2009 AUDI A4 CABRIOLET child restraint

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When a person is detected on the front passenger s eat, wei ghing
mo re tha n th e to ta l w eigh t of a c hild th at is a bout 1 year old
r estra in ed in one of th e rear -faci ng or forward -fac ing infa nt
r e str aints (lis ted i n Fede ra l M otor Veh icle Safe ty Sta ndard
2 08 with
which the Advanced Airba g Syst em in your vehic le was certified),
the fro nt a irbag on the pas senge r side may or may not dep loy.
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht comes on when th e elect ro ni c
control unit detects a total weight on the front passenger seat that
r e qui re s th e front airbag to b e tu rn ed off. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger side
h as not been tu rned off by the co ntro l unit and can dep loy i f the
control unit senses an impact that meets the conditions stored in its
m emo ry .
I f the t otal we ight on the fro nt passe nger seat is more than t hat o f
a typical
1 year -old, but less than the we ight of a sma ll adult, the
fr ont airba g on the passen ger side may dep loy (the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
li ght does not come onl.
For example , the airbag may deploy if:
• a sma ll child that is heav ie r th a n a t ypica l 1 year-old ch ild is on
the front passenger seat (regardless of whether the chi ld is in one
o f th e c hild sa fety seats listed~
page 192),
• a ch ild who has ou tg rown chi ld restrain ts is o n the front
p asse nger seat.
I f the front passenge r airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
l ig ht in the ce nter of t he i nstrum ent panel wi ll co me on and stay
on.
T he fr ont airb ag o n the pa ssenger side ma y
not deploy ( the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li g ht does not illu mina te and stay l it) i f:
• a small adult o r teenager is on the front passenger seat
• a passe nge r w ho is no t sitt ing uprig ht wi th their bac k aga inst a
non -reclined bac krest with their fee t on the veh icle floor in front of
the seat is on th e fr on t pass enger s eat.
I f the front passenger ai rbag deploys, the Federa l Standard requires
th e a irbag to m eet th e "low r isk" dep loy ment criter ia to he lp redu ce the risk of injury throu
gh interact ion with the airbag. "Low risk"
d ep loy ment o ccurs in th ose cra shes that ta ke pla ce a t low er dec el­
erations as defined in the electronic contro l unit~
page 17 9.
Always remember: Even though your vehic le is equipped with
A dva nced Ai rbags , the sa fest place fo r chi ld re n i s p roperly
restra ined on the back seat. Please be s ure to read the important
i nfo rmatio n in th e sect io ns t hat follow and b e su re to hee d all o f the
WAR NINGS.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates , always wear
safety belts properly.
• If you are unrestrained, leaning forward , sitting sideways or out
of posit ion in any way, your risk of injury is much higher.
• You will also receive serious injuries and could even be killed if
you are up against the airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag=> page 168 .
& 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.
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
designed to turn off the front airbag when a rearward -facing child
restraint has been installed on the front passenger seat , nobody
can absolutely guarantee that deployment is impossible in all
conceivable situations that may happen during the useful life of
your vehicle.
• 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 .
• Alway s install rearward -facing child restraints in the back seat . •

Airbag system -----------------=~-
& WARNING (continued)
• 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.
_& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat:
• 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. •
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lot of very important
parts of the Advanced Airbag System in it. These parts include the
weight-sensing mat, sensors, wiring, brackets, and more. The func­
tion of the system in the front passenger seat is checked by the elec­
tronic control unit when the ignition is on. The control unit monitors
the Advanced Airbag System and turns the airbag indicator light on
when a malfunction in the system components is detected. The
function of the airbag indicator light is described in greater detail
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
below.
Because the front passenger seat contains important parts
of the Advanced Airbag System, you must take care to prevent it
from being damaged. Damage to the seat may prevent the
Advanced Airbag for the front passenger seat from doing its job in
a crash.
The front Advanced Airbag System consists of the
following:
• Crash sensors in the front of the vehicle that measure vehicle
acceleration/deceleration to provide information to the Advanced
Airbag System about the severity of the crash.
• An electronic control unit, with integrated crash sensors for front
and side impacts. The control unit "decides" whether to fire the
front airbags based on the information received from the crash sensors. The control unit also "decides" whether the safety belt
pretensioners should be activated.
• An Advanced Airbag with gas generator for the driver inside the
steering wheel hub.
• An Advanced Airbag with gas generator inside the instrument
panel for the front passenger .
• A weight-sensing mat under the upholstery padding of the front
passenger seat cushion that measures the total weight on the seat.
The information registered is sent continuously to the electronic
control unit to regulate deployment of the front Advanced Airbag on
the passenger side.
• An airbag monitoring system and indicator light in the instru ­
ment cluster ~
page 179.
• The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on in the
center of the instrument panel~
page 180, fig. 174 and tells you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
turned off .
• A sensor below the safety belt latch for the front seat passenger
to measure the tension on the safety belt. The tension on the safety
belt and the weight registered by the weight -sensing mat help the
control unit "decide" whether the front airbag for the front _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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passenger seat shou ld be turned off o r not=> page 1 70, "C hild
r es train ts on the fron t sea t - som e impo rtant thin gs to kno w".
• A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver and fo r the front
s e at pass enger that s enses w hether tha t sa fety b elt is la tc he d o r no t
and transmits this information to the el ectronic control unit.
& WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can prevent the front airbag
from working properly .
• Improper repair or disassembly of the front passenger and
driver seat will prevent the Advanced Airbag System from func ­
tioning properly.
• Repairs to the front passenger seat must be performed by qual­
ified and properly trained workshop personnel.
• Never remove the front passenger or driver seat from the
vehicle.
• Never remove the upholstery from the front passenger seat .
• Never disassemble or remove parts from the seat or disconnect
wires from it .
• Never carry sharp object s in your pockets or place them on the
seat . If the weight-sensing mat in the passenger seat is punctured
it cannot work properly.
• Never carry things on your lap or carry objects on the
passenger seat. Such items can increase the weight registered by
the weight-sens ing mat and send the wrong information to the
airbag control unit .
• Never store items under the front passenger seat. Parts of the
Advanced Airbag System under the passenger seat could be damaged , preventing them and the airbag system from working
properly.
• Never place seat covers or replacement upholstery that have
not been specifically approved by Audi on the front seats.
& WARNING (continued )
• Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Airbag System from
recognizing child restraints or occupants on the front passenger
seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from
deploying properly .
• Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or similar items on the
front passenger seat . The additional padding will prevent the
weight-sensing mat in the seat from accurately registering the
child restraint or person on the seat and prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from functioning properly.
• If you must use a child restraint on the front passenger seat
and the child restraint manufacturer's instructions require the use
of a towel , foam cushion or something else to properly position
the child restraint , make certain that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the child restraint is
i nstalled on the front passenger seat .
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on , immediately install child restraint in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer. •
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the si de airba gs supp lement
t h e protection offe red by the front three -point safety be lt s with
pretensioners and load limiters and the adjustab le head restraints
to help reduce the risk of in jury in a wide range of accident and
cras h situati ons . Be sure to read the im por tant in fo rmati on a bout
safety and heed the WARN INGS in this chapter.
De ploy men t of the Advanc ed A ir b ag Syst em and the activa tion of
th e safety belt pretens ioner d epends on the dece leration measured
b y the c ra sh se nsors and reg istered by the elec tronic co ntrol un it .
C rash severity depends on speed and dece leration as well as the
mass an d stiff ness of the vehicle o r obj ect invo lved in the c ra sh.
~

When the electronic control unit registers a low severity crash and
the safety belt is being used, the airbag will not deploy . If the safety
belt is not being used, the first stage deploys, followed by the
second stage afte r a much later time in the crash sequence.
If the electronic control unit registers a crash of medium severity,
the first stage of the airbag deploys followed by the second stage at
a much later t ime in the crash sequence -regardless o f whether the
safety belt is being used or not. In higher severity crashes as regis­
tered by the e lectronic contro l unit, both the first and second stages
deploy almost at the same time.
On the passenger side, regardless of safety belt use, the airbag will
be turned off if the weight on the passenger seat is less than the
amount programmed in the e lectronic control unit . The front airbag
on the passenger s ide will a lso be turned off if one of the child
safety seats that has been certified under Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 208 has been recognized on the seat. The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on to tell you
whe n the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
turned off=>
page 170, "Child restraints on the front seat -some
impor tan t things to know".
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an a irbag infl ates , always wear
s afet y belts properly .
• If you are unre stra ined , leaning forward , sitting sideway s or out
of position in any w ay, your risk of in jur y i s mu ch hi gher.
• You will als o recei ve se riou s injurie s and could e ven b e killed if
you are up again st the airbag or too clo se to it when it inflate s -
even with an Advanced Airbag =>
page 168 . •
Safety first
Airb ag syst em
More important things to know about front
airbags
F ig . 173 Inflated front
airba gs
Safety belts are important to he lp keep front seat occupants in the
proper seated position so tha t airbags can unfold properly and
provide supplementa l protection in a fronta l collision.
The front airbags are designed to provide additional protection for
the chest and face of the driver and the front seat passenger when: • safety belts are worn properly,
• the seats have been positioned so that the occupant is properly
seated as far as possib le from the a irbag,
• and the head restraints have been properly adjusted.
Because a irbags inflate in the blink of an eye with great force, thi ngs
you have on your lap or have placed on the seat could become
dangerous projectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag inflates.
When a n airbag deploy s, fine dust is released . This is normal and is
not caused by a fire in the vehicle. This dust is made up mostly of a
powder used to lubrica te the airbags as they deploy . It could irri tate
skin.
It is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example swelling, bruising and minor abrasions, can
a lso happen when airbags infla te . Airbags do no t pro tect the arms ...
~ehicle care irechnical data

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PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
............. Fig. 174 Section from
the instrument panel:
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center of the
instrument panel
~ fig. 174.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on to tell
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has
been turned off by the electronic control unit . Each time you turn on
the ignition , the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will flash for a few
seconds and :
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied,
• will stay on if there is a small child or child restraint on the front
passenger seat,
• will go out if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the weight -sensing mat .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come on and stay on if the
ignition is on and
• a car bed has been installed on the front seat, or
• a rearward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front
passenger seat, or
• a forward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front
passenger seat, or
• the weight registered on the front passenger seat is equal to or
less than the combined weight of a typical 1 year-old restrained in one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant restraints
listed in
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which the Advanced
Airbag System in your vehicle was certified .
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the front airbag will not
deploy, and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will stay on. Never
install a rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger seat,
the safest place for a child in any kind of child restraint is at one of
the seating positions on the rear seat~
page 170, "Child restraints
on the front seat- some important things to know" and~
page 190,
"Child Safety".
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when one of the
conditions listed above is met, be sure to check the light regularly
to make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light stays on
continuously whenever the ignition is on. If the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not appear and not stay on all the time, stop as
soon as it is safe to do so and
• reactivate the system by turning the ignition off and then turning
it on again;
• remove and reinstall the child restraint. Make sure that the child
restraint is properly installed and that the safety belt for the front
passenger seat has been correctly routed around the child restraint
as described in the child restraint manufacturer's instructions;
• make sure that the convertible locking feature on the safety belt
for the front passenger seat has been activated and that the safety
belt has been pulled tight . The belt must not be loose or have loops
of slack so that the sensor below the safety belt latch on the seat can
do its job
~ page 200.
• make sure that things that may increase the weight of the child
and child safety seat are not being transported on the front
passenger seat;
• make sure that the safety belt tension sensor is not blocked.
Shake the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat back and
forth;
• 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 _,,

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m ___ ffllll
the weight -sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on
the seat .
If the PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still d oes not come on and does
not stay on continuously (when the ignition is switched on),
• take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and insta ll it
properly at one of the rear seat positions. Have the airbag system
inspec ted by your Audi dea ler immediately .
• move the child to a rear seat position and make sure that the
child is proper ly restrained i n a child restraint that is appropriate for
its size and age.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light shou ld NOT come on when the
ignition is on and an adult is sitting in a proper seating position on
the front passenger seat . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OF F light
comes on and stays on or flashes for about 5 seconds whi le driving,
under these circumstances, make sure that:
• the adult on the front passenger seat is properly seated on the
center of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the back­
rest and the back rest is not reclined => page 148, "Pro per occupant
seating positions",
• the adult is not taking weight off the sea t by ho lding o n to the
passenger assist handle above the front passenger door or
suppo rting thei r weight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is being proper ly worn and that there is not a lot
of slack in the safety bel t webbing,
• accessory seat covers or cushions or other things that may cause
an incorrect reading or impression on the weight -sensing mat
under the upho lstery of the seat have been removed from the front
passenger seat,
• a safety belt extender has not been left in the safety be lt latch for
t he front passenger seat .
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight in the center of the
instr ument panel, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PAS SENGER AIR BAG ON wi ll briefly appear in the instrument c luster
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation display. This is to inform the driver of the current front passenger
a
ir b ag status .•
Important safety instructions on monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not fun ctioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal cra sh .
• If the airbag ind icator li ght come s on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advan ced Airbag System . It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not suppo sed to , or
will not inflate when it should .
• Ha ve the airb ag system inspected immedi ately by your Audi
dealer.
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflate s, a child witho ut a child restraint , in a
rearward-facing child safety seat or i n a forward -fa cing child
restr aint that has not been properly installed will be seriously
injured and can be killed .
• Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
Sy stem , make certain that all children , e speci ally 12 year s and
younger , always ride on the back seat p roperly re strained for their
age and size .
• Always install forward or rear -facing child safety seat s on the
re ar s eat - even with an Ad van ced Airb ag Sy stem .
• If you mu st install a rearward -fa cing child safety seat on the
front pa ssenger seat be cau se of ex ceptional cir cum stance s and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and stay on ,
immediately in stall the rear -facing child safety seat in a rear ...
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARN IN G (c ontinu ed )
seating posit ion and ha ve the airb ag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
• A t ight tether or other strap on a rearward-fa cing child restr aint
atta ched to the front pas senger se at can put too much pres sure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and reg ister more weight
than i s actually on the seat. 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 suppre ssed causing
serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If, in exc eptional cir cum stance s, you mu st in stall a forward ­
facing child restraint on the front passenger seat , always move the
seat into its rearmost po sition in the seat's fore and aft adjust ­
ment range , as far away from the airbag as possible . The ba ckrest
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 .
& WARNING
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not go out when an
adult is sitting on the front passenger seat after taking the steps
described above, make sure the adult i s properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating position s.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer before
transpo rting anyone on the front passenger seat .
[ i ] Tips
If the weight -sensing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
e m pty seat , the fron t airbag on the passenge r side will be tu rned
off, and PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.•
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
P arts of the airbag system are installed at many different p laces on
your Au di. Insta lli ng, removing, se rvic ing or repa iring a par t in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system and
p revent that system from w orking properly in a c ollisi on.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure
that the effectiveness of the system will not be impai red and that
discarded componen ts do no t cause injury or po llute t he e nv iro n­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
• Never cover , obstruct , or change the steering wheel horn pad
or airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way .
• Never attach any objects su ch as cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfa ces covering the airbag units .
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel , use only a soft ,
dry cloth or one moistened with plain water. Solvents or cleaner s
c ould damage the airbag cover or change the st iffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop­
erly .
• Never repair , adju st, or change any parts of the airbag sy stem .
• All work on the steering wheel , instrument panel, front seats or
electrical system (including the installation of audio equipment ,
cellular telephones and CB rad ios , etc .I must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training and special equipment
necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly recommend
that you see your author ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .

___ 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 physical principles of what happens when your ve hicle is in a
crash app ly also to children~
page 161, "What happens to occu­
p ants no t wearing sa fe ty belts?" . But un lik e adu lts and teenagers,
their musc les and bones are not fu lly developed. In many respects
children a re a t greate r risk of ser ious injury in crashe s than adults .
Because chi ldren 's bodies a re not fu lly deve loped, they require
restraint systems especially designed for their size, weight, and
body structu re. Many countr ies and al l states of the Un ited States
and provinces of Canada have laws requiring the use of approved
ch ild restrai nt sys te m s for infa nts and small chil dren.
I n a frontal crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph (30 -56 km/h) the forces
acti ng on a 13 -p o un d (6 kg) infant wil l be m ore tha n 20 times the
weight of the child . This means the weight of the child would
suddenly be more than 260 pounds (120 kg). Under these condi ­
tions, on ly an appropriate child restraint properly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury. Child restraints, like adult safety belts,
m ust be used p rope rly t o b e effect ive. Used im properly, they ca n
increase the risk of serious injury in an accident .
Co nsu lt t he c hild safety seat manufac ture r's in struc tions to be su re
the seat is right for your ch ild's size~
page 793, "Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats" . Please be sure to read and
heed all of the important information and WARN INGS about child
safety, Advanced Airbags, and the installation of child restraints in
t his chapte r.
T here is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
ve hicle and how they work wh en infan ts and chi ld re n in child
restraints are on the front passenger seat. Because of the large amoun
t of important information, we cannot repeat it a ll here. We
urge you to read the detai led information in this owner's manua l
about airbags and the Advanced Airba g Sys tem in your veh ic le an d
the very important information about transporting chi ldren on the
fron t passe nge r seat . P lease be su re to hee d t he WAR NINGS -they
are extreme ly important for your safety and the safety of your
p assengers, especial ly in fa nt s and s mall children .
& WARNING
• Accident stati stic s have shown that children are generally safer
i n the rear seat area than in the front seat ing position. A lways
restrain any child age 12 and under in the rear.
• All vehicle o ccup ants and espe cially 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
maneuve r or impa ct. An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death through contact with
an inflating airbag .
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seat ing positions provide s 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 inflates .
• The inflating ai rbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will sm ash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest , center arm rest , or door .
IJll,