RECARO Performance BOOSTER User manual

®
High Back Belt-Positioning Booster Child
Restraint System for children 30 to 120 lbs
(13.6 to 54.4 kg).
Approved in accordance with Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
Only suitable for use in vehicles with a lap
and shoulder (3-point) seat belt system.
Please read instructions prior to
installation.
Performance BOOSTER / ProBOOSTER XL Instruction Manual
Child Safety Seats

Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.
Prevent Child Heatstroke in Cars
Even great parents can forget a child in the back seat.
Unfortunately, heatstroke is one of the leading causes
of death among children. Be sure to follow these three
important rules to prevent child heatstroke in your car:
1. Never leave a child alone in a car
• It’s never OK to leave a child alone in a car, even for a few
minutes, and even if the car is on.
• Opening windows will not prevent heatstroke.
• Heatstroke happens even on cloudy days and when outside
temperatures are below 70 degrees.
• Don’t let kids play in an unattended vehicle.
2. Look Before You Lock
• Always check the back seats of your vehicle before you lock it
and walk away.
• Keep a stuffed animal or other memento in your child’s car
seat when it’s empty, and move it to the front seat as a visual
reminder when your child is in the back seat.
• If someone else is driving your child, or your daily routine has
been altered, always check that your child arrived safely.
3. Take Action if You See a Child Alone in a Car
• Don’t wait more than a few minutes for the driver to return before
calling.
• Don’t worry about getting involved in someone else’s
business—protecting children is everyone’s business. “Good
Samaritan” laws offer legal protection for those who offer
assistance in an emergency.
• If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle, call the police. If they
are in distress due to heat, get them out as quickly as possible
and spray the child with cool water. Call 911 or your local
emergency number immediately.

D

D 1
Contents
Section 1: Safety Warnings........................................................p. 4-6
Section 2: Register Your New Child Restraint............................... p. 7
Section 3: Getting to Know Your Child Restraint......................p. 8-12
Section 4: Adjusting the Child Restraint to Fit Your Child ......p. 13-15
Section 5: Choosing a Seating Location in Your Vehicle............ p. 16
Section 6: Learning About Your Vehicle Safety Systems ........p.17-18
Section 7: Positioning the Child Restraint in Your Vehicle .......... p. 19
Section 8: Belt Routing and Positioning Around Your Child ...p. 20-22
Section 9: Certication ................................................................ p. 23
Section 10: Use in an Aircraft........................................................ p. 23
Section 11: Care and Maintenance..........................................p. 24-25
Section 12: Trim Cover Removal / Installation .........................p. 26-29
Section 13: Troubleshooting.......................................................... p. 30
Section 14: Warranty..................................................................... p. 31
Section 15: Replacement Parts and Accessories ......................... p. 32
Section 16: Additional Contact Information................................... p. 33
Section 17: Glossary ................................................................p. 34-35

22
Dear Parents,
Welcome to the RECARO family of high quality child safety
products and thank you for purchasing your new RECARO
Child Restraint System.
RECARO has over 100 years experience in the design and
manufacture of premium automotive products. To assure all
products RECARO manufactures are worthy of the name,
we’ve subjected them to a comprehensive development
program complying with American FMVSS 213 safety
standards.
Although each RECARO child restraint system is equipped
with state-of-the-art safety features such as Side Impact
Protection (SIP), it is not a guarantee that this child restraint
will prevent injury or death. However, if you stress careful
driving and proper use of your child restraint, it can lower the
risk of injury or death.
Therefore, please make sure to carefully review all
information in this instruction manual to properly restrain
your child. Also, before using your new child restraint for the
rst time, please review all components carefully to make
sure nothing has been damaged during shipping. Failure to
follow these instructions and the labels on the seat can result
in serious injury or even death.
The RECARO child seat you have purchased is a high
quality product. Its different settings and its stable and
ergonomic design ensure that the RECARO child seat
is a safe and comfortable place for your child to sit when
traveling in your car. However, before you use it, you need to

2 32
adjust it to your child’s size and then install it carefully so that
the seat will perform as required. These instructions will help
you do this, so please read them carefully.
Remember, parents are a child’s best examples. Be sure
to ALWAYS buckle your seat belt and your children will
be much more likely to do the same. Thank you again for
choosing RECARO and enjoy your child restraint. If you
have any questions or need assistance of any kind please
contact us at:
RECARO Child Safety, LLC
1681 Harmon Road
Auburn Hills, MI 48326
Tel: 1-888-9RECARO
Internet: www.recaro-cs.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Sincerely,
The RECARO Child Safety Team

4
**SECTION**
4
• Failure to follow warnings provided on the child restraint
labels and stickers could cause serious injury or death.
• Use this child restraint ONLY with children who weigh between
30 and 120 pounds (13.6 and 54.4 kg) and whose height is
between 37 and 61 inches (94 and 154cm).
• Do NOT use this child restraint system until you have read
and understood the instructions in this manual and in your
vehicle’s owner’s manual. Do NOT let others install or use
this child restraint system unless they understand how to
use it.
• According to accident statistics, children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front
seating positions.
• NEVER give this child restraint to someone else without also
giving them this manual.
• Discontinue use of your child restraint six (6) years after
“manufactured in date” date located on a sticker on the
back of the seat.
• Do NOT make any technical modications to the child
restraint system and use it only as outlined in these
instructions.
• Before each use, inspect the child restraint. Make sure nothing
on the child restraint is damaged, loose or broken. If anything on
the restraint appears damaged, loose or broken, do NOT use
the restraint.
• If the child restraint was occupied during a crash or vehicle
accident, it must be replaced. Do NOT use the child restraint
again. A crash can cause unseen damage and using it again
can cause serious injury or death.
Section 1: Safety Warnings
WARNING!
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY
can occur
SAFETY WARNINGS

4 5
**SECTION**
4
• Failure to follow warnings on the child restraint labels could
cause serious injury or death.
• Restraint systems should be securely belted to the vehicle
even when they are not occupied, since in a crash an
unsecured child restraint system may injure other occupants.
• Do NOT place this child restraint in the front seat of a vehicle
with a passenger air bag. According to accident reports,
children under the age of 12 are safest when properly
restrained in the back seat.
• Use only the vehicle’s 3-point (lap/shoulder) belt when
securing the child in this restraint.
• Do NOT lubricate any part of this child restraint.
• Do NOT add accessories, toys, padding or other items to
this child restraint unless provided by RECARO.
• NEVER allow a child to play with this child restraint, it is
NOT a toy.
• The Performance BOOSTER / ProBOOSTER XL’s
owner’s manual should be stored in the manual pocket
on the side of the child restraint.
• This high back belt-positioning booster is only to be used as
a complete assembly of the backrest and seat cushion. Do
NOT use the seat cushion alone without the backrest.
• This restraint is NOT certied for aircraft use because this
child restraint system requires a lap AND shoulder belt.
• This child restraint must NOT be used in the home, boats or
other non-certied applications.
• There is no guarantee that this child restraint will prevent
injury or death in a particular crash. However, if you stress
careful driving and proper use of your child restraint, it can
lower the risk of injury or death in most crashes.
• NEVER leave a child unattended in the child restraint even when
sleeping.
WARNING!
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY
can occur
SAFETY WARNINGS

66
SAFETY WARNINGS
Extreme Weather
When it is HOT, RECARO recommends the following tips to reduce
possible injury or discomfort to your child:
• Park your vehicle in the shade to help keep the restraint cooler.
• Cover the child restraint with a sheet or blanket when not in use.
•ALWAYS check surface temperatures of the child restraint
before placing a child in it.
When it is COLD, RECARO recommends the following tips to
reduce possible injury or discomfort to your child:
• Remove the child’s bulky clothing before restraining the child.
This will help belts and other safety features function properly.
• After restraining the child in the seat, cover the child and the
restraint system with a blanket or their jacket to maintain warmth
and comfort of the child.
• The vehicle’s lap and shoulder seat belt system must ALWAYS
be adjusted snugly (but NOT LOCKED) around the child.
• A snug seat belt system does NOT press on the child or
position them unnaturally.
• The vehicle’s lap and shoulder belt should not have any
excess webbing or it is too loose.
• The vehicle’s lap and shoulder seat belt system must NOT be
twisted.
• NEVER place the shoulder belt under the child’s arm.
• NEVER secure a child with a lap only vehicle seat belt. Your
child could be seriously injured in a vehicle crash.
• Do NOT use anything to raise the booster seat off of the
vehicle seat.
• Use caution when adjusting the headrest or backrest as
ngers may become pinched during the adjustment.
• Avoid bulky clothing so the vehicle belt ts snugly around
the child.
WARNING!
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY
can occur

6
Section 2:
Register Your New Child Restraint
Child restraints could be recalled for safety reasons. You must
register this restraint to be reached in a recall.
Send your name, address, email address if available, and the
restraint’s model number, serial number and manufacturing
date to:
RECARO Child Safety, LLC
P.O Box 210730
Auburn Hills, MI 48321
or call: 1-888-9RECARO
or register online at:
http://www.registermyrecaro.com
For recall information, call the U.S. Government’s Vehicle
Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or go
to http://www.NHTSA.gov.
ALL information provided to RECARO on the registration card
or on the online registry will NOT be sold, distributed, or used
for any purposes other than to contact you in the event of a
recall .
76
REGISTER YOUR NEW CHILD RESTRAINT
.
8
)

Section 3: Getting to Know Your
Child Restraint
This child restraint system is known as a high back belt-
positioning booster seat. A high back belt-positioning booster
seat is designed for use with your vehicle’s lap and shoulder
(3-point) seat belt system.
A high back belt-positioning booster helps to locate the vehicle
seat belt system properly across a child who has out-grown
both an infant carrier and a convertible seat. Vehicle seat belts
are designed to protect adults and when used on a child without
a belt-positioning booster, they can do more harm than good.
The information below shows the size of the child suitable for
the child restraint. You must check if your child meets ALL of the
height and weight limitations in order for it to be safe for the child
to use the child restraint.
NOTE: If your child does NOT meet ALL of the height and
weight requirements for the Performance BOOSTER /
ProBOOSTER XL, please see the other ne child restraint
systems that are offered by RECARO.
A child CAN use this child restraint ONLY if:
8
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHILD RESTRAINT
• The child’s weight is between 30 and
120 pounds (13.6 and 54.4 kg), and
• The child’s standing height is between
37 and 61 inches (94 and 154 cm).
NOTE: Standing height measures the
child’s full height to the top of their head.
The child should be standing up straight
when measured to ensure an accurate
measurement.

9
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHILD RESTRAINT
8
1. A proper high back belt-
positioning booster t should
allow the lap portion of the
vehicle seat belt system to
t low and snug across the
lap or upper thigh area of
the child. The lap portion of
the vehicle seat belt system
should NEVER be located
across the abdomen or belly
area of the child.
2. A proper high back belt-
positioning booster t will also
allow the shoulder portion of
the vehicle seat belt system
to t snug across the chest
and collarbone of the child.
The shoulder portion of the
vehicle seat belt system
should NEVER be located
across the child’s neck.
1
NOTE: It is important to know the correct use of this high back
belt-positioning booster and how to determine the t of the
vehicle seat belt to your child.
NEVER use the child restraint system for a child who is not the
height and weight recommended in this instruction manual.
2
Proper Vehicle Belt Positioning

1010
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHILD RESTRAINT
• Do NOT use the child
restraint when the child’s
shoulders are above the red
shoulder belt routings when
the headrest is adjusted to its
highest position.
• Your child’s ears should
NEVER be BELOW the
headrest in the lowest
headrest position.
• Your child’s ears should
NEVER be ABOVE the
headrest in the highest
headrest position.
• Your child’s ears MUST be
centered vertically between
the top and bottom of the
headrest.
WARNING!
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY
can occur
In addition to meeting the standing height requirements, the
child must also be able to t the Performance BOOSTER /
ProBOOSTER XL correctly when sitting in the child restraint
system.

10 1110
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHILD RESTRAINT
Performance BOOSTER /
ProBOOSTER XL Features:
It is important to become familiar with the features of your
child restraint system. These diagrams help you identify key
features.
Headrest
Armrests (2 )
Seat Cushion
Vehicle Lap Belt Guide (2)
Removable
Cup Holders
Vehicle Shoulder
Belt Guide (2)
Side Impact Protection

1212
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHILD RESTRAINT
Performance BOOSTER /
ProBOOSTER XL Features:
It is important to become familiar with the features of your
child restraint system. These diagrams help you identify key
features.
Headrest Adjustment
Lever
LATCH Connectors (2)
(Performance BOOSTER Only)
LATCH
Connector
Storage (2)
Owner’s
Manual
Storage

12 1312
ADJUSTING THE CHILD RESTRAINT
Section 4: Adjusting the Child
Restraint to Fit Your Child
Headrest Adjustment
The purpose of the headrest adjustment is to maximize the
side impact protection for the child’s head and properly position
the vehicle shoulder belt across the child’s body.
There are eleven (11) height adjustment positions of the
headrest that will allow the child restraint to grow with your
child.
Prior to placing and tting the child restraint system to the
vehicle seat, adjust the headrest to t the child. After nding
the correct position for the headrest to the child, place the child
restraint in the vehicle.
To properly t your child, the headrest should be
positioned as follows:
• Your child’s ears must be
centered vertically between
the top and bottom of the
headrest, and
• The red shoulder belt guide
on the child restraint must be
above the child’s shoulder to
allow for correct vehicle belt
positioning.

1414
ADJUSTING THE CHILD RESTRAINT
1. Have your child sit in the
child restraint before it is
placed in the vehicle.
2. Adjust the headrest by
lifting up on the headrest
adjustment handle located at
the top rear of the headrest.
3. There are (11) height
adjustment positions of
the headrest on the child
restraint.
4. Once the headrest
adjustment handle is lifted
either pull up or slide the
headrest down until the
headrest is in the proper
position detailed on page 13.
To Adjust the Headrest:
2
3

14 1514
ADJUSTING THE CHILD RESTRAINT
It is important to always check that the position of the headrest
height is correct for your child as your child continues to grow.
Your child is too TALL for the child restraint when:
• The child’s shoulders are
even with or above the red
shoulder belt guides when
the headrest is adjusted to its
highest position.
• The child’s ear is above the
top edge of the headrest
when the headrest is
adjusted to its highest
position.
• The child’s ear is below
the bottom edge of the
headrest when the headrest
is adjusted to its lowest
position.
Your child is too SHORT for the child restraint when:

1616
CHOOSING A SEATING LOCATION IN YOUR VEHICLE
• NEVER install on a rear-facing
vehicle seat.
• NEVER install in the rear seat of
small extended cab pickup.
• NEVER install on a side-facing
vehicle seat.
Section 5: Choosing a Seating
Location in Your Vehicle
Forward-Facing vehicle seats must ALWAYS be used with
this child restraint. If your vehicle does not have rear seats,
consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual to help identify safety
features in your vehicle or contact the vehicle manufacturer.
Do NOT install this child restraint into any of the following types
of seating positions:
If the vehicle backrest angle is adjustable, adjust vehicle’s
backrest into the upright position. Be sure this area is at
and clear of objects that might get in the way of installing the
child restraint.