2008 AUDI S6 ESP

llffll __ C_h_ i_ ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_y ____________________________________________ _
Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a collision.
The physica l pri ncip les of wha t happe ns when your veh ic le is in a
crash apply also to children:::::,
page 204, "What happens to occu ­
pa nts not wearing safety bel ts?" . But un like adu lts and teenagers,
their musc les and bones are not fully developed. In many respects
children are at g reate r ris k of ser ious injury in crashes than ad ults .
Because chi ldren's bodies a re not fully deve loped, they require
restraint systems especial ly designed for their size, weight, and
body structu re. Many countries a nd all states of the U nited States
and provinces of Canada have laws requiring the use of approved
chi ld restrai nt sys te m s for i nfants and sma ll children.
In a frontal crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph (30 -56 km/h) the forces
acting on a 13 -p o und (6 kg) infant wil l be m ore tha n 20 times the
weight of the child. This means the weight of the child wou ld
sudden ly be more than 260 pounds (120 kg). Under these condi­
tions, on ly an appropriate child restraint prop erly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury. Child restraints, like adult safety belts,
must be used prope rly to b e effective. Used i mprope rly, they can
increase the risk of serious injury in an accident .
Co nsu lt the c hild safety seat manu fac turer's ins truc tions to be su re
the seat is right for your child's size:::::,
page 237, "Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats" . Please be sure to read and
heed a ll of the important information and WARN INGS about chi ld
safety, Advanced Airbags, and the installation of child restraints in
th is chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
ve hicle and how they work when infants a nd c hil d ren i n child
restraints are on the front passenger seat. Because of the large amount of important information, we cannot repeat it all here. We
urge you
to read the detai led information in this owner's manua l
about a irbags and the Adva nced Ai rbag Sys tem i n your ve hic le an d
the very important information about transporting chi ldren on the
fron t passe nger seat . P lease be sure to heed the WAR NINGS -they
are extreme ly important for your safety and the safety of your
p assengers, es pecia lly in fa nt s and s mall chil dren .
& WARNING
• Accident stati stic s have shown that children are generally safer
i n the rear seat area than in the front seat ing posit ion. Always
restrain any child age 12 and under in the rear .
• All vehicle o cc u pants and especi ally children must be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle . An unrestrained
or improperly restrained child could be injured by striking the inte­
rior or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden
maneuver or impact . An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death through contact with
an inflating a irbag .
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the re ar seat ing positions provides the highest degree of protec­
tion for infants and small children in most accident situations.
& WARNING
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 -fa cing child safety seat in stalled on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflate s.
• 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 .
IJll,

Child Safety -
--------------------''---
& WARNIN G (continu ed )
• Always install rear-facing child safety seat s on the rear seat.
• If you mu st in stall a re arw ard fa cing child safety sea t on the
front pa ssenger seat in exceptional cir cum stances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not come on and stay on,
immediate ly in sta ll the re ar-facing child safety seat in a rear
s eating po sition and h ave the airbag sy stem inspected immedi ­
atel y by your Audi dea ler .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circum stance s, you mu st install a forward -facing
c hild re st raint on the fro nt p ass enger's seat :
• Alway s make sure the forward -facing seat has been de signed
and cert ified by it s manufa cturer f or use on a front se at with a
p assenger front and side airbag .
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions provided with
the child safety seat or carrier.
• Always mov e the passenger sea t into it s rea rmo st p osition in
the seat' s fore and aft adju stment r ange , as far away from the
airb ag as possible before in stalling the ch ild r estr aint . The b ack­
r es t must be adju sted to an upr ight po sition.
• Alway s ma ke sure th at the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight
c ome s on and stay s on all the time whenever the ignition is
s witched on. •
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a dual -stage front "Advanced Airbag
System" in comp liance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard ( FMVSS) 208 as applicab le at the time your vehic le
was manufactured.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has been certified to
meet the " low -risk" requirements for 3 and 6 year -old children on
the passenger side and small adu lts on the driver side. The low risk
deployment crite ria are intended to reduce the risk of injury th rough
interaction with the airbag that can occur, for example, by being too
close to the steering wheel and instrument panel when the airbag
inf lates . In addit ion, the system has been cert ified to comply with
the "suppression" requirements of the Safety Standard, to turn off
the front airbag for infants up to 12 months who are restrained on
the front passenger seat in child restraints that are listed in the
Standard.
Even though your vehic le is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
system, all children, especially those 12 years and younger, should
a lways ride in the back seat properly restrained for their age and
s ize . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a poten­
tia lly dangerous p lace for a chi ld to ride. The front seat is not the
safest p lace for a child in a forward -facing child safety seat. It can be
a very dangerous place for an infant or a larger child in a rearward­
facing seat. •
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle detects the presence
of an infant or child in a chi ld restraint on the front passenger seat
using the weight -sensing mat in the seat cushion and the sensor
below the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat that
measures the tension on the safety be lt .
The weight -sensing mat measures t otal weight of the child and the
child safety seat and a chi ld blanket on the front passenger seat. The
we ight o n the front passenger seat is related to the design of the
child restraint and its "footprint" , the size and shape of the bottom
of the child restraint as it sits on the seat. The weight of a child
restraint and its "footprint" vary for different kinds of child
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Child Safety ---------------------='----
C. Forward-facing convertible child restraint systems,
manufactured on or after September 1, 2004:
• Britax Roundabout 161
• Britax Expressway
• Century Encore 4612
• Century STE 1000 4416
• Cosco Olympian 02803
• Cosco Touriva 02519
• Evenflo Horizon V 425
• Evenflo Medallion 254
• Safety First Comfort Ride 22-400
& 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.
[ i] Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C have been tested by Audi
only for the Advanced Airbag function. •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Important safety instructions for using child
safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially reduces the
risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safety of every
­
body in the vehicle, especially children:
- Always use the right child safety seat for each child and
always use it properly~ page 239.
- Always carefully follow the child safety seat manufac­
turer's instructions on how to route the safety belt prop­
erly through the child safety 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
244 .
-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).
- If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child safety
seat 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.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all children, especially those 12 years and
younger, should always ride in the back seat properly restrained for
their age and size. ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ C_h_ i_ ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_y ____________________________________________ _
& 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.
• All vehicle occupants and especially children must always be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle .
- An unrestrained or improperly restrained child can be injured or killed by being thrown against the inside of the vehicle or by
being ejected from it during a sudden maneuver or impact.
- An unrestrained or improperly restrained child is at much
greater risk of injury or death by being struck by an inflating
airbag.
• Commercially available child safety seats are required to
comply with U.S . Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSSI
213 (in Canada CMVSS 2131.
-When buying a child restraint , select one that fits your child
and the vehicle.
- Only use child restraint systems that fully contact the flat
portion of the seat cushion . The child restraint must not tip or
lean to either side . Audi does not recommend using child safety
seats that rest on legs or tube-like frames. They do not provide
adequate contact with the seat .
- Always heed all legal requirements pertaining to the installa ­
tion and use of child safety seats and carefully follow the
instructions provided by the manufacturer of the seat you are
using .
• Never allow children under 57 inches (1 .5 meters) to wear a
normal safety belt. They must always be restrained by a proper
child restraint system. Otherwise, they could sustain injuries to
the abdomen and neck areas during sudden braking maneuvers or
accidents.
• Never let more than one child occupy a child safety seat .
& WARNING (continued)
• Never let babies or older children ride in a vehicle while sitting
on the lap of another passenger.
- Holding a child in your arms is never a substitute for a child
restraint system .
- The strongest person could not hold the child with the forces
that exist in an accident. The child will strike the interior of the
vehicle and can also be struck by the passenger.
- The child and the passenger can also injure each another in
an accident.
• 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 - 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 install rear -facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the rear seat.
• Forward -facing child safety seats installed on the front
passenger's seat can interfere with the airbag when it inflates and
cause serious injury to the child . Always install forward -facing
child safety seats on the rear seat .
• 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 precau­
tions be taken:
- 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 .
- Always carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier .

___ 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. 213 Rear seat:
child properly
restrained in a booster
seat
The vehicle's safety belts a lone will not fit most children
until they are at least 4 ft. 9 in. tall and weigh about 80 lbs.
(36 kg). 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
=> page 242, fig . 213.
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 app lies whenever a chi ld 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
vehic le 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
child's or other occupant's body and the front of the passenger
compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and completely and
provide supplemental protection in certain frontal crashes . ..

___ 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 . .,_

•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.
~

--------------------------------------------~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