RECARO Performance RIDE User manual

Child Safety Seats
Convertible Child Restraint System for
children 5 to 65 lbs (2.3 to 29.5 kg).
Approved in accordance with Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
Tested in accordance to ISO/TC 22/SC 12/WG
1 N538 side impact protection requirements.
Only suitable for use in vehicles with 2-point
(lap), 3-point (lap & shoulder) seat belts and
latch anchorages.
El manual de instructiones Performance RIDE
/ ProRIDE esta disponible en español en www.
recaro-cs.com. Por favor visite el internet
para bajar una versión en español.
Please read instructions prior to
installation. Store this manual in
the seat base.
Performance RIDE / ProRIDE Instruction Manual

B

1B
Contents
Section 1: Safety Warnings ......................................... p. 4-5
Section 2: General Information........................................p. 6
Section 3: Register Your New Child Restraint.................p. 7
Section 4: Getting to Know Your Child Restraint....... p. 8-13
Section 5: Securing the Child in the Child Restraint.....p. 14-16
Section 6: Adjusting the Harness System
to Fit Your Child ............................................p. 17
Section 7: Choosing a Seating Location
in Your Vehicle........................................ p. 18-19
Section 8: Learning About Your Vehicle
Safety Systems ...................................... p. 20-22
Section 9: Installing the Child Restraint
Rear-Facing in Your Vehicle................... p. 23-35
Section 10: Installing the Child Restraint
Forward-Facing in Your Vehicle.............. p. 36-46
Section 11: Certication ..................................................p. 47
Section 12: Use in Aircraft ...............................................p. 47
Section 13: Care and Maintenance.................................p. 48
Section 14: Trim Cover Removal and
Installation .............................................. p. 49-56
Section 15: Trouble Shooting ....................................p. 57–58
Section 16: Replacement Parts.......................................p. 59
Section 17: Warranty................................................. p. 60-61
Section 18: Additional Contact Information .....................p. 62
Section 19: Glossary .................................................p. 63–65

2
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. RECARO is also ISO 9001 certied which helps
assure the most comprehensive product development system
available.
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.

32
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 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
1600 Harmon Road
Auburn Hills, MI 48326
Tel: 1-888-9RECARO
Internet: www.recaro-cs.com
E-mail: [email protected]
El manual de instructiones Performance RIDE / ProRIDE
esta disponible en español en www.recaro-cs.com. Por favor
visite el internet para bajar una versión en español.
Yours sincerely,
The RECARO Child Safety Team

4
Section 1: Safety Warnings
• DoNOTplaceachildrestraintinthefrontseatofavehiclewitha
passengerairbag.Thebackseatisthesafestplaceforchildren
under12yearsofage.
• Accordingtoaccidentstatistics,childrenaresaferwhenproperly
restrainedintherearseatingpositionsthaninthefrontseatingpositions.
• Useonlywithchildrenwhoweighbetween5 and 65 pounds (2.3
and 29.5 Kg)andwhoseheightis49 inches (125 cm)orless.
Rear-facing 5 - 40 pounds (2.3 and 15.9 kg)andForward-facing
20 - 65 pounds (9.1 and 29.5 kg)andatleast1yearofage.Do
NOTuseforachildwhoweighsmorethan65 pounds (29.5 kg)
• Discontinueuseofyourchildrestraintthatisolderthansix (6)
years orhasbeeninaseverecrashtopreventinjurydueto
deteriorationorhiddendamage.See“manufactured in date”
locatedonastickeronthePerformanceRIDE/ProRIDE.
• Securethischildrestraintwiththevehicle’schildrestraintLATCH
anchoragesystemifavailableorwithavehiclebelt.
• Donotusetheloweranchorsofthechildrestraintanchorage
system(LATCHsystem)toattachthischildrestraintwhen
restrainingachildweighingmorethan45pounds(20.4kg).”
•
Securethetopanchoragestrapprovidedwiththischildrestraint.
• Snuglyadjustthebeltsprovidedaroundyourchild.
• AsnugstrapshouldNOT allowanyslack.Itliesinarelatively
straightlinewithoutsagging.ItdoesNOT pressonthechild’sesh
orpushthechild’sbodyintoanunnaturalposition.
• DoNOTusethischildrestraintsystemuntilyouhavereadand
understoodtheinstructionsinthismanualandinyourvehicle
owner’smanual.DoNOTletothersinstallorusethischildrestraint
systemunlesstheyunderstandhowtouseit.
SAFETY WARNINGS
WARNING!
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY
can occur

54
WARNING!
• DoNOTmakeanytechnicalmodicationtothechildrestraint
systemanduseitonlyasoutlinedintheseinstructions.Otherwise,
thesafetyfunctionoftheseatwillbereducedorcompletelyvoided.
•
Beforeeachuse,inspectthechildrestraint.Makesurenothingonthe
childrestraintisdamaged,looseorbroken.Ifanythingonthechild
restraintappearsdamaged,looseorbroken,doNOT usetherestraint.
• Failuretofollowwarningsprovidedonthechildrestraintlabelsand
stickerscouldcauseseriousinjuryordeath.
• Thechildrestraintshouldbesecurelybeltedtothevehicle,even
whenitisnotoccupied,sinceinacrashanunsecuredchildrestraint
systemmayinjureotheroccupants.
• Placingyourchildinahotchildrestraintmayresultinburns.
• DoNOT addaccessories,toys,paddingorotheritemstothechild
restraintunlessprovidedbyRECARO.
• ThischildrestraintmustNOTbeusedinthehome,boatsorother
non-certiedapplications.
• Ifthechildrestrainthasbeeninacrashorvehicleaccident,itmust
bereplaced;doNOTusethechildrestraintagain.Acrashcan
causeunseendamageandusingthechildrestraintagaincancause
seriousinjuryordeath.
•NEVERleaveachildunattendedevenwhensleeping.
•
NEVERallowachildtoplaywiththechildrestraint;itisNOTatoy.
• Thereisnoguaranteethatthechildrestraintwillpreventinjuryor
deathinaparticularcrash.However,ifyoustresscarefuldriving
andproperuseofthechildrestraint,itcanlowertheriskofinjuryor
deathinmostcrashes.
•DoNOTlubricatebuckles,fastenersoranypartofthechildrestraint.
•
NEVERuseausedchildseatunlessyouknowitscompletehistory.
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY
can occur
SAFETY WARNINGS

6
Section 2: General Information
Infant Insert
FollowingSection5:SecuringtheChildintheChildRestraint,pg.14,youmay
ndthattheharnessdoesnottsnugagainstyourchild.Ifthisisthecase,
theRECAROinfantinsertmayberequired.Pleasecall1-888-9RECAROand
RECAROwillshipyouaninfantinsertandinstructions.
Locking Clip
FollowingSection9:Installingthechildrestraint Rear-FacinginYourVehicle,
pg.35,Non-LockingELRLap-ShoulderBeltinstallation,youmayndthatyou
cannotinstallwithoutauniversallockingclip.Pleasecall1-888-9RECAROand
RECAROwillshipyoualockingclipandinstructions.
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.
NEVER, EVER leaveyourchildunattendedinyourvehicle,nomatterhowlong
orevenifthewindowsareleftopen.NHTSAstudiesshowthatheatstrokeis
theleadingcauseofnon-crashvehicledeathsforchildren.
GENERAL INFORMATION

76
Section 3:
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
1600 Harmon Road
Auburn Hills, MI 48326
or call: 1-888-9RECARO
or register online at:
http://www.registry.recaro-cs.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.
.
8
)
REGISTER YOUR NEW CHILD RESTRAINT

8
Section 4:
Getting to Know Your
Child Restraint
This child restraint is known as a convertible child
restraint because it converts from a Rear-Facing into a
Forward-Facing restraint system as your child grows.
It is important to know the difference between these two
use modes, be able to choose which mode is appropriate
for your child, and be able to choose which sections of
this instruction manual apply to the mode that you desire.
To facilitate choosing the right set of the instructions for
the mode that you desire, look for color codes on the
sides of the pages in this instruction manual.
Rear-Facing instructions are indicated in PINK, and
Forward-Facing instructions are indicated in BLUE. Note
that general information and information applying to both
user modes is not color-coded.
NEVER use the child restraint system for a child
who is not the recommended height, weight or age
recommended in this instruction manual.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and NHTSA
recommend keeping children rearward facing up to age 2.
RECARO advocates using a convertible child restraint up to
maximum rearward facing weight and height.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHILD RESTRAINT

98
ThechildrestraintisNOTappropriateforallchildren.Youmust
conrmthechildmeetsALLoftheheight,weightandothert
requirements.Pleasemeasureandweighthechildtoverifythe
PerformanceRIDE/ProRIDEisthecorrectseatforthem.
NOTE: If the child does NOT meet ANY of the height, weight or
other t requirements for this child restraint, the child CANNOT use
it. If that is the case, please see the other ne child restraint systems
that are offered by RECARO.
AchildCANusethechildrestraintintheRear-FacingpositionONLYif:
•Thechild’sweightisbetween5 and40
pounds (2.3 kg and15.9 kg).
•TheharnessCANbepositionedATor
BELOWthechild’sshoulders,whenthe
childisseated.
•Thechild’sseatedheight*isLESS
than 22.5 inches(57cm).
•Whensittinginthechildrestraintthe
topofthechild’sheadisNOTcloser
than1inch(2.5cm)fromthetop
edgeoftheseatback.
*NOTE: A child’s seated height measures the distance from the top
of their head to the bottom of their tailbone, when they are sitting.
Rear-Facing position
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHILD RESTRAINT
WARNING!
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY
can occur

10
AchildCANusethischildrestraintintheForward-FacingpositionONLYif:
•Thechildisatleast12monthsofage.
•Thechild’sweightisbetween20 and65
pounds (9.1kg and 29.5 kg).
•TheharnessCANbepositionedAT
orABOVEthechild’sshoulders,
whenthechildisseatedinthe
PerformanceRIDE/ProRIDE.
•Thechild’sstandingheight*isLESS
than49 inches (125 cm).
Forward-Facing position
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHILD RESTRAINT
WARNING!
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY
can occur
•Whenthechildissittingandtheheadrestraintisinthehighest
position,thetopofthechild’searsmustbeBELOWthetopofthe
headrestraint.
•IfANYportionofthechild’sheadexceedsthetopedgeofthechild
restraint,theremustbeavehicleheadrestsupport.
NOTE: A child’s standing height measures the distance from the
top of their head to the bottom of their feet, when they are standing.
Safety Stripe SystemTM (Select Models)
Your child restraint is equipped with the easy-to-use RECARO Safety
Stripe System
TM
. You will notice that your harness has a white stripe
on the outside edges. This added safety feature will allow you to
ensure that your harness is not twisted. The white stripe should
always remain at the outside edge of the harness above the lower
buckle. If it is not, please loosen your harness system and remove
any twist prior to use.

1110
Child Restraint Features:
It is important to become familiar with the features of your
child restraint system. These diagrams help you identify
key features.
Head
Restraint
Harness
Pockets (2)
Armrests (2)
Recline
Adjuster
Seat Base
Seat Bottom
Adjuster
Lever
Cover
Harness
Adjuster Strap
Trim Cover &
Comfort Padding
Chest Clip
Buckle
Latch
Plates (2)
Integrated 5-Point
Harness
Side Impact Protection
Level Line
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHILD RESTRAINT

12
*Stored in slots on the rear of the base.
Child Restraint Features:
It is important to become familiar with the features of your
child restraint system. These diagrams help you identify
key features.
Tether Hook
LATCH
Connectors * (2)
LATCH
Adjusters (2)
Harness System
Adjustment Knobs (2)
Top Tether
Storage Pouch
Harness Connector
Forward-Facing
Vehicle Belt Path
and Belt Lock-off
Rear-Facing
Vehicle Belt Path
LATCH
Strap
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHILD RESTRAINT
Harness
Straps (2)
Tether Strap

1312
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHILD RESTRAINT
ProRIDE
Performance RIDE
Cup Holder
NOTE: Only
provided with
Performance
RIDE
HERO
Harness
System
Standard
Harness
System with
Shoulder
Pads (2)

14
SECURING THE CHILD IN THE CHILD RESTRAINT
Section 5: Securing the
Child in the Child Restraint
1. Loosen the harness
system. Press the
adjuster lever located
under the adjuster ap
and pull the shoulder
straps forward.
2. Open the chest clip by
squeezing tabs and
separating.
3. Open buckle by pressing
red button. Place harness
straps to the side or place
chest clip into harness
pocket to hold.
4. Seat the child in the child
restraint with his/her
bottom fully into the seat.
Position the harness
straps around the child
and fasten both latch
plates into the buckle.
1
2
3
4

1514
5. Fasten chest clip.
6. Pull up on each shoulder
strap to tighten the lower
section of the harness.
7. Tighten harness by pulling
adjuster strap straight out
through the adjuster ap.
The harness webbing
should be snug around the
child in both the lap and
shoulder sections. Slide
chest clip so it is at the
child’s armpit level.
8. The harness is tight
enough when you cannot
pinch a loop of webbing.
9. If you nd the harness is
not tight tting, an infant
insert may be required.
Please contact
1-888-9RECARO and
RECARO will ship you
an infant insert and
instructions.
5
6
7
8
SECURING THE CHILD IN THE CHILD RESTRAINT

16
SECURING THE CHILD IN THE CHILD RESTRAINT
Rear-Facing:Checktheharnessheightonthechild’sshoulders.
•TheharnessispositionedATorBELOW
thechild’sshoulders,whenthechildis
seated.
•Adjusttheharnessforthechild
BEFOREdriving.
•Thechild’sseatedheight*isLESSthan
22.5 inches (57cm).
•Whensittinginthechildrestraintthetop
ofthechild’sheadisNOTcloserthan1
inch (2.5cm)fromthetopedgeofthe
seatback.
*NOTE: A child’s seated height measures the distance from the top of their
head to the bottom of their tailbone, when they are sitting.
Forward-Facing:Checktheharnessheightonthechild’sshoulders.
•TheharnessispositionedATorABOVE
thechild’sshoulders,whenthechildis
seated.
•Adjusttheharnessforthechild
BEFOREdriving.
•Thechild’sstandingheight*isLESS
than 49 inches (125 cm).
•Whensittinginthechildrestraintandthe
headrestraintisinthehighestposition,
thetopofthechild’searsmustbe
BELOWthetopoftheheadrestraint.
•IfANYportionofthechild’sheadexceeds
thetopedgeofthechildrestraint,there
mustbeavehicleheadrestsupport.
*NOTE: A child’s standing height measures the distance from the top of
their head to the bottom of their feet, when they are standing.

1716
2a.Rotatetheharnesssystem
adjustmentknobstoraisethe
shoulderstrapsortolowerthe
shoulderstraps.
2b.Refertothelabels,nearthe
harnesssystemadjustment
knobs.
NOTE: The head restraint will move
up and down. DO NOT over rotate
the knobs.
3.Pullshoulderstrapstoensurethe
systemissecure.
2a
Section 6: Adjusting the Harness
System to Fit Your Child
Placeyourchildinthechildrestraintpriortoinstallinginthevehicleand
determineiftheshoulderstrapheightneedstobeadjusted.
•WhenusingtheRear-Facing,theshoulderstrapsmustbelocated
ATorBELOWthechild’sshoulders.
•WhenusingtheForward-Facing,theshoulderstrapsmustbe
locatedATorABOVEthechild’sshoulders.
1.Loosentheharnesssystem.
Presstheadjusterleverlocated
undertheadjusterapinthetrim
coverandpulltheshoulder
strapsforward.
1
Headrest Adjustment
To Lower:
Rotate Knob
Clockwise
To Raise:
Rotate Knob
Counter-Clockwise
2b
ADJUSTING THE HARNESS SYSTEM TO FIT YOUR CHILD

18
CHOOSING A SEATING LOCATION IN YOUR VEHICLE
Section 7: 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 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:
• 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.
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.