Seat belts in 2002 Toledo

[Jase_Tolly_07]

Is it possible to extend (safely & legally) the length of a seat belt?

I spoke to Kings Seat in Portsmouth to their Service desk and they seemed to think no, not at all, however many people I've spoken to seems to believe it is possible.

I need to know because the baby seat myself and my wife would like needs to have the belt stretched around the back of it into some little clip that supports the chair. My rear drivers side seat belt would not stretch that far when the girl from Mama's & Papa's tested it. The belt on the passenger seat (front) was fine for the seat.

So i was wondering does anyone know of a way to safe and legally extend a seatbelt or where I can get a new assembly with a longer belt fitted on my Mk 2 Seat Toledo TDi (2002)

Muchos gracias in advance.

Jase

 

[dchbrown]

http://www.bestbits.co.uk/cart.php?target=product&product_id=746&category_id=241

Have a look at this - its an aid for the disabled but might be exactly what your looking for...

 

[dchbrown]

Just noticed that it says this in the blurb:

Ideal for use with child seats. Lots of our customers are using this item to extend the rear seatbelts in the rear of their cars.

 

[Jase_Tolly_07]

I bought that product and tested it woth the baby seat and although the seat will fit in...the shoulder restraint part of the belt crosses the baby seat dangerously due to the change. It means that we cannot safely use this system.

I spoke again to Kings Seat in Portsmouth who after fobbing me off before with a blanket no actually explained why they wont extend it. It appears that Seat's use a system of fixings in their cars called Isofix...which means they have never even entertained the idea of producing seat belt assemblies with longer belts.

Much to my annoyance and extreme expense the £500 or so baby travel system we have purchased from Mama's and Papa's will not fit into any of the back seats of my car...or any Seat as they think only Isofix Child seats should be used.

Can anyone confirm this?

Has anyone ever gotten their seat belt extended by someone to allow for a baby seat?

Please help......with our arrival only three weeks away this is a rather pressing request....

Jase

 

[dchbrown]

hmmm i know all about isofix as my previous company car had them (06 leon) never noticed them in the tolly that i have now though

they were pretty obvious in the leon and i know its more expensive to get the isofix version of a baby seat (like another £50-100)

how come the travel system youve got wont fit?

 

[Jase_Tolly_07]

Finally someone has answered my request...LOL. I was thinking I may have to disguise this thread as a question about turbo's or dump vavles to get any kind of attention on this forum.

Well once the child seat base unit is put into the car and levelled out the baby seat carrycase is then clipped on top and the carrying arm lowered to push against the back of the seat. It is a rear facing child seat. The webbing that would normally run across your chest is pulled out as much as the belt will allow and stretched around the carrycase until it slides through a clip on the back. However on this belt it is not long enough to reach around the back of the carrycase, it is about 5-6 inches short.

I've tried a seat belt extended as described above but to no avail as the webbing across the chest would then cut straight across the babies face instead of reaching around the back.

The stealership, Kings Seat, in Portsmouth, are being particularly unhelpful and did not even confirm or deny this Isofix thing on the two occasions I've spoken to them about it. Even the time I took the car in for them to take a look at.

I cannot change the assembly because the retractor is hidden away within the structure and I can't even see it. If it is Isofix then its not readily apparent as the only fixing on the front of the seat seems to be a rubberised handle for pulling the chairs out.

This is doing my head in.....any suggestions?

Its a Mama's & Papa's Pliko + Pramette Travel System.

Jase

 

[jh71283]

Are the reel assemblies the same in the front and back?

If they are, then you could try getting a front seatbelt reel and fitting it in the back - the only difference would be the length of webbing wound onto the reel.

If the reels are different, try speaking to a seatbelt specialist about having a longer length of webbing wound onto the reel.