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I asked this question earlier, but I want to make sure that I am interpreting the answer correctly: Does a 98 v70 have tether points for all 3 tether points in the back seat (i.e. left, right, and middle seats in back seat (NOT the 3rd row)). That is, can I get a tether in the middle seat?
The reason that I ask this again is that a guy with an 98 awd R v70 told me that his v70 has no tether points, but Bill Nugent responded that his 98 v70 did have 2 tether points.
Bill, thanks for the response (march 17). Were those 2 tether points for the left and right sides or was there one in the middle too? Were these tether points stock or were they installed? Did they require drilling?
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posted by
someone claiming to be Bill Nugent
on
Wed Apr 3 03:01 CST 2002 [ RELATED]
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Hey.
The owner's manual (excerpted below with pic) states there are 3 points for installing tether points in the wagon - left right & middle seats. I installed 2 - port & starboard only.
The tether points were not installed when the car was delivered but are available at your dealer for a few bucks and bolt right in - no drilling.
Note that the complete 98 V70 owner's manual is available online at www.ownersconnection.com.
Child Restraint Anchorages
Volvo cars are fitted with Child Restraint Top Tether Anchorages in the rear seat.
Sedans: There are three pre-drilled anchorage points under the rear window shelf which are not visible from the passenger compartment.
Wagons: The anchorage points are on the rear seat backrest and are hidden by plastic covers. The backrest must be folded down to access the center anchorage point.
In cars designed for Canada, one top tether anchorage set will be in the glove box.
Installing the top tether
Sedans: The pre-drilled holes for the child restraint anchorages are underneath the rear window shelf and can be accessed from the trunk or by lowering the rear seat backrests.
Wagons: Remove the plastic cover from the anchorage point you intend to use.
On either model, refer to the child seat manufacturer's instructions for securing the seat.
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Thanks Bill!
This is great! The guy that I talked to with the 98 v70 awd R said that it was not even in the owners manual. He must not have been looking in the right place. This is great info!!
BTW, we are expecting our first kid in june, so this info is very relevant to which v70 variant we get.
thanks again!
Dan
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posted by
someone claiming to be Bill Nugent
on
Wed Apr 3 04:06 CST 2002 [ RELATED]
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Dan:
The points I show in that pic are for FRONT facing seats for older children. Your new little baby MUST be in a rear facing seat. I do not know how a rear facing seat gets tethered, since my kids were past that when tethers became available. Please stop by a dealer and ask him to show you. I've been at the dealer twice when exactly the same question was asked and the service manager walked the fellow out to the used car lot and showed him how to fit the seat correctly.
I will say that the tethers make the seat feel infinitely more secure - you can make it really snug and tight.
I can say emphatically that the V70 was the best purchase my wife and I have made in a long time. She vehemently opposed a minivan or SUV and we looked at all of the wagons on the market. We happened to come across this one in an ad in a local paper and it was perfect. Had it checked out at a local independent volvo shop and bought it there on the spot.
My wife likes driving it, loves the tight turning circle, we feel the kids are safe, and it holds the double stroller and a lot of other stuff. I love the fact that it keeps up on the highway (does more than keep up, but only when I'm alone in the car).
Good luck.
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Bill-
it sounds like you and I have the same wife. My wife also did not like the idea of an suv or a minivan. Both were too big, both have their stigmas. I grew up on volvos and took her to drive a v70. She fell in love with the car right then. Lots of room and a lot safer than either an suv or a minivan.
I like the safety, not only from a design standpoint, but also that the cars have better power (non-turbos notwithstandin), handling, and braking than almost any minivan or suv. Plus those seats... oooo she went nuts.
anyway, back to the tether discussion. Thanks for the rear seat pointer. That is good info. Actually, I was not aware that rear facing infant seats could be tethered! So this is bonus info! I was thinking mostly of the 6 mo and up (forward facing and booster seats). We will definitely go by the volvo dealership to ask.
Now to find a good infant seat that goes in a v70. any suggestions? I am a believer in testing them to find the best performer (I'm an engineer), but these tests are precious few. Consumer reports did some testing but that was about 1.5 years ago and was far from complete.
by the way, you mentioned taking the car you bought to have it inspected at a volvo specialist. Do you feel that the car is idiosyncratic enough that the inspection needs to be done by a volvo specialist or would any skilled mechanic be able to do a good inspection?
Thanks again for the info! you have been extremely helpful! If you were in the raleigh NC area, I would buy you lunch to say thanks!
Dan
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posted by
someone claiming to be Bill Nugent
on
Wed Apr 3 06:46 CST 2002 [ RELATED]
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1. The rear facing tethers - I'm not advocating Britax, but I know makes a rear facing tether seat - check www.britax.com. My sister has one and the installation in her Altima is quite nice. I don't know about the makers. (Note my Daughter has a Britax booster seat that is really well made. My son has a Graco that is also well put together and has some really nice features like an access flap for helping to the belt through.)
2. www.epinions.com is a good source for fit and finish for car seats, but no safety data. My gauge has been the number of recalls each manufacturer has had and what these recalls were for. If they took the time to do it right the first time, they probably thought about the safety of it too.
I believe, and I'm not an expert but like you I am an engineer, looking at the restraining arrangements, most car seats are pretty similar. The most important factor is by far correctly installing them and properly adjusting the belts and buckles.
3. Independent mechanic - I saw enough on here to make me think that there were, for lack of a better word, enough bugs in the car to give me pause, and we have run into a few minor ones - the front speakers went and the check engine light came on briefly for the gas cap and the sun roof cover rattles - all fixed by the dealer in a very prompt, courteous and efficient manner. These were more problems that we had with our Corolla but less than my mom had in her Camry and Accord and a LOT less than I had in my Jeep. I wasn't so worried about this particular car because the fellow who had it had meticulous reocrds and a son whoe worked for Volvo NA. BUT I figured $50 bucks to the guy down the road wasn't going to hurt. The car also had 18mos & 18k miles left on the warranty. 50 bucks was cheap insurance. Also spent $10 at Carfax.com to make sure everything was ok.
As to being warned off by the doom and gloom sayers on the board, remember this is a forum for solving problems, so you hear about problems. I may post a message about how we loaded the kids in the car with their wagon and drove up some gorgeous mountain roads and had a picnic lunch at a huge green acres area near us, and I had a HUGE smile on my face as we wove thru twisties and over hills and dips. That NEVER happened in the Corolla!
4. Lunch - be careful what you offer - There's no good (well not great, there is good) BBQ in New Jersey. When I get done, you wouldn't be able to afford a Volvo! LOL
Now lets talk about performance upgrades!
Best regards,
bill
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upgrades? Did someone say upgrades?
I will be looking at 98 cross country on friday. if it is as nice as it sounds, its ours. (Im excited, having looked for several months). it has all the options we want and at a good price.
I have an appt with a volvo specialist on friday.
I already poked around ipd and it looks like they dont offer ecu upgrades for awd vehicles? This is an implicit assumption since there was no awd mention at their site. Will have to look into this once (and if) we get the car.
Dan
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posted by
someone claiming to be Bill Nugent
on
Wed Apr 3 07:23 CST 2002 [ RELATED]
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Suspension Suspension Suspension - Torque and horsepower don't count if the car isn't on the road!
Plus it is easy to convince those of the purse strings that "You know, the car will be more sure-footed in snow and rain with these new sway bars and tower brace...."
I think it's time to copy the BMW guys and start a UUC - Underground Upgrade Club - upgrades shipped to a friends house, paid for in cash and installed out of sight and not immediately visible from the kitchen window. "Honey, the car feels like it has more...ooomph.... today." That's funny, I only changed the oil during those 4 hours in the driveway."
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To throw in my $.02 - the reason for the tether as explained to my at a Police child safety seat inspection the tether is to prevent the top of the seat from moving forward in a crash and causing whiplash that can kill little ones. The rear facing seats would not be subject to these forces, as the child's movement would push them into the seat. Which is probably why the are rear facing to start with!
And if the cops in your area offer a safety inspection - GO - Here I thought with a Volvo and what was an expensive child seat from my oldest child I was in good shape. I found out many older child seats are considered not safe and Volvo seat belts require that H shaped belt tensioner and to be MUCH tighter then I ever thought. Also the harness straps need to be tight enough that only two adult fingers can be sqeezed in. It ended up the cops replaced my old child seat with a new one on the spot as part of their safety program (they did for others as well, I was nothing special). And it took the experts about 20 minutes to adjust properly. To do it right still takes about five minutes of grunting and pushing the child seat into the car seat to get it right.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Bill Nugent
on
Wed Apr 3 07:13 CST 2002 [ RELATED]
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The rear facing tether on my sister's seat works like an additional lashing point and pulls the car seat down and against the belt - overall, making for a very "taut" and secure installation. The tether gets attached & detatched everytime you remove the baby carrier portion. I agree about the front facing seats and the tether, but I think, if I were to do it again, I'd get the r/f seat with a tether rather than without. I was always worried with my own kids that the baby carrier rocked no matter how much I tightened the belt against the base piece.
The grunting and cursing part I can relate to! I usually sit on the seat while my wife buckles it in. I dread the days when we need to switch cars.
Also, I too found that I needed the dreaded H clip (hate that F^*(*ing thing) because the child seat-safe seat belt male ends just didn't do the job.
Here's a trick though - take a permanent marker and mark on both belts where the clip is once you have it adjusted. Then when you are switching cars or taking the seats out for big loads, the clips can go back fairly easily.
BN
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