Child seat in a VX220

[griffter]

I'm after a VX220 or an Elise BUT I want to be able to take my three year old daughter out in it.

I've heard that Vauxhall don't recommend child seats / boosters in the VX220 as it's fitted with seatbelt pretensioners.

Can anyone please confirm?

Thanks.

[Defcon5]

Dont all cars have pretensioners?

[griffter]

Well...that's what I was thinking. We put her in the Honda Accord OK. Pretensioners in the front (not the back AFAIK).

I think there's a reference in the VX220 owner's manual to not using a child seat in the car (think I read this somewhere) but as I don't (yet) have a VX220 I don't have a manual either!

Anyone sussed this? Or could chekc their manual please?

Cheers...

[Joe-turbo]

Post a thread on the vx220 forum (www.vx220.org.uk) or do a search.

I have seen pics in the past of a child seat fitted to a vx220 and have read a few times about people having them fitted

[griffter]

Thanks Joe-Turbo. VX220.org has quite a lot on this, but for the most part it's regarding whether or not the booster seat physically fits. That's one issue - easily overcome - but IIRC I read that the pre-tensioners used (perhaps in conjunction with seat design/angle) are for adults and can cause injury to an immature torso.

Anyway Vauxhall confirm they don't recommend it, but they couldn't tell me why!

[cheeky_chops]

i have taken both my sons in my VXR220 since they were old enought to go in front facing seats. The seat i use fits very snugly, was fitted by a specialist who only sell car seats. The belt goes around the seat and then they are held with a 3 point harness.

IMO (owning 2 VX's for 6 years in total), the issue is that lotus/vauxhall dont test the car for crashes with child seats, hence they have to put disclaimers on. Its not illegal, complies with highway code and is a hell of alot safer that my rover 214 shed. hth

[griffter]

Thanks - that is reassuring.

When you say "a three point harness" do you mean a harness on the seat itself, or the standard Vauxhall seatbelt?

[Torquey]

griffter said:

Thanks - that is reassuring.

When you say "a three point harness" do you mean a harness on the seat itself, or the standard Vauxhall seatbelt?

Not sure if the VXR has a 3 point harness but the standard Vx220 Na and turbo definately have a standard vauxhall seatbelts like any other car.

These cars dont have even pre-tensioners. Typical bull**** from vauxhall.

[cheeky_chops]

Torquey said:

griffter said:

Thanks - that is reassuring.

When you say "a three point harness" do you mean a harness on the seat itself, or the standard Vauxhall seatbelt?

Not sure if the VXR has a 3 point harness but the standard Vx220 Na and turbo definately have a standard vauxhall seatbelts like any other car.

These cars dont have even pre-tensioners. Typical bull**** from vauxhall.

my car has std car 3 point belts - this belt loops thru the car seat and then the car seat has its own belt clip arrangement for the child

Beg to differ, info on .org points to pretensioners - they are linked into the airbag

edit - link to TIS http://www.speedsterclub.nl/bibliotheek/technische...

Edited by cheeky_chops on Monday 24th November 22:02

[GraemeP]

I went down this road last year - if you want to play it safe get a child seat that uses the car seat belt to HOLD THE CHILD SEAT in place, where the child seat has it's own harnesses to retain the child to the seat.

That way the pre-tensioner will just tighten the child seat to the car's seat in the event of an impact, and not constrict over the child.

Also the main cause for concern with children in such cars is at a later age when using booster seats - very high probability of "submarining" (spelling probably wrong, but describes the issue of sliding beneath the belt and towards the bulk head during an impact).