It looks like I have the need to install a car seat in my '99 for my daughter. She's three and a half and rides in a front facing seat. The owners manual has instructions but of course, I'm thinking about that airbag.

It seems to me that if the seat is all the way back (and we all know that they can go far back), it's a good distance away from the airbag. The lap belt is is seperate from the break-away shoulder harness and ratchets, so all that is good.

Anyone done this without an airbag cutoff? Again, the manual only warns about rear facing car seats (which is obvious) but still...

Thanks!

Mike

 

My daughter is 20 mos. old and I always keep the airbag off. If I couldn't bypass it, I wouldn't take the chance with a young one.
Local enforcement can give you guidelines about what size/weight is safe for airbag deployment, but I'm pretty sure a 3 yr old is too young.

A good link I found has a toll free # for more detailed info.
Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT

 

You definately want the cut-off. Either have one installed or use it as an excuse to buy a C6, which has one standard.

 

Get the cut-off switch for your 99 from Fitchner Chevrolet.

The airbag goes off like a shutgun - no sense exposing a little one to that.

 

Here is how it´s handeled in Germany:

Rearbound seat with airbag active is illegal.
Seat facing to front is legal, but not recommended. There is a risk to hurt the kid, though the seat is all way to the back.

So get the cut off switch.

Frederik

 

I would go with the cutt off switch! It's a small investment for the saftey of your daughter!

PHP

 

My 97 does not have a cutoff switch, so I just put the seat back all the way.

 

What do you guys do about the top tether strap? Found any solid places to anchor it to?

Mike

 

MY 2000 HAS AN ANCHOR FROM THE FACTORY. I'VE YET TO USE IT THOUGH ,I'LL HAVE TO DO THE CUTOFF SWITCH AS WELL , THOSE AIRBAGS ARE JUST TO MUCH FOR A LITTLE KID IMO.

 

Air Bags - Frequently Asked Questions - NHTSA

Airbags - A Danger To Children

Question: Why are air bags dangerous to children age 12 and under?

Answer:Air bags inflate at speeds up to 200 mph -- faster than the blink of an eye -- to protect adults in a front-end collision. That blast of energy can severely hurt or kill passengers and drivers who are too close to the air bag. An infant's head in a rear-facing safety seat is directly in front of the air bag as it breaks through the dashboard and instantly inflates. Even some forward facing child safety seats could possibly place the child within range of the air bag before it is fully inflated. Also, if a child is unbelted, or too small for the lap and shoulder belt to fit properly, or wriggling around or leaning forward, there is a danger that the child will be too close to the dashboard during that instant that the air bag begins to inflate.
Turning an Infant Seat Around
Question: When parents learn that an air bag can harm a baby in a rear-facing infant seat, many of them want to place the baby facing forward. Is this okay?

Answer: No! Infants must always ride facing the rear in the back seat.

Both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warn that babies should ride facing the back until they are at least one year old and weigh at least 20 pounds. A child under age one does not have strong neck muscles; the head would snap forward in a crash if the baby were facing forward. This could cause serious neck and spinal cord injury.

When the child is facing the back, the force of the crash is spread across the whole body. The child seat harness must be snug, and the seat should be at a 45-degree angle to support the baby's head and maintain an open airway. Some safety seats have an indicator on the side to show the correct angle. A child seat that installs in a position that is too upright can be angled properly by using a firmly rolled sheet or towel under the foot of the seat.

To ensure that your children ride safely, remember these rules:

The back seat is the safest place for children of any age to ride.

Never put an infant (less than one year old) in the front of a car with a passenger-side air bag.

Infants must always ride in the back seat facing the rear of the car.

Make sure everyone is buckled up.Unbuckled occupants can be hurt or killed by an air bag.

For more information regarding children and air bags, call NHTSA's toll-free Auto Safety Hotline at 1-800-424-9393 or visit our web site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/or write to:

Child Safety Seats
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
400 7th Street, S.W., NTS-13
Washington, DC 20590

 

You have the anchor in a 00', with not air bag off? Where is the anchor you talk about? I have a 00' and had to install the off switch. LATCH came as a package with the air bag off from the factory. Post pics if you can, thanks.

 

I have a 99 and added an airbag on/off switch. Though the passenger seat seems to be far from the airbag when all the way back, it is rare that either of my kids (2 and 5yrs old) are actually sitting all the way back. They tend to be very busy moving about. Don't take a chance...

 

See, that's the problem. It's obvious what not to do for an infant but it guys fuzzy as they get older. My daugheter is three and a half and pretty tall. She's still in a car seat but we'll have to switch to a booster seat in the near future. According to GM and the NHTSA, she should be okay (but not prefered) in the front seat with the air bag.

With the seat all the way back, she's as far from the airbag as an adult. She is shorter however.

So, figure I go to the booster seat (which solves the top tether problem). Now she's using the factory seat belt. If I install the air bag cutoff along with the non-breakway belt, what issues do you have then? The non-breakaway belt is harder on your internal organs in a large crash. Also, in a large crash, if she slides out of the belt (like people do), there will be no air bag to blunt the impact. I also worry about my other passengers (like my wife) with the non-breakaway belt.

I didn't have any of these worries before... I had my Corvette and a Suburban. I sold the Suburban to get a new one, which I haven't done yet (waiting to see when the new version will be introduced). So, now I have no choice but to figure something out.

Mike

 

They sell booster seats with the 4 point harness. I have one for my son. It is good to 80lbs and uses the harness with latch or the factory seatbelt.

 

That's a convertable booster seat. You can only use the harness up to 40 pounds, then you need to switch to the factory belts.

Just got a booster seat and tried it in the car... due to the dished shape of the sport seats, it dosen't lie flush with the seatback. According to the manual (and common sense), that makes it a non-starter.

Argh! They sure didn't design these things for kids!

Making some phone calls tomorrow to try and figure this out.

Mike

 

When in doubt err on the side of caution. I have 3 kids (age 6 months to 6 years old) and none have ridden in the car due to the air bag issue. Local dealership wanted almost $600 to install the shut off switch since I didn't feel comfortable doing that kind of job. A family member who is a LEO and runs child seat safety clinics strongly suggests against kids in car seats and air bags. You can make your own choice, but as I said, err on the side of caution.

 

$600 is funny, you can't screw up the install. It is a self locking connector. It can not be plugged into the wrong thing by accident. The airbag switches are not like other connectors. They are bright yellow and have a different connections design. They are also different sizes for left, right, side and so on.

It is a simple MOD.

The only part that is electrical in nature is the light for the off switch. You don't even need to install the light to use the switch.

As far as my seat I checked and called the company. The Eddie Bauer seat I have for my son I CAN use the 4 point harness until he is 80lbs. It is rated at over 200lbs of strength. I also checked the federal websites and they also reccomend a 80lbs "tested" seat for a front passanger child.

I still want to see the anchor of the non-airbag off cars?

Where is it.

 

Interesting. Can you tell me what model Eddie Bauer booster seat you have? I looked at their website and all the booster seats max out at 40 pounds for the integrated harness. Also, do you have sport seats or the standard seats? If sport seats, does the booster seat stay in contact with the seatback?

I have no problem paying for and installing the air bag cutoff. However, if I'm going to have my daughter in a booster seat using the regular three point seat belts, I have the same concerns as I would with any other passenger (being that the airbag may be safer, rather than less safe). I'm also concerned about the non-breakaway belt for adults (where it could increase the risk of internal injuries).

Mike

 

THE ANCHOR IS RIGHT BEHIND THE PASSANGER SEAT , IN THE TRUNK AREA OF MY FRC, UNFORTUNATELY MY CAR IS IN STORAGE AT THE MOMENT AND I CAN'T GET YOU ANY PICS. IT'S BASICALLY A PIECE OF FLAT STOCK 1"X2" WITH AN OVAL HOLE IN IT ,IT'S MOUNTED FLUSH WITH THE CARPET, IT HAS A 90 DEGRE BEND AND MUST BE ATTACHED TO SOME STRUCTURAL PIECE UNDER THE REAR DECK. IT IS SHOWN IN MY OWNERS MANUAL BUT THIER IS NO MENTION OF A CUT OFF SWITCH