___ S_a_ f_ e_ t-= y_ b_e_ l_ t _s _______________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal
injury in an accident.
• The shoulder belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned
over the middle of the occupant's shoulder and never across the
neck or throat .
• The safety belt must lie flat and snug on the occupant's upper
body
=> page 207, fig . 199. Pull on the belt to tighten if necessary .
• The lap belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned as
low as possible across pelvis and never over the abdomen. Make
sure the belt lies flat and snug
=> page 207, fig. 199. Pull on the belt
to tighten if necessary .
• A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious injuries by shifting
its position on your body from the strong bones to more vulner
able, soft tissue and cause serious injury.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important infor
mation
=> page 205. •
Pregnant women must also be correctly
restrained
The best way to protect the fetus is to make sure that
expectant mothers always wear safety belts correctly -
throughout the pregnancy.
Fig. 200 Safety belt
position during preg
nancy
To provide maximum protection, safety belts must always
be positioned correctly on the wearer's body=>
page 207.
-Adjust the front seat and head restraint correctly
=> page 87, "General recommendat ions".
- Make sure the seat back of the rear seat bench is in an
upright position and securely latched in place before
using the belt.
- Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it evenly across the
chest and pelvis => fig . 200, =>
&,.
- Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of your seat
until you hear it latch securely =>
page 206, fig. 198.
- Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely latched in
the buckle .
~
___ C_h_ i_ ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_y ____________________________________________ _
child is available. In these exceptional situations, the use of a lap
belt is better than permitting the child to remain total ly unre
strained . But remember: a lap belt cannot provide the same level of
protection as a proper child restraint or a three -point lap and
shoulder belt if the child is big enough . Also, using a lap belt for
younger child ren, who should be using a chi ld restraint, may violate
laws in your state or Province.
Never use a lap belt a lone to restrain a chi ld that weighs less than
about 80 lbs (36 kg) and who is less than 4'9" tall. A lways remembe r
that chi ldren do not have the pronounced pelvic structure required
for the proper function of lap belts. If a lap belt is only res traint
system available , then the child's safety absolutely requires that the
lap be lt be fastened snug ly and as low as possible around the pe lvis
let a lap belt pass over the chi ld's stomach or abdomen .
& WARNING
Using wrong child re straints or improperly in stalled child
restr aint s can cause serious personal injury or death in a cr ash .
• Failure to properly route safety belts over a child's body will
c au se severe injurie s in a crash . The lap belt portion of the three
point belt as well as any lap belt alone must alway s pass as low as
p os sible acros s the pelvis, n ever ov er the stoma ch or abdomen.
• An impr ope rly worn s afet y belt will not pr ovide the best prote c
tion in a cra sh and may cau se seriou s personal injury . Alway s
make sure that children and other veh icle o ccupant s properl y
wear available r estraint system s. Carefully follow the in struction s
p ro vi ded by the manufa cturer s of child re straint s.•
Installing a child safety seat
Securing a child safety seat using a safety
belt
S afety belts for the rear seats and the fr ont passenger can
be locked with the c onvertible locking retr actor to pr op
erly secure child safety seats.
The safety belts emergency locking retractors for the rear seats
safety be lts and for the front passenge r's seat safety belt have a
convertible locking retractor for child restraints . The safety belt
must be locked so that belt webbing cannot unreel. The retractor
can be activated to lock the safety be lt and prevent the safety belt
webbing from loosen ing up dur ing normal driving. A child safety
seat can only b e properly instal led when the safety belt is locked so
t hat the child and chi ld safety seat w ill stay i n place .
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, al l children, especially those 12 years and
younger , shou ld always ride in the back seat proper ly restrained for
their age and size.
& WARNING
Improperly in stalled child safety seat s increa se the risk of serious
pe rsonal injury and death in a collision.
• Alway s ma ke sure that the safety belt retractor is locked when
i nstall ing a child safety seat . An unlo cked safety be lt retra ctor
cannot hold the child safety seat in pla ce during normal driving or
in a cra sh .
• Alway s buckle the child saf ety seat firml y in pl ace even if a
c hild i s not s itting in it. A loo se child saf ety seat can fl y around
during a sudden stop or in a colli sion
• Alway s make sure th at the rear se at backre st to which the
center rear s afety belt i s attached is securely latched whenever
the rear cent er safety belt is being u sed to se cur e a ch ild re straint . .,_
_______________________________________________ C_h _ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t..,:c y __ lftlll
& 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 -fac ing 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 234 . Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat
=> page 214 , "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
& WARNING (continued )
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, perform the checks described
=> page 223, ''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
•L-----=C::..: h:...:..:..:. il-= d ~S=-= a~fe =-=- ty!.._ _____________________________________________ _
& 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 ch ild 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.
~
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. In Canada, the terms "top tether" with
"lower universal anchorages" (or "lower universal
anchorage bars") are used to describe the system.
Fig . 215 Schematic
overview: LATCH
anchorage point loca
tions
The illustration =:> fig. 215 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.
Fig . 216 Rear seat
backs: locator buttons
for lower anchorages
Fig . 217 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. 216.
Lower anchorages
The lower anchorage attachment points are located between the
rear seatback and rear seat cushion=:> fig. 217.
Lower anchorages secure the child restraint in the seat without
using the vehicle's safety belts. Anchorages provide a secure and
~
Vehicle care I I Technical data
___ C_h_ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t-= y'------------------------------------------------
easy-to-use attachment and minimize the possibility of improper
child restraint installation.
All child restraints manufactured after September 1, 2002, must have lower anchorage attachments for the LATCH system.
Please remember that the lower anchorage points are only intended
for installation and attachment of child restraints specifically certi
fied for use with LATCH lower anchorages. Child restraints that are
not equipped with the lower anchorage attachments can still be
installed in compliance with the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions on using vehicle safety belts.
& WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will increase the risk of
injury in a crash.
• Always carefully follow 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.
• Never secure or attach any luggage or other items to the
LATCH
lower anchorages.
• Always read and heed the important information about child
restraints in this chapter and WARNINGS
~ page 234, "Child
Safety". •
Guidance fixtures for lower anchorages
Special guidance fixtures increase the convenience of the
lower anchorages and are available from your authorized
Audi dealer.
Fig. 218 Outer rear
seats : installing the
guidance fixtures
Fig. 219 Close-up:
fitting the guidance
fixture over the lower
anchorage bracket
The lower anchorage attachment points are located on the
rear seats between the seatback and the seat cushion.
Special guidance fixtures increase the convenience of the
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. _,.
--------------------------------------------~C=-- h :....:..:..:. il..:.:d _S.:... a _ fe_t~ Y:,___ _1111
Inst alling th e guidan ce fixtur es
- Push down on the seat cushion so t hat the lower anchor
ages are v isib le.
- Hold t he guidance fixt ure with the part number facing
downward and push it in the direction of the arrow on to
the anchorage => page
250, fig. 2 19.
- Make sure that each of the two guidance fixtures per seat
snaps into place.
Removing the guidance fixtures
- Remove the child restrai nt according the c hild restraint
m an ufacturer's instr uctions.
- Pu sh down on the seat cushion so t hat the lower anchor
ages are v isible.
- Pu ll off the gu idance fixtures from the lowe r anc horages.
- Always remove the guidance fixt ure s an d keep them in a
safe p lace when not in use.
You may find it easier to insta ll chi ld restraints equipped with hooks
attached to straps without the guidance fixtures in place. If this is
the case, remove the guidance fixtures by pu lling them off the
anchorages . However, the guidance fix tures can he lp you to locate
the
LATCH anchorages.
& WARNING
Improper use of teth er anchorage s or lowe r anchorages can caus e
s erio us personal inju ry
in a cra sh .
• Alway s carefully follow the child re straint manufa cturer' s
in struct ions for proper inst allati on a nd u se of ch ild restraint
sy stems .
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& W
AR N IN G ( continued )
• Never use the LATCH or tether an chorage s to att ach safety
b elt s or other kinds of o ccup ant re str aints .
• Child restraint tether attachment s and lower atta chments are
onl y designed to secure a child re str aint th at h as been equipped
to u se these anchorages.
• Tether anchor age s a nd lower an chorages are de signed to with
s tand only those loads impos ed by correctly fitted child r estraints.
Unde r no circum stan ces can they be u sed safel y for adult or child
safety belt s or harne sses .
• Neve r mount more than one ch ild rest raint to a single tether or
to a lower anchorage point . Atta ching two child r estraints to a
s ingle an chorage point can cause the anchorage to fail and cause
s erio us per sonal injury in a crash .
0 Note
• Remove the guidance fixtures before folding the rear seatback to
prevent damaging the seat cushion.
• I f you leave the guidance fixtures insta lled for several days, they
cou ld leave a mark on the upholstery on the seat cushion and back
rest in the area that the guidance fi xtures were insta lled . The uphol
stery would also be permanently stretched around the guidance
fixtures. This applies especially to leather seats.
[ i ] Tip s
• 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
Ill Child Safety ___ ,.__ ____________ _
Installing a chi ld restraint using the lower
anc horages of the LA TCH system
Child safety seats equipped with the LATCH system can
quickly and easily be secured to the rear seats.
0 N ;::; ,L
i
Fig. 220 LATCH-type
seat with both latch
bars extended
Fig. 221 Installation of
child safety seat with
rigid latches on bars
Whenever you install a child restraint always refer to the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions.
Make sure the seat back of the rear seat bench is in the
upright position and securely latched in place.
I nstall the guidance fixtures==>
page 250.
- Insert the latches onto the lower anchorages ==> fig. 221 . - Make sure you hear the child restra
int 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.
• Always read and heed the important information and WARN
INGS about child safety and the installation of child restraint
systems :::> page
234, "Child Safety". •