Child car seat tether anchor missing on the left side - Help

reator22

reator22

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I just bought a new forward-facing car sear for my son group 1 2 and 3 just to find out that my Audi A4 B8 2008 Avant does not have the tether anchor to retrofit the actual tether anchor/hook that Audi sells. This only on the passenger/left rear side where I need the car seat to live.

As you can see on the image, the left read side seat is missing that metal plate where we can attach/retrofit the tether anchor! The middle and right side have it.

Did anyone else come across with the same problem? Any viable solution?

Thanks
71bmWHEE7CL._AC_SL1000_.jpg
 
Last edited:
Do you have isofix in the seat base?
 
Yes, I’ve got isofix on both rear sides seats and front passenger seat! Just weird that on the rear left there isn’t any option!

Just wondering if someone managed to get a solution. I can see that the boot luggage attachments points are very strong and it could be a solution I could attach the car seat tether to one of them easily, but the manual states to not do that!

Like the pic bellow, on the yellow circle should have what it’s on the red ones!

e2a056f231132195a17b8b1f38193ebb.jpg



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So you're saying you have no isofix in the seat base, which is where isofix is, it's not on rear of seats, that I know of & I've used them myself many times.
 
reator22 said:
Yes, I’ve got isofix on both rear sides seats and front passenger seat! Just weird that on the rear left there isn’t any option!

Just wondering if someone managed to get a solution. I can see that the boot luggage attachments points are very strong and it could be a solution I could attach the car seat tether to one of them easily, but the manual states to not do that!

Like the pic bellow, on the yellow circle should have what it’s on the red ones!

e2a056f231132195a17b8b1f38193ebb.jpg



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Click to expand...

What you have circled are the slide attachment points for the tonneau (luggage) cover. It slides on to the 2/3 double seat. There isn't one on the single seat.
They aren't ISOfix seat attachment points.
My ISOfix bar is for sale if you need it.
 
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Pie-eyedpiper said:
What you have circled are the slide attachment points for the tonneau (luggage) cover. It slides on to the 2/3 double seat. There isn't one on the single seat.
They aren't ISOfix seat attachment points.
My ISOfix bar is for sale if you need it.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I thought too as my old S4 had the same one sided fixing in rear of seat, sided being you could put the seats down independent still even with luggage cover attached.
 
I might not have been clear! Those slide attachments are also where you screw a tether anchor for the top tether that comes on pretty much any car seat group 2 onwards.

I have the isofixbase attachments but don’t have anything to properly attach the top tether for my new car seat.

Wondering if I could attach to the baggage anchor you see in chrome!
195c0fe54ef5ae1187186f5c1c42e296.jpg

c200e28a70305d6d731c5c77ec86cc03.jpg

f77cdbddb86c4f4ed240270acbf115d0.jpg


I need the slide attachment on the left rear seat to fit the hood above.

Or maybe attach the top tether to this:
5d555198557ff1517b588e62771337df.jpg



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Does it say in the hand book that the slide brackets can also be used as anchor points? Pretty sure they wouldn't be strong enough. That'll be why there isn't a bracket already on the left seat as it isn't needed.
The part shown in red on your diagram attached to the rear seat, but to holes already in the seat back. I have a rear seat in pieces at home, I'll look later.
 
Top tether is a requirement in Europe. UK sometimes have a different legal requirement (normally less restrictive/safe) but this top tether must be used with car seats when using isofix without leg support (that bar going to the bottom). Most car seats that group 1 to 2 and 3 using isofix also have this strap top tether to avoid the top bit of the car seat to go forward in a front crash situation. Not using it could allow the child head to hit the front seat.

It is just hard to ignore it when it comes your son!


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How about just buy car seats without top anchor? We’ve never had an isofix car seat that requires a third tether.
 
Jon B said:
How about just buy car seats without top anchor? We’ve never had an isofix car seat that requires a third tether.
Click to expand...

I currently have one with a bottom leg and much more expensive! However my son does not like, it has a cushing bag around him blocking his movements! Pretty much every car seat group 1 and 2 comes with top tether and rarely you see with bottom leg as it does not work when they grow up.

There isn’t just base isofix, it always comes together with top tether and bottom leg! At least in most countries!

Apparently 60% of the people do not use the top tether or do not set up the car seat properly. I don’t want to be in those 60.


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I accidentally stumbled across this… but thought I’d add my 2 pence… should be possible to retrofit top tethers, as I did this in my a4 b6 saloon using genuine parts, just took a lot of research findings part numbers etc. I’m planning on doing the same in my b8 saloon although I believe the tethers are already under the parcel shelve just need cutting out. See below my b6
 

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reator22 said:
I just bought a new forward-facing car sear for my son group 1 2 and 3 just to find out that my Audi A4 B8 2008 Avant does not have the tether anchor to retrofit the actual tether anchor/hook that Audi sells. This only on the passenger/left rear side where I need the car seat to live.

As you can see on the image, the left read side seat is missing that metal plate where we can attach/retrofit the tether anchor! The middle and right side have it.

Did anyone else come across with the same problem? Any viable solution?

Thanks
71bmWHEE7CL._AC_SL1000_.jpg
Click to expand...
What you need is a May2015 onwards metal back plate in the left hand side seat. This has the fixing for the top tether on this single left hand side seat in an Avant.

These seat backs were available in different markets such as Canada since 2001 I believe to comply with their regs.

I bought a cheap cloth trimmed seat back section from EBay that had this mounting hole, stripped cloth trim off and refit with the leather and foam from my original seat. Then fit back in the car and fitted the top tether bracket.

It is a separate part number and I should have taken a photo but didn’t think at the time.
 
So the fixing is welded to the chassis of the seat, but just not shown unless spec'd.

Handy to know if client asks.
 
Yes stripped the carpet off the old seat back just to check it wasn’t there and plugged but it is a completely different part.

Audi have formed a box tube inside the back of the seat where the yellow circle is in the picture higher up in the thread and left a 25x25mm square hole to fit the top tether bracket with one tiny t15 screw.

You can pop the left seat back side without too much bother in 15mins and then it took another 30mins to strip eBay seat back and then take leather off my seat, remove headrest and remove two bolts from seat catch and refit. Tricky bit is usually getting headrest out but as your lifting leather up you have access to depress clip on headrest tubes.
 
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Hi All, I have this same problem, as I want to put my son in a group 123 car seat that has a harness up to 25kg and my avant is the same as this one with no top tether. Is it really not advisable to use the luggage hook for the top tether, could you not use that and or the seatbelt to ensure the top of the seat is secure?

Why are Audi so behind other manufacturers ?
 
Tbh most luggage fixings are very well held down, so there's nothing really stopping you from using that as a tether.
 
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Exactly what I was thinking. I’m sure it’s torqued to the body too (please correct me if I’m wrong) who’s isn’t really different to any fitted tether point


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From the ones I've had to remove & refit, trust me those anchors are generally solid, 3 bolts, generally good threads, not allot comes loose on them, now by no means base your decision on my opinion, but for sure its something to consider.
 
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Of course not. Thanks all the same. I’ve been considering it for some time vs retrofitting an anchor against the panels on the seat but that’s much thinner metal and doesn’t give the confidence vs the luggage anchor which I don’t see going anywhere. Only thing I can’t make sense of is if it’s ok to use the belt through the back of the seat too.
Just not ready for my son to be in a adult belt yet not matter how tall he is as he’s only just turned 3 approaching 18kg


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Stress test the anchor, bearing in mind you're going to pull a considerable amount of force on that, so don't pull the threads or bust the anchor lol
 
How do you recommend? What tools do I need, or using my own brute strength?!
 
Some rope or tow banding, use your own brute force, tbh lets say an 8P, those anchors are solid as hell, the threads are tight & the anchors themselves feel solid.

You could just peel back the seat rear carpet to see if it has the fixings in place to fit the oem unit.

I'd personally weld one in place if need be lol, after all its your child, but isofix I've used gor my daughter was solid, along with seat belt, that seat wasnt going anywhere.
 
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Already done a full peel of the carpet and nothing is there. Went to Audi and they confirmed the part for the anchor isn’t compatible so I either use the luggage anchor or have one welded to the chassis somewhere


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Strip seat, weld oem bracket to rear of seat or use anchor as you said, not allot of choices.

Oh or just find a rear seat with anchor that matches your seat cover design, then if need be swap seat cover over.
 
Can't seem to find anyone selling one anywhere with the anchor and the leather or fabric so I could swap.
I thought about welding to the seat but the metal backing seems a bit thin to me or maybe its just me?!

Looking more likely last resort is anchor or belt if I feel confident or just go for the 2/3 seat with adult belt and see how he gets on. Or buy a new car haha
 
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thisisn3vz said:
Can't seem to find anyone selling one anywhere with the anchor and the leather or fabric so I could swap.
I thought about welding to the seat but the metal backing seems a bit thin to me or maybe its just me?!

Looking more likely last resort is anchor or belt if I feel confident or just go for the 2/3 seat with adult belt and see how he gets on. Or buy a new car haha
Click to expand...

cheaper buying new seats. I had this problem with my 2012 a6. No top tether so ended up going to mothercare and asking the girl there for seats without top tether. Think I got a britax isofix seat in the end.
funny thing is I got a new a6 in 2014 and that had it and by that time my son needed The next size up in seats and none of them had top tether.
 
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This seems to be the common issue for this car, wasn't taken as an option when new, but can't imagine anyone would think about it at the time!
 
Top tether was not a common requirement tbh in UK from my experience, so makes sense UK cars with are few & far between.

I doubt its flimsy, those seat chassis's are fairly robust tbh, stripped some recently & they're fairly solid.
 
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