car seat installation with shoulder belts - seat tips over

[blumooned]

We have a Graco MyRide 65 & Graco SnugRide - both rear facing.  Both had only ever been installed (one at a time) in the middle of the back seat, using a lap belt.  Since we will be using both seats now, I installed them both, one near each door.  Both use a shoulder belt now.  The shoulder belts have the auto lock mode - I pulled them all the way out & they clicked back in.  I got the seats in as tight as I could.

I tested the seats to see if they were secure by pushing/pulling & wiggling them.  They both seemed pretty secure until I noticed that they could be pushed over - sideways.  They rotate along the path of the seat belt - does that make sense?  The seats don't move back & forth, but if you push from the side, it will move so it is laying down on the empty middle seat next to it.  I hope I'm explaining this clearly!

This doesn't seem safe to me, but I can't figure out how to change anything.  Is it OK?  Any suggestions on how to fix it? 

[Virginia Mom]

Okay, breathe.....first, check with your local fire department or police department and see if they have anyone who is certified to install car seats (if you live in a smaller town, maybe...but certified is the important part).....next.....and I don't if this works with rear facing, but with my forward facing, I have to physically put both of my knees in the car seat, put all my body weight down .....and squish the car seat down...then pull/sinch back the seat belt....(hope that makes sense)....the other thing to check is to make sure the car seat is 'level'...and also, what about using that waffle weave fabric that goes under kitchen carpets....non skid stuff .....sometimes it's a matter of trying to install the thing a few times...and then pulling it in all directions so it won't move..............one last thing....what about putting them side by side....(weird to think about, but we always kept both seats closer to the driver side...maybe if they are snug together, they won't move?)....yeah, I'm babbling at this point, but maybe some of it will help.

[Maedze]

Check the SafeKids website for a certified technician.  It's a better place to start than a police or fire department, because independent technicians, frankly, tend to be better at their jobs.  It's not a blanket condemnation, but just a 'rule of thumb'.  

The easiest fix for this issue is to use a locking clip rather than engaging the locking retractor, but first, do you have less than 1" of movement side-to-side and front-to-back at the belt path?   If you don't, it's possible that your seats are loose enough that you're going to have tipping.   If you do, it means you have very sensitive locking retractors.  

i'm sort of betting it's the former, because although the Snugride can be a very tippy seat, the My Ride is generally not. 

[blumooned]

Thanks for the input!

I checked the SafeKids site for a tech in my area, but couldn't find one.  So, I went to the police dept.  The officer who checked them said they were installed correctly & were probably a little too tight.  He loosened one just a bit & it did not tip nearly as much but was still tight along the belt path.  It's weird - when they do tip, the seat actually tightens the belt as it turns inward.  I'm not too concerned about it, I guess, since both seats are nice & tight along the belt path, where they are supposed to be.