Britax Marathon User Manual
Marathon
User Guide
Table of Contents
Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Child Restraint Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Vehicle Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Vehicle Seating Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Rear-Facing Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Rear-Facing LATCH Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
Rear-Facing Lap-Shoulder Belt Installation . . . . . . . . . . 12-13
Rear-Facing Lap Belt Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15
Forward-Facing Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-20
Forward-Facing LATCH Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17
Forward-Facing Lap-Shoulder Belt Installation. . . . . . . . 18-19
Forward-Facing Lap Belt Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Switching the LATCH Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Installation In Aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Versa-Tether® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-25
Checking Buckle Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Recline Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Using the Buckle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Using the Chest Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Securing Your Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-29
Checking Harness Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Adjusting Harness Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-35
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
T h is p ro d uc t a n d i ts co mp o n e nt s a r e s ub j ec t t o ch an g e wi t h o ut n o ti ce .
© 20 06 B ri ta x C h il d S a f et y, In c. A ll r i gh ts r e se rv ed . Pr in te d in U .S . A.
P 2 75 90 0 R 3 .0 1. 07
• Use only in a rear-facing position when using restraint with an infant
weighing less than 20 pounds (9 kg). The American Academy of
Pediatrics recommends rear-facing until at least 1 year of age and 20
pounds.
• Use only with children who weigh between 5 and 65 pounds (2.3 and
29 kg) and whose height is 49 inches (124 cm) or less. Rear facing
5–33 pounds (2.3–15 kg) and forward-facing 1 year and 20 pounds to
65 pounds (29 kg).
• Snugly adjust the belts provided with this child restraint around your
child. A snug strap should not allow any slack. It lies in a relatively
straight line without sagging. It does not press on the child’s flesh or
push the child’s body into an unnatural position.
• Secure the top anchorage strap provided with this child restraint.
• Secure this child restraint with the vehicle’s LATCH system if available
or with a vehicle belt.
• Follow all instructions on this child restraint and in the written
instructions located on lanyard, under cover in front of seat.
• Register your child restraint with the manufacturer.
• Use vehicle belt (not LATCH connectors) for installations with children
weighing more than 48 pounds (21 kg). Refer to the vehicle's 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 LATCH
anchor limit.
• Discontinue use of a child restraint that is older than six years or has
been in a severe crash to prevent injury due to deterioration or hidden
damage.
• This child restraint must not be used in the home, in boats, or other
non-certified applications.
• Based on crash 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 child’s
safety. If in doubt about installing the child restraint, consult the
vehicle's owner’s manual.
• Secure this child restraint even when it is not occupied. In a crash, an
unsecured child restraint may injure vehicle occupants.
• When using in vehicle with air bags, refer to the vehicle's owner’s
manual for child restraint installation instructions and precautions.
• Restraint must be in the full upright position when installed in forwardfacing mode with children over 33 pounds (15 kg).
• Never use the adjuster strap to lift or carry this child restraint. Doing so
could cause damage to the harness adjuster and webbing. Always carry
this child restraint by the shell or tether straps.
• The primary protection for occupants of a vehicle in a collision is the
structure of the vehicle itself; a child restraint will not protect a child
when the vehicle is seriously impacted. However, correctly installed, a
child restraint will substantially improve the chances for survival in most
crashes. Make sure that all users fully understand the correct ways to
use this child restraint in a vehicle.
32
Safety Information
Safety Information
• This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal
motor vehicle safety standards. This restraint is certified for use
in motor vehicles and aircraft.
•
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, call 1-888-4BRITAX or register online at www.Britax.com
for an electronic registration form. For recall information, call the
U.S. Government's Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY:
1-800-424-9153), or go to http://NHTSA.gov.
WARNING! DO NOT place a child
restraint in the front seat of a vehicle with
a passenger air bag. DEATH or SERIOUS
INJURY can occur. The back seat is the
safest place for children under 12.
IMPORTANT
•
Verify that the child restraint is secure and that the harness is
properly adjusted around the child each time the child restraint
is used.
•
Adjust the harness to fit the clothes the child is wearing.
bulky coats and/or jackets before putting the child in the
restraint.
•
Cover the restraint when the vehicle is parked in direct sunlight.
Parts of the child restraint could become hot enough to burn the
child.
•
Store the child restraint in a safe place when it is not being used.
Avoid placing heavy objects on top of it.
•
Do not leave children alone in a vehicle, even for a short time.
•
Do not, except as described in this booklet, attempt to disassemble
any part of the child restraint or change the way its harness or the
vehicle restraint belts are used.
•
Do not leave loose objects, e.g. books, bags, etc., in the back of
a 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 the 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 crash, it could slide and may not protect the child as well as it
should.
Remove
54
Restraint Features
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
19
18
20
21
22
23
24
17
15
16
19
18
20
21
22
23
24
17
Restraint Features
Harness Slots
1�
Comfort Pads
2�
Chest Clip
3�
Harness Holder
4�
HUGS™
5�
Shoulder Pads
Harness
6�
Harness Adjuster
7�
Lever (under cover)
Buckle & Belly
8�
Pad
Perma-Book™
9�
(under cover)
Harness Adjuster
10�
Strap
LATCH Connector
11�
Recline Handle
12�
LATCH Adjuster
13�
LATCH Harness
14�
Cover
15�
Versa-Tether
16�
Versa-Tether
17�
Storage Pouch
Forward-Facing
18�
Lock-off
Harness Yoke
19�
®
LATCH
20�
Connector Pouch
(under cover)
Belt Guard
21�
LATCH Bar
22�
Rear-Facing
23�
Lock-off
Base
24�
IMPORTANT: When not in
use, this user guide should be
stored under the cover. DO
NOT discard the foam inserts
found under the cover.
76
Vehicle Safety Belts
Vehicle Seating Positions
NOTE: The information in this section applies
only to installation with vehicle belts.
IMPORTANT: Some vehicles have no seating
positions which are compatible with this
child restraint, or any other child restraint. If
in doubt, contact the vehicle manufacturer
for assistance.
The following types of vehicle 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, Emergency Locking
Retractor (ELR), two-point vehicle belts.
Lap-Shoulder ELR vehicle belts without
the use of the built-in lock-offs.
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 or use LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children) connectors.
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 CANNOT be
used. See diagram below.
98
Installation: Rear-Facing
LATCH Installation
• Figure A illustrates a typical rear-facing
LATCH installation.
Verify that your vehicle is equipped with
1�
LATCH anchors.
• If LATCH anchors are not installed, you
must use standard vehicle belt installation
methods.
If stored, remove LATCH connectors from
2�
storage pouches under cover.
Press and hold the LATCH adjuster release
3�
button, then pull to lengthen LATCH harness
to full length.
Fully recline the restraint and place it
4�
sideways on the vehicle seat, with the front
facing toward you.
Verify LATCH harness is not twisted, then
5�
attach the closest connector to vehicle seat
back to the farthest LATCH anchor (Fig. B).
LATCH connectors should be in an upright
•
position (as shown in Figure C), and strap
should be tight and not twisted to ensure
proper installation.
A positive click confirms attachment.
•
If LATCH connectors will not attach with a
•
positive click, it may be necessary to switch
LATCH connectors as shown on page 21.
Rotate restraint into rear-facing position.
6�
Verify that the LATCH harness is not twisted,
7�
then attach the remaining connector to the
adjacent LATCH anchor (Fig. D).
•
A positive click confirms attachment.
A
B
C
Release
Button
Top
Installation: Rear-Facing
Push the child restraint firmly into the vehicle
8�
seat while pulling each LATCH harness tight
(Fig. E).
Verify all connections are secure and the
9�
restraint is stable. The restraint is stable
when it cannot be moved front to back or
side to side more than 1 inch (2.5 cm.) at
the belt path. Installation can be improved
by the use of the Versa-Tether® (see pages
23–25).
NOTE:
When properly installed in the rear-facing
•
position, the back angle of the child restraint
should be 30º-45º from vertical (not to exceed
45º from vertical) when the car is parked on
a level surface.
The rear-facing installation can be improved
•
by the use of the Versa-Tether®. (See pages
23-25.)
The proper recline angle can be achieved by
•
placing a rolled towel or pool noodle in the
crease of the vehicle seat to help level the
child restraint's base.
If there is a problem stabilizing the child
•
restraint, tighten the tether as described on page 24, using anchor point 3.
WARNING: DO NOT raise the base beyond horizontal or off of the
vehicle seat; doing so will reduce the protection for the child and
may damage the recline adjustment.
Removal
•
If connected, disconnect the Versa-Tether® from the tether anchor.
•
Release each LATCH harness from the LATCH anchor by pressing the
red release button on the LATCH connector.
•
When not in use, always store the LATCH connectors in storage
pouches
sewn in cover above rear-facing lock-offs.
D
E
1110
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