Scenera Install

[Jenn]

I was attempting to install a new scenera rfing in my mom's car ('97 buick century station wagon). For my 3 month old nephew and it seemed to install at a super upright and I couldn't for the life of me get it tight engough so I was happy with the install please help!

 

[crunchierthanthou]

Did you try a pool noodle or rolled towel? The scenera generally does install very upright without them. At 3 mos, I'd try making a pyramid of three pool noodle sections taped together.

I find I have better luck getting a good rf install on the scenera if I pull the cover up over the belt path. Pull back the cover and tighten across the seat rather than trying to pull from one side or the other. That'll also reduce its tendancy to lean with a seatbelt install.

 

[Namegirl]

I use a rolled towel under my RF Scenera. I have a nice tight install with it. It's installed with a seat belt.

 

[Jenn]

I tried rolling and taping a towel but still very upright and installing it in the center next to his older bros seat and it still seems very up right and almost leans against the seats (I can't convince my mom to move the seats forward at all.) She doesn't find a prob with the install...but than again she's put my 2 yr old nephew in a backless booster if I hadn't replaced and installed his carseat :thumbsdown:. Ok back on subject do you think Wal-Mart would still have pool noodles?

 

[MomtoLE]

I picked up a pool noodle at Walmart yesterday for $1.50.

 

[Shilohsmom]

OK, is this bad??? I have an 03 civic with a scenera RFing installed in the back seat center using the seat belt. I've never had any recline issues...but the little "foot" on the car seat doesn't lay flat on my seat bottom...its mashed into the back of the car's seat...does that make sense? If it were to touch the bottom of the car's seat...it would be too upright...but if I recline it and use a leveler to make sure its at a 45 degree angle...the foot part of the car seat is mashed into the back part of the car's seat.

Is that right? the seat is SOLID...can't be moved at all. Just wondering if we were missing something.

 

[CRS]

OK, is this bad??? I have an 03 civic with a scenera RFing installed in the back seat center using the seat belt. I've never had any recline issues...but the little "foot" on the car seat doesn't lay flat on my seat bottom...its mashed into the back of the car's seat...does that make sense? If it were to touch the bottom of the car's seat...it would be too upright...but if I recline it and use a leveler to make sure its at a 45 degree angle...the foot part of the car seat is mashed into the back part of the car's seat.

Is that right? the seat is SOLID...can't be moved at all. Just wondering if we were missing something.

got a picture you can share?

 

[crunchierthanthou]

OK, is this bad??? I have an 03 civic with a scenera RFing installed in the back seat center using the seat belt. I've never had any recline issues...but the little "foot" on the car seat doesn't lay flat on my seat bottom...its mashed into the back of the car's seat...does that make sense? If it were to touch the bottom of the car's seat...it would be too upright...but if I recline it and use a leveler to make sure its at a 45 degree angle...the foot part of the car seat is mashed into the back part of the car's seat.

Is that right? the seat is SOLID...can't be moved at all. Just wondering if we were missing something.

I can't quite imagine what you're describing. Do you have the foot folded in? The foot is only supposed to be down for ff.

 

[Defrost]

I think she's talking about the "foot" at the front, which isn't technically called a foot. It does rather look like one, though, as it's seperate from the rest of the base.

 

[Shilohsmom]

I think she's talking about the "foot" at the front, which isn't technically called a foot. It does rather look like one, though, as it's seperate from the rest of the base.

exactly. i thought it looked like a foot. it is in the recline mode. i ran over our digital camera so i'll have to work on getting a pic...as soon as I do though, I'll post it. finding a place to get it inspected here and then finding the time off of work is like trying to nail jello to the wall. I'm not that worried though.

 

[crunchierthanthou]

gotcha. You wouldn't have to jam it into the seat back as much if you put some pool noodle sections under it. Even though it's solid, I'd probably use pool noodles or a tightly rolled towel so that you could be sure it wouldn't slip down in a crash.

 

[Shilohsmom]

OK, I gotcha. Would pool noodles or a towel be preferable?

Ugh, all this time I thought that I had it right :-( Now I'm frustrated...how thick of a towel, how many noodles, and how thick for the noodles? It really is hard to get an inspection here.

 

[Jenn]

So I got a really solid install at a good angle using 3 pool noodle sections . Thanks so much for the help. Than I ran to the store for my mom and took her car and my almost 3 year old nephew and he demanded to ride rfing in the scenera (it's he's baby bro's car seat) so I had to call his mom and see how much he wieghed which was only 33 lbs and he loved riding in it lol. My mom swore I was torturing him and he was so cramped but he loved it....he says its his now and the baby can have his old one. thanks soo much for the advice.

 

[Patriot201]

Here is what my Scenera installation looks like:

 

[Karen]

I just installed the Scenera in my '07 Civic.

I like how you used three noodles there. Right now I only have one. But it really is too upright still. I have it in with the seatbelt in the middle. It is leaning a bit and I asked the tech (which are pretty bad here) to use the locking clip to not allow it to lean. He told me that it is safer to use the self locking seatbelt. So I guess as long as it doesn't lean too much I can just use the seatbelt. I think it will take two people to get the locking clip in tightly enough.

Also, the tech used some non-slip gripper stuff underneath it. Like really thick shelf liner. He said it made it SAFER. I know that it is OK to use, but I thought that you had to be able to get a really tight install without it as to not give you a false sense of security. It is in there pretty tight though. Not rock solid like my Boulevard, but tight at least.

Sorry for all the rambling. Any input?

 

[snowbird25ca]

I just installed the Scenera in my '07 Civic.

I like how you used three noodles there. Right now I only have one. But it really is too upright still. I have it in with the seatbelt in the middle. It is leaning a bit and I asked the tech (which are pretty bad here) to use the locking clip to not allow it to lean. He told me that it is safer to use the self locking seatbelt. So I guess as long as it doesn't lean too much I can just use the seatbelt. I think it will take two people to get the locking clip in tightly enough.

Also, the tech used some non-slip gripper stuff underneath it. Like really thick shelf liner. He said it made it SAFER. I know that it is OK to use, but I thought that you had to be able to get a really tight install without it as to not give you a false sense of security. It is in there pretty tight though. Not rock solid like my Boulevard, but tight at least.

Sorry for all the rambling. Any input?

Do you have leather seats? The shelf liner is acceptable to use on leather seats if you're having troubles with slippery leather, but isn't needed if you have cloth seats. You're correct that it can hide a loose install. A shelf liner shouldn't be a routine part of installing a seat in every vehicle, it should be reserved for instances where a leather seat is making the car seat slip slightly even with the vehicle belt tightened properly.

As for the tilting/locking clip issue... I would disagree with him about using the locking seatbelt being safer. From a potential for misuse stand point, it's safer - just because lots of people don't understand how to use a locking clip. But from a properly used locking clip vs. locking the seatbelt aspect, both methods are safe.

In the case of a tilting rf'ing car seat, I would be 100% comfortable with a properly used locking clip. I wouldn't use a locking clip "just because," but to solve a seat tilting, I wouldn't hesitate. Aside from there being more potential for misuse, locking clips do pop off in a collision, so the potential for a projectile is there. I'm not sure what the statistics are of injuries from that, or if there have been any notable injuries from locking clips popping off, but that's the only reasons I can think of for the tech's dislike of locking clips.

Often putting a seat in with a locking clip is a 2 person job, and this tech should've taken the time to show you especially since you raised the concern of seat tilting and the seat was doing it slightly already. If you're not comfy with the tilting, and don't feel confident doing the locking clip on your own, then I'd go back and nicely "demand" that he help you and show you how to do it.

The other thing I'd check, is that he is a certified technician.

Locking clips are not inherently unsafe. They have a specific purpose, and I wouldn't choose to use one if I had a good install with a locking seatbelt, but if the locking clip will improve a potentially problematic installation, I'd have no hesitation in using it INSTEAD of locking the seat belt - or at the very least teaching the parent how to do it. :twocents:
(just don't lock the seat belt if you're going to use the locking clip. You can do one or the other, but NOT both.)

 

[Patriot201]

I just installed the Scenera in my '07 Civic.

I like how you used three noodles there. Right now I only have one. But it really is too upright still. I have it in with the seatbelt in the middle. It is leaning a bit and I asked the tech (which are pretty bad here) to use the locking clip to not allow it to lean. He told me that it is safer to use the self locking seatbelt. So I guess as long as it doesn't lean too much I can just use the seatbelt. I think it will take two people to get the locking clip in tightly enough.

Also, the tech used some non-slip gripper stuff underneath it. Like really thick shelf liner. He said it made it SAFER. I know that it is OK to use, but I thought that you had to be able to get a really tight install without it as to not give you a false sense of security. It is in there pretty tight though. Not rock solid like my Boulevard, but tight at least.

Sorry for all the rambling. Any input?

IT sounds like we have very similar situations.

I have an '06 Civic, which is the exact same as the '07 Civic.

I also have a Boulevard and Scenera:

I have shelf liner under my seat even though I have cloth seats. Several CPSTs approved it for me. I have it there to help protect the upholstery because the Scenera has DEVILISH daggers on the base that slice into the upholstery. They are NASTY.

 

[southpawboston]

yes those daggers are pretty gnarly!

i have a question about the pool noodles on the scenera. we have a scenera installed RF without any noodles or rolled towel to help the recline (it's at about 30 degrees, like patriot's-- btw, patriot yours is 29.1, give or take 0.05 ). the manual specifically shows the LATCH belt routed inside the outer edge of the curved front "foot" (the part that sits in the seat bight). i've drawn a line to show the curve and an arrow to indicate the belt path (not sure if it helps) using patriot's photo:

however, tightening the LATCH belt with it routed exactly as shown in the manual just causes the "foot" to sit tighter and tighter on top of the latch connector instead of compressing down into the seat. i think the sceneras could be made much more tight if the belt wasn't routed the way that the scenera manual shows. obviously, patriot's install doesn't follow this way, as the belt is completely outside of that "foot". am i making any sense?

 

[Patriot201]

SPB,

You are making sense.

I was worried about that too, so I got a CPST to check it. He said it was fine, but I was still worried because it was so different from the manual. So, I asked another CPST to check it. She said it was okay. I am still a little bit concerned, though.

The seat isn't in my car right now. I only have the Boulevard installed right now, in the center, with a seatbelt. I think when I reinstall the Scenera, I will use the seatbelt instead of LATCH.

 

[Simplysomething]

Those "daggers" can also snag the harness, so be watchful of that.