Car Seat - is it knackered?

[floraflora]

I know the answer to this (I think) but wanted reassurance / back-up / ammunition...
At the weekend my dear partner managed to spill some fluidy stuff he puts in the petrol tank of the car to clean the injectors (or some such) over our son's (20 mths) car seat. Aside from smelling bloody awful and rendering it, at the very least, temporarily useless while it was comprehensively washed, it has melted sections of the polystyrene that's packed into the grooves in the seat under the upholstery. In my book that's not safe now, but he's says polystyrene is not 'structural' and it's fine.
Anyone have any thoughts?

May not be 'structural' but is it not part of the padding to protect the child/shock absorbing? Difficult to say without seeing it.
Insurance job? House contents might cover it?

(How did he get fluidy stuff on a car seat? Injectors aren't usually internal????)

Yes, I think shock absorbing is the function. Good idea about insurance, though not sure what our excess is. Fluidy stuff got there because it had been decanted into an old mayonnaise jar which had then been stuffed into seat during a clearing of car to fill it full of kit and then forgotten, so it was left to ooze its foul-stinking contents and generally do damage. I haven't even been near the car to see if that still stinks too! Daddy's car, not Mummy's!
(Fortunately!)

You need a new seat.

Dear partner has just found out I've bought a new seat and says I'm being unreasonable - he could cut me some more polystyrene.
Neither of us is going to shift - I can see we might end up at marriage guidance at this rate.
Hmmm, perhaps this should go into the relationship / am I being unreasobnable topic???
Grrrr.

He is being wreckless and irresponsible with his child safety. End of.

Yes, but he will say, that I am not a car seat designer and don't know the design reasons behind what the polystyrene does (my argument to him too).
God, I want to strangle him at the moment.

Not worth taking a risk over car seat safety IMO.

If it will satisfy him, then contact the manufacturer and see what they say (don't tell them you've bought a new one already).

I have bought enough car seats in my time to know that you have done the right thing by buying the new seat and I suggest you smash the old seat --over- his head and bin it straight away.

Quite often when you move car seats around, they can get DAMAGED, and a bit BROKEN like, totally by ACCIDENT, to the extent they were completely UNUSABLE.

If that were to happen to you, you would fortunately have a new one already.

I wouldn't use it and think your dp is being very unreasonable.

catinthehat I like your thinking