Astra convertible baby seat HELP!!

[grale1]

Hi all, I've just made a spontaneous purchase on bday for a very tidy 2002 astra convertible. Good price, 12 months mot, low milage etc you know the drill.

My issue, I have a new born and stupidly I didn't check baby seat compatability before purchasing. Idiot I know.

Are there any owners on here that can confirm baby seats can be fitted, rear facing and forward facing.

Car in question is 2002, based on the mk4 platform.

I've looked on the net but can't find any good info. Really looking for owners advice. Thanks

[ymwoods]

is your friends the one with the recess/"buckety" type seats in the back? If so, then no as every baby seat I have seen will not fit the gap and sit in safely. If not, then yes, if its the universal fit with a seatbelt kind of baby seat. I don't think they have the ISOfix in the convertible.

From a quick internet search I have found someone moaning that there is no airbag turn off switch so, if this is true, it would not be possible to install a seat in the front seat. No idea if it has and they were just being blonde however.

Of course, the fuses for the airbags have been known to blow...check it ONLY disables the airbag though please, obviously this is at your own risk, don't do that its a silly thing to do etc etc.

Edited by ymwoods on Tuesday 2nd September 20:00

[grale1]

Cheers for your reply. No the seats are just normal conventional seats I believe, not the bucket type so I'm hoping no issues. Surprising there isn't much info on the net about it though.

Anyway thanks again for your input

[NiceCupOfTea]

Get ye to mothercare - they will try all and sundry in your car and tell you which fit properly.

I had one in mind when I bought my e36 convertible (bucket-y rear seats) but the fitter wasn't happy - IIRC it was something to do with the sockety bit pulling downwards rather than up and across or something (they seem to sit a bit higher on convertibles).

In the end my second choice (Maxi Cosi Tobi) fitted, although the belt was only just long enough. (this is front facing BTW)

Only slight issue is she has to sit behind my wife as I can't the seat far enough back if daughter is behind me!

Don't worry, something will fit - it's a modern 4 seater convertible. Could get the airbag disabled - Mrs.NCoT ferried our daughter around in the front seat of her Puma for the first 9 months (rear facing).

Got a pic?

Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Tuesday 2nd September 23:43

[V8forweekends]

Depends a bit on car seats - the Britax website lets you check (hint: Vauxhall are listed as Opel/Vauxhall) but obviously that's only any use if you have Britax seats

[Whitean3]

I have a maxi Cosi Tobi in the back of my 911- if it fits there, it will fit in an astra convertible, surely! Plenty of threads in the Porsche forum discussing child seats for 911s. Like I say, if you can squeeze one in the back of one of these, you'll have absolutely no trouble in the Astra

[DKS]

FWIW I remember a big stink a few years back when Vaux/ GM/ Opel refused to allow the disabling of the pass airbag for front baby seats. There's certainly no feature on any mk4 I've been in.

[C.A.R.]

Found this pic online -



The seatbelts being in the centre of the car shouldn't be a problem and the seat bases don't 'appear' to bucket that much.

More of a concern should be the space available back there. Ie. not a lot. Baby seats are massive (and rightly so!) to protect little people.

[P-Jay]

The problem will be the angle of the arse bit of the seat - forget anything ISOFIX because the seat will be at too steep an angle and Baby's head will fall forward - seat belt mounted baby seat allow more slip angle but there's a certain amount of base that has to be in contact with the seat so it's worth checking.

If you haven't bought the seat yet (as above) go to Mothercare they'll have lots to try and will fit them all to check which works best - but avoid the Greco Snugsafe Car Seat - it's crap, as we found to our cost.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Seat will fit no problem but as you say the problem will be the seat in front - if nobody is in the pass. seat or your partner is short you should be OK. When I am in the pass. seat in Mrs.NCoT's Qashqai with MiniNCoT behind me I am uncomfortably far forward, but I am a 6 footer. Mrs. is fine in the e36 even on long journeys.