So, I bought an Octavia at the weekend (1.8 TSI DSG Elegance, '10) - great car!

However, I've just noticed that my car doesn't have the top tether anchor points in the back seats (it does have the actual bottom ISOFIX bars) and my car seat says that in this car it MUST use the top tethers. Argh!

As I assume that the actual only difference between a car with and without the top tethers is a different rear seat blanking, it must be possible to retrofit the top tether points. Anyone done this/convinced a dealer to do this? Got any part numbers I can wave at a dealer?

Thanks for any and all help.

Is it not easier / cheaper to sell the car seat and get a different one?

I think ISOFIX is purely the loops in the base of the seat. Not sure what these top tether things are?

Ah, the joys of standards............they are anything but standard! Difference in childseats;

"Universal" = Base ISOFIX + Top Tether strap

"Vehicle Specific" = Base ISOFIX without Top Tether

"Semi-Universal" = Base ISOFIX without Top Tether but with a "Foot-prop" that screws out and connects to the car floor.

The main difference is that "Universal" represents use of a top tether strap with the ISOFIX anchorage, "vehicle-specific" represents the usage of the ISOFIX anchorage without the TopTether in specified vehicles only, while "Semi-Universal" represents usage of the ISOFIX anchorage together with a "foot-prop".^[3][4]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isofix

Unless your child seats are made of solid gold and worth more then the car, just sell it on, and buy a carseat that fits either "vehicle-specific" or "Semi-Universal". Won't be worth the bother/silly money to get the top tethers installed!

Thanks guys. Thankfully it is the Britax Duo+ so it can be installed with a seatbelt instead. It was just that if it were a matter of a few quid in parts obviously ISOFIX is more convenient (and harder for my wife to get wrong!!)

It's annoying because the Honda I replaced took this seat with no top tether, but it had top tether hooks anyway. I just assumed that all ISOFIX cars would have the three latching points. Looks like I should have not made that assumption!

No harm done, though, as I'll just use the seatbelt mounting option.

Didn't even know there was such a thing as a 'third' isofix point! I've got experience of using ISOFIX in a Golf, Fabia, 3-series, Octavia, Altea and Focus and all of those have had just two points at the bottom of the seat back (as far as I know!)

I've heard of the top thether things but thought they were just a strap that went around the headrest or something.

ANyway, according to this manual for your car seat

http://www.britax.co...duoplus_web.pdf

The Isofix can be used in the Octavia without the top tether.

Edited 19 March, 201313 yr by Stevoraith

never understood what the top tether point was for. Once the seat's fixed into the isofix mounts, then the seat belt is put through the seat/base, the child seat can't go anywhere. there was a topic about child seats a while back, my wife got one of them supermarket inspections for the seat fixing. Think the lady said our's was the only isofix seat to use the seatbelt aswell that day,

Our isofix says not to use the belt as well. It's a Brittax.

Never heard of top mounts.

Think the lady said our's was the only isofix seat to use the seatbelt aswell that day,

That is unusual. I thought if the seat didn't have a top tether, it should have a foot prop.

Unless of course your seat is a Group 2/3 seat with ISOFIT.

In the U.S. all ISOFIX car seats use top tether. I've owned 2 Chrysler cars, both with top tether points and it works very well. It removes the need for the bloody great foot prop on the floor with non top tether ISOFIX seats

Edited 19 March, 201313 yr by booke23

Just a little plastic hook, I think k its on the backs of the back seat. Some saloons have them on the parcel shelf (e90 BMW)

The top ISOFIX points are beefy metal anchors.......strong enough to tie a horse to!

Don't mistake a luggage tie down hook for a top ISOFIX point......doesn't bear thinking about what might happen to the child seat in the event of an accident.

Confused.com glad i dont have a child...

Tether points in Octavia Estate (some have them others don't which is odd)

One Without:

Edited 19 March, 201313 yr by vrs777

The top ISOFIX points are beefy metal anchors.......strong enough to tie a horse to!

Don't mistake a luggage tie down hook for a top ISOFIX point......doesn't bear thinking about what might happen to the child seat in the event of an accident.

Yeah I though they were plastic but the photo I saw was poor, they are indeed metal.

Those pics illustrate nicely the top tether points.

I think they were introduced from a certain year.....My 2006 estate does not have them but we have a 2012 Estate in the family and that does have the top tether points.

I suspect they were added from the face lift models onwards, but I'm not sure.

....those pictures also nicely show the difference between between estates with the raised boot floor and without!

The reason why I have always used the isofix mount and seatbelt combined is, using the mounts to fix the seat to the car stops the seat from flying forward in an accident. Then the reason for the belt is, if the car turns upside down the seat will not flip towards the roof, it will stay fixed in place. The second point is one that using the tethering strap will not stop. So for me using the leg that goes on the floor, then the isofix with the seatbelt through the seat is a no brainier for me. Both my kids seats have been the leg down models (baby/kid)

In our case, when you engage the two isofix mounts, you push the child seat rearward on a ratchet right up tight against the cars seat as hard as you can.

The ratchet holds it in this position so that if you end up going upside down the seat goes nowhere.

Our Subaru has top tethers in the roof of the estate boot.

Those pics illustrate nicely the top tether points.

I think they were introduced from a certain year.....My 2006 estate does not have them but we have a 2012 Estate in the family and that does have the top tether points.

I suspect they were added from the face lift models onwards, but I'm not sure.

Yea my 11 plate hatch has them too. I suspect your right FL onwards.

Afraid not. Mine is a 2010 facelift. I believe they only became standard in MY2011. However, my manual has them in, so I assume there was an option for my MY. I have an open issue with Skoda UK on this at the moment. A very nice man from customer services is going to talk to their technical dept to see whether they are retro-fittable as apparently this is not the first time they have been asked the question. I should imagine that the points are actually there in my seat and it's just a matter of changing the back panel. We shall see.

With regards to the PDF posted, yes that seems to say that the MKII Skoda doesn't need a top tether. However, their "fit finder" on the website says that MKII FL does need a top tether. Which is wierd, because I was pretty sure that the rear seats didn't change at all in the FL.

Yea my 11 plate hatch has them too. I suspect your right FL onwards.

Well, I was wrong, had a look last night and my MY11 has them too! I had noticed those before but always thought they were just load tethering points!

You learn something everyday!