HELP! Car Seat Safety Issue! « Hellobee Boards

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HELP! Car Seat Safety Issue!

By Arden Dec 21, 2014

We've just traveled overseas with our Combi Cocorro and we've run into a serious issue.
I'm installing it rear facing. The car we are using does not have latch, the back seat has three shoulder belts (no lap-belt only seats) that DO NOT LOCK.
When you pull the belt all the way out and then release it, it doesn't lock the way I'm used to belts working in any other car I've used. It only locks if pulled quickly, but I know that is not safe for a car seat install. It needs to be pre-crash locked.

I can't find the manual and this car isn't sold in America so I'm having no luck online on English language sites, so frankly I'm panicking. Help? It's a BMW Station Wagon, 1999, 530D Touring.

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30 comments

Kemma
grapefruit / 4291 posts

Dec 21, 2014

Would a locking clip help?
sunny
coconut / 8430 posts

Dec 21, 2014

I think there was some sort of clip that came with our carseat for seatbelts like that.
Arden
honeydew / 7589 posts

Dec 21, 2014

After much research I'm finding I need a rear facing lock off clip, like this: http://www.combiusa.com/mobile/Product.aspx?id=37701

But I'm in Albania. Crap.

Any ideas? I'm refusing to drive anywhere until it's 100% secure but I need to fix this quick.
Arden
honeydew / 7589 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@Kemma: @sunny: Yep. Now I just have to figure out where the hell I'm going to find one. Today. In Albania.
sunny
coconut / 8430 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@Arden: can you buy/borrow a new car seat? would a new car seat come with that part?
Arden
honeydew / 7589 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@sunny: I thought of that, but the seats for sale here are all Balkan brands that don't have the same safety standards and that freaks me out. I grew up here so I know the quality control issues and it scares me. I'm kicking myself for not buying one just in case before we left but I didn't think of it.

I just found out this kind of metal clip also works as a RF lock off, so DH is taking measurements and this picture to a machine shop to see if they can literally cut one out for us today. Hoping that could work?
lamariniere
pineapple / 12566 posts

Dec 21, 2014

I just checked amazon DE, FR and UK and none of them have it. Only the fr site had a Combi Coccoro seat, and they only had one. Maybe it isn't in the European market? If you can't find it, you'll probably have to get a new seat. Bummer.
lamariniere
pineapple / 12566 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@Arden: I don't think I would trust a machine shop to make something like that. I would rather buy it from the car seat manufacturer so that you know it has been through safety tests. Ugh, I'm sorry this is happening to you!
sunny
coconut / 8430 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@Arden: can you find out if a new seat comes with the clip? You could buy it and just use the clip with your existing seat and hopefully sell the seat when you're done. The only thing I would be concerned about with machining your own is that you may not have the right gauge of metal and that might be worse than just getting a local seat?
SugarplumsMom
bananas / 9227 posts

Dec 21, 2014

Would it be possible to have a relative buy it in the States and express deliver it to you? It might be cheaper than buying a brand new car seat.
Arden
honeydew / 7589 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@lamariniere: @sunny: I'm trying to find a new seat that comes with one, but it's hard to even find car seats here! I asked a couple of parents (including an OBGYN) and they were like... "we didn't use a car seat - and you certainly don't need a car seat for a two year old!"

I feel terrible, I lived here for years and I should have thought about this kind of thing happening and prepared for it, but kids weren't on my radar last time I was here and i just didn't think about just how much is different when you have a child with you here.
Arden
honeydew / 7589 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@SugarplumsMom: "Express" is just priority mail to here, so it would take at least five days. If I don't find another option today though, I might do that.
SugarplumsMom
bananas / 9227 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@Arden: I just checked FedEx for you and the earliest delivery would be Dec 29th and it's more than double to cost of USPS
lamariniere
pineapple / 12566 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@Arden: I just checked a few baby gear sites that I've purchased from in France and Germany, but none of them ship to Albania (in the case that you would have to buy a whole new seat).
matador84
papaya / 10560 posts

Dec 21, 2014

Can you post on fB car seat for littles and car seat lady? Someone there might be able to help too?
Pumuckl
pomegranate / 3601 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@Arden: any chance that a car rental company has carseats that are safe to use until you can get the piece you need shipped?
MamaG
pomelo / 5298 posts

Dec 21, 2014

Are you sure your seat doesn't have the part? I believe our seats have it stored in the underside of the seat.
Arden
honeydew / 7589 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@MamaG: I checked it all over. It's possible it did have it and came off at some point, we've traveled a lot with it.
SugarplumsMom
bananas / 9227 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@Arden: It looks like some Amazon.de car seats ship to Albania.
T.H.O.U.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@Arden: I'm so sorry. We ran into this issue too and needed the clip.
avivoca
watermelon / 14467 posts

Dec 21, 2014

Can you locate a locking clip that isn't Combi brand? I know that your husband was going to get one made, but I hope you are able to find one.

Also, I know you didn't ask this, but is it legal to use that seat there? I'm not sure if you are just traveling there or planning to reside.
Foodnerd81
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@Arden: I think that locking clip is pretty generic, so if you could get any brand I bet it would work (our Graco one looked exactly like that). Most newer convertible seats have a built in lock off, so if you got a different car seat that would be one way to solve the problem- but I realize that's not an easy fix at this point. Sorry you are dealing with this!

And I'm assuming this is your only car option?
Arden
honeydew / 7589 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@avivoca: Haha there are no car seat laws of any kind enforced here, so yeah. I usually see babies being held in mama's arms in the passengers seat.

@Foodnerd81: Yeah that's what I'm thinking. I'm looking for ANY car seats are hard to find here.
loveisstrange
pineapple / 12526 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@Arden: Amazon UK ships some stuff outside of mainland UK. One of the wives in our shop was from Lithuania and I remember her shipping something to her family. I don't know about something as big as a car seat though.
T.H.O.U.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts

Dec 21, 2014

@Foodnerd81: im not sure if it's a newer issue or a feature issue. We learned the hard way that our graco doesn't have built in locking clips but our britax boulevard does.
sunny
coconut / 8430 posts

Dec 21, 2014

I'm assuming the BMW is a relative's car? Do you know if *any* cars have the type of belt we have here? You could try calling a taxi and then using that taxi as you need to get around or try renting a separate car?
littlejoy
pomegranate / 3375 posts

Dec 21, 2014

Have you double checked that the buckle isn't self locking? Our Jeep doesn't have ratcheting shoulder belts, but the actual buckle (plastic above the plate) is designed in a way that locks with pressure. It's not mechanical at all, just the way the plastic is molded.
LovelyPlum
eggplant / 11408 posts

Dec 21, 2014

I hope you were able to figure it out!
looch
wonderful pear / 26210 posts

Dec 22, 2014

Have you checked on carseat.se? They might have parts that they could ship to you.
Arden
honeydew / 7589 posts

Dec 22, 2014

Thanks everyone! We are using a different car that has locking seatbelts until we can get to the capital to buy a clip, hopefully tomorrow.

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