to send my extension free of charge. You'd just have to cover the postage.

MomToEliEm · Mar 20, 2008

I know with my regent, I have to use every inch of the seatbelt to get it installed with the long belt path. I fully extend the seatbelt and put a clip up at the top of the seatbelt to prevent it from ratcheting back in. I then install it and buckle the seatbelt. Only after I buckle the seatbelt do I take off the clip at the top of the seatbelt.

Do you have the recline bar inserted as far as it can go? Sometimes using a rubber mallet on it will get it inserted a little more giving you just a tiny bit of seatbelt space since the seat isn't as reclined. It might be enough to get the seat installed.

I hadn't heard about using seatbelt extenders with carseats before (except on airplanes). Does Britax authorize this as an appropriate installation method?

singingpond · Mar 21, 2008

Interesting about the dealership handing out the extenders. When I was reading about seatbelt extenders a few months ago, most of the vehicle manufacturers seemed dead-set against using them for carseat installation (fear of liability issues). They would only knowingly provide them to adults whose girth was too large (to put it politely) to fit in the standard seatbelt. As I recall, some companies (e.g. Toyota) even had the policy that the individual in question had to appear in person at a dealership to be 'fitted' with the extender. In other words, you can't just claim to have a passenger in your vehicle who is too large for the seatbelt; that person actually has to make a personal appearance to prove that they have the problem and need an extender.

I don't know anything about whether extenders are actually safe to use in carseat installation -- I guess it would depend on where that extra buckle ends up....

Katrin

heathernick06 · Mar 21, 2008

I had the same problem a few months ago and I came to this board for help. I asked about extenders and the techs said they were not ok to use. I finally got the regent to work with the long belt path install by putting the seat belt under the cover of the regent. Of course, I was using a lap belt only in the center so I'm not sure if it would work with a shoulder/lap belt.

Airforcemomma · Mar 21, 2008

singingpond said:
Interesting about the dealership handing out the extenders. When I was reading about seatbelt extenders a few months ago, most of the vehicle manufacturers seemed dead-set against using them for carseat installation (fear of liability issues). They would only knowingly provide them to adults whose girth was too large (to put it politely) to fit in the standard seatbelt. As I recall, some companies (e.g. Toyota) even had the policy that the individual in question had to appear in person at a dealership to be 'fitted' with the extender. In other words, you can't just claim to have a passenger in your vehicle who is too large for the seatbelt; that person actually has to make a personal appearance to prove that they have the problem and need an extender.

I don't know anything about whether extenders are actually safe to use in carseat installation -- I guess it would depend on where that extra buckle ends up....

Katrin

When the parts manager gave me the extension he helped me install the seat in the parking lot . When it was installed the buckle portion of the extender was behind the middle portion of the shell. Only the actual belt portion of the extender had actual contact with the plastic shell.

I really don't know if they are allowed to be used for child seat installations. I don't even have the seat anymore(it was a husky) but I do believe reading in the manual that some vehicle belts would not be long enough and that a belt extension may be necessary. I didn't even know there was such a thing as vehicle belt extenders until the issue with the husky.

seat belt not long enough for regent long path install??

kalika44

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