Baby seat don't laugh - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

super66 · 05-25-2006, 11:23 AM

folks, looks like I might have some company next to me in the boxster.....has anyone used the babyseat they offer? anyone....anyone??? kind of an ridiculous question........

98Boxster98 · 05-25-2006, 11:42 AM

What model year? The 986 has fewer choices than the 987.

mach schnell · 05-25-2006, 11:42 AM

not a bad question - my kids ride in my box more than my wife - don't waste your money on the porsche seat -unless you really have a lame desire to have the porsche logo - same seat is made by Britax and much cheaper. Recaro child seats are incredible as well and better cost than Porsche seat. If your child can ride in a booster, Graco makes a good one (multiple color schemes) and it's very affordable.

super66 · 05-25-2006, 12:28 PM

I have an 05, and Mach, how's the ride on the 19's? I've been eyeing the Carrera classic 19's.....

mach schnell · 05-25-2006, 01:01 PM

the ride is not too bad - but I have only 5000 miles and my car developed a terrible vibration - after much deliberation with the dealer to get them to investigate the vibration, they determined 3 of the 4 tires were defective - I have new tires which were ordered from the factory and will be put on the car next week (a frustrating point as I brought the vibration issue to their attention almost a month ago). The 19" tires are about $350 a piece and unless you're lucky, if you get a flat, you'll have a few day wait as it sounds like most tire dealers don't keep any of these in stock! Porsche actually had to order my replacement tires from Indiana!

my suggestion, if you go up to 19" - buy an extra front and rear tire to keep in your garage, in the event you have a flat you have an immediate replacment!

Mark986 · 05-25-2006, 06:50 PM

Congrats

When is your navigator scheduled to arrive?

tqtran · 05-26-2006, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mach schnell

don't waste your money on the porsche seat

I thought the Porsche seat was the only way to disable the passenger front and side air bags. How did you accomplish this without the Porsche seat then?

mach schnell · 05-26-2006, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tqtran

I thought the Porsche seat was the only way to disable the passenger front and side air bags. How did you accomplish this without the Porsche seat then?

the airbag deactivation system is different in the 987 models from that used previously in the 986 models. Thus, any seat will work once the airbag is off (in the case of the 05 models, its the key system and in the 06 models it's an automatic weight sensor).

thus, you may be right, that since the 986 models use some kind of bar and latch system, you may be required to buy porsche's seat. however, since britax makes the seat for porsche, one may be wise to contact britax directly to see about buying a seat from them equipped to work in a 986 - without the porsche logo and dealer markup, it would probably amount to some nice savings!

MNBoxster · 05-26-2006, 07:32 AM

Hi,

There is a ruling by the NHTSA which allows for an AirBag Exemption Waiver under certain circumstances. This, along with other legislation requires that a Manufacturer install an ON/OFF switch for the Passenger side Air Bag(s).

There are a number of requirements to be met when applying for this waiver. One is that there is no rear passenger seat for children, another is that the child may need constant monitoring, both of these could apply in this instance.

There are also a number of exemptions for the Manufacturers as well, so you really have to hold it up to the light (which I have not done) to see if it's of any help.

But, on the Face of it, it would appear that a Dealer would be required to install such a device for free if you have the NHTSA Waiver. It might be worth checking out. See: http://www.autopedia.com/html/Airbag/rule/section08.html and http://www.autopedia.com/html/Airbag/rule/section09.html

Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

mach schnell · 05-26-2006, 07:37 AM

But, on the Face of it, it would appear that a Dealer would be required to install such a device for free if you have the NHTSA Waiver. It might be worth checking out. See: http://www.autopedia.com/html/Airbag/rule/section08.html and http://www.autopedia.com/html/Airbag/rule/section09.html

Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99[/QUOTE]

any thoughts as to whether or not a reimbursement would be retroactive if you've already paid the dealer to install the deactivation kit?

99Boxster · 06-08-2006, 08:01 PM

The brochure on the NHTSA website makes it sound like you do not need to deactivate the passenger side air bags as long as the child is at least 10 inches away from the air bags. If I've read this correctly, then the Porsche seat is not necessary as long as you move the seat back as far as it goes. If this is the case, then I'm pretty pissed at Porsche for making everyone think that they HAD to buy a special car seat!!!!

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/ncap/airbags/Brochure/index.html

mach schnell · 06-08-2006, 10:18 PM

no way around it - young children sitting in the front seat must have the airbag deactivated - unless you want to explain to your wife that to save a few bucks your child is now headless - buy the f ing deactivation kit!

99Boxster · 06-09-2006, 10:05 AM

...to buy the f ing deactivation kit but 10 weeks after I ordered it, after repeatedly asking the dealership when it would be delivered, I was told that "Porsche has decided to get out of the car seat business." The dealership then went on to tell me that there are no more seats available and that I'm basically screwed. I've even resorted to threatening the dealership with litigation to get the darned airbags deactivated. Thanks to Jim, however, I have now applied for an on/off switch through the NHTSB.

By the way, the NHTSB has NOT definitively found that deactivating the airbags is necessary for children between the ages of 1 and 12. It has basically found that it might be a good idea.

So, the bottom line is that I'm not trying to save a few bucks! The safety of my children is priceless, but Porsche's monopoly on the deactivation kit, and its unavailability, has made me a bit desperate.

mach schnell · 06-09-2006, 10:25 AM

sorry if it sounded like i went off on you - i got visions of the parents who tell me their kids don't need to get vaccinated because we don't have those diseases anymore or because vaccines cause autism!!!

i haven't thoroughly read the nhtsb thing, but assuming that they didn't take 100 kids betw the ages of 1 and 12 and place them in the front seat of a car traveling over 50mphs involved in a collision to see what type of facial/head and neck trauma they suffered - the suggestion that it is a good idea sounds like CYA.

you must have 986 model - the ones that require the whole locking connector thing, eh? if you have 987 then you just need to turn the airbag off (key device in the 05 models, weight sensor in the 06+) and then any car seat will work.

at any rate, good luck. once you can put your child in the boxster, its a fun experience for him/her.

99Boxster · 06-09-2006, 02:17 PM

I know as a doctor you see first hand what trauma kids suffer, so I understand your point. I just think it's interesting that Porsche has led 986 owners to believe that the Porsche seat is the only option to deactivate the airbags. Theoretically, Porsche should have to provide the deactivation kit without the seat. Porsche, however, does not share that opinion.

Interesting medical story for you - my wife's friend was driving his 4 year old son in a Civic when he was rear-ended by an SUV. His son was in the back and was injured very severely and was going to die before an ambulance could arrive. Unbelievably, a guy on a Harley pulled up and said "everybody back I'm a cardiothoracic surgeon". The kid lived and is now fine. The doctors at the hospital said that there were only a handful of people capable of saving the kid's life in Kansas City and he was lucky enough to have one show up on his Harley. It'd be almost as cool if the doctor had been driving a Porsche. Good luck with residency.

jeff · 06-09-2006, 06:52 PM

99 Boxster- I just ordered and received a ridiculously expensive Porsche car seat for my 06 987. (I didn't have to get the deactivation key because of the weight sensor) I probably should have taken MS's advice regarding the Britax alternative, but I was too lazy to do the research to find the particular Britax model.( and I'm just stupid enough to want it to have the "Porsche" label on the seat)

I wonder why they gave you that info? (They offered to install a deactivation key, but I did not need it)

99Boxster · 06-09-2006, 07:06 PM

The dealer in KC told me that some dealers around the country may still have seats available but that they are hording them for their own customers. What bothers me the most about the Porsche seat is that Porsche charges so much for an item (and installation) that is intended to protect kids. It's one thing to sell cup holders at a ridiculous price because you have other options (plus it's just a cup holder). My 4 year old son loves "daddy's cool car", so keeping him out of it is not an option.

specivic · 06-09-2006, 11:12 PM

just out of curiosity how much was the deactivation switch/key? what exactly deactivates the pass airbag?

99Boxster · 06-10-2006, 08:06 AM

The dealer said that Porsche will not sell the deactivation kit without the Porsche child seat. A flaw in that logic that I just realized is that kids don't remain in child seats until the age of 12, so what is a parent supposed to do to deactivate the airbags to drive around a 12 year old?

Don't get me wrong, I love the car. I'm just tired of the dealership/Porsche acting like they are doing me a favor each time I want to buy something for my car.

mach schnell · 06-10-2006, 08:28 AM

A 12-year old, presuming he or she is fully cognitive, should be able to ride in the front seat without the airbag. I know that literature says 13 year's old (something suggests that age was picked signifying teen age maturity or adolescence

). At any rate, the science behind the age, 12 or 13 years old, with regards to airbags, is that a child that age will sit properly (seat-belt restrained) in the front seat (erect, his/her back against the seat back, a proper distance from the dash, etc), thus allowing for proper fxn of an activated airbag in the event of front end collision. What they should make is driver side kits for the people who drive two inches away from the steering wheel!

I feel your pain, though - some of my frustration with the 987 involved the crap dealing with the dealerships!

Brad Roberts on this forum, apparently knows the mgr at the Ontario California Distribution warehouse - maybe you should PM him and see if he can muster up some help (and a seat/kit) for you.