Help re carseats and seat belts!!
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Topic: Help re carseats and seat belts!!
Posted By: High9
Subject: Help re carseats and seat belts!!
Date Posted: 13 July 2010 at 12:45pm
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Hi we have an OLD 92 Mitsubishi L3000 (I think it's an L3000...) ETA: Station Wagon
Anyway we are getting a new carseat but the seatbelt isn't long enough to go all the way around correctly. I rung a seat belt and child restraint specialist and they told me we could get a longer seat belt for the car BUT it wouldn't retract all the way back in so the car wouldn't pass a WOF and that there was nothing I could really do about it. I assume he knows what he is talking about but my question is does anyone know if this is actually true? Or have had this problem and if so what did you do? We can't really afford a new car but if we have to get a new one I am sure we have family that would be able to give us a loan. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 13 July 2010 at 12:47pm
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Yep i think you would need to get a longer seatbelt. We had this problem with DPs old Mitsi.
As for it not passing a warrent i have no idea, perhaps you can ring a mechanic. -------------  
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Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 13 July 2010 at 12:55pm
Okay, might ring VTNZ and see what they say. Thanks  ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: _H_
Date Posted: 13 July 2010 at 12:57pm
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Surely if you got a new seatbelt you would also get the bit it retracts into so it would be long enough.
Maybe ring plunket and ask |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 13 July 2010 at 12:58pm
Last time I spoke to Plunket they said it wasn't their job 
The guy said it wouldn't retract all the way in so I assume he means some would be dangling out? ETA: Accidently wrote would instead of wouldn't  ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: caraMel
Date Posted: 13 July 2010 at 1:01pm
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You can get seatbelt extenders. They clip onto the existing seatbelt and then into the clip-in bit.
Like http://www.trademe.co.nz/Baby-gear/Car-seats/Accessories/auction-302008088.htm - this ------------- Mel, Mummy to E: 6, B: 4 and: 
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Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 13 July 2010 at 2:26pm
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Thanks for your help guys, spoke to vtnz, he suggested the same as you caramel, and like you h he said surely it would come with the whole bit it retracts into as well.
Will look into CMs suggestion though and see if that works other wise looks like we need a new car ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Renee & Lauren
Date Posted: 13 July 2010 at 3:42pm
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we had this prob with our car Nic. In the end DH and I swapped cars and I enquired about longer seat belts for our cars and they said it would at least $200 (min) to get the longer seatbelts installed in to our. ------------- http://lilyslim.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Renee & Lauren
Date Posted: 13 July 2010 at 3:43pm
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oh and those extenders are now illegal as I spoke to my bil and he is in car sales and he said they are now illegal and a few of our friends who work in the car industry say they are now illegal too. ------------- http://lilyslim.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 13 July 2010 at 3:55pm
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Ah okay thanks for the heads up re the seat belt extensions.
Yeah the quote for the seat belt (the longer one) was $240 but he said there is probably no point due to it not guaranteeing a warrant. I might ring a couple of other seat belt specialists and see what they have to say though. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 13 July 2010 at 9:55pm
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can you get a different car seat? ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: Renee & Lauren
Date Posted: 13 July 2010 at 10:15pm
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yeah I was going to say Nic that you could ask Babyfactory if they will take carseat back abd see if you can see if they have any other carseats that will fit in your car. We have to go with the evenflo in the end only because of our probs with seatbelts. ------------- http://lilyslim.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 14 July 2010 at 10:19am
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Not sure, will have to ring them as it's on layby atm (Bubbas gran got it for us and it fits her car fine) although my mum said if need be we can swap cars. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 14 July 2010 at 1:01pm
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you should be able to swap then and just transfer the the layby over... take your car and get them to put it in before you agree to anything so you can see if it is suitable. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker">
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Posted By: YODA18-
Date Posted: 15 July 2010 at 9:13pm
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Thats quite strange about the seatbelt extenders being illegal,.
my Mum got one for her Phil and Ted rear facing one as her seatbelt wasn't long enough and we got a extender from baby city for $60.00 and the lady said that 5 other people on that same day had been in to buy them, Also checked with two mechanics and they said it was totally legal!, As its a common thing these days with Jap imports! ( I hope my carseat fits in the Evo LOL) -------------   
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Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 15 July 2010 at 9:26pm
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The guy from VTNZ recommended it to me Tiff, and said repco sell them, I did look in Baby Factory and Baby City earlier in the year out of curiosity but both said they didn't stock them anymore.
Will be going in on Sat to test it in his car and if it doesn't fit will see if we can swap. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Kelz
Date Posted: 15 July 2010 at 9:36pm
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Hi Lil Nic,
This same question was asked to our Car Seat Expert just a little while ago.....I'll copy in her reply below. Hope it helps a little "It would be best not to use a belt extension for use with your infant capsule, or any child restraint for that matter. Child restraints are not tested or approved to be used with seatbelt extensions. Seatbelt extensions traditionally are for adults who aren't able to use the normal length of a seatbelt due to being too big. If your seatbelt isn't long enough for your car seat then you could either replace it with another restraint or try to replace the whole seatbelt system with a longer seatbelt, which can be a bit more costly." ------------- |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 16 July 2010 at 9:17am
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Oh thanks heaps Kelz
We've looked into replacing the whole thing, got a quote but then the seat belt specialist told us we wouldn't get a WOF as it wouldn't retract all the way back in, atm we are looking to change the carseat we have chosen. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Mucky_Tiger
Date Posted: 16 July 2010 at 12:11pm
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from what a friend told me...
you can get VTNZ to instal a longer seat belt and get it certified (like any modification to a vehicle needs to be) and then it will pass warrants. its the same process for changing a lap belt to a 3pt seat belt. can be done just needs certified |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 16 July 2010 at 12:16pm
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Do vtnz install seat belts? or just check them? Because I was told me needed to go to a seat belt specialist.
Everyone keeps telling me that he should be replacing the whole thing not just the seat belt but the guy said the seat belt still would retract all the way in so wouldn't pass a WOF, I wonder if it has something to do with the car as ours doesn't have a cover over the seatbelt iygwim... ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Mucky_Tiger
Date Posted: 16 July 2010 at 12:49pm
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there are 2 types of VTNZ. one that does checks only, and one that does checks and repairs. you need the one that does repairs.
Or a specialist shop as long as they can cerfity the repairs to VTNZ standards |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 16 July 2010 at 1:27pm
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Oh didn't know there was a repair type, will look into that, thanks ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Mucky_Tiger
Date Posted: 16 July 2010 at 3:09pm
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im not sure if the big citys have them but im sure one of the ones in invercargill does repairs as dad drops the car in and says if it needs fixed do it then ill come get it and pay the total bill.
its not a drive thru type one |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 16 July 2010 at 3:59pm
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Yeah just checked the ones in the wgtn region and none do, also their website doesn't have it under services so might be due to small town combining everything into one iykwim. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: tiptoes
Date Posted: 17 July 2010 at 1:25pm
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We had the same problem with our car and when trying the extensions they didn't even clip in properly so that didn't work either. In the end we borrowed a capsule that didn't need the seatbelt to go all the way around, it just went through the middle and then I swapped cars with DH. So annoying! It was a bit freaky as it was the only thing we hadn't had organised for months and months and only did the week before I was due. ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com">  
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Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 17 July 2010 at 4:20pm
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We didn't even try the capsule in the car until the day we bought her home so spent about maybe 30mins at the hospital trying to work out how it went lol! But we didn't get our pram until late as well, maybe 32 weeks after my false labour!
We're going tomorrow to see if it fits and everything. FX! Other wise looks like we'll be swapping cars with my mum. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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