Graco 8403 User manual

Any Questions? 1-
Infant Car Bed
Child Restraint
System
OWNER'S MANUAL
Model 8403
Your childs safety depends on you installing and
using this car bed correctly. READ THIS MANUAL!
Return this manual to the storage pocket provided on
the underside of the car bed for quick reference. © 1999 Graco 403-9-99 IS1904

1. Important Safety Information
1.1 About Your Child
1.2 About Using this Car Bed in Your Vehicle
1. About Airbags
1.4 When the Car Bed is Not Occupied
1.5 About the Life and Condition of this Car Bed
1.6 When the Car Bed is Not in the Vehicle
2. Choosing a Suitable Location for the Car Bed
2.1 Some Basic Requirements
2.2 Be Sure Your Vehicle Seat Meets All of These Requirements
2. Consider Accident Statistics and Information about Airbags
2.4 Be Sure Your Vehicle Seat Belt is Safe to Use
A. Seat Belt Systems that are NOT Safe for Use with the Car Bed
B. Seat Belt Systems that are Suitable for Use with the Car Bed
. Features and Components of the Car Bed
4. Positioning and Securing Your Child in the Car Bed
5. Securing the Car Bed in Your Vehicle
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Table of Contents
2

6. Cleaning and Maintenance
7. Registering Your Car Bed
Contacting raco
Our goal is to make every product the best it can be! We are also committed to
supporting our products after purchase. If you would like to speak to Graco about
your product, please call our Customer Service Department at 1-888-224-6549
or visit our Internet website, www.gracobaby.com. Our knowledgeable staff is
ready to answer any questions you may have concerning parts, use or maintenance.
When you call, please have the model and serial numbers ready so your call may
be processed quickly and efficiently.
Keep this manual in the storage pocket
located on the underside of the car bed.
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3

1. Important Safety Information
No child restraint can guarantee protection from injury. However, proper use
of this car bed reduces the risk of serious injury or death to your child in the
event of a sharp turn, sudden stop or crash.
Do not install or use this car bed until you read and understand the instructions
in this manual and in your vehicle owners manual. Do not let others install
or use the car bed unless they understand how to use it.
1.1 About Your Child
!Premature and/or low birth weight infants usually have special medical
needs. Consult your doctor about how to transport your child and about
their need for supervision.
!This car bed is designed for use only by children who weigh 9 lbs.
(4.1 kg) or less and whose height is 20 inches (51 cm) or less. Using this
car bed with a child who is heavier than 9 lbs. or more than 20 inches in
height may increase the risk of serious injury or death. Once your child
outgrows the car bed, consult with your physician about transferring the
child into a rear-facing safety seat or another special needs product for a
larger child.
!NEVER LEAVE YOUR CHILD UNATTENDED.
4

1.2 About Using this Car Bed in Your Vehicle
!Your child can be injured in a vehicle even if you are not in a crash.
More common events such as sudden braking and sharp turns can injure
your child if the car bed is not properly installed or if your child is not
properly secured in the car bed.
!Do not place apnea monitors, oxygen tanks, or other medical equipment
inside the car bed. Keep this equipment outside of the car bed, secured
under the seat or on the floor. If not secured, it can be thrown around and
may injure occupants in the event of a sharp turn, sudden stop or crash.
!There are many kinds of vehicles, seat belt systems, and occupant
protection systems. As a result, it is not possible for this manual to tell
you everything you need to know about putting this car bed in your
vehicle. You must carefully follow the instructions provided by the
vehicle owners manual as well as the information in this manual.
!Some vehicles do not have any safe location for this car bed, and many
vehicles have seat belt systems that must not be used with the car bed
because those systems will not safely hold the car bed in place. Again,
you must refer to both this manual and your vehicle owners manual.
!This car bed conforms to all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
!This Restraint is certified for use in Motor Vehicles. This Restraint is not
certified for use in aircraft.
5

1. About Airbags
!With some child restraint systems, such as rear-facing infant seats, an
inflating airbag can strike the child restraint and kill or seriously injure
a child.
With regard to this car bed and airbags, our tests and investigations indicate
that an inflating airbag will not strike a properly installed car bed and result in
serious injury or death. Presently, Graco is not aware of any airbags that will
strike a properly installed car bed and injure a child. However, airbags offer no
benefit to children in car beds. Also, airbag designs are changing rapidly, and
it is impossible to say that new designs will not present a risk of injury or death
to a child in a car bed.
As a result, before placing the car bed in a seating location that has an airbag,
consider the following:
- Most rear seats do not have airbags, and according to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly restrained in rear vehicle seating
positions rather than front seating positions.
- Always follow the recommendations of your vehicle manufacturer. See your
vehicle owners manual and/or contact your vehicle manufacturer for more
information about using this car bed in a seating location that has an airbag.
- To avoid any possibility of injury from an inflating airbag, place the car bed
in a seating location that does not have one.
6

1.4 When the Car Bed is Not Occupied
!The surface of the car bed can become very hot if the car bed is left in
the sun. Contact with these parts can burn your childs skin. Cover the
car bed with a blanket if it will be exposed to the sun, and always check
the surface of the car bed before putting your child in it.
!Never leave a car bed unsecured in your vehicle. An unsecured car bed
can be thrown around and may injure occupants in the event of a sharp
turn, sudden stop or crash.
1.5 About the Life and Condition of this Car Bed
!Replace this car bed with a new car bed after an accident of any kind.
An accident can cause damage to the car bed that you cannot see.
!After your child has outgrown the car bed, or has moved on to a rear-
facing infant restraint, discard the car bed. Never give this car bed to
someone else. Destroy the car bed and place it in a garbage bag to assure
that it will not be reused.
!Do not use the car bed after the expiration date stamped on the bottom of
the car bed shell.
!Do not modify your car bed or use any accessories or parts supplied by
other manufacturers.
7

!Never use the car bed if it has damaged or missing parts. Do not use a
cut, frayed or damaged car bed harness. You can order a new harness by
calling 1-888-224-6549.
1.6 When the Car Bed is Not in the Vehicle
To avoid injury or death from suffocation, falls and other hazards:
!Always secure child in harness straps whenever
child is in the car bed.
!When carrying the car bed, use the handles at
both ends of the car bed as shown.
!Always place the car bed on a firm and level
surface. Never place the car bed on soft or plush
surfaces that may allow the car bed and infant to
roll over. If the car bed tips over, your child
can suffocate.
!Do not place car bed near the edge of surfaces such as tables or counters.
To prevent falls, stay within arms reach whenever the car bed is not on
floor/ground.
!Never leave child unattended while child is in car bed.
8

2. Choosing a Suitable Location for the Car Bed
2.1 Some Basic Requirements
To reduce the risk of head and neck injuries in the event of a crash, your
childs head must be positioned as close to the center of the car as possible,
and never next to a door or the side of the vehicle.
Some seating positions in your vehicle are not safe locations for this
car bed. For example, none of the seats on the drivers side of the
vehicle are safe for this car bed.
n addition, there may be some vehicles that do not have any seating
positions that can be used safely. mproper placement of the car bed
increases the risk of serious injury or death.
Follow the instructions in this section and in your vehicle owners
manual to select a location for the car bed. f you are not sure where
to place the car bed in your vehicle, contact your vehicle manufacturer
or Graco Childrens Products nc., 1-888-224-6549.
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!Never place the car bed on the drivers
side of a vehicle (seats Aand B) Ê.
Only the center and passenger side
seating positions (C, D, E, Fand )
are potential locations for this car bed
if all other requirements are met.
!The car bed must be positioned so that
the childs head is near the center of the
vehicle.
This means that when the car bed is
properly installed, your childs feet will
always be toward the passenger side of
the vehicle Ë.
!Whenever possible, keep the seat next to
the childs head clear of passengers or any
objects, such as child restraints, boxes,
groceries, monitors, etc.
Ë
Feet toward
passenger side
of vehicle
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Ê

2.2 Be Sure Your Vehicle Seat Meets All of
These Requirements
!THE VEHICLE SEAT MUST FACE
FORWARD. Do not place car bed in a
rear-facing vehicle seat Ìor a side-facing
vehicle seat Í.
!Only use this car bed on vehicle seats with seat
backs that lock in an upright position. Do not
use seats that can fold down without having to
release a lock or latch of some kind. These seats
can fly forward and strike the child in a sudden
stop or crash.
!See your vehicle owners manual or contact the vehicle manufacturer to
make sure the vehicle manufacturer permits child restraint use in the
location that you select.
Í
Ì
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2. Consider Accident Statistics and
Information about Airbags
!According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly
restrained in rear vehicle seating positions, rather than in front seating
positions.
!Before placing the car bed in a seating location with an airbag, read
section 1. on page 6.
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2.4 Be Sure Your Vehicle Seat Belt is Safe to Use
A. Seat Belt Systems that are NOT Safe for Use
with the Car Bed
DO NOT use the following types of vehicle belt systems with your car bed.
They will not hold the car bed securely in place. The metal locking clip
provided with this product will NOT make any of these seat belts safe.
Many seat belt systems are NOT safe to use with this car bed, even
though they can easily be routed around the car bed and look similar
to other seat belts that are safe to use.
Carefully read this section for information on seat belt systems and
also refer to your vehicle owner's manual and any labels on your
vehicles seat belt. f you are unsure whether your seat belts are safe
to use with the car bed, contact the vehicle manufacturer or call Graco
at 1-888-224-6549.
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!DO NOT use a lap belt that stays loose and can
move until it locks in a crash or sudden stop. This
belt has an Emergency Locking Retractor, E.L.R.
It is often seen in combination with a motorized
shoulder belt. Since these lap belts will loosen
if pulled on slowly, the car bed may shift to an
unsafe position. This seat belt will NOT safely
restrain the car bed Ê. However, you may be
able to convert your E.L.R. belt to one that is
safe to use. See your vehicle owners manual
for more information or contact your vehicle
manufacturer.
!DO NOT use a lap/shoulder combination belt
where each strap has a retractor at one end and is
attached to the latchplate at the other end of the
belt. This seat belt will NOT safely restrain the
car bed Ë.
Ê
Ë
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!DO NOT use a seat belt that is attached to the door
in any way. This type of belt is designed to open
with the door and automatically surround the
passenger when the door is closed. This seat belt
will NOT safely restrain the car bed Ì.
!DO NOT use a seat belt that is anchored forward
of the seat crease. This seat belt will NOT safely
restrain the car bed Í.
!DO NOT use a shoulder belt that moves along a
track to automatically surround the passenger when
the door is closed. This seat belt will NOT safely
restrain the car bed Î.
If you have one of the above seat belt systems, do not
use it to secure the car bed. Look for a vehicle seat
location that has a suitable seat belt (see the next
section) or contact your vehicle manufacturer about
installing a seat belt system that can be used to secure
the car bed.
Ì
Í
Î
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B. Seat Belt Systems that are Suitable for Use
with the Car Bed
The following vehicle belt systems can be used with your car bed, if the
seat location meets all other requirements of these instructions and the
requirements in your vehicle owners manual.
!Lap belt that is manually adjusted and stays
tight. This type of seat belt is tightened by
pulling on the excess belt once it is buckled.
This type of seat belt is most often found in
rear center seating positions Ê.
!Lap belt that cannot lengthen once it is
buckled. This belt has an automatic locking
retractor (A.L.R.) that does not allow the seat
belt to lengthen without unbuckling the belt
and starting over Ë.
Ê
Ë
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!Lap/shoulder combination belt with a lock-
ing latchplate. Once it is buckled, this type of
belt has a latchplate that will not allow the lap
portion of the belt to loosen. This seat belt does
not require a locking clip Ì.
!Lap/shoulder combination belt with a latch-
plate that can slide freely along the belt.
This type of belt MUST be converted to prevent
movement of the lap portion of the belt. You
must use the locking clip provided with the
car bed, unless your vehicles seat belt can be
converted in another way that is described in
your vehicle owners manual. Failure to use
the locking clip or convert the seat belt in
another way will allow the car bed to move out
of position. See your vehicle owners manual
or contact your vehicle manufacturer for more
information Í.
Í
Locking clip
Ì
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3. Features and Components of the Car Bed
arness
slots
arness
crotch
strap
Pad
arness
shoulder
straps
Rear of car bed
(low side)
Vehicle
belt guides
Front of car bed
(high side)
The locking clip is stored at the rear of the car bed.
You will need to use it with certain types of vehicle
seat belts.
Locking Clip
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4. Positioning and Securing Your Child
in the Car Bed
Premature and/or low birth weight infants have special medical needs that will
influence how your child should lay in the car bed. This car bed is designed so
babies can lay on their backs or on their sides. Under certain circumstances, it
may be preferable to have babies lie on their stomachs. Consult your doctor
about how your child should be positioned for travel. If it is necessary for your
child to lie on their stomach, never use additional padding or blankets in the
head area or near the babys face. Always watch your baby closely.
Failure to properly position and secure your child in the car bed increases
the risk of serious injury or death in the event of a sharp turn, sudden stop
or crash. Even when the car bed is not in a vehicle, secure your child with
the harness.
n a crash, the car bed provides NO protection for your child unless the
harness straps are properly secured.
Follow these instructions carefully to properly position and secure your child.
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1. Make sure that your child is dressed in appropriate
clothing which:
a. Allows the crotch strap to pass through your childs
a. legs.
b. Keeps the shoulder straps on your childs shoulders.
If a blanket is used for additional warmth, it must be
placed outside the harness straps and tucked around
your child. Make sure no blankets or other articles
cover the ventilation holes in the pad.
2. If your child is to lie on their back or stomach, slide the
harness along the harness slots toward the low side of car
bed Ê. If your child is to lie on their side, slide harness
to the high side Ë. In either position, adjust harness
straps so the bottom of the U where shoulder straps
join is at the edge of the harness slot Ì.
3. Inspect the harness straps to be sure they are clean.
Dirty, lint-filled harness straps may not hold your
child securely. See the Cleaning and Maintenance
section (page 0) for more information on
cleaning the harness.
Ê
Lying on back
Lying on side
Ë
Ì
Bottom of U
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