Any one have this MA Problem?

We've been having a problem with our MA harness. Usually it isn't so bad the one side is tight the other passes the old "finger" test. Anyway it has been going on and off for about a month. Installed with LATCH anchors, and D ring to front pass seat leg. I noticed it usually leans a bit to the passenger side of the van (T & C) when I tighten it down.

Last night the one side was tight (can't pinch) the other side was soooo loose I could do the old "finger" test except not with two fingers...my whole hand sideways!
I pulled the harness all the way out by the adjuster and tried re-tightening it. It did it again! I repeated this about 4 x and got the same result! Finally while assisting the spliter plate and pulling the adjuster at the same time , I got the harness to tighten a bit better.

I noticed when I install it in my cousin's truck and nana's car with the vehicle belts I don't have this problem! So I re-installed it with the shoulder/lap belt and I had no issues this morning with it!? Tightened up awesome!?

Could it be the fact that the seat is leaning a bit to the side "crooked" that is causing the harness adjuster to malfunction?:shrug-shoulders:

Could the seat being crooked be making your DC sit oddly? Leaning to one side maybe?

BOTH my MAs do this -- one side is crazy tight and the other is loose. It drives me nuts! I've taken them apart several times to make sure nothing was stuck or caught. I've started loosening the harness all the way after everything's buckled, with my hand behind the chest clip. It usually lines up evenly that way. Then I tighten and can usually get both sides even. But if I try to tighten without pulling it all the way out first, I can't get it even to save my (son's) life!

ETA: They are RF, installed with LATCH in one car, lap/shoulder belt with buckle-side lockoff closed in the other. No tilting in either case.

This happens every so often with my daughters MA. The first time I found that in the back where the harness attaches to the clip, one had flipped itself so it was shorter. Not by much, but it was a noticeable difference in straps when tightening. More recently I've noticed that she has been leaning a bit when I put her in so I will have to adjust my little girl while I tighten.

-Sarah

I don't have a MA but I wanted to say I have this happen with my Radian. Just the left side would be a little looser then the right. Never had it to your extent though. I pull on the straps where they align at the waist to try to get them the same on both side. Across the hips.

My other thought was if it's been out for cleaning recently, the hip straps might be misrouted.

But if that's the case, you'd think it'd be off in all vehicles, not just one.

I do sometimes, but it's always because my daughter is sitting kind of offset in her seat. If I move her around, it always gets better. Of course, she's a peanut, so she has a lot of wiggle room.

I too have this happen. What I do is wihtout DD in it I buckle the harness and lock the retainer clip, slide the retainer clip down low and pull on the adjustor strap and make both harness straps as tight as I can get them. I then slide the retainer clip up a little and place my hand flet behind it. Then I flip the realease lever up and pull out o nthe harness. this usually corrects the problem and get then even again.

I had this happen yesterday with an MA I was installing. Check the spitter plate. Make sure it isn't getting hung up.

Stresch said:

I do sometimes, but it's always because my daughter is sitting kind of offset in her seat. If I move her around, it always gets better.

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That's what happens here, too. And, because I'm standing outside the vehicle beside her, not straight on in front of her, it's not always easy to see that she's a bit off center.

I will have to give those suggestions a try. I'm going to see if it happens again since I reinstalled it with the vehicle belt.

BTW: I haven't taken the harness apart....I did that with the FPSVD though.....whoops....me bad.....learned my lesson!