Is that the system that doesn't illuminate the seat belt warning light if there isn't anyone sitting in it?
Might be an easy way of checking whether it's got it or not...
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Is that the system that doesn't illuminate the seat belt warning light if there isn't anyone sitting in it?
I don't think so Adam. That particular system relies on someones rear end pressing down on the pressure pad in the seat.
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>>A couple of the seats have transponders that disable the passenger air bag if the vehicle is fitted with Automatic Seat Occupancy Detection. That however depends on whether your colleagues car has the detection system fitted or not.
When I saw about this system, I was really impressed, it's all supposed to work automatically - which is great, no messing about with switches or computer settings that you need to sign your rights away to have adjusted. However, how many Vauxhalls are actually sold with the system specified? Are the sales staff in dealers actually aware of the system?
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I was just about to mention this - I thought Vauxhall sold a range of car seats with a transponder in them that automagically disabled the passenger air bag.
Vaguely remember seeing it while leafing through the the brochures in a Vaux dealer.
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The receiver for the seat transponder is not fitted as standard, therefore almost certainly not there. I'd be surprised if any Astra convertibles have had it fitted, due to the typical buyer of these cars not often being people about to start families.
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The Astra in question doesn't have the transponder system.
It gets better; When my colleague last visited the dealership they had an identical convertible in the showroom, complete with baby seat in the rear. "I'll have that babyseat!" she cries.
The salesman sheepishly responds that actually, it isn't available for the convertible, it just looks good and helps them sell the car as a four seater suitable for families. After some shouting the offending display item was removed and placed in a Zafira.
Following your comments here said colleague now accepts that the car will have to go and is looking to the dealership to come up with a deal she can't refuse. If the dealership and Vauxhall won't do the decent thing I can see this in the press.....
Thanks all.
ND
::slopes off into the shadows.......::
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She is doing the right thing............ Delearship should get a serious slap around the chops for what they have done!
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"Following your comments here said colleague now accepts that the car will have to go and is looking to the dealership to come up with a deal she can't refuse. If the dealership and Vauxhall won't do the decent thing I can see this in the press....."
In the press??? Even allowing for the 'IVF' dimension, this is hardly a great story:
Couple buy car - apparently ask if rear seats fit in back of car, apparently salesman says they do
Some time later, couple become pregnant
Transpires that car seats don't fit in rear of car
Not sure why that is the dealer's fault - caveat emptor and all that.
PX the car, move on. And before everyone starts, from personal experience, maybe the couple should be grateful that their problem is now one of finding a car suitable to seat a child in, rather than facing a life of 2 seater sports cars and not having this particular problem. IVF is not cheap, I know. And there are no guarantees
More comments from the "everything is someone else's fault, not mine" culture
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Hang on a sec - so the car will take a rear baby seat, even if Vauxhall don't sell them. If it fits in the convertable, why did she insist it was removed?
{Moves whole thread across to discussion as has now steered away from being technical anymore - DD}
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take a look at www.airbagswitches.com
I am most certainly not recommending this course of action - but it may provide a working solution.
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Hang on a sec - so the car will take a rear baby seat, even if Vauxhall don't sell them. If it fits in the convertable, why did she insist it was removed? {Moves whole thread across to discussion as has now steered away from being technical anymore - DD}
No, the car doesn't take any car seat from any manufacturer. The one in the showroom didn't "fit" in the approved manner, but had been wedged in to make it look like the rear seats would accept a babyseat. Clear and blatant attempt at misrepresentation. The dealer admitted they put one in there as it increased interest from families when they were in the showroom. You can picture it can't you.....
wife: "Yes, we'd like a new Zafira"
Husband: "but what is this I see? An Astra convertible with a baby seat? Maybe all is not lost....."
To the contributor re. IVF. Not relevant to the thread, but for background: The couple in question have been undergoing treatment for 6 years, since hubby had testicular cancer. The material cost has been massive, but then so have the emotional and physical costs. New treatment attempt late last year was more promising and all the signs were good, hence questions at point of sale viz a vis babyseat and decision to treat selves to new car.
And DD, I thought everything in tech became a discussion at some point ;o)
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Hi NoDo$h,
My wife has a 51plate Astra Coupe, which I believe has the same back seats as the convertible...
We currently have a Britax rear facing baby seat which fits fine.
IIRC, Britax's website has various information on what does and doesn't fit.
Having said all that, actually getting the seat into the car can be interesting, much easier to use my focus ;o)
I wont be online over the weekend, but if you want me to check which model seat we have, let me know and I'll pick this up on Monday.
Rgds
James
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That's very nice of you James, thank you. If you could check the model number I'd be grateful.
The Britax site doesn't show any of their models fitting the Astra Convertible, but from experience there are numerous applications not listed that offer an "acceptable" fit. I'll pass the seat model details to my colleague and she can try one in her car to see how it goes.
Cheers again,
ND
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Lets be honest here. An astra Convertable is not suitable for kiddie transport. Its not so much the seat, but all the other carp that comes with kiddie wink. If you dont want your social life to die you need to carry the contents of the house around with you. The carry cot, the changing mat, the pram system, a kilo of nappies etc etc etc. It dont exactly fit into an astra convertable......
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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The carry cot, the changing mat, the pram system, a kilo of nappies etc etc etc. It dont exactly fit into an astra convertable......
Makes you wonder how people managed years ago when cars were generally smaller, and MPV's, people carriers and Chelsea tractors didn't exist.
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The wife was stuck at home for two years without a break, and the man spent the wages down the pub.
Good old days huh?
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Trouble is that modern young parents have been brainwashed into buying loads of kit. Have you seen the size of modern prams/pushchairs? Stupidly oversized things with 18" wheels to go with their oversized MPV's and 4x4's.
I have three children and when they were small we used to manage with an Audi 80 (has a small boot) no problem. We used baby 'buggies' - a fold-up pushchair you can carry with one hand and fit in the boot of a small car or in an aircraft locker. Then you need a handful of nappies, wipes, feeding bottle - fits in a duffle bag. We went all over UK and the world with that, including NZ, USA etc etc - no problem.
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Seconded. It seems the prams are getting bigger (and more expensive) to fit into the space available...
Although I don´t think the pram has been made yet that will fit into the Barchetta boot!
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"Although I don´t think the pram has been made yet that will fit into the Barchetta boot!"
Believe it or not, a friend of ours with a Barchetta and due a baby girl in late June has managed to find a suitable from birth pushchair and child seat! They also have a Focus, but will be using the Barchetta to drop said kiddie off at Nursery at some point later in the year.
No idea if *anything* else will fit in the car after that though!
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"We went all over UK and the world with that"
Nowhere cold though eh? Try pushing a buggy through a foot of snow and ice and 18" wheels will start to make a lot of sense.
On beaches too come to think of it.
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"We went all over UK and the world with that" Nowhere cold though eh? Try pushing a buggy through a foot of snow and ice and 18" wheels will start to make a lot of sense. On beaches too come to think of it.
No, nowhere cold. Its not often you push the baby out in a foot of snow in the UK though, is it?
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Have they thought to ask if the "Automatic Seat Occupancy Detection" thingy can be fitted as an after-market add-on or whatever?
Then they could use one of their transponder seats.
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Hi ND,
By chance I find myself on-line over the weekend...
Right, the car seat is a Britax CosyTot Premium Plus according to the label on the underside. There are also the following numbers on the label :- CPT042076, CPT-069 and 0067.
I would tend to agree with TVM that the convertable is not the most practical baby mover out there! IIRC, a fair bit of the boot space is lost to the hood storage.
Rgds
James
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Thanks for the further info James, I've passed this on.
Nofm2r, sadly the system can't be retrofitted to this car, seems it was one of the first things they ruled out (but neglected to mention to me, sorry).
ND
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I've been reading this thread and not commented so far, becuase I don't want to appear insensitive to a situation which has taken a lot of stress and heartache to reach.
However, the thought of carrying a young child and all the stuff that goes with in the rear of a two door car, let alone a convertible fills me with dread. SWMBO had a 2-door Golf when child #1 arrived. I had a big Saab at the time, so it was fine for family trips etc, and she coped with popping around town in the Golf. However it wasn't long before she got fed up fastening the car seat into the rear of Golf and straining her back doing it. I came cross a good value Spacewagon and it soon got swapped over. Ah bliss, that car lasted five years and apart from 12 months in a CRV she now has her Trajet for the three children.
Yes, we could cope with a smaller car, but its very convenient and no longer or wider than my old Volvo S80. When the last child is at least five and capable of being trusted to fasten their own seatbelt, will be the time to go back to a two door car or a convertible; not before.
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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