can you stretch a seat belt by moving a seat all the way foward

aracari · Jul 29, 2009

I just got my 08 Kia Sedona back from the shop today and they adjusted my seats. I had Brody's Frontier installed LBP with a tight install with the seat all the way back. The dealership moved my seat all the way up as far as it would go. I moved the seat back and the portion of the lap belt going down to the car frame looked "not tight" anymore. Could they have stressed the belt by moving the seat all the way forward? Should I just reinstall it and not worry? UGH! Why did they move my seat? I already ponder this car seat stuff too much anyway

wendytthomas · Jul 30, 2009

I'd just reinstall it and not worry too much. I doubt mere humans can stress a belt to a breaking point. If they could we'd have belts breaking left and right during collisions.

My seat got uninstalled once so they could access the gas tank, which is under my backseat. I went back and asked why they did it, and then showed the mechanic how awfully and possibly fatal he'd reinstalled Piper's seat. He seemed to take it well, so I hope he hasn't gone and helped anyone else out by reinstalling (outboard shoulder and lap belt, not locked, no lockoffs used, and tethered in the center).

Wendy

karlatta · Jul 30, 2009

wendytthomas said:
I'd just reinstall it and not worry too much. I doubt mere humans can stress a belt to a breaking point. If they could we'd have belts breaking left and right during collisions.

My seat got uninstalled once so they could access the gas tank, which is under my backseat. I went back and asked why they did it, and then showed the mechanic how awfully and possibly fatal he'd reinstalled Piper's seat. He seemed to take it well, so I hope he hasn't gone and helped anyone else out by reinstalling (outboard shoulder and lap belt, not locked, no lockoffs used, and tethered in the center).

Wendy

The one time my seats got uninstalled by the service people, at least they didn't pretend to put them back. They laid them sideways across the seat so that you could tell they were no longer installed. It was a pain to have to reinstall, but I appreciated that they made it obvious so nobody used them incorrectly.

vonfirmath · Jul 30, 2009

You leave the seat in the car when going in to get service? I'm afraid of having stuff stolen, so always clear everything out of the car if there's a possibility I'll have to leave the car there! (ie anything more than a oil change)

I guess... if I was going to walk home with the kid or something I'd leave the seat there (wouldn't have a choice) but I have not had to do that yet.

canmom · Jul 30, 2009

When I send my vehicle in to be services I take the seats out :twocents:.

aracari · Jul 30, 2009

I was using my mom's car with a decathlon already installed so I just left the Frontier in the van. I am not too worried about theft at the dealership we go to.
I always check to make sure nothing got unbuckled and everything is still tight.

I just wondered if they stressed the belt pushing the seat all the way forward. I know any pre-stretching can affect belt performance in a crash.

southpawboston · Jul 30, 2009

i don't understand. which belt got stretched exactly? which seat got moved all the way forward?

the only time i remove the seats from the car are when it's getting detailed. otherwise, there's no service i get done that has anything to do with accessing the back seat.

southpawboston · Jul 30, 2009

aracari said:
UGH! Why did they move my seat?

other people may not be your size. :twocents:

aracari · Aug 1, 2009

southpaw.....the 2nd row seat that the Frontier was attached to got pushed all the way forward. I had asked them to tighten the arm rest on the chair beside it. I guess the mechanic must have sat in the third row to do it and wanted more room.

aracari · Aug 7, 2009

any other opinions?

southpawboston · Aug 7, 2009

i don't think it would be possible to stretch the belt by moving the seat forward. however, i think that to move the seat, more of the shoulder portion had to be pulled out of the retractor, and slide across the belt path of the carseat and through the lock-offs. so i would think that after you moved the seat back to its original position, there WOULD be slack in the belt, and it would have to be retightened. but a stretched belt, highly improbable.

can you stretch a seat belt by moving a seat all the way foward

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