Installation question - old car, seat belt buckle problem

georgiamom · Nov 29, 2006

I tried to respond to this thread, but it didn't seem to move to the top so I doubt anyone will see it, so I'm reposting here. Sorry if this is too redundant.

My new Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe says explicitly that the buckle touching the belt path is not acceptable, and that the seat belt should not be twisted, so how do I manage this? Currently the seat belt buckle is definitely touching the seat in precisely the manner in which the manual says it shouldn't.

We drive a 1999 Subaru Outback, no LATCH, and buying a new car is not financially feasible. I can't put the seat in the center, because I have two seats back there. Since the FP seat is manufactured by Britax, it is my understanding that it is very similar to the Marathon. My skinny (26 lb) 3-year-old is too tall for her Roundabout and the 5-point harness options for her are pretty slim (although I think the same problem happened with the Roundabout and the buckle, but I didn't know it might be a problem at the time).

Thanks in advance for any insight into this.

flipper68 · Nov 29, 2006

(I haven't seen the FP seat or manual, so I'm going on other experiences.)

I think the concerns are:
* if the buckle hits the "bend" of the belt path, it will loosen

* also if the buckle is hits/ is IN the belt path it may be easy to release or release while vehicle is in motion.

RE no twists: The shoulder portion of the seat belt will have to bend a little bit as it goes into the belt path. The goal for the seat belt is for flat, smooth, and snug (whether wearing the seat belt or using belt to install a CR), but some bending is likely, since the CR is not flexible and the seat belt is.

RubysGirl · Nov 29, 2006

While you may not want to twist the belt threaded through the seat, I believe it is acceptable to twist the female end two or three times to bring the buckle down lower so it clears the belt path.

georgiamom · Nov 29, 2006

flipper68 said:
(I haven't seen the FP seat or manual, so I'm going on other experiences.)

I think the concerns are:
* if the buckle hits the "bend" of the belt path, it will loosen

* also if the buckle is hits/ is IN the belt path it may be easy to release or release while vehicle is in motion.

RE no twists: The shoulder portion of the seat belt will have to bend a little bit as it goes into the belt path. The goal for the seat belt is for flat, smooth, and snug (whether wearing the seat belt or using belt to install a CR), but some bending is likely, since the CR is not flexible and the seat belt is.

Yes, the buckle hits the bend of the belt path. The shoulder portion of the seat belt is not twisted, but I do understand what you mean about the bend. That's not my problem. So how do I fix it? I thought that twisting the belt (even the female end) would weaken the webbing. Can someone verify that it won't?

j4m4d8 · Nov 29, 2006

It does weaken the seat belt, but since the seat belt is designed to restrain a lot more weight than a child and car seat, it is considered acceptable to twist the female end of the buckle up to 3 full twists.

Julie D.

twokidstwodogs · Nov 29, 2006

My last car was a 1999 Forester which had a similar problem. Subaru just made long buckle stalks, and it's a royal pain to install seats with them. I ended up having to resort to twisting the belt in the center position (lap belt only). I never needed to do that with my FF Britax seats in the side positions.

I don't know how much the Outback's middle seat resembles the Forester's, but my husband did manage to get two seats next to each other in it. We had a FF Marathon outboard, and a RF Snugride, and then a RF Roundabout in the center position. This may not help your buckle stalk problem, as the center stalk in the Forester was even longer. Not sure about the Outback. But you might be surprised by what you can puzzle together, and perhaps it will give you more options. The Forester had no hump in the center position, which helped.

Have you had top tether anchors retrofitted in your Outback? I was able to do that in my Forester, and it certainly made for better FF installs.

Edited to add: I did the belt twisting on the advice of a super knowledgeable tech at a check.

georgiamom · Nov 29, 2006

Thanks for the info. I'm planning on getting both seats checked out this week, so hopefully the tech will ok the twisting thing.

Even if I could get the seat in the center position, I have my other child about to go into the Roundabout rearfacing, and I anticipate a similar problem there too. But I'll check to be sure. I'm pretty sure the Snugride he's using now does have the buckle leaning on the belt path.

twokidstwodogs, how much did it cost to retrofit your Forester?

Dillipop · Nov 29, 2006

I added anchors to my 91 legacy wagon and it cost $15/anchor. They just twist into prethreaded holes in the roof of the car (for my wagon, at least.) The holes are covered by plastic circles that just pop off.

twokidstwodogs · Nov 30, 2006

It was sort of pricey--$50 an anchor, if I remember correctly, and I put them in all three spots. But I had the dealer do it, and I don't normally use them for service, so perhaps they charged me extra. My brother did the same thing in his Forester at different Subaru dealer, where he was a regular customer, and they did them for free.

So you are running into buckle stalk issues with all three seat positions? Have you tried the three twists yet, and if so, was that enough?

georgiamom · Dec 4, 2006

Two twists did the trick on the FP seat. Thanks! I'm taking it to the tech on Thursday to make sure it's ok. Now if could only get the Roundabout installed rear facing, I'd be happy!

Victorious4 · Dec 4, 2006

Traditionally, Subaru did not allow us to twist the "female" buckle stalk, but according to a relatively recent SafeRideNewsletter (sorry, I forget the date & volume), Subaru changed their stance on this -- you are allowed to twist the buckle stalk (not the belt) up to 3 full turns....

I think $50 is a decent top tether anchor price.

Installation question - old car, seat belt buckle problem

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