[fordsdad]

i am disappointed with the tether anchor placement for the third row. the straps cross the cargo area and mount just below the liftgate opening. it is a real pain to place our double stroller in the van now.


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2000 lx,fern grey,remote starter, single disc cd player,roof rack with cross rails, bra, hidden hitch,csa 5 spoke alloy wheels,15% film over oem privacy glass and artic alpine tires on the oem steel wheels.

 

[CPSDarren]

A definite disadvantage of the Odyssey. Windstar sets the standard for LATCH and tether locations in minivans. All the tether anchors are under each seating position, so there is no obstruction of leg space or cargo room. They even include a tether anchor under the front seat which can be used for a rear-facing convertible behind the passenger (on models without a power passenger seat).

I have a hunch that tether locations may have been an afterthought for the magic seat design. Maybe in another year or two....


Photos of Odyssey tether locations can be seen here:

http://photos.yahoo.com/tcaviller

[This message has been edited by caviller (edited 10-28-2001).]

 

[adam1991]

I'm trying to think of a solution that keeps the magic seat and offers tether anchors that are part of the magic seat.

I guess it could be done; simple hideaway anchors on the bottom of the magic seat, covered with sliders or something to keep the flat floor when needed, opened up to offer tether attachment points when needed.

Hmmmm.

In fact, if Honda does this, I'd like to be able to buy a retrofit magic seat.

My thought on why they didn't do this: the magic seat isn't anchored strongly enough for some engineer's comfort. It's anchored enough to keep itself from tearing away, especially given that (theoretically) the passengers are wearing their car-mounted seat belts that put at least some of the force into the car frame.

But maybe it's not anchored strongly enough to take the entire brunt of the force against a loaded magic seat. If it were done like the Ford described above, then all the force of a crash would be put on the magic seat itself--which translates to the swivel points and the two front latches--all for the entire seat. Can you imagine the potential of all three seating positions, or even two, filled with car seats attached to the magic seat via LATCH and those four magic seat attachment points taking all that strain in an accident?

F always equals MA. You have a 40 pound person plus the mass of the car seat itself, times two or three. Then there's the A of the front-end collision. Two of the magic seat's attachment points are swivel points, which undoubtedly give up some attachment firmness when compared to the middle row seat latches.

Yeah, it's probably better for the tether anchors to be part of the car frame for now, until and unless the engineers can make or certify those four (relatively speaking) weak attachment points of the magic seat to be suitable for taking all the force in a crash.

Remember, the middle seats are EACH firmly anchored by four fairly hefty attachment points, none of which are asked to swivel or otherwise do anything that might compromise their effectiveness. The two front "feet" of each seat do pull back on a spring; however, this doesn't affect their size or rigidity. And their failsafe mode is hooked ON with hooks forward and up, especially with weight on the seat. Different, and presumably better, than the magic seat.

I haven't seen the Windstar; what do their rearmost seats do? How do the seats themselves attach to the car? How do the tethers work back there?

Just some stream-of-consciousness rambling here...

 

[CPSDarren]

I haven't seen every Windstar configuration, but most appear to be very similar over the last 6 years or so. Those I have seen are typical captain's chairs or benches with solid anchor points to the floor. The anchors are on the chairs and benches themselves, much like in the second row of the Odyssey. The anchor is a bit different, but the effect is the same.
The new Chrysler vans also have nice anchor locations, at least on the second row seats. They are actually on the back of the seat, instead of the bottom. Being relatively close to the top of the seat minimizes the length of the tether. This will also minimize the movement of the top of the seat, and is somewhat preferable to the long wrap-around required in the second row of the Odyssey. It's tought to make the anchor location as good as in a sedan, where the anchor is often just 3-6" straight behind the top of the carseat, but newer minivan designs are improving.

 

[pearsonrj]

I was looking over a 2002 EX-L at the weekend, and it appeared to me that there was only ONE tether point, in the center position, on the inside of the cargo area, for the middle seat position of the third row seat. Is this correct? If that is the case, if you want more than one carseat on the 3rd row bench, you have to make do with the usual seat belt routine, rather than use the tether straps...

Having just looked at cavillers pictures I can now see that the outboard tether anchors are an option.... probably should have looked at them before I wrote this post (which I can't delete)...!

Richard

[This message has been edited by pearsonrj (edited 10-29-2001).]

 

[fordsdad]

it looks like the latch system is the way to go. the seatbelt does not have to be used, leaving room to move in and out of the van without the seatbelt in the way.
i wish i had that system.


------------------
2000 lx,fern grey,remote starter, single disc cd player,roof rack with cross rails, bra, hidden hitch,csa 5 spoke alloy wheels,15% film over oem privacy glass and artic alpine tires on the oem steel wheels.

 

[CPSDarren]

If you want to be a guinea pig, you can probably order captain's chairs for a 2001 Odyssey and put them into the 2000 model. I suspect the floor attachments for the chairs are identical. I'm not suggesting this is an approved method of getting LATCH compatibility, but I sure would like to hear about the details (cost, color match, fit, etc) Even if you only replace the chair behind the passenger, it offers a lot of flexibility and convenience.


Heck, maybe you can even get one or two from the 2002 model and then you get an extra cupholder, too....

[This message has been edited by caviller (edited 10-29-2001).]

 

[CPSDarren]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by pearsonrj:
I was looking over a 2002 EX-L at the weekend, and it appeared to me that there was only ONE tether point, in the center position, on the inside of the cargo area, for the middle seat position of the third row seat. Is this correct? If that is the case, if you want more than one carseat on the 3rd row bench, you have to make do with the usual seat belt routine, rather than use the tether straps...

Having just looked at cavillers pictures I can now see that the outboard tether anchors are an option.... probably should have looked at them before I wrote this post (which I can't delete)...!

Richard

[This message has been edited by pearsonrj (edited 10-29-2001).]</font>

Details on tether anchors in the Odyssey can be found at http://www.car-safety.org/odyssey.html

 

[fordsdad]

i also have a threaded weld nut under the carpet below the third row seat. it is off center to the drivers side and my honda dealer told me it was for a tether anchor. i find it hard to believe its for a child seat because it does not line up with a car seat installed in a belted postion. does anyone know what this is for. the tread pitch is the same as the honda tether anchor.

 

[CPSDarren]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by fordsdad:
i also have a threaded weld nut under the carpet below the third row seat. it is off center to the drivers side and my honda dealer told me it was for a tether anchor. i find it hard to believe its for a child seat because it does not line up with a car seat installed in a belted postion. does anyone know what this is for. the tread pitch is the same as the honda tether anchor.


</font>

It's not listed in my tether manual, but the manual is not foolproof. Double check your Odyssey owner's manual. If it isn't specifically mentioned as a tether anchor in the manual, I would be a bit hesitant unless you are VERY sure it is solidly welded to the chassis.

 

[fordsdad]

it is the very same as the three mounts at the back of the cargo area. in fact, the carpet is cut on three sides around the threaded weld nut with velcro to hold the carpet down when not in use. it must be for something, i just wish i knew what for.

 

[adam1991]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">it is the very same as the three mounts at the back of the cargo area. in fact, the carpet is cut on three sides around the threaded weld nut with velcro to hold the carpet down when not in use. it must be for something, i just wish i knew what for.</font>

What was it that someone said about reading the owner's manual?

Pages 346-347 of the 02 owner's manual, under changing the spare tire.

 

[fordsdad]

if the manual was handy, i would not ask. what is the point of the forums discussion if you take the time to look it up in the owners manual and post a reply, yet not impart the information.

 

[adam1991]

I'm flabbergasted.

I'm absolutely certain that the owner's manual is handier to you, in terms of time and completeness--and correctness--of answer, than any possible answer via this forum would be.

I've come to understand that forums like this should augment the owner's manual, not replace it. It's for things that aren't addressed, or aren't addressed well, in the owner's manual. What good would this forum be if it were nothing but constant repeats of what was already written by the manufacturer?

All too frequently, the answer you'll get here will be wrong, or will be missing some vital point, or will address something other than what you asked, or whatever. I can't imagine anyone wants to count on what he reads here as the be-all and end-all of how his Odyssey works. I figured anyone would rather know what the manual says first, and if there are any questions then come here and discuss it. But to replace the manual with a forum like this?

I just can't imagine that you wouldn't rather walk a few feet to where your manual is and look up the real answer, especially when someone took the time to point you to the exact pages...

Anyway, if you don't want to walk to the physical book and open it and look, you can download it (02 model, anyway) and keep it right on your computer:

http://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/

It seems to me you've spent an awful lot of time wondering what that weld nut is, and wondering if your sales droid was right when he said "it's a tether anchor". I'd think that with something as important as a tether anchor, you'd certainly want to check the owner's manual before doing something inappropriate or unsafe.

 

[fordsdad]

thanks for your help. i will take all of your free advice under advisement.

 

[CPSDarren]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by adam1991:
I've come to understand that forums like this should augment the owner's manual, not replace it. It's for things that aren't addressed, or aren't addressed well, in the owner's manual. What good would this forum be if it were nothing but constant repeats of what was already written by the manufacturer?</font>

True, in an ideal world. But in reality, most people don't check the manual. In this case, some may have been told by the dealer that said weld nut is a tether anchor, or assumed it was. If they read this forum, at least they will now hopefully question the issue enough to go and check their manual.