Need LATCH weight limit info

[AfricanQueen99]

Hi.  We just got a new car and I'm trying to find this information to no avail.  And my Britax manual is telling me to defer to the auto manual.

1. What is the LATCH weight limit for Infinity with a Britax Frontier?  My daughter is currently 40 pounds and we can NOT get the seat belts to install correctly (both long belt path and short belt path).  If the LATCH system is out I'm afraid we have to move to a booster using the selt belt. :(  The bright side is that this is my husband's car and she's in it *maybe* 2-3 times a month.

2. What's the LATCH weight limit for a Lexus with a Britax Boulevard?  I asked this before and got two different answers (one was 40 pounds and the other 48 pounds) - which one is the correct answer?  Luckily I can use seat belts in my car with a tight install, but I prefer LATCH's simplicity.

Thank you so much!  I really do appreciate that you ladies are so helpful with this information.

[an_aurora]

I'm not sure about Infiniti, I'll have to look it up.  Lexus/Toyota would be 48 lbs.  

[AfricanQueen99]

Thank you, Anna. Please look into the Infinity. What book/source lists all these weight limits? This stuff should be in the manual!!

[Smidge]

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=93117 should help :)

[chickabiddy]

Infiniti (Nissan) does not state a limit: instructions are to defer to the child restraint.  Britax states a limit of 40# unless the vehicle specifically allows for more.  Since Infiniti does not, you must use a seatbelt install at 40#.

[AfricanQueen99]

That's confusing to me.  If the manufacturer gave a weight limit of 48 pounds then Britax would be ok with that, right?  But if the manufacturer doesn't give any indication of a weight then I have to go back to 40 pounds.  So the car seat itself is fully capable of going to a higher weight limit in the LATCH.  It's just nuts.

I also couldn't find Britax's weight limit of 40 or deferring to the auto manufacturer.  Why isn't this information easier to find?!?

When I couldn't find the answer in the manual I called Infiniti this morning.  The guy was reading the same manual as me and couldn't find the answer so he went to go ask a coworker and was told that I could use LATCH to EIGHTY POUNDS with a booster.  Ugh!  It was at that point that I came here as I knew you all would have a much better idea.

And now I'm back to the real problem that we can not get the seat belts to hold this stinking car seat in to his car in any fashion.  She's going to be five in two days and I can't, in good faith, put her in a booster.

[bobandjess99]

have you tried the LBP?  That usually works.  Sometimes you think your belt isn't long enough, but with like 2 people and some copious swearing, you realize it actually does *just* fit.  

[chickabiddy]

On page 3 of the Britax Frontier manual, it states: "Unless specified otherwise by the manufacturer, assume a 40 pound child is the vehicle LATCH anchor limit."

[chel]

Originally Posted by AfricanQueen99 

That's confusing to me.  If the manufacturer gave a weight limit of 48 pounds then Britax would be ok with that, right?  But if the manufacturer doesn't give any indication of a weight then I have to go back to 40 pounds.  So the car seat itself is fully capable of going to a higher weight limit in the LATCH.  It's just nuts.

I also couldn't find Britax's weight limit of 40 or deferring to the auto manufacturer.  Why isn't this information easier to find?!?

When I couldn't find the answer in the manual I called Infiniti this morning.  The guy was reading the same manual as me and couldn't find the answer so he went to go ask a coworker and was told that I could use LATCH to EIGHTY POUNDS with a booster.  Ugh!  It was at that point that I came here as I knew you all would have a much better idea.

And now I'm back to the real problem that we can not get the seat belts to hold this stinking car seat in to his car in any fashion.  She's going to be five in two days and I can't, in good faith, put her in a booster.

Think of the latch anchors of the car as separate from the seat. So each car can have a different model of anchor bolts, doesn't matter what the carseat latch straps are rated for if what you want to connect them to won't hold the weight.

[an_aurora]

I would use LATCH to 80 lbs with a booster, since it's not taking the force of the crash but rather holding the booster in place when it's not occupied.  When a seat is installed with LATCH, the anchors hold the seat and the seat's harness straps hold the kid.  In a booster, the seatbelt is taking all of the stress of the impact.  

[DahliaRW]

You could get a nautilus if you want to keep her harnessed.  Have you looked for a tech in your area for help with the belt install?

[Smidge]

My Blvds states to 48lbs for LATCH or refer to manuf. specs

[AfricanQueen99]

BobandJess - We have tried the LBP and it's just not working.  I think my husband is just done trying with the belts and we were really hoping the limit was higher than 40#.

chickabiddy - Thank you for finding the actual weight limit in the book!  I swear, I read that thing backwards and forwards...to no avail.

dahlia - We bought this Frontier so it would be the last seat she would need in my husband's car and I so don't want to buy another!  So annoying.

Smidge - The car seat in question is a Frontier since (I'm happy to hear!!) the Boulevard in the Lexus goes up eight more pounds.

Hmm.  Since the belts are just a nightmare in this car I'm wondering if we can use the HBB as an option for her as she's almost never in that car...

Thank you, everyone, for your help.  I really do appreciate that you all are so on the ball with safety. :)

[chickabiddy]

What is the date of manufacture of the Boulevard?  Sometime around 2008 (I think) the Boulevard also changed to 40# unless otherwise specified.  Recent Boulevard manuals have the same wording as the Frontier manual (on page 3). In the LATCH manual ( a guide for technicians), Britax states that the limit is 40# and that this is a change from previous instructions.  This seems to imply to me that the change is retroactive.  If you do have a Boulevard and a manual that states a 48# limit, I would call Britax to confirn.

[Smidge]

Originally Posted by chickabiddy 

What is the date of manufacture of the Boulevard?  Sometime around 2008 (I think) the Boulevard also changed to 40# unless otherwise specified.  Recent Boulevard manuals have the same wording as the Frontier manual (on page 3). In the LATCH manual ( a guide for technicians), Britax states that the limit is 40# and that this is a change from previous instructions.  This seems to imply to me that the change is retroactive.  If you do have a Boulevard and a manual that states a 48# limit, I would call Britax to confirn.

I didn't read it in the manual, it's on a sticker on the seat.  Thanks for the info.  I will be re-installing 1 of my Blvds b/c dd is 39lbs :)