Q. How long can my child seat be used or when does it "expire"?
A. Please refer to the user guide that came with your child seat to determine its recommended useful life. BRITAX recommends that the use of a child seat be discontinued after a certain number of years from the date of manufacture, depending on the seat, or if the seat has been involved in a moderate to severe crash. Expiration dates are provided for various reasons: technology has changed, components degrade from the environment (depending on how and where stored), parts get lost or installed incorrectly, or instructions and labels may not be available or not legible. After a child seat has met its expiration date, BRITAX requests that the child seat be destroyed.
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Q. How should the Versa-Tether be stored?
A. When the Versa-Tether is being used to install the child seat in your vehicle, any excess webbing should be secured in the attached elastic strap. When the Versa-Tether is not being used to install the seat in your vehicle, it should be stored in the pouch on the back of the child seat. To avoid damage or injury, be sure that any excess webbing is contained within your vehicle at all times.
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Q. How tight does the install have to be when using LATCH/Universal Anchorage System for the FRONTIER or FRONTIER XT in booster mode - less than 1" of movement as in harnessed mode or just secure?
A. The use of LATCH/UAS to position the FRONTIER and FRONTIER XT in booster mode is a convenience feature. The vehicle seat belt system is restraining the child in the event of an impact. While the 1" rule is not as important, BRITAX would recommend that you pull the LATCH/lower connector straps tight with reasonable effort and force to remove the slack in the straps (a.k.a. webbing).
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Q. I tried installing the FRONTIER or FRONTIER XT in harness mode with the recline block in booster mode (towards the back of the seat) and got a good installation. Is this an acceptable install?
A. No. The FRONTIER and FRONTIER XT were tested and certified with the recline block in the forward position for harness mode. Do not use the recline block in booster mode for a harness installation.
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Q. The tether on my car seat has an extra webbing (a loop) under the cover. What is this?
A. In 2006, BRITAX began to introduce an energy-absorbing tether assembly to its convertible (infant/child) car seats. It consists of a loop of webbing with colored (red) stitching held under the cover at the top of the seat shell. In the event of a severe crash, the colored stitching will break and the loops will partially pull through the back side of the shell, reducing G-force effects on the child's head and body. If the colored stitching has broken on your tether assembly, discontinue use of the child seat.
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Q. What are the cracks on the back of my FRONTIER?
A. This is common artifact of blow molding known as “curtaining”. It is caused when the parison folds on itself as it is being expanded. It is not a structural defect and will not lead to cracking.
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Q. What are the new standards implemented by Transport Canada for car seats on January 1, 2012? Can I still use my BRITAX car seat if it was manufactured before January 1, 2012?
A. Please be assured that there is no need to replace your car seat due to the new regulations. All BRITAX car seats manufactured before AND after January 1, 2012 are compliant with Transport Canada’s current dynamic test standards. For information about the new child car seat safety regulations, please visit Transport Canada’s website: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/mediaroom/releases-2011-h145e-6605.htm.
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Q. What is the difference between a harnessed seat and a booster seat?
A. Booster seats differ from a harnessed car seat in that a booster seat, by definition, simply “boosts” the child up so that the vehicle seat belt is positioned correctly across the child’s hips and shoulder/middle of the chest. Booster seats rely on the vehicle seat belts to hold both the child and the booster seat in position.
Harnessed seats have an internal harness system that is used to restrain the child.
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