/b, WARNING (continued)
-Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost
position of the passenger seat's fore and aft adjustment range,
and as far away from the airbag as possible before installing
the child restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing prevents the front
passenger's seat from being moved to the rearmost position in
its fore and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure that the backrest is in the upright posi
tion.
• 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 collision.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being
used=> page 176, "Safety belts",
=> page 187, "Airbag system" and=> page 210, "Child Safety".
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on whenever a child
restraint is installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition
is switched on.
• 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.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer immediately. •
Safety first
Child Safety
Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old and 22 lbs or
10 kg need special rearward-facing child restraints that
support the back, neck and head in a crash.
I a. C0 a,
Fig . 185 Rearward
facing infant seat,
properly installed on
the rear seat
- When using the vehicle safety belt to install a child safety
seat, you must first activate the convertible locking retractor on the safety belt to prevent the child safety
seat from
moving~ page 220 or install the seat using
the LATCH attachments.
-Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight so that the seat cannot
move forward or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cml.
Infants up to about one year (22 lbs . or 10 kg) are best protected in
special infant carriers and child safety seats designed for their age
group. Many experts believe that infants and small children should
ride only in special restraints in which the child faces the back of the
vehicle. These infant seats support the baby's back, neck and head
.,_
irechnical data
___ C_h_ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t__, y'-------------------------------------------------
in a crash. These child safety seats must never be used in the front
seat because of the risk of serious injury or death should the airbag
deploy in a
crash:::::, fig . 185.
& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong child safety seat or
improperly installing a child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a crash.
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
A child will be seriously injured and can be killed when the inflating airbag hits the child safety seat or infant carrier with
great force and smashes the child safety seat and child against the
backrest, center arm rest, or
door:::::, page 189, "Child restraints on
the front seat
-some important things to know".
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the rear seat.
• Never install a rear-facing child restraint
in the forward-facing
direction. Such restraints are designed for the special needs of
infants and very small children and cannot protect them properly
if the seat is forward-facing.
• 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 airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being
used :::::, page 176, "Safety belts",
:::::, page 187, "Airbag system" and:::::, page 210, "Important things
to know". •
Convertible child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats can help
protect toddlers and children over age one who weigh
between 20 and 40 lbs. (10 and 20 kg) in a crash.
I d.. a, a,
Fig. 186 Rear seat:
smaller child in a prop·
erly installed forward·
facing convertible chi Id
safety seat
-When using the vehicle safety belt to install a child safety
seat, you must first activate the convertible locking
feature on the safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from
moving ~ page 220 or install the seat using the
LATCH attachment.
-Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight so that the seat cannot
move forward or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm)
~ page 220.
-If the child safety seat is equipped with a tether strap ,
attach it to the tether
anchors ~ page 229.
A toddler or child is usually too large for an infant restraint if it is
more than one year old and weighs more than 22 lbs. (10 kgl.
..,
Child Safety -
---------------''------'
Toddle rs and chi ldren who ar e older than one y ear up to about 4
ye ars old and wei gh m ore th an 2 2 lbs (1 0 kg) u p to 40 lbs. (1 8 kg)
shou ld be prope rly restrained in a c hild saf ety s eat c ertifi ed for their
si ze and we igh t=> fig. 18 6.
T he a irba g on t he passe nger s id e m akes t he fr ont seat a p otentially
dangerou s place fo r a child to ride. The front seat is not the safest
pl ace fo r a c hild in a forw ard -f ac ing child safety sea t. It is a very
dangerous place for an infant o r a larger ch ild in a rearward-facing
s e at .
& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong child safety seat or
improperly installing a child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a collision or other emergency situa
tion .
• Children on the front seat of any car, even with Advanced
Airbags, can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates . 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.
• Always install rear -facing child safety seats on the rear seat.
• 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 airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used => page 176, "Safety
belts" ,
=> page 187, "Airbag system " and => page 210, "Important things
to know".
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING
If exceptional circumstances require the use of a forward -facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat , the child's safety and
well -being require that the following special precautions be taken:
• Make sure the forward -facing seat has been designed and certi
fied by its manufa cturer for use on a front seat with a passenger
front and side airbag.
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions provided with
the child safety seat or carrier.
• Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost posi
tion of the passenger seat's fore and aft adjustment range , and as
far away from the airbag as possible before installing the child
restraint.
• Always make sure that nothing prevents the front passenger's
seat from being moved to the rearmost position in its fore and aft
adjustment range .
• Always make sure the backrest is in 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.
• If the light does not stay on , perform the
checks => 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 .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
___ C_h_ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t--= y'-------------------------------------------------
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 _.,.
__ ....,;;C;..;.h.;.; i.;.;ld ;;,;,__; S;;;.; a;;;;. f;;..; e;;;.; t~ y""------------------------------------------------
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
____________________________________________ 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
•