can tethers be found in or added to my 91 oldsmobile wagon

[PHaley]

It's a custom cruiser with the 3rd row facing out the rear. I have 3 seatbelts on the front row, and 3 on the center row and 2 lapbelts in the 3rd row. I'd like to add as many as possible! Please someone with a latch manual if you could help me figure this out, its driving me crazy and I can't afford a radian right now or id rf my ffer! He's 29 months, just at 40lbs and ff in a safeguard child seat or should I just relax? I also have a 5 yr old in a recaro start which is so heavy I'd be more comfy with it tethered too!

 

[Pixels]

Most MY 89-02 Oldsmobile vehicles can be retrofitted. GM will install one for free per service belletin 99-09-40-004a (Apr 12, 2005).

Of course no tether anchors are available for the rear-facing third row seats, as you cannot put a child restraint on a rear-facing vehicle seat.

 

[PHaley]

Thank you so much, I will call the dealership Monday. Also I know its not allowed but sometimes I am stranded at home when I could otherwise go out because I'm not supposed to put a seat back there and I don't want them in the lap only belt. Would something like an EZ Y harness work? Or we just need to keep looking for another vehicle w/ a forward facing 3rd row?!

 

[Pixels]

I don't think even the EZ-On vest or 86-Y would allow it. Part of the federal crash test standard is that it is tested on a forward facing vehicle seat. Also, both the 86Y and vest (when no shoulder belt is available) require the top tether anchor.

 

[safeinthecar]

My BFF (a tech) has a 95 Olds wagon and my MIL has an 88. You can get two tether anchors retrofitted for the second row, but you can only use them with the 3rd row seat folded. In order to install them, the center anchors for the 3rd row seat belts are undone and the bracket is added to the bolt so that it sticks up above the floorboards with the seat folded. The anchors are offset and be used with a seat center or outboard, but not center and outboard at the same time. If you need to tether 3 seats in the 2nd row simultaneously, you can feed the male end of the 3rd row seat belt up through the gap in the 3rd row seat belt and tether the center seat to that.

Your 3rd row is basically useless from a safety standpoint because it has lap belts only, you can't install a car seat, and because the seat back is so low. Anyone sitting there that is old enough not to need a car seat would be tall enough that their head would snap back over the top of the seat in a frontal crash and cause very serious neck injuries. The seat belts are handy for use as cargo tie downs if you are moving a potted plant of something you don't want to tip over, but that's about it.

One other head's up about this vehicle...kids tend not to fit in the adult seat belt properly until they are over 5 feet tall.

 

[PHaley]

Thanks so much both of you! I understand completely. That's neat about the how to tether 3 seats at a time too. But since I often have 4 kids I'm wondering now if utilizing the front seat would be better and if so for whom? Rear facing infant? Or toddler? Forward facing harnessed toddler or preschooler? Or boostered kindergartener? The front passenger seat doesn't have a airbag. So I guess booster or rf could go there but center is lapbelt so it'd be more useful to put a ff seat there and still be able to carry a 2nd adult hmmm but what seat would be ok ff untethered and easy to drive next to?!

 

[carseatcoach]

Without an airbag, oldest RF child in front -- but make sure the parents are okay with you transporting their kids in front.

 

[PHaley]

There's no airbag on the passenger side but I'm more interested in using the center lapbelt on the front seat, the driver seat has an airbag though so would a rf child potential be too close & in the line of umpa,impact? Would a ff harnessed child be better in that spot?