SS1 lock-off problem

[o_mom]

Can everyone please quit quoting the post that I edited before you guys posted the quotes to it.

Sorry! Cross-posted! ... back to edit

 

[TechnoGranola]

Sorry! Cross-posted! ... back to edit

Thanks! Guess I shouldn't have had that beer at lunch, it's obviously affecting my ability to post in understandable terms.

 

[Jewels]

Thanks! Guess I shouldn't have had that beer at lunch, it's obviously affecting my ability to post in understandable terms.

:ROTFLMAO:



Okay, so I have my seat in front of me and thought I would look it over really well since the lock off is not working great.
The seat has some "white" marks on it, do you think it is anything to worry about? They are mostly in spots where the seat attaches to the base.

By the front adjuster

Bottom of the seat (look above the metal hooks)

Top back part of the seat

Honestly I don't see how the lock off can open and cause the seat to get stuck to the base (in previous link) although I could see it causing stress on the seat.


ETA: This seat has only been used for 2-2.5 months and when I first got it there were no marks on the seat; I checked.

 

[snowbird25ca]

For some reason I'm thinking my seat may have had marks like that on it right from the start, but I'm really not sure and don't have it anymore. If you hadn't said they weren't there from the start, I would've attributed it to different colors from where the mold was shaped differently.

I'd call Graco, I've never had to wait too long on the phone with them and I've always had good service. Maybe they can give you an email address that is responded to more often. Although I think that they just have a really strict spam filter and not all go through - my gmail email was never responded to, but the one I sent from my car-seat.org email was responded to within 1 or 2 business days and it was regarding Nautilus availability, so I wasn't concerned about an immediate response...

If I get the time at work tomorrow I'll check the bases there. I know we were down to display models last Saturday though, so we might not have any bases for me to compare.

 

[PEIMommyof2]

I have had the same problem. I have 2 bases and both were installed (1 with latch and 1 with seatbelt). I took them both out of the car and van and now I don't remember which one was where, it was 6 months ago when I noticed it!!! So my lock off would not stay closed unless something was in it. I only noticed it because it was in the garage and the lock off would not stay closed and I didn't remember that from before when it was new 6 months earlier. They both seem fine while installed but I called Graco Canada (Elfe) today just before they closed. She told me that was not supposed to happen. The lock off should stay closed even with nothing in it. She told me to take a little video of it coming open and not staying closed. Well....When I got home tonight I uninstalled both bases and both are now fine. I think I know which one was causing the problem as it is a bit looser than the other. I'll let them sit in the house to see if in the morning one won't stay closed. This is wierd. She said once she gets the video from me she will send a replacement base out to me.

So that being said, you should call graco too. The website is www.elfe.net
for Canada
HTH!!!

 

[Synchro246]

:ROTFLMAO:




Honestly I don't see how the lock off can open and cause the seat to get stuck to the base (in previous link) although I could see it causing stress on the seat.


ETA: This seat has only been used for 2-2.5 months and when I first got it there were no marks on the seat; I checked.

I know if I accidently left the lock-off open the seat would get stuck maybe 2 out of 5 times. I think it might be the way I slide the seat on--it might cause the red portion of the lock-off to come up a little and it jams.
I don't know if I'd worry about the white stress marks. They are right where it attaches it to the base, and that's the only thing keeping it attached. . .def give graco a call

 

[Jewels]

For some reason I'm thinking my seat may have had marks like that on it right from the start, but I'm really not sure and don't have it anymore. If you hadn't said they weren't there from the start, I would've attributed it to different colors from where the mold was shaped differently.

I'd call Graco, I've never had to wait too long on the phone with them and I've always had good service. Maybe they can give you an email address that is responded to more often. Although I think that they just have a really strict spam filter and not all go through - my gmail email was never responded to, but the one I sent from my car-seat.org email was responded to within 1 or 2 business days and it was regarding Nautilus availability, so I wasn't concerned about an immediate response...

If I get the time at work tomorrow I'll check the bases there. I know we were down to display models last Saturday though, so we might not have any bases for me to compare.

It is my seat with the marks, not really any on my base but it is the base that isn't working properly with the lock offs. Do you remember when I asked you about this on my lock off? I remember not knowing what to do and I asked you on facebook on day when it first happened.

When I first got the seat I know the lock off was stiffer because it was hard to get it open. The marks that worry me are the ones in the second picture by the metal hooks.

I have had the same problem. I have 2 bases and both were installed (1 with latch and 1 with seatbelt). I took them both out of the car and van and now I don't remember which one was where, it was 6 months ago when I noticed it!!! So my lock off would not stay closed unless something was in it. I only noticed it because it was in the garage and the lock off would not stay closed and I didn't remember that from before when it was new 6 months earlier. They both seem fine while installed but I called Graco Canada (Elfe) today just before they closed. She told me that was not supposed to happen. The lock off should stay closed even with nothing in it. She told me to take a little video of it coming open and not staying closed. Well....When I got home tonight I uninstalled both bases and both are now fine. I think I know which one was causing the problem as it is a bit looser than the other. I'll let them sit in the house to see if in the morning one won't stay closed. This is wierd. She said once she gets the video from me she will send a replacement base out to me.

So that being said, you should call graco too. The website is www.elfe.net
for Canada
HTH!!!

Thanks for the info.

When I have just taken it out of the car when it was installed with the seatbelt then it won't stay closed at all.

 

[Jewels]

I don't know if I'd worry about the white stress marks. They are right where it attaches it to the base, and that's the only thing keeping it attached. . .def give graco a call

You would or wouldn't worry about the marks Because they are right where it attaches to the base is what would worry me.

 

[Synchro246]

You would or wouldn't worry about the marks Because they are right where it attaches to the base is what would worry me.

I think I would worry. Sorry, i wasn't clear

 

[Jewels]

I think I would worry. Sorry, i wasn't clear

I thought that is what you meant but wasn't sure

thanks everyone for your help/

 

[QuassEE]

It's plastic, and I think a certain amount of discolouration in areas of seams is pretty normal. If you know the history of the seat, and it hasn't been in a crash or other adverse conditions (temperature extremes, etc) then I probably wouldn't worry. I'm completely paranoid, as most of you know...but honestly, we wouldn't see these same marks in thicker or darker coloured plastic but the same stresses are still at work. Our SnugRide base had two similar spots on it, both in areas where there was a mould ridge on the opposite side.

-Nicole.

 

[PEIMommyof2]

When I have just taken it out of the car when it was installed with the seatbelt then it won't stay closed at all.

I installed mine again with the seatbelt and now mine won't stay closed. I sent my mini video to Graco (last night) as requested by them. I'll let you know what they said. I called again yesterday (talked to a different agent)and she said it shouldn't happen, it should always stay closed. So...I'll let you know what they say once they see my video today or early next week, whenever the agent I talked to is at the Graco office.

Jewels. Did you call yet?

 

[Jewels]

I installed mine again with the seatbelt and now mine won't stay closed. I sent my mini video to Graco (last night) as requested by them. I'll let you know what they said. I called again yesterday (talked to a different agent)and she said it shouldn't happen, it should always stay closed. So...I'll let you know what they say once they see my video today or early next week, whenever the agent I talked to is at the Graco office.

Jewels. Did you call yet?

I did call and mentioned the base along with the other things I noticed in this picture. I'm not sure what is normal but one of the hooks is wiggly and I don't like the way those little white things look. Plus one of them is chipped and I know this seat has not been dropped, banged or jammed after I bought it. I had to send in pictures and she said that she would get back to me within 24-48hrs after receiving my email. She also had never heard of this happening.

 

[o_mom]

By the front adjuster

Bottom of the seat (look above the metal hooks)

Top back part of the seat

Just wanted to add my experience. I have a SS1 that has been in use for 16 months. It is the tan plastic.

I do not have any marks like the first picture. Nothing at all under the cover by the adjuster.

I have marks similar to the second and third picture, but not quite as obvious. The ones by the hooks don't really seem bad at all. The one at the top part of the back of the seat are not near anything that is used in the installation of the seat in the US - I believe that is the belt clip for the shoulderbelt on the EU model.

 

[mommycat]

Lockoff issue - mine BROKE. My update is here, posty #4. Whatever, I'm just going to quote it here:

Wanted to just add an update on the SS1 lockoff issue - it actually was broken.

I had my base replaced by Graco because the lockoff stopped working properly. At first it held perfectly. Then over time I would notice that every few trips, the seat would be a bit loose and I would reinstall (thank heavens it was so simple!). Then, I realized that while I couldn't pull the base side to side, I could twist the base by pulling on one corner (as sometimes happened when DS1 was climbing into the truck, or whatever) and the belt would start loosening - I could see the belts slipping along in the lockoff. I was checking the base every time by then, and really thinking that something was up.

Finally, while doing my tech course I wanted to ask the instructor to take a look at it. I tested it again and that time I didn't even need her opinion - I pulled straight up at the side of the base and the whole thing just flipped over into my other seat. We tried it a couple more times just to make sure that it wasn't incorrectly installed and it kept doing it. Needless to say I switched to a LATCH install on the spot (though I couldn't get it quite as tight as I normally got it with the belt). I tried to close the empty lockoff and it wouldn't stay shut without belts in it. I ended up looping the free end of the LATCH belt through it to keep it shut.

Graco replaced my base and had me send the old one back, so hopefully they will figure out what went wrong. It was a slight hassle to replace the base (not too horrible, though) as I could never get them on the phone and we were just leaving messages back and forth, then the CS rep said she needed to try to replicate the problem, and she was asking if maybe I was installing it wrong - Not a chance, I said, my CRST instructor checked it out, too! In the end she said she would send me the new base and a shipping label so they could have mine to investigate.

I check the new base every time. It's working fine so far, but it's definitely something to keep an eye on. I also wish my model had harness pads. Other than that, I LOVE my SafeSeat. DS is 11 months old and has TONS of room left to grow.

ETA: I willtry to remember to look for stress mark when I get home, though I don't know what was there when I got the seat. I never remember to look.

 

[Jewels]

I installed mine again with the seatbelt and now mine won't stay closed. I sent my mini video to Graco (last night) as requested by them. I'll let you know what they said. I called again yesterday (talked to a different agent)and she said it shouldn't happen, it should always stay closed. So...I'll let you know what they say once they see my video today or early next week, whenever the agent I talked to is at the Graco office.

Jewels. Did you call yet?

Did you hear back yet?

It's been a week and I haven't heard, she told me she would get back to me in 24-48hrs

I'll be calling again but I was super busy this week with extra kids.

 

[PEIMommyof2]

Did you hear back yet?

It's been a week and I haven't heard, she told me she would get back to me in 24-48hrs

I'll be calling again but I was super busy this week with extra kids.

I called them back the same day I sent the video, Another agent said a new base will be sent to me with a prepaid postage to send the defective one back. I'm hoping it will be here today!! They are usually very fast to ship.

 

[PEIMommyof2]

Did you hear back yet?

It's been a week and I haven't heard, she told me she would get back to me in 24-48hrs

I'll be calling again but I was super busy this week with extra kids.

Well here is my update!!! I just received my new base yesterday. (after calling again to see what happened. they said there was a hold on my file and now they will send one because they saw my video.) I didn't open the box yet because I'm working long days this week, will open on the weekend. I have to ship my defective base back to them. It does stay closed when using the seat belt.

Jewels....Do you have any updates?

 

[Jewels]

Jewels....Do you have any updates?

This is a bit late but here is my update:

I called Graco and explained what the problem was, I emailed pictures in and I was told they would call me back tomorrow after they received pictures. Tomorrow was over a week away when I had to call back. She said she never could get through so she thought she had the wrong number because a answering machine didn't pick up (we don't have a answering machine but caller ID and she tried calling once) she did have my email address though. She told me the stress marks were nothing but I was installing my seat wrong and that the lock-offs had to be open when using UAS because if the lock-off was closed it would confuse the seat and make it think it was installed by seatbelt and then it wouldn't work properly I told her that didn't make sense and in the manual it shows it installed with the lock-off closed. Again she told me she would call me back tomorrow, just over a week later she called back wanting to replace the base. She was a bit late as I had just had it replaced and no longer had it.

If anyone else has a problem like this could you let me know, it seems i've heard this as a problem a few times.

 

[mommycat]

...because if the lock-off was closed it would confuse the seat and make it think it was installed by seatbelt and then it wouldn't work properly

:ROTFLMAO: