Securing Infant Seat in the Middle??
Securing Infant Seat in the Middle??
hello everyone. so, our infant car seat has been placed in the middle seat of my wife's 2014 RX350. we also have one of those seat protector mats underneath the infant seat. the problem is no matter how "secure" i pull on the seat belt to secure the base in, it's always kinda sort in the red/green and not fully green. we have an Uppa Baby Messa infant seat btw.
are the fasten hooks only under the right and left seats in the back? from what i could tell, i didn't find any under the middle seat.
also, how can i "lock" the seat belt in? any tips/advice is greatly appreciated.
are the fasten hooks only under the right and left seats in the back? from what i could tell, i didn't find any under the middle seat.
also, how can i "lock" the seat belt in? any tips/advice is greatly appreciated.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,068
Likes: 11
From: California
We have our Peg Perego rear facing infant car seat ( with adapter) installed at the middle.
We used the LATCH System.
Very stable, no movement at all
I agree with ycharlie, you have to wrestle with that car seat to install it properly.
We used the LATCH System.
Very stable, no movement at all
I agree with ycharlie, you have to wrestle with that car seat to install it properly.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: nj
I've actually used 1 latch from each side (left and right seat) on a few other cars and works just fine. However, since this isn't endorsed by the manufacturers, take this as an FYI.
Don't be afraid to put both knees on the infant seat to give it some weight. The seat will bounce back and restore itself after you take out the seat in a few months for cleaning and whatnot.
Don't be afraid to put both knees on the infant seat to give it some weight. The seat will bounce back and restore itself after you take out the seat in a few months for cleaning and whatnot.
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Lexus Champion
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,973
Likes: 55
From: Ohio
Extract the seat belt fully and it will go into locking mode. You will hear it clicking. it will not extend back until completely retracted.
There are 4 latch hooks under the bench. You can install 2 seats, one on each side, or one in the middle. Although not recommended, you could "borrow" latch hooks from the side seats to the middle seat. I just use seat belts for two out of 3 seats.
There are 4 latch hooks under the bench. You can install 2 seats, one on each side, or one in the middle. Although not recommended, you could "borrow" latch hooks from the side seats to the middle seat. I just use seat belts for two out of 3 seats.
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Lead Lap
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 502
Likes: 11
From: New Brunswick (NB)
Don't forget about the passive seatbelt feature in most modern cars. Should you ever experience a hard collision, everyone expects the airbags will be deployed. Front, rear, side curtains etc., depending on the direction of the blow.
The seatbelt retractors have another system incorporated to self-tighten at the instant of impact. A small caliber charge, similar to a blank bullet fires on an electrical signal. The charge rotates the retractor mechanism to an extreme tight position for just a fraction of a second.The smell of gunpowder can be noticed in most modern cars immediately after a hard hit.
The seatbelt retractors have another system incorporated to self-tighten at the instant of impact. A small caliber charge, similar to a blank bullet fires on an electrical signal. The charge rotates the retractor mechanism to an extreme tight position for just a fraction of a second.The smell of gunpowder can be noticed in most modern cars immediately after a hard hit.
Driver
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 133
Likes: 0
From: California
we've got the uppababy mesa also and I could not get the seatbelt configuration to be secured enough. really put my knee into the base but it still manages to loosen up, especially when I wiggle the base to test it.
ended up using the latch connectors in the right and left passenger slots and it's been perfect.
interesting screen name btw.
ended up using the latch connectors in the right and left passenger slots and it's been perfect.
interesting screen name btw.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: NC
Just gave up on the middle
We've tried our Chicco KeyFit infant seat in the middle, and it seemed to work ok for a while. However, I noticed that the seat base would slide around a bit during cornering and turns, even though the LATCH straps were as tight as humanly possible (also tried kneeling on the base while adjusting to really get them tight). We moved the base to one of the side seats and it works perfectly there. The problem seems to be the slight angle of the front part of the bench in the middle - the rear part of the base was snug due to the super tight LATCH straps, but the front just didn't have enough purchase on the seat. It's a little bit of a shame because the middle position was more convenient and is supposed to be safer. However, I still feel that even the side seat is pretty safe in the rolling fortress that is the RX.
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