Graco 8480 User manual

OWNER'S MANUAL
Model 8480
Even if using this car seat seems easy to figure out
on your own, it is very important to read this manual.
Your child’s safety depends on you installing and
using this car seat correctly. READ THIS MANUAL!
After following these instructions, return this manual
to the storage pocket on the back of the car seat for
quick reference. © 2001 Graco 409-5-01
Car Seat/
Booster
Seat

1. Warnings to Parents and Other Users .................
2. Important Safety Information ........................
2.1 About Your Child ........................................
2.2 About Using this Car Seat
in Your Vehicle ............................................
2.3 When the Car Seat is Not Occupied ...........
2.4 Life and Condition of the Car Seat ............
3. Features and Components ............................
4. Selecting a Suitable Location
for the Car Seat ............................................
5. Use of the Car Seat
with the Built-in Harness .............................
5.1 Positioning the Harness Straps ..................
5.2 Selecting a Suitable Location
for the Car Seat .........................................
A. Vehicle Belt Systems that are NOT
Safe for Use with the Car Seat ...............
B. Vehicle Belt Systems that ARE
Suitable for Use with the Car Seat .........
5.3 Positioning and Securing
the Car Seat in your Vehicle .....................
5.4 Securing your Child in the Car Seat .........
5.5 Using the Car Seat in an Airplane ............
Table of Contents
2
4
5-10
5
8
9
10
11-12
13-14
15-32
15
19
20
23
25
33
35

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 at
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.
These numbers can be found on a sticker on the
underside of your car seat.
Keep this manual
in the storage compartment
on the back of the car seat.
3
6. Use of the Car Seat
without the Built-in Harness ........................
6.1 Removing the Built-in Harness .................
6.2 Securing your Child and the Booster Seat
with the Vehicle Lap/Shoulder Belt ..........
6.3 Using the Booster Seat in an Airplane ......
7. Cleaning and Maintenance ..........................
8. Registering Your Car Seat .................................
9. Replacement Parts .............................................
36-43
38
40
43
43-46
47
48

1. Warnings to Parents
and Other Users
DO NOT install or use this car seat 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 seat unless they
understand how to use it.
Failure to properly use this car seat increases the
risk of serious injury or death in a sharp turn,
sudden stop or crash. Your child’s safety depends
on you installing and using this car seat correctly.
Your child’s safety depends on:
1. Choosing the correct use mode of the car seat
depending on your child’s size.
2. Inserting the harness straps (if needed) in the
proper slots for your child.
3. Selecting a suitable location for the car seat in
your vehicle.
4. Properly routing the vehicle seat belt.
5. Properly securing the car seat in the vehicle
using a seat belt designed to restrain the car seat
and your child. Many seat belts are NOT safe to
use with this car seat, even though they can easily
be threaded through or around the car seat.
6. Properly securing your child in the car seat.
4

2. Important
Safety Information
No car seat can guarantee protection from injury.
However, proper use of this car seat reduces the
risk of serious injury or death to your child.
2.1 About Your Child
Instructions for the use of this car seat and your
vehicle’s seat belt differ greatly depending on the
size of your child. Be sure you are using the
car seat in the correct mode and with the correct
features for your child. Failure to use the car seat
in a manner that is appropriate for your child’s size
may increase the risk of serious injury or death.
When you switch from one mode of use to another,
be sure to review the sections of this manual that
apply to that mode.
5
NEVER LEAVE YOUR CHILD
UNATTENDED.
NEVER ALLOW THE CHILD TO BUCKLE
HIMSELF into the car seat at any time. This
unit must be installed and adjusted only by an
adult.

Your child should use the built-in harness if:
child weighs from 20 to
40 lbs. (9 to 18 kg), and
is between 27 and 40
inches (69 and 102 cm)
in height, and
child is at least one year
old and can sit upright
unassisted, and
child’s shoulders are
below top harness slots.
If shoulders are above
top harness slots, child is
too large for built-in harness. You must remove
the harness and use the booster seat with your
vehicle’s lap and shoulder belt system.
6
20 lbs.
(9 kg)
30 lbs.
(14 kg)
40 lbs.
(18 kg)
With harness
If your child is between 30 and 40 lbs., he
should continue to use the harness if his shoulders
are below the upper harness slots. We highly
recommend use of the built-in harness for as long
as it is suitable and comfortable for your child.

Your child should use the VEHICLE shoulder
and lap belts BUT NOT the built-in harness if:
child weighs from 30
to 80 lbs. (14 to 36 kg),
and is between 35 and
54 inches (89 and 138
cm) in height, and
child’s ears are below
top of booster seat.
If tops of ears are above
top of seat, child is too
large for booster seat.
7
80 lbs.
(36 kg)
Without built-in harness

8
2.2 About Using this Car Seat
in Your Vehicle
YOUR CHILD CAN BE INJURED in a
vehicle even if you are not in a crash. Common
events such as sudden braking and sharp turns
can injure your child if the car seat is not
properly installed or if your child is not properly
secured in the car seat.
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 seat in your vehicle. You
must carefully follow the instructions provided
by your vehicle manufacturer, in addition to the
information in this manual.
SOME VEHICLES DO NOT HAVE ANY
safe location for this car seat, and many vehicles
have seat belt systems that must not be used with
the car seat because those systems will not safely
hold the car seat or your child in place. Refer to
sections 4 and 5.2, “Selecting a Suitable
Location for the Car Seat” (pages 13 & 19) and
to your vehicle owner’s manual for information.
THIS CHILD RESTRAINT conforms to all
applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards.

9
THIS RESTRAINT is certified for use in
Motor Vehicles. It is certified for use in Aircraft
only when used with the built-in harness.
When used as a booster without the harness,
this restraint is not certified for use in aircraft.
For aircraft use see section 5.5, “Using the Car
Seat in an Airplane” on page 35.
CONTINUOUS USE OF A CAR SEAT may
cause damage to a vehicle seat. To protect
vehicle upholstery, use a car seat mat, towel
or thin blanket under the seat.
2.3 When the Car Seat
is Not Occupied
NEVER LEAVE A CAR SEAT
UNSECURED IN YOUR VEHICLE. When
you are not using the car seat, either remove it
or make sure that it is securely belted in the
vehicle. An unsecured car seat can be thrown
around and may injure occupants in the event of
a sharp turn, sudden stop or crash.
PARTS OF THE CAR SEAT CAN BECOME
VERY HOT if the seat is left in the sun. Contact
with these parts can burn your child’s skin. Cover
the car seat with a blanket if it will be exposed to
the sun, and always touch the surface of any metal
or plastic parts before putting your child in the car
seat.
WHEN NOT USING THE CAR SEAT for
long periods, store it in a plastic bag in a cool,
dark, dry place.

10
DO NOT PLACE HEAVY OBJECTS ON
CAR SEAT while in storage. Heavy objects may
deform car seat over a period of time.
2.4 Life and Condition
of the Car Seat
REPLACE THE CAR SEAT AFTER AN
ACCIDENT of any kind. An accident can cause
damage to the car seat that you cannot see.
EVEN IF THE CAR SEAT IS NOT
INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, stop using it
and throw it away after the date molded into the
back of the car seat. Example: “Do not use this
child restraint after December 2006.”
DO NOT MODIFY YOUR CAR SEAT or
use any accessories or parts supplied by other
manufacturers. Only make adjustments to the car
seat as recommended in these instructions.
NEVER USE THE CAR SEAT IF IT HAS
DAMAGED OR MISSING PARTS. Do not
use a cut, frayed or damaged car seat harness or
vehicle seat belt.
NEVER GIVE THIS CAR SEAT TO
SOMEONE ELSE without also giving them
this manual.
NEVER USE A SECOND-HAND CAR SEAT
or a car seat whose history you do not know.

11
3. Features and Components
Harness slots
Shoulder
belt
positioners Harness clip
Harness straps
Harness
adjustment strap
Crotch strap
Harness
buckle
Harness
adjustment
button

12
*The locking clip is stored on the
back of the car seat. You will need to
use it with certain types of vehicle
seat belts.
Locking clip
storage*
Junction plate
storage
Tether
strap**
Owner’s manual
storage compartment
———
Expiration date
Metal junction
plate
**Some vehicles are now (or can be) equipped
with tether anchor points behind some vehicle
seats. A tether anchors the top of the car seat to
the body of the vehicle. When used properly with
the vehicle seat belt, a tether helps reduce injury
in a sharp turn, sudden stop or crash.
Tether clip

4. Selecting a Suitable
Location for the Car Seat
Following are some basic recommendations for
both use modes of the car seat. See section 5,
“Use of the Car Seat with the Built-in Harness”
(page 15) for more information about a safe
location for the car seat in that mode.
According to accident statistics, children are safer
when properly restrained in rear vehicle seating
positions, rather than front seating positions. For a
vehicle with a front passenger air bag, refer to
your vehicle owner’s manual as well as these
instructions for car seat installation.
We recommend that,
whenever possible, you
secure the car seat in the
center position of the
seat directly behind the front seats . However,
this position is often only equipped with a lap belt
and cannot be used when this car seat is used
without the built-in harness.
If you want to use the tether, locate a seating
position equipped with tether anchors. If your
vehicle does not have a tether anchor, it may
be possible to install one. Contact your vehicle
dealership for the proper anchor location and
installation. A tether anchor parts kit may be
purchased by calling Graco Customer Service
at 1-888-224-6549.
13


Be Sure Your Vehicle Seat
Meets These Requirements
THE VEHICLE SEAT MUST FACE
FORWARD. DO NOT place car seat in a
rear-facing vehicle seat or a side-facing
vehicle seat .
DO NOT use this car seat in any vehicle seat
in which the front of the car seat hangs over the
edge of the vehicle seat .



14

15
5. Use of the Car Seat with
the Built-in Harness
Use of this car seat with the built-in harness is
meant for a child:
who weighs from 20 to 40 lbs. (9 to 18 kg) and
is between 27 and 40 inches (69 and 102 cm) in
height, and
who is at least one year old and can sit upright
unassisted, and
whose shoulders are below top harness slots. If
shoulders are above top harness slots, child is
too large for built-in harness. You must remove
the harness and use the booster seat with your
vehicle’s lap and shoulder belt system.
Failure to properly adjust the harness straps for your
child increases the risk of serious injury or death in
the event of a sharp turn, sudden stop or crash. The
harness straps must be properly adjusted to fit your
child according to the following instructions.
Note that there are three posi-
tions for the shoulder harness
straps. The harness straps
must go into the slots that
are even with or just above
your child’s shoulders .

5.1 Positioning the Harness Straps

16
To properly adjust the harness to your child:
1. Loosen the harness straps
by fully pushing in the
red adjustment button
on the front of the seat and
pulling the straps out at
the shoulders as shown .
2. Unthread one strap from
the harness clip .
3. Push the red release
button on the buckle
of the crotch strap .
Unbuckle both harness
straps. Move the straps
apart to make room for
your child.
4. Place your child in the seat with his bottom flat
against the seat back.
5. Determine which pair of harness slots is even
with or just above your child’s shoulders.




6. To adjust the position of
the harness straps, remove
your child from the car
seat in order to make the
adjustment. Look behind
the car seat to locate the
ends of the straps as they
loop around the metal
junction plate.
Remove the ends of the
two shoulder straps from
the junction plate .
7. From the front of the car
seat, pull the strap ends
through the slots and
reinsert them through the
appropriate slots as deter-
mined in step 5 above.
8. Behind the car seat,
reassemble the straps
onto the metal junction
plate. Check that straps
are completely within
the slots as shown .



17

9. Inspect the harness straps from the front
and back of the car seat to be sure the straps
are inserted at the same level and that they are
not twisted. Twisted belts can create slack in
the harness straps and reduce the protection
provided by the car seat.
10. Pull on the harness straps from the front of
the car seat to be sure the straps are secure.
11. Check the crotch
strap. There are two
possible positions for
it. Choose the position
that is closest to but
not under your child.
If you need to move
the strap, reach under the seat and push the
metal retainer up through the slot sideways .
Push it back down through the appropriate slot
(making sure the red button faces out) and tug
on it to be sure that it is properly secured.
The components of your harness are now properly
positioned for your child. You will fine-tune the
fit each time you place your child in the car seat
by using the adjustment strap.
Remember to check the shoulder and crotch straps
as your child grows and move them to the next
position when necessary.

18

5.2 Selecting a Suitable Location
for the Car Seat
Some seating positions in your vehicle may not be
safe locations for this car seat when used with the
built-in harness. In fact, some vehicles do not have
any seating positions that can be used safely with
the car seat.
Improper placement of the car seat 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 seat. If you are not sure where to place the
car seat in your vehicle, contact your vehicle
manufacturer or Graco Children’s Products Inc.,
1-888-224-6549.
19

Be Sure Your Vehicle Seat Belt
Meets These Requirements
The vehicle seat belt must be designed to hold the
car seat tightly at ALL times. There are a variety
of seat belt systems that are NOT safe for use
with the car seat because they will not hold the
car seat tightly at all times. We will first describe
the seat belts that are NOT safe for use and then
we will describe those that ARE safe for use. Pay
careful attention to these systems; some of the
seat belts that are not safe to use look very much
like seat belts that are safe to use. If you are
unsure, contact the vehicle manufacturer or call
Graco at 1-888-224-6549.
Many seat belt systems are NOT safe to use with
the car seat, even though they can easily be
threaded through the car seat. Carefully read this
section for information on seat belt systems and
refer to your vehicle owner’s manual and any labels
on your vehicle’s seat belt. You may need to have
a special seat belt installed by your vehicle dealer
before using the car seat.
A. Vehicle Belt Systems that are NOT
Safe for Use with the Car Seat
DO NOT use the following types of vehicle belt
systems with your car seat. They will not hold the
car seat securely in place. The metal locking clip
provided with this product will NOT make any of
these vehicle belts safe.20