Graco 8481 User manual

OWNER'S MANUAL Model 8481
Even if using this booster 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 booster seat
correctly. READ THIS MANUAL! After
following these instructions, return this
manual to the storage pocket on the back
of the booster seat for quick reference.
© 2001 Graco 420-5-01
Booster Seat

1. Warnings to Parents and Other Users .................
2. Important Safety Information ...........................
2.1 About Your Child .........................................
2.2 About Using this Booster Seat
in Your Vehicle .............................................
2.3 When the Booster Seat is Not Occupied.......
2.4 Life and Condition of the Booster Seat.........
3. Features and Components ...................................
3.1 To Attach the Cloth Seat Cover
to the Booster Seat ....................................
4. Selecting a Suitable Location
for the Booster Seat ......................................
A. Vehicle Belt Systems that are NOT
Safe for Use with the Booster Seat..............
B. Vehicle Belt Systems that are Suitable
for use with the Booster Seat.......................
5. Use of the Booster Seat ................................
5.1 Securing your Child and the Booster Seat
with the Vehicle Lap/Shoulder Belt ............
5.2 Using the Booster Seat in an Airplane .......
6. Cleaning and Maintenance .................................
7. Registering Your Booster Seat ...........................
8. Replacement Parts ........................................
Table of Contents
2
4
5-8
5
6
7
8
9
10
11-15
13
15
16-21
18
21
22
23
24-25

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 booster seat.
Keep this manual
in the storage compartment
on the back of the booster seat.
3

1. Warnings to Parents
and Other Users
DO NOT install or use this booster 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 booster
seat unless they understand how to use it.
Failure to properly use this booster 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 booster seat
correctly.
Your child’s safety depends on:
1. Selecting a suitable location for the booster
seat in your vehicle.
2. Placing child in booster seat.
3. Properly securing the booster seat and child
in the vehicle using a seat belt designed to
restrain the booster seat and your child. This
booster seat MUST be used with a lap/shoulder
belt. Not all lap/shoulder belts can be used.
NEVER use a vehicle lap-only belt.
4. Adjusting shoulder belt positioner so vehicle
belt fits child properly.
4

Your child should use this booster seat only 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.
2. Important
Safety Information
No booster seat can guarantee protection from
injury. However, proper use of this booster seat
reduces the risk of serious injury or death to your
child.
2.1 About Your Child
Use of the booster seat in a manner that is NOT
appropriate for your child’s size may increase the
risk of serious injury or death.
5
NEVER LEAVE YOUR CHILD
UNATTENDED.

2.2 About Using this Booster 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 booster seat and
your child are not properly secured.
THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF VEHICLES,
seat belt systems and occupant protection
systems. As a result, 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
suitable location for this booster seat, and many
vehicles have seat belt systems that must not be
used with the booster seat because those systems
will not securely hold your child in place. Refer
to section 4, “Selecting a Suitable Location for
the Booster Seat” (pages 11-15) and to your
vehicle owner’s manual for information.
CONTINUOUS USE OF A BOOSTER SEAT
may cause damage to a vehicle seat. To protect
vehicle upholstery, use a car seat mat, towel
or thin blanket under the booster seat.
6

7
THIS CHILD RESTRAINT conforms to all
applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards.
THIS RESTRAINT is certified for use in
Motor Vehicles. It is NOT certified for use
in Aircraft.
2.3 When the Booster Seat
is Not Occupied
NEVER LEAVE A BOOSTER SEAT
UNSECURED IN YOUR VEHICLE. When
you are not using the booster seat, either remove
it or make sure that it is securely belted in the
vehicle. An unsecured booster seat can be
thrown around and may injure occupants in the
event of a sharp turn, sudden stop or crash.
WHEN NOT USING THE BOOSTER SEAT
for long periods, store it in a plastic bag in a
cool, dark, dry place.
DO NOT PLACE HEAVY OBJECTS ON
BOOSTER SEAT while in storage. Heavy
objects may deform booster seat over a period
of time.

8
2.4 Life and Condition
of the Booster Seat
REPLACE THE BOOSTER SEAT AFTER
AN ACCIDENT of any kind. An accident
can cause damage to the booster seat that you
cannot see.
EVEN IF THE BOOSTER SEAT IS NOT
INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, stop using it
and throw it away after the date molded into the
back of the booster seat. Example: “Do not use
this child restraint after December 2006.”
DO NOT MODIFY YOUR BOOSTER
SEAT or use any accessories or parts
supplied by other manufacturers. Only make
adjustments to the booster seat as recommended
in these instructions.
NEVER USE THE BOOSTER SEAT IF IT
HAS DAMAGED OR MISSING PARTS.
Do not use a cut, frayed or damaged vehicle
seat belt.
NEVER GIVE THIS BOOSTER SEAT TO
SOMEONE ELSE without also giving them
this manual.
NEVER USE A SECOND-HAND BOOSTER
SEAT whose history you do not know.

3. Features and Components
Shoulder
belt
positioners
Owner’s manual
storage compartment
9
Cut-outs
Tether
Some vehicles are
now (or can be)
equipped with
tether anchor points
behind some vehicle
seats. When used
properly with the
vehicle seat belt, a
tether helps reduce
injury in a sharp
turn, sudden stop or
crash. A tether and
hardware kit may be
purchased by calling
Customer Service at
1-888-224-6549.

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3.1 To Attach the Seat Cover
to the Booster Seat
1. Wrap elastic binding around bottom, sides and
top of seat as shown .
2. Place elastic loops around two pegs
on the bottom and two pegs on the top of
car seat.


4. Selecting a Suitable
Location for the
Booster Seat
Following are some basic recommendations for
use of the booster seat.
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 booster seat installation.
We recommend that,
whenever possible, you
secure the booster seat in
the center position of the
seat directly behind the
front seats . However, this position is often only
equipped with a lap-only belt and cannot be used.
Some vehicles are now (or can be) equipped with
tether anchor points behind some vehicle seats.
When used properly with the vehicle seat belt, a
tether helps reduce injury in a sharp turn, sudden
stop or crash. Even when using a tether to
secure the seat in your vehicle, your child must
be secured with the vehicle lap and shoulder belt.
Never use this seat with a vehicle lap-only belt.
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

Be Sure Your Vehicle Seat
Meets These Requirements
THE VEHICLE SEAT MUST FACE
FORWARD. DO NOT place booster seat in a
rear-facing vehicle seat or a side-facing
vehicle seat .
DO NOT use this booster seat in any vehicle
seat in which the front of the booster seat hangs
over the edge of the vehicle seat .



12

13
Be Sure Your Vehicle Seat Belt
Meets These Requirements
There are a variety of seat belt systems that are
NOT safe for use with the booster seat. We will
first describe the seat belts that are NOT safe for
use and then we will describe those that ARE safe
for use. If you have questions, contact the vehicle
manufacturer or call Graco at 1-888-224-6549.
Many seat belt systems are NOT safe to use with
the booster seat, even though they can easily be
placed around the booster 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 lap/shoulder belt installed by your vehicle
dealer before using the booster seat.
A. Vehicle Belt Systems that are NOT
Safe for Use with the Booster Seat
DO NOT use the following types of vehicle belt
systems with your booster seat.

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DO NOT use any lap-only belt . These
vehicle belts will NOT safely restrain your child.

 
DO NOT use vehicle belts that are attached to
the door in any way or that move along a
track to automatically surround the passenger
when the door is closed . These vehicle belts
may affect the safe use of the shoulder belt
positioner when opening the vehicle door.

15
If you have one of the previously listed vehicle
belt systems, DO NOT use it to secure the
booster seat. Look for a vehicle seat location that
has a suitable seat belt (see the next section) or
contact your vehicle manufacturer about installing
a lap/shoulder belt system that can be used to
secure the booster seat.
Lap/shoulder combination belt with a locking
latchplate .
Lap/shoulder combination belt with a latch-
plate that can slide freely along the belt .


B. Vehicle Belt Systems that are
Suitable for Use with the
Booster Seat
The following vehicle belt systems can be used with
your booster seat, IF the seat location meets all other
requirements of these instructions AND THOSE IN
YOUR VEHICLE OWNER’S MANUAL.

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Failure to properly secure your child in the booster
seat in your vehicle increases the risk of serious
injury or death in the event of a sharp turn, sudden
stop or crash. The vehicle restraint straps must be
properly positioned to fit your child according to the
following instructions and those in your vehicle
owner’s manual.
In a crash, the booster seat
provides NO protection for
your child unless the vehicle
lap and shoulder belts are
properly secured. Use only the
vehicle’s lap and shoulder belt
system when restraining the
child in this booster seat.
NEVER use a vehicle lap-only
belt across front of child;
severe abdominal, head and/
or neck injuries or death may
result in the event of a sharp
turn, sudden stop or crash.
Vehicle belts MUST lay flat
against child and MUST NOT
be twisted.
5. Use of the Booster Seat

17
DO NOT use shoulder belt
loose or positioned under arm.
Lap portion of lap/shoulder
belt MUST be low and snug
on hips, just touching thighs.
DO NOT allow child to slide
down in booster seat. This
could position vehicle lap
belt across child’s abdomen
and vehicle shoulder belt
over neck or face. If child will
not keep vehicle restraint
properly positioned, DO NOT
use this booster seat. Use a
different child restraint system.

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5.1 Securing Your Child and the
Booster Seat with the Vehicle
Lap/Shoulder Belt
1. Place booster seat firmly against the back
of a forward-facing vehicle seat suitable for
the booster seat as explained in section 4,
“Selecting a Suitable Location for the Booster
Seat” (pages 11-15) and equipped with a lap/
shoulder belt. DO NOT place booster seat in a
seating position that only provides a lap belt.
If a front passenger seat is used, slide the
vehicle seat rearward as far as possible from
the dashboard.
2. Be sure that the vehicle seat back is locked
in position.
3. Have your child sit in the seat so that the child’s
bottom rests against the back of the booster seat.

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4. Place vehicle lap belt
across child’s thighs
and through the
cutouts in the sides
of the booster seat.
Place shoulder belt
in front of the child.
Fasten the buckle
and pull up on the
shoulder belt to
tighten .
Make sure buckle
tongue goes into the
correct buckle, and not
the adjacent one .
Seat belt should not be
twisted or turned.
5. If vehicle belt lays across
child’s neck, head or face,
redirect belt by using the
shoulder belt positioner.
Thread vehicle shoulder
belt through positioner
exactly as shown .
Choose the position that
directs belt across the
child’s chest. NEVER place high end of
shoulder belt under child’s arm. Use of any
shoulder belt in this manner can cause serious
injuries or death in the event of a sharp turn,
sudden stop or crash.




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6. Adjust positioner as high
as possible without shoulder
belt touching child’s neck.
To adjust, unhook bottom of
positioner, slide up or down
to desired height and thread
bottom hook into closest
loop below .
7. Check to be sure shoulder belt is properly
positioned over shoulder and snug against child.
Final Safety Checks
8. Make sure that:
the booster seat and your child are secured
with both a lap and shoulder belt, not a lap
belt only, and
vehicle lap belt is NOT TWISTED, and runs
across child’s thighs and through cutouts on
sides of booster seat, and
vehicle shoulder belt is NOT TWISTED, and
runs across child’s chest and belt positioner
(if needed) puts the belt in the proper location
on your child, not across the face or neck.
