Seatbelts don't lock - lockoffs with RA?

[mommy_someday]

We're getting a new seat for DS1 (probably a Regent) that will go in my van before DS2 gets here in a few weeks. I want to put DS1's RA in my mom's van since she'll be taking care of him while we're in the hospital. The seatbelts in my mom's van do not lock and she doesn't have LATCH. They're supposed to lock - I've read the manual several times, spent a couple of hours messing with them, and even the Ford dealership can't figure out why they aren't locking. The dealership said that my mom should just install locking clips for the seat, but I'm wondering if I can use those with DS1's RA. Also, DS2 will be in a Baby Trend Latch-Lock Adjustable Back infant seat initially. If we need my mom to take him for any reason, should I use locking clips for that seat as well (RFing)? If so, which locking clips should I get - just whatever BRU sells?

I'm sorry if this is a repeat question. I've been doing searches all morning and haven't found the answer yet. It's getting a little overwhelming to my preggo brain!

[o_mom]

Are the seatbelts supposed to be the 'switchable' kind, where you pull them all the way out and then they are locked? Or, are they the kind that only lock when you stop suddenly?

Either way, do they still lock when you stop suddenly? Pull out on them hard and fast or stop suddenly in a parking lot and see if they lock. If they do not lock when pulled on hard, then they are not safe at all for anyone. They won't protect in a crash and a locking clip cannot fix that as it is only designed to hold the seat in place until the belt locks in a crash.

If they still lock on stopping, then it is up to you to decide if that is safe enough, even though something in the belt mechanism is broken. The Roundabout cannot use a locking clip, you must use the built-in lockoff on the seat as described in the manual. I think the Latch-loc can use a locking clip and if it didn't come with one, then the ones at BRU are fine.

[Joolsplus2]

What year is her van? 1995 (possibly 1996) and older don't have locking mechanisms (but do have labels on the belts themselves telling how to use a locking clip).

Agreeing with O-mom on the rest of it...if they don't lock at all when tugged, they need to be replaced, if they do locked when tugged, the lockoff on the roundabout is all you need, you'll need a locking clip on the baby seat.

[mommy_someday]

What year is her van? 1995 (possibly 1996) and older don't have locking mechanisms (but do have labels on the belts themselves telling how to use a locking clip).

I'm not sure what year it is, but I *think* it's a '98, so it definitely should have one of the two locking mechanisms. The owner's manual said that it was the kind that locked the lap belt portion when the belt is flat - I forget what it's called, but it's the one other than the ratcheting option. I have done everything I can think of with the belts as they are, trying to get them to lock, but nothing seems to be working. That's why I told my mom to take her van to the dealership and ask them if they could make the seatbelts lock or replace them with ones that do. The dealership was absolutely no help.

I'm not sure if they will lock up in a sudden stop. I sure hope so! We haven't tested it like that. But I do know that no amount of quick tugs at the speeds I'm capable of will make the belts lock. Maybe I should just take her van and the RA to a CPS tech to get this figured out. How would I go about finding a certified one in my area?

[o_mom]

Ok, it sounds like you have lightweight locking latchplates with ELR belts:

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/lockincss.aspx

The fix is easy - pull up on the shoulder portion until the lap part is as tight as you can get it, then flip the latchplate (male end) 180 degrees and buckle. You may have to flip the female end as well to get it to buckle, but that is fine.

This all assumes that they do lock when you stop hard (that's the ELR portions). The easiest way to test that is to have someone sit there while the driver does a sudden stop in an empty parking lot. They may have a pendulum mechanism that needs the stopping motion to engage.

Another link on the subject: http://www.carseatsite.com/lockingclips.htm

[mommy_someday]

Thanks, o_mom! I'll give that a try and hopefully that'll do the trick!