Graco Atlas Harness 65 Booster Car Seat Instruction Manual

Graco Atlas Harness 65 Booster Car Seat

Table of Contents

What Seating Location Should I Use?

The best seating location for this car seat is one that:

Is recommended by your vehicle owner’s manual, and
Results in a secure installation of this car seat.

Some vehicles have specific requirements for where the car seat can be installed, so be sure to check your vehicle owner’s manual for available seating positions, if any. For example, sometimes the center rear seat has a lap belt only vehicle seat belt, which cannot be used when this car seat is in Booster mode. Review sections 7-B, and 7-C of this manual AND your vehicle owner’s manual.

Which Installation Method Should I Use?

This car seat can be installed in your vehicle using either the vehicle seat belt OR the lower anchor attachment. Both are equally safe to use. DO NOT USE BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.

Vehicle Seat Belt: Review section 7 and your vehicle owner’s manual to learn how to install your car seat with the vehicle seat belts.

LATCH: The LATCH system allows you to securely attach your car seat in your car without using the vehicle seat belt. All 2003 and newer model year vehicles are required to have lower anchor bars, although some manufacturers began including them earlier. Some vehicle owner manuals use the term ISOFIX to identify them.

What is LATCH?

LATCH consists of lower anchor bars and a tether anchorage bar, which are built-in to your vehicle, and connecting hooks that are built-in to your car seat. Lower anchors are used INSTEAD of the vehicle’s seat belt to secure the child seat to the vehicle. The tether is used IN ADDITION to the lower anchors OR the vehicle’s seat belt to secure a forward-facing car seat to the vehicle.
Review your vehicle’s owner manual for exact location and use.

Typical seat in a passenger vehicle. Other vehicle types may have different lower anchor bar locations.

Using The Car Seat Correctly

To make sure your child is secured properly, review sections 3 and 4 to fit your child.

For Forward-Facing, You Need to Adjust:

Harness Height, Forward-Facing (A)
Harness straps at or just above the child’s shoulders and top of the child’s ears below the top of the headrest (B). Review section 3.

Buckle Position (C)
The correct slot is the one that is closest to your child without being underneath them. Review section 3.

Harness Tightness (D)
If your fingers slide off the harness straps without pinching the straps, it is tight enough. Review section 3.

Forward-Facing Installation

Use the top tether strap when using forward-facing (A)
When used properly, the top tether helps reduce injury in a sudden stop or crash. Review section 3

Car Seat Does Not Move More than 1” (2.5 cm) at the Belt Path (B)

Review section 3

Harness Straps at or Just Above the Child’s Shoulders (C)
Review section 3

Chest Clip Even With Armpits (D)
Review section 3

Cannot Pinch Harness Straps at the Shoulder (E)
Review section 3

When Installing As a Booster

Vehicle Seat Belt
Only use the Lap/Shoulder seat belt configuration. Review sections 4-B, and 4-C of this manual AND your vehicle owner’s manual.

For Booster, You Need to Adjust:

Use Lap/Shoulder Belt Only

Position Lap Belt
The lap belt must go in front of the armrest and lie low across your child’s hips and thighs.

Position Shoulder Belt
The shoulder belt lies across the shoulder between the neck and the edge of the shoulder.

Welcome to the Graco Family!

Your child’s safety depends on you. No car seat can guarantee protection from injury in every situation, but proper use helps reduce the risk of serious injury or death. Even if this car seat seems easy to figure out on your own, you must follow the detailed instructions in this instruction manual to ensure the steps below are performed correctly.

Correct Mode of Use

Safety Warnings

No car seat can guarantee protection from injury in every situation, but proper use helps reduce the risk of serious injury or death. READ THIS MANUAL CAREFULLY.

Review your vehicle owner’s manual for more information about airbags and car seat use.
If your vehicle does not have a back seat, review your vehicle owner’s manual.
Select a suitable location for the car seat in your vehicle.
Secure the car seat with a vehicle seat belt or LATCH that is properly routed as shown in this manual.
The vehicle seat belt system MUST hold the car seat securely. Not all vehicle seat belts can be used with a car seat.
If the vehicle seat belt does not hold the car seat securely, read “Vehicle Seat Belts” section 7-D and your vehicle owner’s manual.
Always secure the car seat with LATCH or a vehicle seat belt, even when unoccupied. In a crash, an unsecured car seat can injure passengers.
If the car seat is in a crash, it must be replaced. DO NOT use it again! A crash can cause unseen damage and using it again could result in serious injury or death.
DO NOT use the car seat if it is damaged or missing parts.
DO NOT use accessories or parts other than those provided by Graco. Their use could alter the
performance of the car seat.
DO NOT remove the LATCH system from the car seat. If using a vehicle seat belt to secure the car seat, LATCH hooks must be stored.
Never leave a child unattended, even when sleeping. The child may become tangled in harness straps and suffocate or strangle.
Never attach two LATCH connectors to one vehicle’s lower anchor bar unless specifically allowed by the vehicle manufacturer.
Do not use both the vehicle seat belt and LATCH strap at the same time when using the car seat forward facing.

Car Seat Features

A Height Adjust Lever
B Head Support
C Shoulder Belt Guide
D Harness Strap
E Harness Covers
F Harness Storage Compartment (Behind Seat Pad)
G Chest Clip
H Buckle
I Buckle Cover
J Cup Holder
K Harness Adjuster Lever (Under Seat Pad)
L Recline Lip
M Harness Adjustment Strap

A Tether Storage Bar
B Tether Hook
C Tether Strap
D LATCH Storage Bar
E LATCH
F LATCH Adjuster
G Cup Holder

A Harness Straps
B Splitter Plate

Forward-Facing Use

Forward-Facing: 22-65 lb (10-30 kg) and 27-49” (69-125 cm)

Place the car seat forward-facing in the vehicle’s back seat.
Make sure the LATCH strap or vehicle seat belt is routed through the forward-facing belt path
marked with an orange label.
Attach and tighten the tether. When used properly, the tether helps reduce injury in a sudden stop or crash.
Install this car seat tightly in your vehicle. The car seat should not move at the forward-facing belt path more than 1” (2.5 cm) from side to side, front to back.

Harness straps need to be even with or just above the top of the child’s shoulders and the chest clip is at armpit level.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and NHTSA recommend that children should use the built-in harness system for as long as possible until they reach the maximum forward-facing weight and height for their car seat. This car seat can remain forward-facing using the built-in harness system for children
up to 65 lb (30 kg) and 49” (125 cm).

Install Forward-Facing with LATCH Straps

Remove LATCH hooks and Tether Strap from Storage Locations Unhook the tether and lay it in the seat.
Place Car Seat Forward-Facing in Back Seat of the Vehicle
Place forward-facing in the vehicle seat. The bottom of the seat should sit as flat as possible on the vehicle seat.
Choose One of the Two Recline Positions
To recline, flex the recline lip out and lift up on the seat. For an upright position, flex the recline lip out and push down on the seat.
Extend the LACTH Strap.
For easier installation, extend the LATCH strap to its maximum length by pressing the grey button and pulling out the strap.
Attach LATCH Hooks to the Vehicle’s Lower LATCH Bars. The
LATCH strap should not be twisted.
Tighten the LATCH Strap
Press down firmly in the center of the car seat while tightening the LATCH strap.
Attach Tether Strap
Extend the tether by pressing the grey button pulling out the strap and attach. Consult the vehicle’s owner manual for specific locations.
Tighten Tether Strap
Remove all the slack.
Test For Tightness
Grab the sides of the seat where the lower anchor strap is and slide the car seat side to side and front-to-back. If the seat moves less than 1” (2.5 cm), it is tight enough. See section 5-A to secure your child.

Accessories

Harness Covers

Make sure that harness covers do not interfere with the placement of the chest clip at armpit level. To remove, undo the fastening strips and remove them.

Buckle Cover

To remove, undo the fastening strips and remove them.

How to Remove LATCH and Top Tether

Lower Anchor Connector

Press in on the hook’s spring. Push hook in, lift hook up, twist, and pull out away from the anchor point.

Top Tether

To remove, press the grey button and pull out the strap to release the tension. Press in on the hook’s spring. Push the tether hook in, then lift up and pull away from the tether anchor.

Choosing Vehicle Seat Location

The best seating location for this car seat is one that:

Is recommended by your vehicle owner’s manual, and
Results in a secure installation of this car seat

In the event, there is no available back seat and/or you have no other option, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that you take the following steps:

Ensure the child is properly restrained according to their age and size
Move the seat as far back as possible
Make sure the child is not leaning out of position, such as leaning forward into the deployment path of the airbag
Set the airbag ON-OFF switch, if available, to the OFF position

Unsafe Vehicle Seat Location

Never install this car seat in any of the following vehicle seating locations:

rear-facing or side-facing vehicle seats
rear-facing with an active front airbag
booster mode with a vehicle lap belt-only seat belt

Vehicle Seat Belts

This car seat can be installed using a vehicle seat belt. To do this, you will need to change the seat belt to a locked mode for use with car seats. With some vehicle seat belts, this is done with the latchplate; with other vehicle seat belts, this is done with the retractor.

Vehicle Seat Belt Terms

Identify Your Seat Belt Type

There are two different types of vehicle seat belts that can be used with this car seat:

The following types of vehicle seat belts CANNOT be used safely with this car seat:

Lap Belt with Motorized Shoulder Belt
Lap Belt or Shoulder Belt Mounted on Door
Belts Forward of the Seat Bight

Lap/Shoulder Belt Installation – Rear-Facing/Forward-Facing Modes

Always review your vehicle owner’s manual for specific information about your vehicle seat belts.
There are three types of retractors: ELR (Emergency Locking Retractor), ALR (Automatic Locking Retractor) , and Switchable (ELR switch to ALR). To determine your type of retractor, follow these steps:

Slowly pull the belt out about halfway and stop.
Let the belt retract back several inches.
Try to slowly pull the belt out more. If the belt cannot be pulled any further, it is ALR. If it can be pulled further, go to the next step.
Slowly pull the belt all the way out, and then allow it to retract several inches.
Try to pull the belt all the way out again. If it cannot be pulled out, it is Switchable. If it can still be pulled out freely, it is ELR.

Note: Most vehicles manufactured after 1996 will have Switchable retractors in the back seat. If you have any questions about your retractor type, consult your vehicle owner’s manual or call Graco for assistance.

How to Lock Your Lap and Shoulder Vehicle Seat Belt

Sliding Latch Plate and Switchable Retractor
A latch plate that slides freely on the belt webbing and cannot, by itself, hold the belt snug around a car seat. When installing the car seat, route the vehicle seat belt through the proper belt path and buckle it in. Slowly pull the shoulder belt all the way out to switch it to locking mode. Then, as you pull the vehicle seat belt tight, feed all the slack back into the retractor. Grab the sides of the seat at the belt path and slide the seat side-to-side and front-to-back. The seat should not move more than 1” (2.5 cm).

Locking Latchplate and ELR Retractor

A latchplate that holds the lap belt snug after it has been adjusted; contains a metal bar on the underside of the hardware that “locks” the belt in position. When installing the car seat, route the vehicle seat belt through the proper belt path and buckle it in. Then, pull upwards on the shoulder belt so that the lap belt gets tight around the car seat. Grab the sides of the seat at the belt path and slide the seat side-to-side and front-to back. The seat should not move more than 1” (2.5 cm).

Sliding Latch Plate and ALR Retractor

A latch plate that slides freely on the belt webbing and cannot, by itself, hold the belt snug around a car seat. Slowly pull the shoulder belt all the way out. Route the vehicle seat belt through the proper belt path and buckle it in. Then, as you pull the vehicle seat belt tight, feed all the slack back into the retractor. Grab the sides of the seat at the belt path and slide the seat side-to-side and front-to-back. The seat should not move more than 1” (2.5 cm).

Sliding Latch Plate and ELR Retractor

A latch plate that slides freely on the belt webbing and cannot, by itself, hold the belt snug around a car seat. With this retractor, you will need to use the locking clip to lock the vehicle seat belt. Call us at 1-800-345-4109 to order a locking clip. Route the vehicle seat belt through the proper belt path and buckle it in. Pull the vehicle seat belt tight. While pushing down on a seat, pinch the two straps together behind the buckle tongue. Unbuckle the belt without allowing it to slip. Attach locking clip to lap and shoulder belts as shown. Arbuckle belt. Check that the lap belt does not move by pulling hard. If the belt loosens or lengthens, repeat the procedure.

Lap Belt Installation – DO NOT use in Booster Mode

Always review your vehicle owner’s manual for specific information about your vehicle seat belts.

Grab the sides of the seat at the belt path and slide the seat side-to-side and front-to-back. The seat should not move more than 1 “ (2.5 cm).

Locking Latch Plate and No Retractor

When installing the car seat, route the lap seat belt through the proper path and buckle it in. Then, pull upwards on the tail of the belt so that the lap belt gets tight around the car seat.

Sewn On Latch Plate and ALR Slowly pull the lap belt all the way out.

Route the vehicle seat lap belt through the proper belt path and buckle it in. Then, pull the lap belt tight while feeding all the slack back into the retractor.

Cleaning Seat Pad

Refer to the seat pad care tag for washing instructions.

Head Support Cove

Clean with a damp sponge using mild soap and cool water. If needed, the head support cover may be removed for cleaning. Remove the harness and buckle strap. See section 4-B. To remove, raise the head support and undo the 4 elastic loops. Pull off the head support cover as shown Machine wash the cover in cold water on a delicate cycle and drip-dry. DO NOT USE BLEACH. Reverse the steps to reattach the Head Support Cover.

Seat Cover

Clean with a damp sponge using mild soap and cool water. If needed, the seat cover may be removed for cleaning. Remove the harness and buckle strap. See section 4-B. Machine wash cover in cold water on a delicate cycle and drip dry. DO NOT USE BLEACH. To remove, undo the 4 seat pad snaps. Undo the elastic loops on the side of the seat. Pull the front tabs out of the bottom of the seat.

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