Anyone have an infant seat in there TL? How does the leather hold up?

 

I have one in mine. It holds up pretty well but my daughter is young (10 mo) and doesn't eat/drink anything in the car. I did put a towel under it to try to prevent it from sliding and that may help a little too.
When i had the seat installed, the cop said "you know your beautiful leather seats are done for right?"
Oh well. As long as my baby is safe, i'll sacrifice a little leather.

 

Had mine in for almost 2 years.

No probs, take it out and condition the leater every so often. Do not put a towel or anything else under the infant seat, per the mfg, police, and the safety consultants. They all told me it would change the way the seat was designed to hold its place against the car seat.

 

Peace, Jeff

 

There was a car seat in my car for a while and after 4 months of no seat it still has ugly marks, no holes or tears though

 

Yes. Never ever forget to take it out about once a month and CLEAN.

Lollipops eff up the leather.

 

I had a car seat in my car for nearly two years. I had a folded white towel under it to protect the leather. Use the LATCH system that is built into the car. I would put my knee into the child seat and press down on it when tightening the straps - that seat was not going anywhere, towel or no towel. As suggested take it out every so often and clean. If you have to let the child eat in the car limit it to Cheerios or something easy to clean up, no candy or liquids. The child seat has been out now for over a year and all indentations inthe leather are gone, have been for a while now. They will go away over time.

 

sweet - did any of you position the seat in the middle of the back seat?

 

I have a car seat in my 02 TLS for 2.5 years now. On the first year, the car seat was placed in the middle (with the base) when my son was born. We bought a rubber pad from Baby Depot to protect the leather on the back seat. We also used towels to pad the sides of the car seat base so that it won't sway left and right.
After my son was one year old, we moved the car seat and placed it on the rear passenger side (without base). We still use the rubber pad underneath the car seat. So far, he has spilled juices, snacks, milk, water and etc on the car seat but not on the back sear. *** knock on seat ***.

Cheers !!!

 

I pretty much ditto what everyone else has said however I have noticed that the top headrest cushion has an imprint from the anchor strap.

I also use the approved seat protector under the child seat. You can get those at any Baby store.

You never want to put a child seat in the middle.

 

That's what I have heard, however, it seems quite common. I guess so they is still sitting for four- I am guessing here.

 

Bareback,
Is there a congratulations in order?

 

Does the '00 TL have a LATCH system? The cop that installed mine didn't seem to think so and he used the regular seatbelt to fasten it in. Also, in regards to the towel, the cop was the one that suggested it.

 

I placed the car seat in the middle position. I did occaisionally move it to the side if I needed the room for another passenger in the rear. I chose the middle seat in case of a side impact collision the child would be that much farther away from the impact.

 

Yes it is on top of the rear deck.

 

That's not meant to hold a child seat in place though is it? Aren't most of the anchors down where the seat meets the seat back?

 

The LATCH system uses anchors at the base of the seat back, and at the top of the seat. Child seats compatible with the LATCH system will have straps and anchors to mate with all three anchors.

 

Soon the little one is 10 weeks away - getting a little nervous - probably going to buy a SUV to avoid all this with positioning of the car seat - wife loves the H3 - Thanks!

 

No the 2000 does not meet the requirements for the latch system.

Doesn't mean you can't use a Latch car system, you will instead need to use the seat belt and the latch on back (over the trunk).

In order to be a true LATCH system you would need to use the attachments under the rear seat - available in all 2003 and newer vechiles.

Car seat is secured only by these points, meaning you do not need use the seat belt or the over the top latch on the trunk.

 

About to have our first baby...(ok the wife is, not me) But i dont get it. Of the pictures i've seen on the net, the LATCH system uses top anchors and bottom. (2 or 3?) Am I correct in figuring that our 2001 TL has only the TOP anchors and NOT the bottom ones?
Thanx

 

When the baby is first born you will be using an infant car seat in the rear-facing position, and will not be using the top latch anchor above the rear seat. Get one of the ones that has a removable carrier that locks into a base that you mount on the seat. Check out this consumer reports article to help in picking one out:

http://www.consumerreports.org/main/...=1130537303566

Since you do not have the lower latch points in a 2001 TL ( I think ) you will be using the seatbelt to secure the base of the child carrier. I used the middle seatbelt in my accord because it was just a lap belt, and was easier to lock into position than one that had a shoulder strap. The center position is also more protected in a side impact. When the child gets heavier, and you move to a convertible child seat, it will become more of a PITA to get them into a middle mounted seat, but for now that will be best.

When you do move up to a convertible child seat, check out the consumer reports article on line again. We are using a truimph evenflow DLX, which is a version of the evenflow 5 that got good reviews from CR, but with more comfortable cushions. It rated extremely well in crash tests and runs about $120 at a place like kidsRus.

http://www.evenflo.com/pr/co/prco.phtml

Most state police have a program where they will check the installation of your child seat for free. The installation is critical and the correct method may not be obvious to everyone. It is well worth taking advantage of this program if it is available in your area.

Good luck, and happy motoring with your little one. Sometimes a drive around the neighborhood is the best way to get them to sleep!

 

One more thing, get a copy of "The Baby Book: Everything you need to know about your child from birth to age two" by William Sears, MD. He is a pediatrician. His wife is a nurse. They have eight kids.

The book is packed with helpfull stuff about babycare. Good luck.

 

Got the wife a H3 - got the books - got the car seat in the H3 - worked fine in the middle back location - but's it gone now. Got What to Expect books - life is different than what the real deal is! 2month old baby boy and doesn't give you a chance to read the book - only when you are using the facilities....

 

awesome, thanx so much for the good avice all!

 

I just got my TL 3 wks ago. The first time I put the car seat in, I noticed some ugly marks when I removed it. Since then, I have been putting a blanket underneath it to protect the leather...not doing it at the expense of my daughter's safety though, I make sure the belt is VERY tight so it cannot move around. And I remove the car seat after every use.