Anyone have a car seat in their car?

I have a 3 year old and had hoped to be able to put a front facing toddler seat in front. I think with front facing I dont have to worry about disabling the airbag. Or am I wrong?

Since there is no LATCH I would have to just use the seat belt.

Any comments, advice, or snide remarks? :biggrin:

Thanks!

Ok, just found this.

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showt...ssenger+airbag

I tried the car seat thing with my daughter, and it worked ... meh, OK, I guess. Make sure to put a towel down first so that the carseat doesn't scratch your leather.

I spoke with Acura about the air bag, and with the design of the NSX air bag, if the seat is all the way back it won't reach that far, so there should be no danger. Still, if you're at all concerned about the air bag, it's best to just skip the NSX rides for the kiddies.

My daughter is now old enough to use just a booster seat, which works out much easier. If you can wait until she switches to those, you'll have an easier go of it.

As long as the seat is moved back far enough, you don't need to disable the airbag.

I would also protect your seat with a towel.

Some car seats provide a seperate locking clip to fasten the adjustable end to the fixed end to prevent the seat belt from coming loose.

I think most boosters are like age 4+ ? Or like 35 pounds.

I may just wait. Yeah, there is NO WAY the airbag would reach all the way back to a strapped in car seat with the seat all the way back. Thats got to be like 2+ feet?

Anyways its probably not worth the personal anguish before the booster is the right size.

The previous owner of my NSX installed an airbag disable switch for the passenger side. It wasn't for a car seat but for his elementary school kids. Lot of paperwork to do that.....

I'd recommend a Recaro Start since they fit the best for the OEM NSX and aftermarket seats.


I also have a Recaro Young Style that fits the OEM NSX seat, but it's definitely not as good as the Recaro Start. (no picture)

Otto

There are instructions in the owner's manual RE child seats. Read them. I'll attempt to summarize and add to below (please correct if/where you see mistakes) but the owner's manual shoud be considered official/recommended...

Rear-facing "infant" seats:

• Generally for infants under 1 year of age up to 20-30lbs and 27-36 (weight/height limits vary by model - our baby passed the 21lb/27" limit on our infant seat before she was 7 months so we had to buy another).
• Got airbag, no dice.
• No airbag, see see instructions below about getting belt tight.

Forward-facing "toddler" seats:

• Generally for toddlers over 1 year, 20-40lbs, over 34"
• Often the same physical seat as the next type described, but for this weight range you use the 5-pt belts attached to the toddler seat to secure the kid.
• In the NSX these require an anchor be run between the headrest and backrest of the seat to an anchor point on the firewall/bulkhead (you have to buy anchor point from dealer an install into pre-existing threaded hole). The instructions (in 1991 owner's manual) cover this completely, include how to modify (cut a hole in) the trim covering the firewall...but you can skip the trim modification and remove that trim section temporarily.
• Make sure these instructions are in the owner's manual for years with an airbag to verify the airbag isn't an issue.
• See see instructions below about getting belt tight.

Forward-facing "booster" seats:

• Generally for toddlers/children 40-70-100lbs (depending on manufacturer), over 34"
• Often the same physical seat as the previous type described, but for this weight range you use the vehicle's seat belts to secure the kid.
• Can also be booster-only style - just thing for kid to sit on, no back/headrest/etc like the previous.
• Not sure about use with airbag. Like previous I'd assume it's fine, but best to take the owner's manual's word, not mine.

(I wasn't sure which of the last two you were talking about...so I decided to cover both...which made me want to be thorough so this thread could be a reference for others - but not so thorough as to cover "convertable" seats which are a mix of the first two.)

Seatbelt tightening instructions...

This is for child seats where you're using the vehicle's belts to secure only the seat...i.e. the first two types. For me this works better than that stupid metal locking clip (which I think makes things worse, not better, because of how hard it is to get the clip on AND the seatbelt tight at the same time).

The NSX's seatbelt (like on many other Honda/Acura products) doesn't ratchet once pulled all the way out, but you can still get it to lock securely.

Put passenger seat ALL the way back then put in the baby seat and attach the seat belt properly. Next, pull the seat belt as tight as you can (your hand will be up near the headrest, pulling away from seat toward where belt goes into pillar, and you may be kneeling on the baby seat) then yank in the opposite direction as fast as you can. That will cause the belt reel to lock-up (until there is slack again). If done right only a small amount of belt will have come back out before it locked up...so the belt will be close to as tight as it was before you yanked. You can then use the seat forward/backward switch to move the seat forward to get the belt to desired tension (and keep it tensioned so the belt doesn't unlock).

I got the idea here from this post in this thread:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?p=788086

I've never been comfortable facing a small child forward. Although the newer seats are cool, I have always feared something coming through the windshield.:frown:

I disconnected the passenger airbag and hooked up a resistor to it. This way my airbag still works and the SRS light stays off. I have the recaro young start car seat. It fits kids from 20lbs to 80 lbs. Well worth the nearly $400 or so since it'll last a LONG time. It also looks great and fits VERY nicely in the stock nsx seats. Plus they have colors to match my interior. My daughter's been riding face forward in the nsx with me since I bought the car. She just about 14 months old at the time and slightly over 20lbs. Just big enough to be face forward in her recaro. She's now 2 and half, ALOT bigger and still fits her and in the car beautifully. The recaro also comes with accomodations to be able to be strapped down in basically ever car in the world with it's multiple tie down abilities. The car seat itself weighs about 30-35lbs I believe. Designed in Germany, made in america has an aluminum subframe built in. It's awesome, and tough like a junior racing seat. FULLY adjustable in so many ways. Way cool.

Man I wish they had those seats a few years back when my daughter was little. Thats just too cool. I guess I could have one more....................Nah.

I don't have any pics of my seat, but I take my (now 2 year old) daughter for rides as often as I can. The only hard part is that she gets more sun in her face then she would when she's in the back seat of the CTS-V. We always have her blankie, so sometime's she'll pull it up over her eyes to block the sun.

One of my favorite dad experiences so far... She was just starting to talk and we were cruising in Kentlands (a nice shopping/residential area) and at the stop signs, I would blip the gas once or twice before setting off making a distinct (test pipes and ARK exhaust) "vroom vroom" noise. After doing this a handful of times, we get to a stop sign, I do it again and my daughter looks at me and says "vroom vroom, daddy, vroom vroom!" I don't think I could have had any bigger smile on my face than I did when she said that!! She's awesome!

I have done both kind of seats...

an infant seat with the 'clip' on the seat belt works great. Just put the seat as far back as you can and maybe a towel under the seat, so it sits a little firmer.

A booster seat will work well, but find one with a NARROW base so it fits down into the NSX seat. I have a Britax booster seat that has a 11 inch base. The other Graco booster seats kind of wobbles on the NSX side bolsters...not good.

Just make sure you find a seat the fits secure in the car.:smile:

the only problem of the infant seat vs. the booster seat...you child can reach the seat controls in the booster

BTW...my daughter has spent more time than my wife in the NSX

I don't think either Recaro seat fits down into the NSX seat... but I could be wrong

03 raw nsx said:

I don't think either Recaro seat fits down into the NSX seat... but I could be wrong

Click to expand...

I saw some here in Japan at "SuperAutoBacs", and they go for around $800 usd. IT's a steal back there at $400 !

03 raw nsx said:

A booster seat will work well, but find one with a NARROW base so it fits down into the NSX seat.

Click to expand...

Bought a Cosco Safety 1st Summit Deluxe HB Booster from Wal-Mart ($99) the other day for when our daughter reaches appropriate age/height in a few months. Trying it out in our vehicles I realized it sits entirely on the bolsters of the NSX, which could be good (visibility for the kid) or bad (positioning is quite awkward, cuts into hinge section of bolster leather). I then noticed the base removes easily (push a small tab on one side, slide out metal rod that acts as hinge). With the base removed it's a perfect fit in the NSX (sits on bottom cushon, backrests line up).

GOTTSPD said:

I don't have any pics of my seat, but I take my (now 2 year old) daughter for rides as often as I can. The only hard part is that she gets more sun in her face then she would when she's in the back seat of the CTS-V. We always have her blankie, so sometime's she'll pull it up over her eyes to block the sun.

One of my favorite dad experiences so far... She was just starting to talk and we were cruising in Kentlands (a nice shopping/residential area) and at the stop signs, I would blip the gas once or twice before setting off making a distinct (test pipes and ARK exhaust) "vroom vroom" noise. After doing this a handful of times, we get to a stop sign, I do it again and my daughter looks at me and says "vroom vroom, daddy, vroom vroom!" I don't think I could have had any bigger smile on my face than I did when she said that!! She's awesome!

Click to expand...

LoL, my daughter does the same thing! She's 2 and half now. My favorite thing to ask her is, "What does the car say?" Vroom Vroom! She also CLAIMS the nsx. She tells EVERYONE, it's "It's MY car, not your car. It's my car. Car goes vroom vroom!" Then there are times when I pick her up from daycare she'll say, "daddy, I wanna go home in the car, not the truck. I wanna go home in the car." She'll peek outside and see the car and head out the door. Or She'll peek out, see the truck and repeat herself "I wanna go home in the car, not the truck." And stand there, won't move because the car isn't outside waiting. Sheesh, demands already!

03 raw nsx said:

I don't think either Recaro seat fits down into the NSX seat... but I could be wrong

Click to expand...

Oh ours fits. It fits great. The trick is to adjust the seat back properly. But it fits great though. Doesn't even need the clip.

Don't forget there is also a factory hook that can be attached to the passenger seat to more easily attach a car seat. I believe it comes stock in Canada but no where else.

I think it is like $10 bucks.

pictures anyone of this hook????

03 raw nsx said:

I don't think either Recaro seat fits down into the NSX seat... but I could be wrong

Click to expand...

The Recaro Start fits very nicely and snug in the NSX seat and some aftermarket bucket seats in the NSX. The Recaro Sport and Recaro Style aren't as solid.

Otto

I have one in my NSX. My son Bryan is 15 months old. I got full custody of him so I take him everywere I go..:smile:
I will take pictures of how I did it..I will post them up tomorrow...Doug

Here is one I had...

NormRD said:

Don't forget there is also a factory hook that can be attached to the passenger seat to more easily attach a car seat.

Click to expand...

I think "can be" is a little unclear. Depending on the situation it is either required for proper installation (front-facing seat where kid uses the belts attached to the child seat) or unnecessary (front-facing seat where kid uses the NSX's seat belts).

KooLaid said:

pictures anyone of this hook????

Click to expand...

See owner's manual, page 10 +/- (not a picture but the next best thing - an illustration) ... or see one in person at your local dealership.

This part came of my civic's rear seat belts. It bolts to one of the seat bolts. I used a grade- 10 bolt just like the stock one but a little longer. The recaro car seat is nice and solid..Doug

oooh ok. Thanks for the picture! Well unfortunately, our Recaro childseats don't come with that spring type of hook. Ours is actually like a latch/clip mechanism. It requires a rounded wire hoop type that you see in most newer rear seats of vehicles.

The wire has to reach DEEP inside the latch to actually engage.

:biggrin: