Does anyone here know if the belt buckles in the Model S are A, B, or something else? I need to buy some extenders for the back seats to go around my booster seats for the kids. I tried other seats to see if they fit in there, and nothing really fits well, so extensions it is!
I'm not familiar with the various types but I was curious so I went searching anyway. From the Decoding VIN thread, we know the Model S has "Manual Type 2 USA seat belts." I'm guess that maybe this line up with Amazon's labelling... Amazon.com: Seat Belt Extender - Type 2 - Black 8 - Clicks Right In: Everything Else ... but I don't really know. Hopefully helpful, perhaps not.
I ordered this one and it works perfectly... Welcome to the More of Me to Love Store Item Sku Qty Car Seat Belt Extender: Classic Click & Go Color Black Type (See 3 Simple Steps to Choose the Right Type) Type A (7/8" or 22 mm) Length 7" (18 cm) 410675A7bl 1
This looks interesting too, a rigid extender so the kids can more easily buckle themselves. Just need to make sure it isn't too long, where the buckle ends up higher than the kids legs. http://store.moreofmetolove.com/seat-belt-extenders/car-seat-belt-extenders/rigid-car-seat-belt-extender.html
yeah I was thinking this: 8 cm Mini Car Seat Belt Extender - Black - Type A (22mm wide metal tongue) - Clicks Right In Garden I don't have a Model S yet to know if that would be the right height though...
So is the issue more that the buckles are sunken in and need a rigid extension so that the kids can reach it more easily, or that the booster seats are too wide and cover the buckles, and you need one of the flexible extensions that allow for the extra width?
For me it's actually both. Getting hands between multiple seats is a PITA, but that's only because the curved nature of the sides of the seats are interfering with boosters. A rigid one that flexes slightly would be perfect to me.
I have. See this post: Has anyone that ordered the optional jump seats had their car delivered? - Page 7
It's the former, at least for me. For a picture of a seat belt extender installed in the Tesla along with a booster seat see http://www.teslamotors.com/forum/forums/help-looking-rear-seatbelt-extensionsextenders
Great tip, thanks. I just ordered this set: Amazon.com: 8 Go!: Everything Else Will post pics when I get them. Really looking forward to having the jump seats retrofitted...
An update on the seat belt extenders. I've had 3 boosters with 3 extenders (see above post) on the back row for a while. Now I am down to one (finally had my jump seats installed, they are awesome by the way). I have a 6 yo and 4 yo twins and all 3 of them are able buckle in and out without much effort (almost impossible to do without the extenders given how the booster almost completely covers the buckle on the bench). A couple of pics:
Boosters are basically just cushions to raise kids up a little bit, so those aren't going to cause a problem. But Tesla does specifically state in the Model S Owner's Manual that you should not (a) put three car seats in the back, or (b) put two car seats in the back if one is in the middle and the other is behind the driver, if you are using the LATCH tethers. The Owner's Manual does allow two car seats in either left/right placing, or middle/right, when using LATCH. Just not left/middle. They also say that you can use three car seats in the back, but the left and right seats should use LATCH and the middle should be fastened with the seat belt, not the LATCH. If this is an issue for you, I'd suggest asking Tesla for more information and the reasoning behind their setup.
Presumably this is because of the "double load" on the LATCH mechanisms on the driver side rear seat. Since the right hand passenger seat is a single fold down this only applies a single seat/occupant force on each seat in the event of an accident.