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March 2013 Moms
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DH Vs. Firehouse installing car seat

SadieTopSadieTop
in March 2013 Moms
So My DH is normally pretty handy and has installed the car seat base in my car so far. (He needs to do his this weekend)  Well I trust him as I know he read the car manual and the car seat manual and together we believe we installed in pretty good.  However, the booklet says that it shouldn't move mroe than an inch in any direction..and well...that is not the case lol.  Anyway, I think I am goingto call the fire house up the strett and have them inspect it to be sure.  Anyone else doing this or trusting DH or another person to do it?  Plus every care is different so I really neeed to have my DH car checked and my moms & MIL. 
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Re: DH Vs. Firehouse installing car seat

  • mab87mab87 member
    My husband has been a Fireman for 10 years and he still doesn't know how to install a car seat...I had to do it. hahaha I would just read the directions and follow them best to your knowledge. After installing it then you can maybe drive over to the firehouse and let me them inspect it. But if you let them install it then they would probably just read the directions and do what you would have done. GL!

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  • bombe4bombe4 member

    In California, the firehouse does not inspect your car set. You have to take it to the California Highway Patrol to inspect and that is what we did.

    When we took mine, my base moved around a little too. Basically the officer hopped in my car, put his knees and weight on the base, and then pulled to tighten the seat a little more so it wouldn't move. Worked like a charm. Maybe try that?

     


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  • mkanderson85mkanderson85
    You can watch videos online of how to install. Those helped better than the manuals for us.
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  • CrequitoCrequito member
    Where I live (Montgomery County, MD) there are tons of places you can make appts at to get your carseat checked which DH did.  It turned out even though we thought it was in there correctly - it wasn't.  They showed us how to fix it and even gave us the spare part we needed for free.  DH made a donation to the program since there's no fee for these appts (again where we live).  They also advise you to bring a stuffed animal so you can practice properly putting LO in the carseat.  I recommend if you can find a place that does it for free or even for a very small fee you get it checked since as you said all cars are different!
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  • runningyogimamarunningyogimama member

    imagejack19:
    for the rear facing seats there will be movement at the point where it is farthest away from the latch point, i.e. the part closest to the front of the car.  It doesn't attach anywhere there so there is going to be movement when you wiggle that end.  The critical part is where the base meets the seat and the latch points.  You don't want any movement there so yes, put your knee into it and yank it home.

    That makes me feel better about how ours is installed! I was planning on making an appointment to get it checked somewhere, but we read both manuals, watched some youtube vidoes, and did exactly that. 

    OP, if you do go get it inspected, check this website first. It lists places you can get a carseat inspected by state, and not all police/fire stations check them, not all are free, and most places (at least here) are appointment only.


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  • SarahRae85SarahRae85 member
    imagebombe4:

    When we took mine, my base moved around a little too. Basically the officer hopped in my car, put his knees and weight on the base, and then pulled to tighten the seat a little more so it wouldn't move. Worked like a charm. Maybe try that? 

    This is what we do. I got the belts all buckled and tightened, then had DH (who's significantly larger) sit on it and tighten it as well. The part of the base that's opposite of the seatbelt moves around a bit, but where the belt is, it's nice and snug, just the tiniest wiggle.

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  • CougFanCougFan member

    You won't always have a firefighter around to do it, so both you and DH need to be able to install it correctly and you both need to be able to spot an incorrect install.

    When we got our first car seat inspected, we were told only 10% of seats were installed correctly...and luckily we were in that 10%! (This was before Latch, so it may have gone up since then). 

    If you are using LATCH or have belts that will self-lock or have a base that has the built-in lock-off (so you don't need a metal locking clip) it is probably just a matter of getting on the base and pressing all your weight into it  while tightening the belt.  Watch videos on You Tube.  

    An inspection is always a good idea, but if you can't do it yourself you will be S.O.L if you need to re-install it. 

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  • hmt7hmt7
    I installed mine and then went to the police station just to have them checked.  My oldest daughters was moving more than an inch and they fixed it!  If it is not that big of Adela better be safe than sorry....
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  • rm2013rm2013 member
    My vote would be you guys try it yourselves but then take it to get it checked. That way they can show you what if anything is wrong. I wouldn't assume it's right just because it looks right.
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  • guilletskichukguilletskichuk member
    imagebombe4:

    In California, the firehouse does not inspect your car set. You have to take it to the California Highway Patrol to inspect and that is what we did.

    When we took mine, my base moved around a little too. Basically the officer hopped in my car, put his knees and weight on the base, and then pulled to tighten the seat a little more so it wouldn't move. Worked like a charm. Maybe try that?

     

    My DH has had two children before and installed many a car seat in vehicles...but was still unsure about the base he installed in our van earlier this week (the seat belt system is different in our vehicle than in previous vehicles he owned). I went up the street to the organization that does car seat inspections in town just a few days ago and, while DH installed the base and seat correctly, it wasn't quite tight enough. The lady who inspected it (a volunteer firefighter alongside my DH but actually works as a family coordinator for this organization) got in the van, knelt in the base, yanked on the straps and made sure it was in there more securely. If you're able to go up to the FD that easily, I would. It doesn't hurt to get it checked out by people who do it on a regular basis!

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  • MapleStarMapleStar member
    imagejack19:
    for the rear facing seats there will be movement at the point where it is farthest away from the latch point, i.e. the part closest to the front of the car. It doesn't attach anywhere there so there is going to be movement when you wiggle that end. The critical part is where the base meets the seat and the latch points. You don't want any movement there so yes, put your knee into it and yank it home.


    This. The 1" of movement is along the belt path. I was nervous when DH installed ours the 1st time around because it was moving more than that on the side closer to the front of the car, even after DH knelt in it. Fortunately, BIL is a carseat tech so he checked it out for us and said it was plenty tight near the belt path like it was supposed to be.
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  • Mother MeghanMother Meghan member
    imagebombe4:

    In California, the firehouse does not inspect your car set. You have to take it to the California Highway Patrol to inspect and that is what we did.

    When we took mine, my base moved around a little too. Basically the officer hopped in my car, put his knees and weight on the base, and then pulled to tighten the seat a little more so it wouldn't move. Worked like a charm. Maybe try that?

     

    CA girl here too. We don't live near a CHP office so we got it installed by Babies R Us. $5, which is more than I would want to pay but still not that much. The base is TIIIIIIIIIIGHTLY strapped to the seat, though we did see that there is a little give between the seat and the base. It's securely in there but we weren't expecting any kind of give. They assured us that was normal, the true infant seats seem to sit in there tighter but the convertible ones seem to have some wiggle.

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  • Stacey209Stacey209 member
    Our local PD and FD no longer do inspections. However, a car seat technician at the hospital checks them before you can take baby home. 
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