Shoulder strap throws seat at angle. How can this be fixed?

pattyd · Jul 10, 2001

Shoulder strap throws seat at angle. How can this be fixed?

I have my sons car seat facing forward in the middle of the back seat. The shoulder belt and the lap belt are connected and when I install the seat the shoulder strap naturally pulls up, causing the seat to sit at an angle. I also have leather seats which makes the seat slide a bit. Is there any solution to this problem? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Caviller · Jul 10, 2001

Some ideas

Can you please provide your vehicle make and year, and the model of your carseat for reference? In the mean time, you should double check your carseat manual and make sure you've routed the seatbelt properly, and that you've installed it tightly (usually requires your weight on the carseat) and the seatbelts lock it into place.

pattyd · Jul 10, 2001

Response to Caviller

My car is a '99 Land Rover Discovery and the carseat is a Fisher Price Futura 20/60. My car does have a switchable locking retractor. When installing the seat I sit on the seat and bounce a few times, it seems tight forward and back, but the side to side is my concern with the angle (not severe) and the slippery leather seats. The locking clip seems like it may work if it was positioned low enough so that there wouldn't be the upward tension from the shoulder strap. I've seen the rubber pad for under the seat and I may get that as well. Where can I have a technician look at this? I live in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Thanks, again for your help.

Caviller · Jul 10, 2001

I hope this helps

Center seatbelts in the rear can vary and without having seen it my best advice is still to seek out a certified local Child Passenger Safety technician. If your seatbelt is continuous (the same belt threads freely through the male part of the buckle from lap to shoulder), then you could try leaving the belt in the unlocked mode along with a locking clip. The locking clip is always placed about an inch from the buckle. It will essentially make the lap portion of a belt a fixed length so it seat doesn't move before a crash. This would reduce the tension on the shoulder belt and may solve your tilt. During the crash, the seatbelt will still automatically lock and provide the restraint for the carseat. The locking clip cannot handle the force of a crash if it is put on the wrong (shoulder belt) side of the carseat. It could break, leaving the seatbelt too slack and possibly becoming a dangerous projectile.

cps tech · Jul 13, 2001

Another thing to check

The Fisher Price Futura has a different belt path than most seats. We usually refer to it as a reverse belt path as the seat belt comes in front of the plastic on the side of the seat, goes behind the seat, and then threads back in front of the plastic on the other side of the seat before buckling. Make sure you do have it threaded properly as I have seen cases when the parent tried threading it through the more traditional way and had problems with the seat fitting correctly. You can check the labels on the seat as well as the carseat manual to verify that it is done that way. It totally seems backwards, but when done correctly, it is usually very easy to get a good fit in vehicles that might otherwise be tricky.

Krista

Shoulder strap throws seat at angle. How can this be fixed?

pattyd

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