MA FF tether question

[EllasMum]

I just turned DD's MA FF and had some trouble with the lap belt in the centre position of the back seat of my 95 Corolla. Basically the "female" end of the car's seatbelt is a little longer than usual so it ends up interfering with the MA's crossbar. I was able to get it to work (and had it OK'ed by a car seat tech) RF, but now that I turn the seat around, it just won't work FF. I moved the seat to one of the outboard positions, and was able to get it buckled/belted in solid as a rock - but I realized after installing it that my car only has a tether anchor in the middle of the rear 'dashboard' of the car. Is it ok to anchor an outboard positioned seat to a middle positioned anchor?? The tether ends up being about 45 degrees off centre.

TIA,
Susan

[Momof3Labs]

Why not leave her RF? Certainly she isn't at the weight or height limit for FF at 13 months old? It is much safer, and you had a better installation with your car.

[o_mom]

I would agree with the PP to leave her rear-facing much longer.

If you do decide to leave her forward facing, you can try twisting the buckle stalk. Just twist the female end up to three full times to make it shorter before you buckle it. That may bring the buckle down far enough. Also, if it is a lap belt, make sure you are routing it under the LATCH bars, not over.

You can't use the center anchor for the outboard seats, but you may be able to get outboard anchors installed. Call the dealer to see.

HTH!

[Kat_Mom2D_J_andRuthie]

she really should still be rearfacing.

children are much safer that way.... remember, moving to ff is not a milestone... it's a move down in safety.

it should be mourned with the sadness to which it deserves.

the american academy of pediatrics recommends rf as long as possible and the Marathon allows you to rf her till 33lbs.

if you need to, loosen the rf tether to allow for a more upright install.

for the buckle, twist the female end 3 full 360 degree twists... that should fix the problem.

EDIT************************

Sorry, didn't notice Canada... so it does only go to 30lbs rf, but you can continue to rearface her as long as the top of her head is below the shell unless she tops the weight limit.

[Piglet]

She is in Canada, so I wanted to mention that she only gets to 30 lbs on an MA.

[Joolsplus2]

I'd think it'd be possible to get a top tether added for the outboard position...try contacting your local toyota dealer? This page shows it may be possible to add another one (ok, he put it in the middle of the 1995 toyota, but the similar model prism has reinforced plates on the outboard seats) http://www.carseatdata.org/Geo_Prism.html

But yeah, do try twisting the 'female' buckle stalk down a few twists to get it out of the belt path so you can buckle it in the center.

I *hate* the Transport Canada rule that only allows rf seats to go to 32 inches tall and 30 pounds... (<biting tongue> to keep from saying something mean about the people in charge of the rules up there).


:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[EllasMum]

Thanks to everyone who replied. Yes, it was not my choice to turn her FF - she is now just under 32" so that is as long as I can leave her RF (in Canada, at least). So I had no choice but to turn her FF. Believe me, I left her RF as long as I possibly could. I was not happy about it but I have to follow the law, alas! She is still well under the weight limit - she is about 25 pounds now, so she has a ways to go there but is tall, so hit the height limit first.

I'll look into getting an outboard anchor put in - thanks again for the advice everyone!

ETA: I just looked up the Britax (Canada) user guide and it shows the MA to be acceptable RF up to 37". I'm sure my copy says 32" - I will have to check my copy again - I may be able to leave her RF yet!

[o_mom]

Looking at the MA manual for Canada on the Britax website, it says for rear-facing use from 18-37 inches. Of course it also says to 33 lbs, so it is probably a typo. :-)

What is the penalty if you have her in it over 32" if she still fits in the seat?

[EllasMum]

I'm going to check my hardcopy of the manual - and hope it is right! A car seat tech who does check-stops for the city police here told me that it is $115 per infraction. My DD's well-being is obviously worth way more than $115... but I will follow the manufacturer's guidelines and have them close at hand in the event I get stopped!

Thanks for your reply!

[Piglet]

Don't worry about that fine - I have a friend that has never used a carseat for her 4 kids and has never gotten a ticket in our lovely city. If they don't stop her but fine you for going over the hiehgt limit I would be appalled. The police here do not have a clue about Britax RF limits, I can assure you - everyone is using a Cosco Alpha Omega, LOL! As an aside, this is the first I ever heard of the height limit. My DS2 is 28.5 lbs and surely over the height limit, but I am squeezing those last 1.5 lbs out as long as I can!

I hope you can come to a good solution, but personally, I would turn her RF at that age.

[o_mom]

I was just wondering. If your manual that came with it says 32", I would, um, "lose" that one and print out the one from the website. Then if you are stopped and they actually checked the height, you could show them the printed manual.

I think Piglet is right. They have much more serious infractions to worry about than someone who is bending the rules to make their child safer. :-)

[EllasMum]

Heehee! Good suggestion - I will "lose" my copy! I just checked it again and it definitely says 30 pounds and 32". I like the 30 pounds 37" much better! RF it is!!

Thanks again, everyone!

[niccig]

Good for you. And when you think about it, would they actually bother to take her out of her carseat to measure her height? It should be obvious that she still fits, there's plenty of space over her head.

Nicci