re-install tether strap in Cosco car seat

[motheroftwo]

My friend gave me her fairly new Cosco Ventura combination car seat for occasional use in my mom's van. My friend had removed the tether strap for use as a booster seat. On the Cosco website, it says you should remove the tether when not using it. However, there are no instructions in the book on how to remove or replace the tether. My friend actually cut the end of the tether to remove it. She kept the inch-long piece that she cut off.

I folded the tether strap over and re-sewed it. It looks like it was just sewn to keep it from fraying... just to finish off the end of the strap. The strap is still very long.

There's a metal thing that sort of looks like a seatbelt buckle at one end. There's a big tether hook threaded on to the very long strap. I'm assuming you somehow thread the strap through the plastic on the back of the seat and then back through that seatbelt buckle thing.. but I'm not sure. Graco has all sorts of instructions on how to re-attach their tethers, but I can't find the same info for Cosco. When I e-mailed them, they said I shouldn't have removed the tether (even though their website says to). So far they haven't provided me with info on how to re-attach the tether. I meant to look at seats in the store when I was there the other day but forgot.

If anyone knows what I'm talking about and has any information that might help, that would be great. I live in Canada, if that makes a difference.

Pam

[o_mom]

Since the strap has been cut, you will most likely need to get a replacement. I would call Cosco (1-800-544-1108) and talk to them about it. It may not be possible to replace it.

Their website says that it is preferable to remove the tether when not in use, but to follow the instruction manual. Your friend probably shouldn't have cut it off. :-(

[motheroftwo]

Well actually it's a little confusing. They tell me that tethers in Canada are not meant to be removed (despite what their Canadian website says in the FAQ). However, it is possible to buy a new one which must mean it can be re-installed. I assume if I buy one that they'll tell me at that time how to re-install it. I am just wondering if they're going to mail me (for a fee) the exact same thing that I already have here in my hands. I can't get them to explain how the one they have will differ from what I have.
Pam

[Kat_Mom2D_J_andRuthie]

once it was cut, it was damaged... even by resewing it, you can't know how it will perform in a crash.

you definitely need a new tether.

[motheroftwo]

I am all about car seat safety. I just am not sure if where I sewed it, it's important. It was just turning over the end to stop it from fraying. If the end piece has absolutely no involvement in how the tether works (ie if the end piece just flaps freely once the tether is tightened), then I would think that it's not an issue in this case. I will definitely pay the money for a new one if it's warranted... I'm just not clear yet if it is or not.
Pam

[o_mom]

Can you post a picture of it?

[motheroftwo]

I can post a picture tomorrow. My husband took the camera to work today.

When I look at the picture of "tether strap installation and use", it looks like the free end of the strap (the end that I folded over on itself and sewed to keep from fraying) somehow threads back through the latch plate. The latch plate is used to adjust tether length. The latch plate gets lifted up and moves towards the free end of the strap to loosen it.

It really appears in the picture that the piece I sewed has no force exerted on it whatsoever. It just threads through the latch plate and then hangs there freely.... I THINK. I'm just not sure how to thread it through and don't want to do it wrong.

I did find this link that maybe shows how to thread the strap but it's not that clear. The free end seems again to just hang after it's thread through the latch plate. The picture below though is of an adjuster and not a latch plate. It might be for the Alpha Omega.

http://recall.djgusa.com/services/productrecall/aotetherinstruc/aoenginstruc.pdf#search=%22%22tether%20strap%20ins tallation%22%22

[motheroftwo]

I was wrong about the camera. However, it says my upload failed because the picture was too big. It says at the bottom there's an attachment. It also gave me this URL http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/35523.jpg

I'll just post this to see if the picture worked or not.

In the picture, you can see the black and silver latch plate at one end, the tether clip threaded onto the strap, and the free end (the other end from the latch plate) that I folded over and sewed to keep from fraying.

Pam

[Kat_Mom2D_J_andRuthie]

oh, I understand... you're right... it should be fine... my apologies... I was thinking something entirely different.

however, not to discount the work you already did, but what you would want to do is then fold it over again to make a loop... sew that.

then you thread the loop through the two slots for the tether at the back of the seat... pull through and then feed the latch connector (the clip) through the hole and pull tight.

that's it.

then you just connect the clip to the top tether anchor and pull the strap to tighten it.

Kat

[motheroftwo]

Sorry Kat,
I don't quite get it.

I'm picturing that the strap will feed through the loop that I'll sew... in which case I would think that the sewing would then be involved in holding the strap. I wouldn't want the loop to open in an accident because I haven't sewn it right.

I also don't get how I'll pull the tether tight if the other end of the strap isn't feeding through the latch connector at all.

I think I must be getting the wrong mental picture.
Pam

[Kat_Mom2D_J_andRuthie]

the strap is one long strap... it goes through the connector and through the part similar to a seatbelt latchplate.

if it were me, I'd still order a new one, but this would at least be a temp fix.

you would take the loop end... feed it in through one of the slots for the tether (according to the instructions)
and out through the one at the top of the seat (the back of the seat should match the picture on the instructions)

then feed the connector, latchplate, and strap through the loop.

connect, pull the adjusting part of strap to tighten.

[motheroftwo]

I looked at a Cosco car seat in the store and the tether seemed to be attached differently. There are two slots in the back of the seat and the strap comes out through one and then back through the other. It then comes up the top (inside) of the seat and hangs over the back. At that point, the end feeds through the latchplate.

It doesn't appear that any sewn loop is involved, which is why I was thinking that my tether strap is perfectly safe.

I can't figure out how to get the end to feed through the latchplate. It's supposed to go under this little bar and come back out. I figure there must be a trick to it but I couldn't figure it out. I don't know if a part of the latchplate comes undone. I don't want to break it.

This is so frustrating! I'm so close yet so far.
Pam

[Kat_Mom2D_J_andRuthie]

oh... I get it... there shouldn't be a loop as it goes through the buckle... I'd be lost, too.

maybe call cosco to talk you through it?

Kat

[motheroftwo]

Cosco won't tell me (at least not by e-mail.. so far. I think I'm driving them crazy with e-mails but they're irritating me as well.). They want me to buy a new tether. They won't listen to me say that my tether is perfectly fine and just explain how to re-install. They say it's unsafe and that it shouldn't have been uninistalled. They said their FAQ are on their American site and not meant for Canadians (apparently Americans can remove their tether when using as a booster but Canadians can't. The site I was looking at had a Canadian flag on it so I don't know how I was supposed to know it's American.) A while ago, they said a tether was $10 US and now they say it's $18 US. They told me I could buy a tether at Wal-mart etc. I said to them that I'd still need instructions to install!

I'm considering cutting the strap again so that it would be just one layer of material (instead of two) trying to feed under the bar. I could re-sew it after. I'm hesitant to do that though. I just wonder if there's another way. I don't know if one of my e-mails to Cosco will cause them to break down and actually send me instructions. I wonder if calling would have a different result.
Pam