Graco 8491 User manual

Booster Seat
Owner’s Manual
Model 8491, 8493, 8495, 8496, 8497, 8498
READ THIS MANUAL.
Do not install or use this car seat until you read and
understand the instructions in this manual.
FAILURE TO PROPERLY USE THIS CAR SEAT
INCREASES THE RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY
OR DEATH IN A SUDDEN STOP OR CRASH.
© 2002 Graco ISB001BA 7/02

Registration Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Recall Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
If You Need Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Parts List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Warnings to Parents and Other Users . . . .6-8
Assembling the Booster Seat . . . . . . . . .9-10
Assembling the Back Support . . . . . . .11-15
Weight and Height Limits . . . . . . . . . .16-17
Vehicle Seat Location Requirements . . . . .18
Vehicle Seat Belt Requirements . . . . . .19-20
SAFE Vehicle Belt Systems . . . . . . . . . . .19
UNSAFE Vehicle Belt Systems . . . . . . . . .20
Using your Graco Booster Seat . . . . . . . .21-23
Booster Seat Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Securing your Child in Vehicle . . . . . .25-27
Adjusting the Head Support . . . . . . . . . . .28
Securing Child in Vehicle with
Shoulder Belt Positioning Clip . . . . . .29-31
Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Airplane Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Instruction Sheet Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . .34-35
Replacement Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36-37
2
Table of Contents

Model Number:
Manufactured on:
Purchase Date:
Registration Information
Register Your Booster Seat
Please fill in the above information. The model
number can be found on a label underneath your
booster seat. Fill out the prepaid registration
postcard attached to the seat cover and mail it 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 model number to:
Graco Children’s Products Inc.
150 Oaklands Blvd.
Exton, PA, 19341
or call 1-888-224-6549
• Call the U.S. Government’s Auto Safety Hotline at
1-800-424-9393 (202-366-0123 in D.C. area)
• www.nhtsa.dot.gov
• Graco: 1-888-224-6549 or www.gracobaby.com
Recall Information
3

4
If You Need Help
Please contact our Customer Service Department
with any questions you may have concerning parts,
use, or maintenance. When you contact us, please
have your product’s model number ready so that
we may help you efficiently. This number can be
found on a sticker on the underside of your booster
seat. 1-888-224-6549 or www.gracobaby.com

5
Parts List
Adult assembly required.
Tool required: Philips screwdriver
Left / right armrests
Base
Shoulder belt
positioning clip
Head support
Lower back support
Armrest covers
On certain models
Height adjustment screw (2)

6
Warnings to Parents and
Other Users
• 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.
•DO NOT INSTALL OR USE THIS
BOOSTER SEAT UNTILYOU READ AND
UNDERSTAND THE INSTRUCTIONS IN
THIS MANUALAND 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 can be injured in a vehicle even if you are
not in a crash. Sudden braking and sharp turns can
injure your child if the booster seat is not properly
installed or if your child is not properly secured in
the booster seat.

7
• 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.
•NEVER LEAVE YOUR CHILD
UNATTENDED.
•NEVER LEAVE A BOOSTER SEAT
UNSECURED IN YOUR VEHICLE. An
unsecured booster seat can be thrown around and
may injure occupants in a sharp turn, sudden
stop or crash. Remove it or make sure that it is
securely belted in the vehicle.
•REPLACE THE BOOSTER SEAT AFTER AN
ACCIDENT OFANY KIND. An accident can
cause damage to the booster seat that you cannot
see.
•DO NOT MODIFYYOUR BOOSTER SEAT
or use any accessories or parts supplied by other
manufacturers.
•NEVER USE BOOSTER SEAT IF IT HAS
DAMAGED OR MISSING PARTS. DO NOT
use a cut, frayed or damaged vehicle seat belt.

8
•THE BOOSTER SEAT CAN BECOME VERY
HOT IF LEFT IN THE SUN. Contact with these
parts can burn your child’s skin. Always touch the
surface of any metal or plastic parts before
putting your child in the booster seat.
•THIS CHILD RESTRAINT CONFORMS to all
applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
and is certified for use in motor vehicles. This
restraint is NOT certified for use in aircraft
because there is no shoulder belt available.
•NEVER GIVE THIS BOOSTER SEAT to
someone else without also giving them this
manual.
•NEVER USE A SECOND-HAND BOOSTER
SEAT or a booster seat whose history you do not
know.
•NEVER USE THIS BOOSTER SEAT without
the armrests attached to the base.

9
Assembling the Booster Seat
Step 1.
Insert armrest into base
as shown until buttons
snap into slots on side of
base .
Step 2.
Select the desired
armrest height for your
child, then insert the
height adjustment
screw and tighten.
Repeat for other
armrest.
Step 3.
To adjust armrests,
remove screw and press
in button on side of base
as shown to raise or
lower . Reinsert
screw and tighten.
CHECK to make sure
armrests are securely
attached by pulling up
on them.
SNAP!
1
1
2
2
3
3

10
Step 4.
Slip armrest covers
(on certain models)
onto armrests as shown.
Step 5.
Your Graco booster seat
is now ready to use. See
page 29, “Securing
Child in Vehicle with
Shoulder Belt
Positioning Clip”.
FOR MODELS with a
back support continue
on to Step 6.

11
Assembling the Back Support
(on certain models)
Step 6.
Flip head support and lower back support over
as shown .
Step 7.
Squeeze red adjustment button and slide two pieces
together until they snap into place .
CHECK to make sure two pieces are securely snapped
together by pulling on them.
SNAP!
1
2
1
2

12
Step 9.
Flip seat over and insert the fabric from the head
support underneath the fabric on the lower back support
as shown .
To make insertion of fabric easier, slide the upper and
lower back pieces apart by squeezing the red adjustment
button.
Step 8.
Attach elastic strap as shown 3 .
3
3
4
4

13
Step 10.
Attach backrest to base. “U”-shaped hooks on bottom
of backrest will interlock with bars on base .
Make sure that no part of the seat covering interferes
when attaching backrest to the base.
5
5

14
Step 11.
Once backrest is securely attached to the base, push
backrest up as shown .
6
6

15
Step 12.
Your Graco booster
seat is now ready to use.
See page 21-27, “Using
your Graco Booster Seat”
and “Securing Your Child
in Vehicle”.

16
FAILURE TO USE booster seat in a manner
appropriate for your child’s size may increase the
risk of serious injury or death.
Weight and Height Limits
To use this Graco booster seat, your child MUST
meet ALL of the following requirements:
With back support
(approximately 3 to 10 years old) :
• weigh between 30 and 100 lbs.
(mass between 13.6 and 45 kg), and
• are between 38 and 57 inches (96 and 145 cm)
in height, and
• the shoulder belt MUST lay
across child’s shoulders in red
zone as shown in and the
lap portion is positioned low
on the childs hips, and
• the child’s ears are below top
of booster seat. If tops of ears
are above top of seat, your
child is too large for the
booster seat
1
1

17
Without back support
(approximately 4 to 10 years old) :
• weigh between 40 and 100 lbs.
(mass between 18 and 45 kg), and
• are between 40 and 57 inches
(101 and 145 cm) in height, and
• the shoulder belt MUST
lay across child’s shoulders
in red zone as shown in
and the lap portion is positioned
low on the childs hips, and
• when sitting on the booster
seat, your child’s ears are
below the top of the vehicle
seat cushion / head rest.
Your Graco booster seat can be
used with or without the back
support (on certain models) as
long as the above requirements are met.
2
2

18
IMPROPER PLACEMENT OF THE BOOSTER
SEAT INCREASES THE RISK OF SERIOUS
INJURY OR DEATH. Some seating positions in
your vehicle may NOT be safe for this booster seat.
Some vehicles do not have any seating positions
that can be used safely with the booster seat. If you
are not sure where to place the booster seat in your
vehicle, consult your vehicle owner’s manual or call
Graco Children's Products Inc., at 1-888-224-6549.
Vehicle Seat Location Requirements
•Children are safer when properly restrained in
rear vehicle seating positions. Whenever possible
secure the Graco booster seat in the center position
of the seat directly behind the front seats. However,
this position is often equipped with a lap belt only
and cannot be used.
• The vehicle seat MUST face forward.

MANY SEAT BELT SYSTEMS ARE NOT
SAFE TO USE WITH THE BOOSER SEAT.
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, consult your vehicle owner’s manual
or call Graco Children's Products Inc.,
at 1-888-224-6549.
Vehicle Seat Belt Requirements
ONLY A LAP/SHOULDER
BELT SYSTEM CAN
BE USED WITH THIS
BOOSTER SEAT, IF
the seat location meets
all other requirements
of these instructions
and those in your vehicle
owner's manual.
SAFE Vehicle Seat Belt System
19

DO NOT USE ANY
OF THE FOLLOWING
VEHICLE BELT
SYSTEMS.
• NEVER use a
lap-only belt.
UNSAFE Vehicle Seat Belt Systems
• NEVER use a
Passive Restraint -
Lap or Shoulder Belt
Mounted on Door
• NEVER use a
Passive Restraint -
Lap Belt with
Motorized Shoulder
Belt
NEVER 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.
20