Britax Car Sea User Manual

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Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–5

Child Restraint Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–7

Vehicle Safety Belts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Vehicle Seating Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10–15

Installation with LATCH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10–11

Installation with Lap-Shoulder Belt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12–13

Installation with Lap Belt Only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14–15

Versa-Tether™. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16–17

Using Restraint Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18–19

Securing Your Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20–21

Harness Height Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22–23

Adjusting Buckle Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24–27

Cover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24–25

Harness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Buckle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26–27

Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

This product and its components are subject to change without notice.

“Britax” is a registered trademark.

Printed in U.S.A.

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Safety Information

Introduction

•

Read and understand this information booklet before using this product. To ensure proper restraint use, store this booklet so you can consult it often.

•

This child restraint is designed for use only by children who weigh between 22 and 80 pounds (10 and 36 kg) and whose height is between 19 and 53 inches (48.3 and 134.6 cm).

•

This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards. This Restraint is Not Certified

for Use in Aircraft.

•

This child restraint must not be used in the home, in boats, or other non-certified applications.

•

This child restraint is LATCH compatible.

Fill out the registration card and mail it in today!

Child restraints could be recalled for safety reasons. You must register this restraint to be reached in a recall. Send your name, address, and the restraint's model number and manufacturing date to Britax Child Safety, Inc. 13501 South Ridge Drive Charlotte, NC 28273 or call 1-888-4BRITAX. For recall information, call the U.S. Government's Auto Safety Hotline at 1-800-424-9393 (202-366-0123 in DC area).

•

Verify that the child restraint is secure and that the harness is properly adjusted around your child each time you use the child restraint.

• Adjust the harness to fit the clothes the child is wearing. The

harness will fit a child in winter clothes differently than a child in summer clothes.

• Cover the child restraint if your vehicle is parked in direct

sunlight. Parts of the child restraint can become hot enough to burn a child.

• Store the child restraint in a safe place when it is not being

used. Avoid placing heavy objects on top of it.

•

To prevent injury due to deterioration or hidden damage, discontinue use of a child restraint that is older than six years or has been in a severe crash.

• Do not leave children alone in a vehicle, even for a short time.

• Do not, except as described in this booklet, attempt to disas-

semble any part of the child restraint or change the way its harness or your vehicle restraint belts are used.

• Do not leave loose objects, e.g. books, bags, etc., in the back

of your vehicle. In the event of a sudden stop, loose objects will keep moving, potentially causing serious injuries.

• Do not leave folding vehicle seats unlatched. In the event of a

sudden stop, a loose seat back could prevent the child restraint from protecting your child as well as it should.

• Do not allow children to play with the child restraint.

• Do not use anything to raise the restraint off the vehicle seat.

In an accident, it could slide and be unable to protect your child as well as it should.

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Safety Information

•

FAILURE TO FOLLOW EACH OF THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS CAN RESULT IN YOUR CHILD STRIKING THE VEHICLE’S INTERIOR DURING A SUDDEN STOP OR CRASH. SECURE THIS CHILD RESTRAINT WITH A VEHICLE BELT AS SPECIFIED IN THIS USER GUIDE.

•

USE THE VEHICLE’S LATCH SYSTEM, LAP-SHOULDER BELT SYSTEM, OR LAP BELT SYSTEM TO SECURE THE RESTRAINT. ALWAYS USE THE VERSA-TETHER FOR

CHILDREN WEIGHING MORE THAN 50 POUNDS (22.6 kg).

•

Use vehicle belt (not LA TCH connectors) for installations with children weighing more than 48 pounds (21 kg). Refer to the vehicle owner’s manual or contact the vehicle manufacturer for the maximum weight rating for their LATCH anchors. Unless specified otherwise by the vehicle manufacturer, assume a 48-pound child is the vehicle LA

TCH anchor limit.

•

Install this child restraint only on vehicle seats which face forward! Do not install this restraint on vehicle seats facing sideways or backwards!

•

Secure this child restraint with the vehicle belts or LATCH even when it is not occupied. In a crash, an unsecured child restraint may injure vehicle occupants.

•

Based on accident statistics, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that parents select the rear seat as the safest location for a properly installed child restraint. Please study the section on Vehicle Safety Belts in this booklet to ensure the safety of your child. If in doubt about installing your child restraint, consult your vehicle owner’s manual.

•

Britax recommends that all child restraints be installed in the rear seat.

•

The primary protection for occupants of a vehicle in a collision is the body of the vehicle itself; a child restraint will not protect a child when the vehicle is seriously impacted. However, a correctly installed child restraint will substantially improve the chances for survival in most accidents. Make sure that you fully understand the correct way to use this child restraint in your vehicle.

•

DO NOT place any child restraint in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger air bag unless the air bag is turned off. DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY can occur. The back seat is the safest place for children under 12.

•

Owners of vehicles with air bags should refer to their vehicle owner’s manual for child restraint installation instructions.

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Child Restraint Features

1 Cover 2 Harness Slots 3 Harness 4 Comfort Pads 5 Harness Retainer

6 Chest Clip 7 HUGS™ Shoulder Pads 8 Buckle 9 Belly Pad 10 Harness Release Lever*

11 LATCH Connectors 12 Harness Adjuster Strap 13 Versa-Tether™ Assembly 14 Harness Yoke

15 Storage Pouches 16 LATCH Adjusters 17 Recline Bar

*Located under flap

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Vehicle Seating Positions

Vehicle Safety Belts

NOTE: The information in this section only

applies to installation with vehicle seat belts.

IMPORTANT :Some vehicles have no seating

positions which are compatible with this child restraint, or any other child restraint. If in doubt, contact your vehicle manufacturer for assistance.

The following types of vehicle seat belts are not compatible with this child restraint:

Front vehicle belts with top or bottom anchorage points in the door.

Motor driven automatic vehicle belts. Three-point belts that have separate

retractors for the shoulder section and the lap section.

Non-locking (ELR) two-point vehicle belts.

The owner's manual for your vehicle will have information on the types of vehicle belts in your vehicle. If your belt type is listed above, select another seating position.

This child restraint can fit securely in most vehicles using the existing vehicle belts. However , some types of vehicle designs prevent a secure fit of the child restraint due to the position of the vehicle belt lower anchorage points.

WARNING:

•

Forward facing vehicle seats MUST be used with this child restraint. Side facing or rear facing seats in vans, station wagons or trucks CANNOT be used.

•

Britax and the U.S. Department of Transportation warn that children 12 and under must ride in the rear seats, away from front air bags. The only exception is if the air bag has been turned off.

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