Lock-offs expiring?

**brooklynsmommy** · 04-19-2008, 08:26 AM

This is going to sound dumb, but do lock offs expire? Last May I got replacement ones to flip them on my marathon. The new parts packages have two in them with directions dated Jan of 07. Well, I just got two Boulevards and called to get replacement ones for these as well. They sent me two single packages ( I only had one boulevard in the house at the time). I noticed that the directions were different so I looked at the date. It was from 2002... So then I decided to compare the lock offs. While they aren't completely different, there are some obvious differences. I checked the lock offs on the March 06 Boulevards and they are the newer ones. So this leaves me wondering- How old are the lock offs?
Here are some pictures of the differences.

**Car-Seat.Org** · 04-19-2008 08:26 AM

**wendytthomas** · 04-19-2008, 10:50 AM

Most of the time the components with a seat are within a couple of months of the seat's date (so the harness, the chest clip, the tether, the lockoffs, etc.). Since the lockoffs are plastic I wouldn't use them past six years, same as their other plastic recommendations. I'd call Britax and let them know.

Wendy

**brooklynsmommy** · 04-20-2008, 02:54 AM

Updated op to add pictures of lock off differences.

**joolsplus3** · 04-20-2008, 07:45 AM

New ones look a little sturdier... and the ones they are supposed to be sending out now have instructions to install them flipped 180 degrees so that the opening is on the back side of the seat so they work better.
Personally, as a precrash positioner, I wouldn't fret about them weakening with age: they will either be sturdy and work fine or there will be obvious problems and they won't, right out of the package.

**brooklynsmommy** · 04-20-2008, 12:43 PM

Yeah the new ones really are a little thicker in areas. The new ones you can pull right apart though. Perhaps so you don't break them. The directions were what noticed and prompted me to check the lock offs. I know that they have been flipped for about a year now and couldn't figure out why these directions were saying to keep them the other way when I knew Britax had started flipping them on all car seats.

**joolsplus3** · 04-20-2008, 12:48 PM

I wonder where they found those things, anyway??? Like they must have been behind a crate of lockoffs for 6 years now and someone just found them back there and tossed 'em back in with the new ones?

**brooklynsmommy** · 04-20-2008, 01:56 PM

See that's what I wondered. I'm not entirely sure that they are specifically from 2002, but the directions sure are. And they don't match the lock offs from early 06 seats. So that leaves me to wonder just how old these things are! It makes me want to go and look at every year between 02 and 06 to figure out when they stopped using them. The first thing that tipped me off though was the fact that they were sent singly. In addition to that, the part numbers! The old ones were 806900. The new ones are 823000! Obviously they have gotten some new part in the time in between....

And I'd like to rant about the fact that they didn't send me the freaking recalled tether kit that I specifically called about in the first place!