Britax LATCHANCHOR User manual

FOR USE ON
DRIVER'S SIDE
LATCH ANCHOR
Registration Information
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).
Britax Child Safety, Inc.
13501 South Ridge Drive
Charlotte, NC 28273
USA
A Britax Childcare company
P/No. 2106865/B
FOR USE ON
DRIVER'S SIDE
LATCH ANCHOR
Registration Information
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).
P/No. 2106865/B
Tel: [phone]
BritaxUSA.com
R2:09/02
P213500
Britax Child Safety, Inc.
13501 South Ridge Drive
Charlotte, NC 28273
USA
A Britax Childcare company
Tel: [phone]
BritaxUSA.com
R2:09/02
P213500

Table of Contents
1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Important Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Child Restraint Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Vehicle Safety Belts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Vehicle Seating Positions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Installation: Rear Facing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Switching the LATCH Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Installation: Forward Facing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Checking Buckle Position. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Installation In Aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Versa-Tether™. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Recline Adjustment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Using the Buckle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Using the Chest Clip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Securing Your Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Checking Harness Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Adjusting Harness Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
This product and its components are subject to change without notice.
“Britax” is a registered trademark of Britax Excelsior, Andover, U.K.
© 2002 Britax Child Safety, Inc. All rights reserved.
Printed in Australia
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Introduction
2
Read and understand this information booklet before using this
product. It is recommended that you store this booklet so you can
consult it often to ensure that you are using the restraint correctly.
This child restraint is designed for use only by children who weigh
between 5 and 40 pounds (2.3 and 18 kg) and whose height is
between 19 and 40 inches (48 and 102 cm).
Rear facing use should be limited to children who weigh between
5 and 30 pounds (2.3 and 13.6 kg).
Forward facing use should be limited to children who weigh
between 20 and 40 pounds (9 and 18 kg).
This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal motor
vehicle safety standards. This restraint is certified for use in motor
vehicles and aircraft.
This child restraint must not be used in the home, in boats, or other
non-certified applications.
This child restraint is LATCH compatible.
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Important Notes
3
• 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 your child is wearing. The fit
for a child in winter clothes will differ from 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 to the touch
in sunny weather.
•Store the child restraint in a safe place when it is not being used.
Avoid placing heavy objects on top of it.
• Discontinue use of a child restraint that is older than six years
or has been in a severe crash. This ensures that no
deterioration or hidden damage has occurred.
•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 seat 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
4
• 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.
•According to 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. However, the actual dimensions
of the vehicle seat and the details of the safety belts
used to anchor the child restraint differ from vehicle to
vehicle. Please study the section on Vehicle Seat Belts in
this booklet for the safety assurance of your child. If in
doubt about installing your child restraint, consult your
vehicle owner’s manual.
•Secure this child restraint with the vehicle belts even
when it is not occupied. In a crash, an unsecured child
restraint may injure vehicle occupants.
•When the LATCH Connectors are not in use, they must
be secured in the LATCH storage pouches.
If the LATCH connectors are loose, they may injure
vehicle occupants.
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Safety Information
5
•The primary protection for occupants of a vehicle in a
collision is the body of the vehicle itself, and a child
restraint will not protect a child when the vehicle is
seriously impacted. However, correctly installed, this
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
owner’s manual for child restraint installation instructions.
•Britax recommends that all child restraints be installed in
the rear seat.
•Install this child restraint only in vehicle seats which face
forward! Do not install this seat on vehicle seats facing
sideways or backwards!
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Child Restraint Features
6
H
a
rn
ess
S
l
ots
S
h
ou
ld
e
r H
a
rn
ess
Chest Cli
p
Buc
k
le
Bell
y
Pa
d
H
a
rn
ess
H
o
ld
er
Ad
j
uster Cove
r
Stabilizin
g
Bar
Co
v
er
L
ATCH Stra
p
Harness Ad
j
uster Stra
p
Co
v
er
B
ase
Seat
S
h
e
l
l
L
ATCH Ad
j
uste
r
L
A
T
C
H H
a
rn
ess
Reta
in
er
FOR USE ON
DRIVER'S SIDE
LATCHANCHOR
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Child Restraint Features
7
Tether Ad
j
uste
r
Tether/Boo
k
let Pouc
h
Co
v
er
Tether Hoo
k
Versa-Tether
TM
r
TM
Yo
ke
S
h
ou
ld
e
r H
a
rn
ess
Forward Facin
g
Loc
k
-of
f
Recline Ad
j
ust Kno
b
L
A
T
C
H
Co
nn
ector
Rear Facin
g
Lock-of
f
H
a
rn
ess
Gua
rd
*
(
not shown
)
LATCH Connector Stora
ge
pocket (under cover
)
L
A
T
C
H H
a
rn
ess
Reta
in
er
FOR USEON
DRIVER'SSIDE
LATCHANCHOR
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Vehicle Safety Belts
8
NOTE: The information in this section only
applies if you are installing the child restraint
using the vehicle seat belts. If using LATCH,
this section should be ignored.
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 seat belts with top or bottom
anchorage points in the door.
Motor driven automatic seat belts.
Three-point belts that have separate
retractors for the shoulder section and
the lap section.
Non-locking (ELR) two-point seat belts.
The owner's manual for your vehicle will
have information on the types of seat belts
in your vehicle. If you have belts of the above-listed types, select anoth-
er seating position. This child restraint will work with rear seat three-
point seat belts with a sliding latch plate, and with rear seat three-point
seat belts that are specifically marked as appropriate for child restraints .
The middle rear seat of most vehicles has a lap belt which most often
will work.
This child restraint can fit securely in most vehicles using the existing seat belts.
However, some types of vehicle designs prevent a secure fit of the child
restraint due to the position of the seat belt lower anchorage points.
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Vehicle Safety Belts
Lower Ancorage
Point
Lower Ancorage
Point
Seat Belt Anchorage Points MUST Fall Within This Shaded Area
9
Use this simple guide to check your seat belts and determine the
safest position for your child restraint.
Use the gray shaded area on the side of this page to determine the
best position for the child restraint. Hold the page against your vehi-
cle seat (as shown above) with the gray area toward the back of the
seat. Now check to see if the lower seat belt anchorage points are in
line with the gray or the red area of this page.
If the lower seat belt anchorage points are in the gray area, then
you can use this position for your child restraint.
If the lower seat belt anchorage points are in the red area, then
you should use another position for your child restraint.
NOTE: Although the seat belt anchorage points fall within the gray
area, a better installation may be achieved by adjusting your child
restraint to a reclining position.
Seat Belt Anchorage Points MUST Fall Within This Shaded Area
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Vehicle Seating Positions
10
• 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 chil-
dren 12 and under must ride in the rear seats, away from front
air bags. The only exception is if the air bag is off.
NOTE: Prior to installation, check that the shoulder straps are
in the correct position (see page 33 - 34).
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Installation: Rear Facing
11
1Verify that your vehicle is equipped
with LATCH anchors (Fig A).
• If LATCH anchors are not installed,
you must use standard seat belt
installation methods
2Verify that LATCH harness is routed in
rear facing slots. If not, refer to page 17
to switch LATCH harness.
3Place the child restraint facing and fully
reclined on the vehicle seat.
IMPORTANT: Only use super recline
mode if necessary to obtain proper
angle, based on vehicle seat contour
(see page 29).
4Unhook hook and loop attachments
on the front edge of the cover, then pull
the stabilizing bar out completely. Pull
stabilizing bar upward until it clicks into
position (fig B).
IMPORTANT: Stabilizer bar must always
be extended when seat is rear facing.
5Reattach hook and loop attachments
on the front edge of the cover.
6Loosly attach each LATCH connector to the adjacent LATCH
anchor (fig C).
•A positive click confirms attachment to the LATCH anchor.
•If necessary, press silver adjuster release button, then pull to
lengthen LATCH webbing.
C
A
B
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Installation: Rear Facing
12
7With one hand, push the child
restraint firmly into the vehicle seat
while pulling the first LATCH con-
nector strap tight (fig D).
8Continue pressing child restraint
firmly into the vehicle seat while
pulling the second LATCH connector
strap tight.
9Verify that all connections are
tightandthechild restraintissecure.
10 If desired, attach Versa-Tether™as instructed on pages 27-28.
Rear facing installation is improved by the use of the Versa-Tether™,
but it is not required.
Important
•Always store LATCH connectors when not in use by attaching to
storage rings on the side of the child restraint.
•Rear facing installation is improved by the use of the Versa-
Tether™, but it is not required.
•If you have a problem stabilizing your child restraint, place a rolled
towel in the crease of the seat to help level the child restraint base.
Warning
•DO NOT raise the base beyond horizontal or off of the vehicle
seat, doing so will reduce the protection for your child.
Removal
•To remove the child restraint, release both LATCH connectors from
the LATCH anchors by pressing the red button.
•If connected, disconnect the Versa-Tether™from the tether anchor.
•Always store LATCH connectors when not in use by attaching to
storage rings on the side of the child restraint.
D
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Installation: Rear Facing
13
Rear Facing Lap-Shoulder Belt
Installation
1Reclinechild restraintas necessarytoalign
leveling line horizontal with the ground.
IMPORTANT: Only use super recline
mode if necessary to obtain proper
angle, based on vehicle seat contour
(see page 29).
2Unhook hook and loop attachments
on the front edge of the cover, then pull
the stabilizing bar out completely. Pull
stabilizing bar upward until it clicks into
position (fig. A).
IMPORTANT: Stabilizer bar must
always be extended when seat is rear
facing.
NOTE: Do not reattach cover with
hook and loop until seat belt has been
routed.
3Place the child restraint rear facing on
the vehicle seat.
4 Fully extend the vehicle belt, then hold
the lap and shoulder sections together.
Keep the sections together as you pass the seat belt through the closest
rear facing belt slot (fig. B) .
5 Route belt in front of the buckle strap, then through the second
rear facing belt slot (fig. B) .
6 Fasten the seat belt, then verify that the seat belt is not twisted
( fig. C) .
A
B
C
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Installation: Rear Facing
14
7Reattach hook and loop attach-
ments on the front edge of the
cover.
8Press child restraint into vehicle
seat, while removing slack from
the lap portion, then the shoulder
portion of the seat belt (fig. D).
9Maintain pressure on child
restraint, then p osition both sec-
tions of seat belt through the
lock-off.
10 Close lock-off arm. Lock-off is
properly closed when a positive
click is heard ( fig. E) .
NOTE: It is only necessary to use
one lock-off. Always use the lock-
off that is closest to the seat belt
buckle. Never bend the plastic
lock-off arm up or down to pre-
vent breakage. Do not route
LATCH Harness through the rear facing lock-offs when installing
with vehicle seat belt.
11 If desired, attach Versa-Tether™as instructed on pages 27-28.
Rear facing installation is improved by the use of the Versa-Tether™,
but it is not required.
12 Verify that the seat belt is tight and the child restraint is secure.
Removal
To remove the child restraint, unfasten the seat belt and reverse the
above directions.
D
E
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Installation: Rear Facing
15
Rear Facing Lap Belt Installation
1Recline child restraint as necessary to
align leveling line horizontal with the
ground.
IMPORTANT: Only use super recline
mode if necessary to obtain proper
angle, based on vehicle seat contour
(see page 29).
2Unhook hook and loop attachments on
the front edge of the cover, then pull the
stabilizing bar out completely. Pull stabiliz-
ing bar upward until it clicks into position
(fig. A).
IMPORTANT: Stabilizer bar must always
be extended when seat is rear facing.
NOTE: Do not reattach cover with hook
and loop until seat belt has been rout-
ed.
3Place the child restraint rear facing on
the vehicle seat.
4 Fully extend the vehicle seat belt, then
pass it through the closest rear facing belt
slot.
5 Routebeltinfrontofthebucklestrap, then through the second rear
facing belt slot (fig. B) .
6 Fasten the seat belt, then verify that the seat belt is not twisted
(fig. C).
A
B
C
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Installation: Rear Facing
16
7Press child restraint into vehicle
seat, while removing slack from
the seat belt (fig. D).
8 Position seat belt through the
open lock-off.
9 Close lock-off arm. Lock-off is
properly closed when a positive
click is heard ( fig. E) .
NOTE: It is only necessary to use
one lock-off. Always use the lock-
off that is closest to the seat belt
buckle. Never bend the plastic
lock-off arm up or down to pre-
ventbreakage.DonotrouteLATCH
Harness through the rear facing
lock-offswheninstallingwithvehicle
seat belt.
10 Attach Versa-Tether™as in-
structed on pages 27 – 28. Rear facinginstallation is improved by the
use of the Versa-Tether™, but is not required.
11 Verify that the seat belt is tight and the child restraint is secure.
Removal
To remove the child restraint, unfasten the seat belt and reverse the
above directions.
E
D
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Switching the LATCH Connectors
17
B
C
A
The LATCH harness must be
switched for proper alignment
in rear facing or forward facing
installations. The seat is sup-
plied with the LATCH harness
fitted in the rear facing posi-
tion. To switch the harness to
the forward facing position,
follow the instructions below:
1 Feed the complete latch har-
ness out through the seat on
the side with the short connec-
tor strap ( fig A ).
2 Then feed the LATCH con-
nector with the “For use on
Driver's side Latch Anchor”
label first, through the seat
shell as shown ( fig B ).
Connector labelled, “For use
on Driver's side Latch Anchor”
must be on appropriate side of
child restraint. Verify that har-
ness is not twisted.
3 To move from forward facing
to rear facing, reverse the
above procedure.
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Installation: Forward Facing
18
Forward Facing
Installation with LATCH
1Verify that your vehicle is equip-
ped with LATCH anchors (fig. A).
•If LATCH anchors are not in-
stalled, you must use standard
seat belt installation methods
.
2Verify that LATCH harness is
routed in forward facing slots. If
not, refer to page 17 to switch
LATCH harness.
3If stabilizing bar is extended
press blue release button, located
adjacent to the right side rear fac-
ing lock-off, to release and store
bar (fig. B).
4Place the child restraint forward
facing and fully reclined on the
vehicle seat.
5Loosly attach each LATCH con-
nector to the adjacent LATCH
anchor (fig C).
•A positive click confirms
attachment to the LATCH
anchor.
•If necessary, press silver adjuster
release button, then pull to
loosen LATCH webbing (fig D).
B
C
A
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Installation: Forward Facing
19
6With one hand, push the child
restraint firmly into the vehicle seat
while pulling the first LATCH con-
nector strap tight (fig E).
7Continue pressing child restraint
firmly into the vehicle seat while
pulling the second LATCH connec-
tor strap tight.
8AttachVersa-Tether™asinstructed
on pages 25 - 26. Forward facing
installation is improved by the use
of the Versa-Tether™, but is not
required.
9Verify that all connections are
tightand thechild restraintissecure.
Removal
•To remove the child restraint,
release both LATCH connectors
from the LATCH anchors by
pressing the red button.
•If connected, disconnect the Versa-Tether™from the tether anchor.
•Always store LATCH connectors when not in use by attaching to
storage rings on the side of the child restraint.
E
D
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