2008 AUDI A4 AVANT Owners Manual

____________________________________________ C_ h_ i_ ld _ S_a_ f_e _t .:..Y _ .... 911
& WARNING (continued)
• Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a
child is not sitting in it. A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a crash.
• Always make sure the seat backrest to which the child restraint
is installed is in an upright position and securely latched into place
and cannot fold forward. Otherwise, the seat back with the child
safety seat attached to it could fly forward in the event of an acci­
dent or other emergency situation.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=> page 210. Special precau­
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger
seat=> page 189, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know" .•
Deactivating the convertible locking retractor
The convertible locking retractor for child restraints will
be deactivated automatically when the belt is wound all
the way back into the retractor.
- Press the red button on the safety belt buckle. The belt
tongue will pop out of the buckle.
- Guide the belt all the way back into its stowed position.
Always let the safety belt retract completely into its stowed position.
The safety belt can now be used as an ordinary safety belt without
the convertible locking retractor for child restraints.
If the convertible locking retractor should be activated inadvert­
ently, the safety belt must be unfastened and guided completely
back into its stowed position to deactivate this feature. If the
convertible locking retractor is not deactivated, the safety belt will
gradually become tighter and uncomfortable to wear.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
LJ}. WARNING
Improperly installed
child safety seats increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a collision.
• Never unfasten the safety belt to deactivate the convertible
locking retractor for child restraints while the vehicle is moving.
You would not be restrained and could be seriously injured in an
accident.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=> page 210. Special precau­
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger
seat => page 189, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know" .•
Additional Information
What types of child restraint anchors are
available and hovv are they related to child
safety?
For years, child restraints have been installed using the safety belts
already present in every vehicle.
Since September 1, 1999, child restraint manufacturers have been
providing tether straps that attach the top of the child restraint to
the vehicles structure, on most of their forward-facing systems in order to comply with U.S. Federal regulations for child restraint
performance in a crash. Vehicle manufacturers are required to
phase -in tether anchorages for attachment of the tether strap in
their U.S. vehicles beginning September 1, 1999.
The combination of the tether anchorages and the lower anchor­ ages is now generally called the LATCH system for "Lower Anchor
and Tether for Children".
.,._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ C_h_ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t--= y'-------------------------------------------------
(The term " ISOFIX" regarding lower anchorages had been used by
Audi and other man ufacturers in the pas t, but LATC H is now the
standard name for the new child restraint anchorage system.)
Some chi ld restraint system manufacture rs have been providing
tet her straps on certain mode ls of their child restra int systems ,
either as standard equipment or as a retrofit, for several years .
Chec k w ith the manu factu rer o f th e ch ild restra int syste m for tether
strap avai labili ty .
T o provide a simpler and more practicab le way to attach the child
restraint system on the vehicle seat, U .S . Federal regulations require
t he phase -in of lowe r ancho rages in vehicles and devices on new
child restraint systems to attach to the veh icle anchorages.
Ch ild restraint system manufacturers will probably offer two k inds
o f lower a nchorages on their child safety seats
T hey cou ld come with :
• hooks or ot her latches attached to adjustable st raps or
• rigid latches on bars that extend out the back of the ch ild
r est raint and are re leased w ith release but tons a t the bottom of the
child restra int.
I n addition to the LA TCH lower anchorages, both of these child
r estra int syst ems use tether straps to help keep the c hild restraint
system firmly in p lace .
•
Where can I get additional information about
child restraint application and usage?
T here are a n umbe r of so urces of additional info rma tion abo ut child
r estra int selection, i nsta llat io n and usage :
NH TSA advises that the best chi ld safety seat is the one that fits
your c hild and f its in your ve hicle, a nd that y ou will u se c orrectly and
consistent ly.
T ry befo re you buy! National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Tel. : (888) DAS H-2 -DOT
www.nhtsa .dot .gov
Nation al SAFE KIDS Camp aign
Tel.: (202) 662 -0600
www .sa fek ids.org
Safety BeltSafe U .S .A
T el.:
(800! 745 -SAFE (Eng lish)
Tel. : (800) 7 47-SANO (S pan is h )
www.carseat.org
Transport Canada
T el. : (800) 333 -037 1
www .tc.gc.ca
Audi Client Relations
Tel. : (80 0) 82 2-2834
•

Lower anchorages and tether for
children (LATCH)
Location
LATCH is the acronym for Lower Anchor and Tethers for
Children and designates a special child safety seat
restraint system.
Fig . 189 Schematic
overview : LATCH
anchorage point loca­
tions
The illustration ~ fig. 189 shows the seating locations in your
vehicle which are equipped with the lower universal anchorages
system .•
Safety first
Child Safety
Description
The lower anchorage positions are marked for quick
locating.
ij
w r-----:ll
Fig . 190 Rear seat­
backs: locator buttons
for lower anchorages
Fig . 191 Rear seats:
lower anchorage
bracket locations
Attachment locator markers for lower anchorages
Circular locator buttons on the rear seatback indicate the lower
anchorage locations on the rear seating
positions~ fig. 190.
Technical data

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L o w er an chorag es
The lower anchorage attachment points are located between the
rear seatback and rear seat
cushion=> fig. 191.
Lower anchorages secure the child restraint in the seat without
using the vehicle's sa fety be lts. Anchorages provide a secure and
easy -to -use attachment and minimize the possibility of improper
child restraint instal lation .
All child restraints manufactured after September 1, 2002, must have lower anchorage a ttachments for the
LATCH system .
Please remember tha t the lower anchorage points are only intended
for insta llation and attachment of child restraints specifica lly certi ­
f ied for use with
LATCH lower anchorages. Ch ild restrain ts that are
not equipped with the lower anchorage attachments can still be
insta lled in comp liance with the child res traint manufactu rer's
instructions on using vehicle safety be lts .
& WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will increase the risk of
injury in a crash .
• Always carefully follow the child restra int s manufa cturer's
instructions for proper in sta llation of the child restraint and
proper use of the lower an chor ages or safety be lts in your vehicle .
• Never se cure or attach any luggage or other item s to the
LAT CH
lower an chorages .
• Alway s read and heed the important inform ati on about child
r e straints in this chapter and
WARNINGS => page 210, "Child
Safety ".•
Guidance fixtures for lower anchorages
Spe cial guidance fi xtur es i ncre ase t he c onvenien ce of the
lo wer anch ora ges and are avail able from your autho rized
Audi dealer.
Fig . 19 2 Out er r ea r
sea ts : in sta llin g the
guidanc e fixture s
F ig . 19 3 C lose- up:
fitting the guid an ce
fixtur e over the lo wer
a n chor age bra cket
The lo wer ancho rage attachme nt points are located on the
rear seats between the seatbac k and the seat cus hion.
S pec ial guidance fixt ur es increase the convenience of the
.,_

Child Safety -
---------------''------'
lower anchorages and help protect the seat material from
possible damage when installing child restraints that have
rigid lower anchorages and not straps with hooks.
Installing the guidance fixtures
- Push down on the seat cushion so that the lower anchor ­
ages are visible.
- Hold the guidance fixture with the part number facing downward and push it in the direction of the arrow onto
the
anchorage => fig. 193.
- Make sure that each of the two guidance fixtures per seat snaps into place.
Removing the guidance fixtures
- Remove the child restraint according the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions.
- Push down on the seat cushion so that the lower anchor ­
ages are visible.
- Pull off the guidance fixtures from the lower anchorages.
- Always remove the guidance fixtures and keep them in a
safe place when not in use.
You may find it easier to install child restraints equipped with hooks
attached to straps without the guidance fixtures in place. If this is
the case, remove the guidance fixtures by pulling them off the
anchorages. However, the guidance fixtures can help you to locate
the
LATCH anchorages.
& WARNING
Improper use of tether anchorages or lower anchorages can cause
serious personal injury in a crash.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(continued)
• Always carefully follow the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions for proper installation and use of child restraint
systems.
• Never use the
LATCH or tether anchorages to attach safety
belts or other kinds of occupant restraints.
• Child restraint tether attachments and lower attachments are
only designed to secure a child restraint that has been equipped
to use these anchorages.
• Tether anchorages and lower anchorages are designed to with­
stand only those loads imposed by correctly fitted child restraints.
Under no circumstances can they be used safely for adult or child
safety belts or harnesses.
• Never mount more than one child restraint to a single tether or
to a lower anchorage point. Attaching two child restraints to a
single anchorage point can cause the anchorage to fail and cause
serious personal injury in a crash.
0 Note
• Remove the guidance fix tures before folding the rear seatback to
prevent damaging the seat cushion.
• If you leave the guidance fixtures ins talled for several days , they
could leave a mark on the upholstery on the seat cushion and back ­
rest in the area that the guidance fixtures were ins talled. The uphol­
stery would also be permanently stretched around the guidance
fixtures. This applies especially to leather seats .
[ i] Tips
• Always remove the guidance fixtures when not in use.
• Please keep the guidance fixtures in a safe place with the vehicle
when not in use .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Installing a child restraint using the lower
anchorages of the LATCH system
Child safety seats equipped with the LATCH system can
quickly and easily be secured to the rear seats.
Fig . 194 LATCH-type
seat with both latch
bars extended
Fig . 195 Installation of
child safety seat with
rigid latches on bars
Whenever you install a child restra int always refer to the
child restra int manufacturer's instructions.
-Make sure the seat back of the rear seat bench is in the
upright position and securely latched in place.
- Insta ll the guidance
fixtures ~ page 226.
- Insert the latche s onto the lower anchorages
=> page 228, fig. 195.
- Make sure you hear the child restraint click securely into
place. This indicates that the seat is securely mounted on
the anchors.
-Pull on the child restraint once you have mounted it to
make sure it is secure.
& WARNING
Improper use of the LATCH system can increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death in an accident.
• These anchors were developed solely for child safety seats
using the
" LATCH" system .
• Never attach other child safety seats, belts or other objects to
these anchors.
• Always make sure that you hear a click when latching the seat
in place. If you do not hear a click the seat is not secure and could
fly forward and hit the interior of the vehicle, or be ejected from
the vehicle.
& WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will increase the risk of
injury in an accident.
• Always follow the child restraint system manufacturer's
instructions for proper installation of the child restraint system
and proper use of tether straps as well as the lower anchorages or
safety belts in your vehicle.
.,..

/b, WARNING (continued)
• Always read and heed the important information and WARN­
INGS about child safety and the installation of child restraint
systems=> page 210, "Child Safety" .•
Mounting and releasing the anchorage hook
If you use a child restraint system with hooks or other
latches attached to adjustable straps.
Mounting
- Press the anchorage hook with the spring catch release
onto the lower anchorage so that the anchorage hook
locks into place.
- Pull on the anchorage hook to make sure that it has
securely engaged the lower anchorage.
- Tighten the strap following the child restraint manufac ­
turer 's instructions.
Releasing
- Loosen the tension on the strap following the child
restraint manufacture r's instructions .
- Depress the spring catch on the hook.
- Hold the spring catch in depressed position.
- Move the hook in the d irect ion of the vehicle floor so that
there is enough space to release the anchorage hook
from the lower anchorage.
Safety first
Child Safety
LJ}. WARNING
• Improper installation of child restraints will increase the risk of
injuries in a crash.
• Always refer to the child restraints manufacturer's instructions
for proper installation of the child restraint and proper use of the lower anchorages or safety belts in your vehicle.
•
Tether anchors
Fig. 196 Tether
anchors: attachment
hook locations behind
the rear seatbacks
Beginning with model year 2000, the rear seating positions are
equipped with three tether anchors .
The tether anchors for the three rea r seating positions are located
on the backside of the rear seatbacks
=> fig. 196.
LJ}. WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will increase the risk of
injury and death in a crash.
•
Technical data

•----=C:...:.h.:..: i.:..:ld ~ S=- a=- f.:....: e=- t~ Y:___ _____________________________________________ _
& W ARNING (continued )
• Improper use of child restraint anchors (tether anchors ) could
lead to injury in a collision . The anchors are des igned to withstand
only those loads imposed by correctly fitted child restraints .
• Never mount t wo child restraint systems on one LATCH lower
anchor point .
• Never attach two ch ild restraint systems to one tether strap or
tether anchorage .
• Always follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer of
the child re straint you intend to install in your Audi.
• Never use child restraint tether anchorages to secure safety
belts or other kinds of occupant restraints.
• Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down hook in the luggage
compartment.
• Never secure or attach any luggage or other items to the LATCH
lower anchorages or to the tether anchors.
• If a tether or other strap is used to attach a child restraint to the
front passenger seat , make sure that it is not so tight , that it
causes the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is
actually on the seat.
• The heavier weight registered can make the system work as
though an adult were on the seat and deploy the Advan ced Airbag
when it must be suppressed causing serious or even fatal injury to
the child .•
Tether strap
A teth er is a stra ight o r V -shap ed stra p th at attach es t he
t op par t o f a chil d rest rai nt t o spe cial anc hora ge p oints i n
the vehi cle.
Fig . 197 Tether strap:
proper rou ting and
mounting
The pur pose o f the tet her i s to reduce the forwar d move ment of th e
chi ld restraint in a crash, in order to he lp reduce the risk of head
i n jury t hat could be cause d by str ikin g th e v ehicle inte rior.
Forward facing child restraints manufactured after September
1 ,
19 99, a re requ ired by U .S . federal reg ula tio ns t o co mply w ith chi ld
head movement performance requirements. Th ese new perfor ­
mance requirements make a tether necessary on most new c hild
sa fety seats.
& WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will increase the ris k of
injury in a crash .
• Never attach a child safety seat tether strap to a tie -down hook
in the luggage compartment.
...