I am having trouble installing car seats in the back with the seat belts.

Is there something simple that I am missing? I need to lock them and do not know how. I know they lock on a fast stop, but this is not adequate.

Please tell me my 89 240 can take car seats! Thanks in advance.

I've put car seats in many different cars over the last 5 years, and one thing that might be a help:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000056JHP/qid=1078508746/br=1-12/ref=br_lf_ba_12//104-1208249-9552759?v=glance&s=baby&n=542454

This replaces the simple clip that most car seats come with, and works great.

Are you using a clip? Unless your in the center seat with lap belt, you need a clip to make shoulder belts work. Every car seat I know (excepta booster seat) comes with a cheap stamped metal clip that essentially turns a shoulder belt into a lap belt. The clip binds the shoulder portion to the lap portion, and doesn't rely on the reel locking mechanism at all. And yes, the clip is awkward as hell to use.

Peter P.
Portland, OR

Update:

You are very correct. I put "the clip" on there and all is fine.

I've had one baby, and used the center lap belt exclusively. This requires no clips. Now that I have another baby, I needed the two shoulder belts. I just needed to figure it out, but I was panicking when I thought the 245 couldn't lock them in tightly.

These "clips" are extremely awkward and annoying and took quite a while to get positioned properly, but now both seats are locked down nicely. I won't be quickly or easily swapping car seats between cars though.

With this latest victory, I have new confidence in the brick to continue plodding on!

Thanks for the help.

Chris
89 245 145k

I have a 90 245 and have had a few different car seats in my car. The seat belts don't lock like many newer cars but I haven't had a problem with the seat being unsafe.

We use the Britax car seat which in manufactured in England for our kids. They aren't cheap but who wants to skimp on the safety of your flesh and blood. The Britax Roundabout has locking clasps that hold the seat belts in place very well and also have a tether that you can attach to the car. Unfortunately, our bricks don't have mounting brackets for the tether but you could mount one somewhere if you want extra protection.

If I had a choice of vehicles for a wreck, I'd rather be in my brick than my wife's minivan!

--
'90 245DL, 5 speed, 285,xxx miles Looking to meet other brickers in Oregon. I travel up and down I-5 often and enjoy meeting for a beer in different towns.

I know that, on some cars, the seatbelts can be locked (allowing
them to retract but not extend) by pulling them out all of the
way. The system "resets" when the belt is allowed to retract
completely. Unfortunately, this doesn't work om my '88 240 wagon.
However, on the positive side, the rear belts do lock if you
so much as look at them wrong :)
.
-b.