LATCH install questions... sorry, long

[Snow mom]

I was just out installing my MA in our new car ('10 Outback) and decided I would install it with LATCH. For some reason I've always seat belt installed carseats in the past. I have a couple of questions, mainly related to LATCH but also related to the seat design I guess.

1) The seat base seems to be wider than the latch anchor spots. I installed it and then realized one anchor was directly to the side of the base and the other anchor is in front of the base. Should the seat be centered on the anchors (i.e., both anchors in front of the seat base.)

(2) There is a little hump on the back of the seat. I set the base on it because it produced a better recline but that made a little gap where the base of the MA isn't touching the seat (pic below.) The gap is about a finger width and the MA base is touching in the front and back and solid as a rock. Is the gap a problem? Should I install off this little hump? I thought it was probably similar to having a rolled up towel under the front of the seat.
http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/tt233/lisasnow/IMG_3798.jpg

(3) I couldn't quite figure out where to tether to. If anyone has a suggestion of where to find a tether location on the floor of the Outback I'd love to hear it. I couldn't get the molding off where the seat is bolted to the floor and ended up wrapping the D-ring around the seat track. It isn't a problem for moving the seat (we'd never move it that far back.) Is the seat track considered an acceptable tether location?

(4) There is a flip down portion in the center of the back seat (pictured below... you can also see a wider view of the hump on the seat in this picture). It doesn't flip out easily, but I'm wondering if it's best to not install a RF seat in the center because of this. The car owner manual doesn't recommend installing any carseat in the center, although it doesn't forbid it either. There are three upper tethers in the roof of the car, suggesting the car is designed to have a carseat installed in the center. There are only LATCH anchors for the outboard positions though.
http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/tt233/lisasnow/IMG_3809.jpg

[Swimfreak78]

I can't answer most of your questijns -- but I can answer the one about the D ring. I suspect that your passenger or drivers side seat has latch tether underneath you can't see. Try moving your seats ALL the way forward and you should see it on the edge of the seat track. Here's a link from Subaru which might help as well (http://www.drive.subaru.com/OnLineX_LATCH.htm) Enjoy the new car!

[MontrealMum]

I can only partially answer your questions. We have an '09 Outback, and an MA installed in the center. You can't use LATCH in that position, so I know nothing about that. I also don't know how much the design has changed between '09 and '10.

Our MA seat is entirely on the seating portion of the backseat, not what you described. I really don't know about the gap that you described from it being partially resting on the back, but I'll agree that it's not the easiest car to install in. I have read here about using towels to get the recline so I'm thinking that resting it on the back of the seat might not be recommended, but I'll leave that to someone more knowledgeable to discuss.

There is nothing in our manual that forbids a center installation. It's much more practical and comfortable (for us), and splits the difference safety wise if you only have one carseat to install.

We also had a bit of trouble finding a tether location, but I believe DH was eventually able to depress the carpet of the front passenger seat enough so that he could slip the tether around the seat track. I don't remember specifically because we tried so many things - and DH is out in that car right now so I can't check. The seats in the Outback are really close to the floor so that certainly makes the job harder! There did not seem to be a specific tether location for RFing.

Enjoy your Subie!

[o_mom]

OK - your text in blue, answers in black. :)


1) The seat base seems to be wider than the latch anchor spots. I installed it and then realized one anchor was directly to the side of the base and the other anchor is in front of the base. Should the seat be centered on the anchors (i.e., both anchors in front of the seat base.)

It should be centered as much as possible, but the Britax bases are just about the same as the spacing, so best you can.

(2) There is a little hump on the back of the seat. I set the base on it because it produced a better recline but that made a little gap where the base of the MA isn't touching the seat (pic below.) The gap is about a finger width and the MA base is touching in the front and back and solid as a rock. Is the gap a problem? Should I install off this little hump? I thought it was probably similar to having a rolled up towel under the front of the seat.

I have used a similar hump in other cars without issue. As you said, it would be similar to using a towel and I would rather have it on the seat rather than using a towel.

(3) I couldn't quite figure out where to tether to. If anyone has a suggestion of where to find a tether location on the floor of the Outback I'd love to hear it. I couldn't get the molding off where the seat is bolted to the floor and ended up wrapping the D-ring around the seat track. It isn't a problem for moving the seat (we'd never move it that far back.) Is the seat track considered an acceptable tether location?

Don't have any specifics. There won't be a tether anchor there (I think Volvo and Ford are the only ones I've ever seen to have a factory anchor for RF tether). Push the seat all the way forward, leaned forward and get down there with a flashlight. The seat track is OK if you don't find anything else, but be careful that it is not going to get pinched or rubbed. You can try the seatbelt stalk or pushing down on the carpet by the seatleg to see if you could thread it under... we had to do that on our VW Passat. It was a pain, but once it is on, you are good to go. :)

(4) There is a flip down portion in the center of the back seat (pictured below... you can also see a wider view of the hump on the seat in this picture). It doesn't flip out easily, but I'm wondering if it's best to not install a RF seat in the center because of this. The car owner manual doesn't recommend installing any carseat in the center, although it doesn't forbid it either. There are three upper tethers in the roof of the car, suggesting the car is designed to have a carseat installed in the center. There are only LATCH anchors for the outboard positions though.

Yes, you can use the center. As you said, there is a TA there for FF, so it is an acceptable install position. You would have to use the seatbelt for the install, though, not LATCH.