2008 AUDI A4 AVANT weight

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Booster seats
Properly used booster seats can help protect children
weighing between about 40 lbs. and 80 lbs. (18 kg and 36
kg) who are less than 4
ft. 9 in. tall.
Fig. 187 Rear seat:
child properly
restrained in a booster
seat
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most children
until they are at least 4 ft. 9 in. tall and weigh about 80 lbs.
(36 kgl. Booster seats raise these children up so that the
safety belt will pass properly over the stronger parts of their
bodies and the safety belt can help protect them in a crash.
-Do not use the convertible locking retractor when using
the vehicle's safety belt to restrain a child on a booster seat.
-Always position the shoulder portion of the safety belt midway over the child's shoulder.
-Always make sure that the shoulder portion of the safety
belt never rests against or across the child's neck.
-Always make sure that the child can properly wear the
lap portion of the belt low across the thighs or pelvis and
never over the stomach or abdomen.
Children up to about 40 lbs (18 kg) are best protected in child safety
seats designed for their age and weight. Experts say that the skel­
etal structure, particularly the pelvis, of these children is not fully
developed, and they should not use the vehicle safety belts
~ page218,fig.187.
Children who weigh more than 40 lbs. (18 kg) may generally use the
available three point combination lap and shoulder belts when they
sit on an appropriate booster seat. Be sure the booster seat meets
all applicable safety standards.
Booster seats raise the seating position of the child and reposition
both the lap and shoulder parts of the safety belt so that they pass
across the child's body in the right places. The routing of the belt
over the child's body is very important for the child's protection .
This applies whenever a child uses the vehicle's safety belts, even
when the child is big enough to use them without a booster seat. Children age 12 and under should always ride in the rear seat .
Children should not ride in the front seat unless no other seating
position is available because crash statistics show that children are
better protected in the rear seat.
In a crash , airbags must inflate within a blink of an eye and with
considerable force . In order to do its job, the airbag needs room to
inflate so that it will be there to protect the occupant as the occu­
pant moves forward into the airbag.
A vehicle occupant including a child who is out of position and too
close to the airbag gets in the way of an inflating airbag. When an
occupant is too close, he or she will be struck violently and will
receive serious or possibly even fatal injury .
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is important that all
vehicle occupants, especially any children, who must be in the front
seat in exceptional circumstances, be properly restrained and as far
away from the airbag as possible. By keeping room between the _.,.

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Children who weigh more than about 80 lbs (36 kg) and are at least
4 ft . 9 in. tal l can genera lly use the veh ic le's three po int lap a nd
shou lder belts . Chi ldren should use a lap belt only in very excep ­
tiona l situations and on ly if no child restraint system for the child's
size and weight or safer a lternative means of transportation of the
child is available. In these exceptiona l situations, the use of a lap
belt is better t han permitting t he ch ild to re main total ly unre ­
strained. But remember : a lap be lt cannot provide the same level of
protection as a proper c hild restraint or a t hree -poi nt lap and
shou lder be lt if the child is big enough . A lso, using a lap belt for
younger chi ldre n, who s hould be us ing a chi ld restrai nt, may v iola te
l aws in your state or Province .
N ever use a lap belt alone to rest ra in a chi ld that we ig hs less than
about 80 lbs (36 kg) and w ho is less t han 4'9" ta ll. A lways remember
t hat chi ld ren do not have the pronounced pelv ic structure requ ired
f or t he proper function o f lap belts . If a lap belt is o nly restra int
system available, then the chi ld's safety absolutely requires that the
l ap be lt be fastened snug ly and as low as possible around t he pelv is
l et a lap belt pass over the chi ld's stomach or abdomen .
& WARNING
Using wrong child restraints or improperly installed child
restraints can cau se seriou s personal injury or death in a crash.
• Failure to properly route safety belt s over a child's body will
cau se severe injurie s in a crash . The lap belt portion of the three
point belt a s well as any lap belt alone must always pass as low as
po ssible acros s the pelvis, never over the stomach or abdomen.
• An improperly worn safety belt will not provide the best protec­
tion in a crash and may cause serious personal injury . Al ways
make sure that children and other vehicle occupants properly
wear available restraint sy stem s. Carefully follow the in struction s
prov ided by the manufacturers of child restraints .
•
Installing a child safety seat
Securing a child safety seat using a safety
belt
S afe ty belts for the rea r seats and the fr ont pa ssenger can
be locke d with the c onvertible locking retract or to prop ­
erly secure child safety seats.
T he safe ty belts emergency locking re tracto rs fo r the rea r sea ts
sa fety be lts a nd for t he front passenger's seat safety belt have a
conve rtible lock ing ret ractor for child rest ra ints . The safety belt
must be loc ked so t hat belt webbing ca nnot unree l. The retractor
can be activated to lock the safety be lt and prevent the safety be lt
webbi ng from l oosen ing up dur ing normal dr ivi ng. A c hild sa fe ty
seat can only be properly instal led when the safety belt is locked so
t hat t he ch ild and c hild safety seat will s tay in place .
A lways remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Ai rbag sys tem, al l c h ild ren, especially those 12 years and
younger, should always r ide in the back seat proper ly restra ined for
their age and size.
& WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats increase the risk of serious
per sonal injury and death in a collision .
• Always make sure that the safety belt retractor is locked when
installing a child safety seat. An unlo cked safety belt retra ctor
cannot hold the child safety seat in pla ce during normal driving or
in a crash.
• Alway s buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a
c hild is not sitting in it. A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision
• Alway s make sure that the rear seat backre st to which the
center rear safety belt is attached is securely latched whenever
the rear center safety belt is being u sed to se cure a child re straint.
_,.

& WARNING (continued)
• If the backrest is not securely latched, the child and the child
restraint will be thrown forward together with the backrest and
will strike parts of the vehicle interior . The child can be seriously
injured or killed.
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat. A child will be seriously injured and can be killed when the passenger airbag inflates .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, door or roof.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the rear seat.
• Forward-facing child safety seats or infant carriers installed on
the front passenger's seat may interfere with the deployment of
the airbag and cause serious injury to the child.
• It is safer to install a forward-facing child safety seat on the rear
seat.
• 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".
& WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must install a forward or
rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat in
exceptional situations :
• Whenever a forward or rearward-facing child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat, the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light must come on and stay on whenever the ignition is
switched on.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Child Safety
& WARNING (continued)
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, perform the checks described
=> page 198, "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System" .
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition is switched
on .
• Improper installation of child restraints can reduce their effec­
tiveness or even prevent them from providing any protection.
• An improperly installed child restraint can interfere with the
airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or even kill the child.
• Always carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier.
• Never place additional items on the seat that can increase the
total weight registered by the weight -sensing mat and can cause
injury in a crash.
& WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
• Always make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up, against or very
near the instrument panel .
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the airbag as possible before installing the forward-facing child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on. ...
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
• A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the
front passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if
the front airbag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, door or roof.
• Always be especially careful if you must install a rearward
facing child safety seat on the front passenger seat in exceptional
circumstances.
• A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing child restraint
attached to the front passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. The heavier weight registered can make
the system work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy
the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing serious or even fatal injury to the child.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer. •
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a child
restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufacturer's instruc­
tions when installing a child restraint in your vehicle. To
activate the convertible locking retractor:
-Place the child restraint on a seat, preferably on the rear
seat.
-Slowly pull the belt all the way out.
-Route it around or through the child restraint belt path
=>& .
-Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight.
-Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that seating
position.
-Guide the safety belt back into the retractor until the belt
lies flat and snug on the child safety seat.
-You should hear a "clicking" noise as the belt winds back
into the inertia reel. Test the convertible locking retractor
by pulling on the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the belt out of the retractor. The convertible locking
retractor is now activated.
-Make sure that the red release button is facing away from
the child restraint so that it can be unbuckled quickly.
-Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt is properly
tight and fastened so that the seat cannot move forward
or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
& WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an improperly installed child
restraint can cause serious personal injury or death in a crash.
• Always make sure that the safety belt retractor is locked when
installing a child safety seat. An unlocked safety belt retractor
cannot hold the child safety seat in place during normal driving or
in a crash.
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& 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.
...

/b, WARNING (continued )
• Never secure or attach any luggage or other items to the LATCH
lower anchorages or to the tether .
• 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 we re on the seat and deploy the Advanced Airbag
when it must be suppressed causing serious or even fatal injury to
the child. •
Using tethers on rear-facing child restraint
systems
Currently, few rea r-facing chi ld restraint systems come with a tether.
Pl eas e read and heed the chi ld res traint sy stem man ufa cture r's
instruct ions careful ly to determ ine how to proper ly instal l the
teth er.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward -facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag
will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest , or door.
• A tight tether or other strap on a rearward -facing child restraint
attached to the front passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System . The heavier weight registered can make
the system work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy
Safety first
Child Safety
/b, WARNING (continued )
the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing serious
or even fatal injury to the child.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on ,
immediately install the rear -facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the a irbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer . •
Securing the upper tether strap to the anchor
bracket
Fig . 198 T ether strap:
prope r routing and
mounting
Securing the child restraint tether strap to the
tether anchor
R el ease or deplo y the tethe r str ap o n the chil d restraint
acco rding to the c hild restr ain t m anu fac ture r's usa ge
inst ructions. ._
irechnical data

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Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor­
tation.
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember t hat the add it ional load
wi ll affect durability, economy and performance.
Trailer towing not only p laces more stress on the veh icle, it a lso ca lls
for more concentration from the driver.
For th is reasons, always fo llow the operating and dr iving instruc ­
t ions provided and use common sense. •
Technical requirements
Trailer hit ch
Use a weight -carrying hitch conforming to the gross trailer weight.
The hitc h must be suitab le for your veh ic le and tra iler and must be
mounted securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically sound
l ocation. Use only a tra iler hitch with removable bal l mount. A lways
check with the trai ler hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using t he correct hitch .
Do not use a bumper hit ch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it does not interfere
with the impact-absorb ing bumper system . No mod ifications
shou ld be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems. From
time to time, check that all hitch mount ing bo lts re main securely
fastened.
When you are not towing a trai ler, remove the trailer hit c h ball
mount. Th is prevents the hitch from causing damage s hou ld your
vehic le be struck from
behind ~& .
Tire pre ssure
When towing a trailer, inf late the tires of your vehic le to the cold tire
pressure listed under "Full load" on the s ticker on the right door­
jamb . Inflate trai ler tires to tra iler and tire manufacturers' specifica­
t ions.
Lights
T he head ligh t settings shou ld be checked with the trailer at tached
before driving off. Have the head lights adjusted as necessary so
t hat you can see t he road ahead bu t not bl ind oncom ing traffic.
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are working prop ­
e rly .
Engine cool ing sy stem
Towing a t railer makes the eng ine work ha rder. It is imp ortant tha t
the cooling system's performance stands up to the additiona l
strain. Make sure that the coo ling system has enoug h fluid.
Traile r br ake s
If your tra ile r i s eq uipped wi th a braki ng system, check to be s ure
that it conforms to al l regu lations .
T he tra iler hydraulic brake system must no t be direct ly connected to
the vehic le's hydrau lic brake system .
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connected from the trai ler
t o the h itch on the vehicle. Leave enough s lack in t he chains to
permit turning corners. When you install safety chains, make sure
they will not drag on the road when you are driving.
T he chains shou ld cross under t he trailer tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separation from the hitch. _,,,

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Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure to check with your
authorized Audi dealer for correct wiring, switches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you using the regular
outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors. It is impor ­
tant that you
always have clear vision to the rear .
& WARNING
After removing the trailer hitch, do not store it in your vehicle. In
case of sudden braking, the hitch could fly forward and injure you
or your passengers. •
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical class 1 or class 2
trailer .
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in place to guard
against shifting, be it forward, backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer~ & in "Driving instruc­
tions".
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your vehicle to the cold tire
pressure listed under "Full load" on the sticker on the right door­
jamb. Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' specifica­
tions .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation Lights
The
headlight settings should be checked with the trailer attached
before driving off. Adjust as necessary so that you can see the road
ahead but not blind oncoming traffic.
Check proper working of vehicle and trailer lights .
Power Supply
The power supply to the trailer is disconnected when the ignition
key is removed.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle . Leave enough slack in the chains to
permit turning corners. When you install safety chains, make sure
they will not drag on the road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separation from the hitch.•
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle and trailer,
please note the following:
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
- Be especially careful when passing other vehicles.
- Observe speed limits.
- Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed.
- Always apply brakes early.
- Monitor the temperature gauge.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data