Britax Marathon Classic User manual

Marathon

TM

Classic

User Guide

PLEASE READ

INSTRUCTIONS

STORE UNDER

COVER

IMPORTANT:

 DOUBLE CHECK EVERY TIME YOU

USE THIS CAR SEAT.

Double Check Car Seat-to-Vehicle Installation:

 Check that the LATCH or vehicle seat belts connections to the

vehicle are tight and locked.

 Verify the car seat cannot be moved front-to-back or side-to-side

more than one inch (2.5 cm) at the belt path.

Double Check Child-to-Car Seat Installation:

 Tug on the buckle to ensure proper locking.

 Confirm harness straps are snug and over both shoulders and

hips. You should not be able to pinch excess harness strap

webbing at the child’s shoulder.

 Make sure the chest clip is properly fastened and positioned in

the middle of the child’s chest at armpit level.

Britax Child Safety, Inc.

13501 South Ridge Drive

Charlotte, NC 28273

USA

A Britax Childcare Group Limited

company

Tel 1.888.427.4829

www.BritaxUSA.com

1

Safety Information

 Warnings...............................................................................................................2

 ImportantNotes....................................................................................................4

 Certification...........................................................................................................5

 Registration...........................................................................................................5

 ImportantHarnessAdjustments..........................................................................6

Child Seat Features .............................................................................................8

Vehicle Compatibility

 CompatibleVehicleSeatBelts............................................................................10

 IncompatibleVehicleBelts...................................................................................14

 VehicleBucklePositions......................................................................................15

 VehicleSeatingPositions.....................................................................................15

Installation: Rear-Facing

 LATCHInstallation................................................................................................16

 Lap-ShoulderBeltInstallation.............................................................................18

 LapBeltInstallation.............................................................................................20

Installation: Forward-Facing

 LATCHInstallation................................................................................................22

 Lap-ShoulderBeltInstallation..............................................................................24

 LapBeltInstallation.............................................................................................26

Installation: Aircraft .............................................................................................28

Installation: Versa-Tether

®

 SafetyInformation................................................................................................29

 UsingtheVersa-Tether.........................................................................................30

 TetherConnectorStrap........................................................................................31

 Energy-AbsorbingVersa-Tether..........................................................................32

Child Seat Functions

 StoringtheLATCHConnectors...........................................................................33

 ReclineAdjustment..............................................................................................33

 ChestClip.............................................................................................................34

 HUGS

™

ChestPads..............................................................................................34

 HarnessBuckle....................................................................................................35

AdjustingHarnessSlotHeight............................................................................35

Securing Your Child ............................................................................................36

Care and Maintenance ........................................................................................38

Warranty ...............................................................................................................42

Thisproductanditscomponentsaresubjecttochangewithoutnotice.



2

•Use onlyin a rear-facing position when using it with an infant

weighinglessthan20lbs(9.1kg)ORislessthan1yearofage.

•Useonlywithchildrenwhoweighbetween5and65lbs(2.3and

29.5kg)andwhoseheightis49inches(124.5cm)orless.Rear-

facingforchildrenwhoweighbetween5and35lbs(2.3and15.9

kg)andforward-facingforchildrenwhoweighbetween20and65

lbs(9.1-29.5kg)andareatleast1yearofage.

•Snuglyadjustthebeltsprovidedwiththischildrestraintaround

yourchild.Asnugstrapshouldnotallowanyslack.Itliesina

relativelystraightlinewithoutsagging.Itdoesnotpressintothe

child’sfleshorpushthechild’sbodyintoanunnaturalposition.

•Securethetopanchoragestrapprovidedwiththischildrestraint.

•Secure this child restraint with the vehicle’s child restraint

anchoragesystemifavailableorwithavehiclebelt.

•Follow all instructions on this child restraint and in the written

instructionslocatedunderthechildseatcover.

•Registeryourchildrestraintwiththemanufacturer.

•To prevent injury due to deterioration or hidden damage,

discontinueuseofachildseatthatisolderthansixyearsorhas

been in a moderate or severe crash. See Serial Number and

Manufactured Date Labellocatedonchildseat(seepage9).

•Thischildseatmustnotbeusedinthehome,inboats,orother

non-certifiedapplications.

•Based on crash statistics, the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) recommends that parents select the

WARNING!

DEATHorSERIOUSINJURYcanoccur:

3

backseatasthesafestlocationforaproperlyinstalledchildseat.

PleasestudytheVehicle Compatibility(pages10-13)sectionin

thisbooklettoensureyourchild’ssafetyandconsultyourvehicle

owner’smanual.

•Securethischildseatevenwhenitisnotoccupied.Inacrash,an

unsecuredchildseatmayinjurevehicleoccupants.

•Whenusinginavehiclewithairbags,refertoyourvehicleowner’s

manualforchildseatinstallationinstructionsandprecautions.

•Neveruseadjusterstraptoliftorcarrythischildseat.Doingso

couldcausedamagetoharnessadjusterandwebbing.Always

carrythischildseatbyitsshellortetherstraps.

•Theprimaryprotectionforoccupantsofavehicleinacollisionis

thebodyofthevehicleitself.Achildseatwillnotprotectachild

whenavehicleisseriouslyimpacted.However,correctlyinstalled,

achildseatwillsubstantiallyimprovechancesforsurvivalinmost

crashes.Makesureallusersfullyunderstandthecorrectwaysto

usethischildseatinavehicle.

•The use of non-Britax Child Safety, Inc. covers, inserts, toys,

accessories,ortighteningdevicesisnotapprovedbyBritax.Their

usecouldcausethischildseattofailFederalSafetyStandardsor

notperformasintendedinacrash.

•HUGS

TM

 chest pads must be installed for forward-facing use.

RemovalofHUGSisoptionalonlyforrear-facinguse.

4



Important Notes

•Verifychildseatissecureandharnessisproperlyadjustedaround

childeachtimechildseatisused.

•Adjust harness to fit clothes the child is wearing. Removebulky

coatsand/orjacketsbeforeputtingchildinchildseat.

•Coverchildseatwhenvehicleisparkedindirectsunlight.Partsof

childseatcouldbecomehotenoughtoburnachild.

•Storechildseatinasafeplacewhenitisnotbeingused.Avoid

placingheavyobjectsontopofit.

•Donotleavechildrenaloneinavehicle,evenforashorttime.

•Donot,exceptasdescribedinthisbooklet,attempttodisassemble

anypartofthechildseatorchangethewayitsharnessorvehicle’s

seatbeltsareused.

•Donotleavelooseobjects,e.g.books,bags,etc.,inthebackof

avehicle.Intheeventofasuddenstop,looseobjectswillkeep

moving,potentiallycausingseriousinjuries.

•Donotleavefoldingvehicleseatsunsecuredorunlatched.Inevent

ofasuddenstop,alooseseatbackcouldpreventchildseatfrom

protectingthechildaswellasitshould.

•Donotallowchildrentoplaywiththisoranychildseat.

•Donotuseanythingtoraisechildseatoffvehicleseatexceptas

describedintheseinstructions.Inacrash,childseatcouldslide

andmaynotadequatelyprotectthechild.



DO NOT place a child seat

rear-facing in the front seat of a vehicle with

a passenger air bag. DEATH or SERIOUS

INJURYcanoccur.Seeyourvehicleowner’s

manual for child seat installations. The back

seat is the safest place for children 12 and

under.

5



Certification

ThischildseatsystemconformstoallapplicableFederalMotorVehicle

Safety Standards. This Child Restraint is Certified for Use in Motor

VehiclesandAircraft.

Registration

Childseatscanberecalledforsafetyreasons.Youmustregisterthis

child seat to be reached in a recall. Send your name, address,and

thechildseat’smodelnumberandmanufacturingdatetoBritaxChild

Safety,Inc.,13501SouthRidge DriveCharlotte,NC 28273, orcall

1-888-4BRITAX,orregisteronlineatwww.BritaxUSA.com/registration.

For recall information, call the US Government’s Vehicle Safety

Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://

www.NHTSA.gov.

SerialNumber:___________________________________

BatchNumber:___________________________________

DateofManufacture:______________________________

6



Important Harness Adjustments

AccordingtotheAmericanAcademyofPediatrics:

Allinfantsshouldriderear-facinguntiltheyhavereachedatleast1

yearofageandweighatleast20pounds(9.1kg).Thatmeansthat

ifyourinfantreaches20pounds(9.1kg)beforeherfirstbirthday,she

shouldremainrear-facingatleastuntilsheturns1yearold.Itisbest

forchildrentoriderear-facingtothehighestweightorheightallowed

bythemanufacturer.

Rear-Facing

Userear-facingonlywithchildren:

• who weigh between 5 and 35 lbs (2.3 – 15.9 kg) and

• the top of the child’s head is at least 1” (2.5 cm) or

more below the top of the child seat (Fig. A) and

• the harness straps are in the nearest slots at or

below the child’s shoulders.

Ifthechildcannotbesecuredwithintheserequirementsbecausethe

childexceedsheightorweightrequirements,reviewtheforward-facing

guidelinesonpage7.

Ifthechildcannotbesecuredwithintheserequirementsbecausethe

childistoosmall,selectionofadifferentchildseat(suchasaninfant

carrier)mayberequired.

IMPORTANT: See Adjusting Harness Slot Height on page 35.



DoNOT usethechildseatrear-facingifanyofthefollowingapply:

• the child is less than 5 lbs (2.3 kg) in weight or

• the child exceeds 35 lbs (15.9 kg) in weight or

• the top of the head is less than 1” (2.5 cm) from the top of the child

seat (Fig. A) or

• the harness straps are in a slot above the child’s shoulders.

1 inch

2.5 cm

Rear-Facing



7





DoNOTusethechildseatforward-facingifanyofthefollowingapply:

• the child is less than one year of age or

• the child is less than 20 lbs (9.1 kg) in weight or

• the child exceeds 65 lbs (29.5 kg) in weight or

• the child exceeds 49” (124.5 cm) in height or

• the top of the ears are above the top of the child seat or

• the top harness slots fall below the child’s shoulders, parallel to level

ground (Fig. B)

Forward-Facing

Useforward-facingonlywithchildren:

• who are at least one year of age and

• who weigh between 20 and 65 lbs (9.1 – 29.5 kg) and

• 49” (124.5 cm) or less in height and

• the top of the child’s ears are below the top of the child seat and

• the harness straps are in the nearest slots at or above the child’s

shoulders, parallel to level ground (Fig. B).

IMPORTANT: When using forward-facing recline mode, it may

become necessary to adjust the harness to the next higher set of slots

than would be used when the seat is upright.

See Adjusting Harness

Slot Height on page 35.

Shoulder level

Above Shoulder Level

Below Shoulder Level

Upright Reclined

Forward-Facing Harness Height



8

1 Cover

2 LATCHStrap

3 LATCHAdjusterReleaseButton

4 LATCHAdjuster

5 LATCHConnectorReleaseButton

6 LATCHConnector(storedunder

cover)

7 HarnessSlots

8 ComfortPads

9 ChestClip

10 BodyPillow

11 HarnessHolders

12 HUGS

™

(HarnessUltraGuard

System)ChestPads

13 HarnessStrap

14 HarnessBuckle

15 BellyPad

16 HarnessAdjuster

Lever(undercover)

17 HarnessAdjusterStrap

18 ReclineHandle

7

8

9

11

12

10

13

15

14

16

1

17

18

2

3

4

5

6



9

20

22

25

26

23

29

27

28

30

21

19

24



19 SerialNumber&Manufactured

DateLabel(undercover)

20 Versa-Tether

®

(TopAnchorageStrap)

-inpouch

21 Versa-TetherStoragePouch

22 HarnessYoke

23 BeltGuard

24 Shell

IMPORTANT: When not in use, this user

guide should be stored under the cover.

DO NOT discard the foam inserts found

under the cover.

25 Forward-FacingLock-off

26 Forward-FacingBeltPath

27 Rear-FacingBeltPath

28 Rear-FacingLock-off

29 LATCHBar

30 Base

10

Compatible Vehicle Seat Belts

NOTE: The information in this section only applies to installation with

vehicle safety belts.

Vehicle seatsandsafetybeltsdiffer fromvehicletovehicle.Refer

toyourvehicleowner’smanualforspecificinformationaboutyour

vehiclesafetybeltsandtheirusewithchildseats.

Lap-Shoulder (3-Point) Belt

1. ALR (Automatic Locking Retractor) with Sliding Latch Plate

aHas a latch plate that freely

slides along the vehicle belt

webbing.

bHas a retractor that stops the

belt from being pulled out

again once the belt webbing

has been pulled out at least

24 in. (61 cm).

cTightens by feeding the

belt webbing back into the

retractor.

Latch

Plate



11

3. Switchable Retractor in ALR with Sliding Latch Plate

aHas a latch plate that freely

slides along the vehicle belt

webbing.

bHas a retractor that can be

switched to function as an ALR

by pulling the vehicle belt fully

out until a clicking sound can

be heard when retracting.

* Touseachildseatwiththistype

ofvehiclebelt,youwillneedto

switchtotheALRmodeoruse

childseatlock-offs.

2. ELR (Emergency Locking Retractor) with Locking Latch

Plate

aHas a latch plate that does

not allow the lap part of the

belt to become loose after it is

buckled.

bHas a retractor that locks only

in an emergency situation such

as sudden stop or crash.

Latch

Plate

Latch Plate

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12

Lap Belt

5. ALR (Automatic Locking Retractor)

aHas a latch plate that is sewn

into the webbing.

bHas a retractor that stops the

belt from being pulled out

again once the belt webbing

has been pulled out at least

24 in. (61 cm).

4. ELR (Emergency Locking Retractor) with a Sliding Latch Plate

aHas a latch plate that freely

slides along the vehicle belt

webbing.

bHas a retractor that locks only

in an emergency situation such

as sudden stop or crash.

IMPORTANT: This belt type requires the

use of the lock-offs built into the seat for

rear- and forward-facing installations.

Latch Plate

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13

6. Locking Latch Plate

aHas a latch plate that does

not allow the belt to become

loose after it is buckled.

bTightens by pulling on the belt

webbing.

cTightens by feeding the

belt webbing back into the

retractor.

Latch Plate

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14

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WARNING! The following types of vehicle belts are NOT

compatiblewiththischildseat:

1Vehicle belts with top or

bottom anchor points on

the vehicle door.

2Motorized, automatic vehicle

belts

3Lap-shoulder belts that

have a separate retractor

each for the lap section

and shoulder section

4Lap belts forward of the

vehicle seat bight.

5Lap belts that have a retractor that locks only

in case of a sudden stop (emergency locking

retractor or ELR).

Incompatible Vehicle Belts

15

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Vehicle Buckle Positions

WARNING!Thepositionofthevehicle

beltbucklecanadverselyaffectthestabilityof

thechildseat.

Ifthebuckleliesneartheincorrectposition( )when

thevehiclebeltistightened,tryfittingthechildseat

inanotherseatingpositioninthevehicleORconsult

yourvehicleowner’smanualtoseeifyoucanlower

the vehicle buckle position by twisting the vehicle

bucklestalk.Ifitisnotpossibletoachievethecorrect

position (

) for the buckle, then another seating

positionMUSTbeused.

Vehicle Seating Positions

WARNING!Somevehicleshavenoseatingpositionswhich

arecompatiblewiththischildseatoranyotherchildseat.Ifindoubt,

contactthevehiclemanufacturerforassistance.

Forward-facingvehicleseatsMUSTbeusedwiththischildseat.Side-

facingorrear-facingseatsCANNOTbeused.Seediagrambelow.

DO NOT place a child seat

rear-facing in the front seat

of a vehicle with a

passenger air bag unless

deactivated. DEATH or

SERIOUS INJURY can

occur. See your vehicle

owner's manual for child

seat installation instruc-

tions. The back seat is the

safest place for children

12 and under.

WARNING!

16

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LATCH Installation

• Figure A illustrates a rear-facing LATCH

installation.

• Verify that your vehicle is equipped with LATCH

anchors. If LATCH anchors are not available, you

must use the vehicle belt installation methods.

1 Ifstored,removetheLATCHconnectorsfrom

thestorageslotsunderthecover(page33)



andpassthemthroughtheiradjacentbeltslots

.

2 Press and hold the first LATCH adjuster

releasebutton,thenpulltheLATCHstrapto

full length. Repeat for the remaining LATCH

connector.

3 Reclinethechildseatandplacerear-facingon

thevehicleseat.

Thischildseatmustbeinthe

reclineposition wheninstalledrear-facing.See

Recline Adjustmentonpage33.

4 AttachoneLATCHconnectortoitsadjacent

vehicleLATCHanchor(Fig.B)intheupright

position(Fig.C).

• An audible click confirms attachment.

• Ensure that the LATCH strap is not twisted.

TIP:Youmayneedtoturnthefrontofthechild

seat toward you for easier access to the

vehicleLATCHanchor.

5 AttachtheremainingLATCHconnectortoits

adjacentvehicleLATCHanchor(Fig.D)inthe

uprightposition(Fig.C).

• An audible click confirms attachment.

• Ensure that the LATCH strap is not twisted.

NOTE: If an audible click is not heard when

connecting either LATCH connector, the LATCH

strap may be twisted, or there may be debris in the

LATCH connector. Correct either situation before

continuing with the installation process.

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







17



6 Align each LATCH strap on the LATCH bar

with the “LATCH Strap Here Rear-Facing”

labeloneachsideofthechildseat.(Figs.E

andF).

7 Pushthechildseatfirmlyintothevehicleseat

whilepullingeachLATCHstraptight(Fig.G).

IMPORTANT: Ensure the LATCH strap does not fold

into the LATCH adjuster while tightening.

8 Verify that all connections are secure, the

LATCHstrapisalignedtothe“LATCHStrap

HereRear-Facing”labeloneachsideofthe

childseat,andthatthechildseatisstable.

• The child seat is secure when it cannot be moved

more than 1 in. (2.5 cm) front-to-back or side-to-

side at the belt path. If the child seat is not secure,

repeat the installation process or use an alternate

seating location.

• When properly installed in the rear-facing position,

the back angle of the child seat should be 30º – 45º

from vertical (not to exceed 45º) when the car is

parked on a level surface (Fig. H).

• If necessary, the proper recline angle can be

achieved by placing a rolled towel or pool noodle in

the vehicle seat bight to level the child seat’s base.









WARNING! Donotraisethechild

seat off the front edge of the vehicle seat.

This could cause your child seat not to

performasintended.

• Rear-facing installation can be improved by the use

of the Versa-Tether. See pages 29 – 32.

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Lap-Shoulder Belt Installation

• Figure A illustrates a rear-facing, lap-shoulder

belt installation.

• When not in use, always store the LATCH

connectors in the storage slots. See page 33.

1 Reclinethechildseatthenplaceitrear-facing

onthevehicleseat.

Thischildseatmustbein

the recline position when installed rear-facing.

SeeRecline Adjustmentonpage33

.

2 Liftthecovertoopentherear-facinglock-off

farthest from where the vehicle belt will be

buckled(Fig.B).

3 Pullthevehiclebeltout,thenpassitunderthe

LATCH bar and through the rear-facing belt

slot(Fig.C).

• The vehicle belt can be routed over or under

the cover.

4 Route the vehicle belt across seat then

throughtheoppositerear-facingbeltslotand

undertheLATCHbar.

IMPORTANT: The vehicle belt must rest behind the

child seat buckle strap.

5 Verifythatthevehiclebeltisnottwisted,then

buckle(Fig.D).

6 Pushthechildseatfirmlyintothevehicleseat

whileremovingslackfirstfromthelapportion

ofthevehiclebelt,thentheshoulderportion

(Fig.E).

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Britax Marathon Classic User manual

Britax Marathon Classic User manual

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