Baby seat - a little loose?

Chedman13

Chedman13

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Location
Illinois
Car
2014 Mercedes-Benz GL63 4Matic
Just installed a baby seat car base on three cars.

1) 03 FX45 - leather
2) 06 BMW - leather
3) Minivan - cloth

On both the FX45 and BMW, the car base is a little loose, no matter how tight I make it. The minivan, rock solid, doesn't move at all.

I'm using the latch system, behind the passenger seat. I tried using both the latch system and seat belt at the same time, separately, etc... still loose. When I say loose, it's loose at the non-seat belt end, and has to do with 1) no friction with the leather and 2) seems like the design of the latch system is farther apart (wider) than where the latches on the minivan are.

I have one of those friction/protector pads that has no affect.

So I tested hitting the car base hard and the base moves about 1-3 inches sideways.

The baby won't be thrown by any means, but not sure if I like this movement.

Any thoughts for those FXers with baby seats? I've read the instructions thoroughly for both the car seat and FX owner manual and placed it in the latch holes....

Should I be worried?
 
Chedman, I found the baby seat to be very solid in my 09 FX.
Did you kneel on the babyseat with your weight on it while pulling on the latch belts?
 
GEE35FX said:
Chedman, I found the baby seat to be very solid in my 09 FX.
Did you kneel on the babyseat with your weight on it while pulling on the latch belts?
Click to expand...

Great tip, I just did that and got a few more "clicks" tighter. Still there is movement, but it is down to 1 inch side to side. Maybe I need to get someone heavier=)
 
when I put the car seat base in my FX, it did feel like I could move it sideways quite a bit when I would push on it. I did everything possible to tighten it, but thats just how it was. I had others try, and could not get it any tighter. fwiw, during normal driving, the base hardly moved with the weight of the carrier and the baby on it.

despite what people and the manual say, we had put the car seat in the rear center, and used the inner latch anchors of each seat. I'm not sure why the manual said not to use the center position, but I think it has something to do with the possibility of the armrest coming down. again.. not certain why. we put the car seat in the center because if it were behind the passenger or driver's seat, the seat would have to be pushed up really far. we have the Graco carrier set.
 
KNFX said:
...
despite what people and the manual say, we had put the car seat in the rear center, and used the inner latch anchors of each seat. I'm not sure why the manual said not to use the center position, but I think it has something to do with the possibility of the armrest coming down. again.. not certain why...
Click to expand...

This is a BAD idea.
The reason that people and the manual specifically forbid that kind of installation is because the LATCH system is designed with an 11" spacing between anchor points. Using the inner attachment points has two flaws:
First, in the event of an accident force would be applied to the anchor points in different directions than they were designed for, significantly reducing their load bearing capacity. For an example, try pulling a pencil in half. Now try bending it in half.
Second, the seat itself is designed the same way; To resist force in a very specific direction.

EDIT: This is from the Texas Department of Public Safety website. Texas law states that you must follow the manufacturers installation instructions.

Texas Seatbelt Laws
Chapter 545, Transportation Code

(as amended by the 81st Leg. Regular Session, effective September 1, 2009)
Sec. 545.412. Child Passenger Safety Seat Systems; Offense.
DPS enforcement interpretation (click for more information)
The law becomes effective on Sept. 1, 2009, but tickets for this offense cannot be issued until June 1, 2010. Police officers are allowed to issue a warning before that date. However, the old law remains in effect until then and requires children younger than 5 and less than 36 inches in height be in a child safety seat---and tickets can still be issued for this violation.

TRC § 545.412. CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY SEATSYSTEMS; OFFENSE. (a) A person commits an offense if the person operates a passenger vehicle, transports a child who is younger than eight [five] years of age, unless the child is taller than four feet, nine inches [and less than 36 inches in height], and does not keep the child secured during the operation of the vehicle in a child passenger safety seat system according to the instructions of the manufacturer of the safety seat system.
 
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Chedman, put your full body weight on the child seat to cinch up the latch straps. Also if you use the tether strap (we have mounting points on the ceiling just over the cargo area...you'll see the plastic covers for them that can be popped off). That will make the seat very secure. There will still be a little side to side wiggling if you were to strongly tug on the seat though. Reclining or moving the seat back a little forward to match the angle of the child seat may help. I have two Britax Marathons and reclining the seatback one click gets the seats to position properly.
 
As KNFX said, with the weight of your child in the seat, you will have even less movement if any at all. At most you will get some side to side rocking of the top part of the seat when driving over bumps.

I too use the top tether and the seat is pretty secure but not 100% rock solid. It definitely is due to the way the seats are angled and the leather. When I install the seat in my Honda Pilot, the thing doesn't budge a millimeter. I feel it is just as safe in either vehicle though. As long as it is installed properly and tightened well.
 
Different seats work differently - we used an Evenflo seat that did not attach to the FX at all. It ONLY used the seat belt to secure to the FX, then there was a harness for the infant. Definitely movement in all directions, as much as the seatbelt would allow. Some movement is fine - as long as the safety mechanisms are in place, they should work.

My kid is now 5 years old and still uses the seat as a booster, per the mfg instructions. Now, the seat is no longer attached to the car at all - it just sits on the back seat and the normal seat belt goes over the whole thing when the kid is sitting in it. In the event of a collision, the seat belt works just like it would on an adult, holding the entire kid/seat.

My wife is a pediatrician and pretty much insists that we follow the mfg instructions to the letter. If you do that, the seat should function as designed. Just don't add anything that's not instructed to the seat because you could be getting in the way of the intended design/features.
 
We have a ratchet tie down that the seat belt goes into then ratchets the seat nice and tight.

I'll try to get the brand name
 
So you're not supposed to use the center for the baby seat? I'll have to go read the manual again. I was told that it was safer since it was not near the sides of the car. I use the latch mechanism as well as the center belt.

This is just my experience, but a few months back, my wife got broadsided in our previous car, an IS350. My son was in the middle in his car seat. The entire passenger side of the car was crushed, like the doors were pushed in ~12-18" and the passenger seat was touching the drivers. But my son didn't have a scratch on him. Had he been on the passenger side, he likely would have been injured since he would have been very close to the door.
 
shadow191 said:
So you're not supposed to use the center for the baby seat? I'll have to go read the manual again. I was told that it was safer since it was not near the sides of the car. I use the latch mechanism as well as the center belt.

This is just my experience, but a few months back, my wife got broadsided in our previous car, an IS350. My son was in the middle in his car seat. The entire passenger side of the car was crushed, like the doors were pushed in ~12-18" and the passenger seat was touching the drivers. But my son didn't have a scratch on him. Had he been on the passenger side, he likely would have been injured since he would have been very close to the door.
Click to expand...

If your child seat only uses the seat belts, then you can use the center position as the FX has a center seat belt. If however your seat utilizes the LATCH system, than you have to use the FX's LATCH locations, which are on one side or the other.
 
tchuck said:
If your child seat only uses the seat belts, then you can use the center position as the FX has a center seat belt. If however your seat utilizes the LATCH system, than you have to use the FX's LATCH locations, which are on one side or the other.
Click to expand...

+1, the LATCH system is designed to be on the left or right side.

Some use the LATCH system from the left and right side, to put the car seat in the middle. It is specifically mentioned to NOT do this, it is not designed to do this. The seat belt is fine.

Me personally, I use the seat behind the passenger seat. I then use the LATCH anchors and get it as tight as I can by kneeling on top of the base. Then I use the seat belt as an extra.

My seat base now only moves 1 inch at most, in line with the guidelines I've read online.
 
I have the Britax Frontier with the quick latch system. It hooks to the child seat rings. Tight and solid. I use the rear restraint too. This is a 5 point intenal harness. My little turd will survive a roll over with no problem.
 
Tiger74 said:
The latch system in my '03 is so hard to reach! I'm using it now, but those latches are extremely difficult to reach and annoying!
Click to expand...

I apologize for bringing back this image again (Ha!) but just making sure you are inserting the latch hooks into the proper spot. The vertical slit in the bottom seat cushion is the proper location. Not the horizontal one between the seat back and bottom cushion.

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Tiger74 said:
The latch system in my '03 is so hard to reach! I'm using it now, but those latches are extremely difficult to reach and annoying!
Click to expand...

Yeah, as Aiya posted, make sure you are using the holes in the leather seat.

IMO the latch access is VERY easy compared to other cars.

---------- Post added at 10:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:59 AM ----------
porkandbeans said:
There's something about that picture that just looks wrong. :eek:
Click to expand...

Yeah -- but totally helped too=)

I was using the latch hooks not through the holes and it was such a pain. Someone posted that pictures and now it's so simple...

---------- Post added at 10:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:03 AM ----------
Huntsober said:
I have the Britax Frontier with the quick latch system. It hooks to the child seat rings. Tight and solid. I use the rear restraint too. This is a 5 point intenal harness. My little turd will survive a roll over with no problem.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that is an AWESOME child seat, it holds your kid in for the longest possible in a 5 point harness.

they just came out with the frontiers with the extra side protection too (those white air bag things).

What do you mean child seat rings? You mean the latch system? two hooks?

Just be sure to read the manual b/c there is a weight limit on all that stuff and you need to use the seat belt for maximum safety.

the latch is only good for like a child up to 40lbs.
 
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