___ S_a_ f_ e_ t-= y_ b_e_ l_ t _s _______________________________________________ _
-Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of your seat
until you hear it latch securely~ fig. 245.
Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely latched in
the buckle.
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety belt is equipped with an automatic belt retractor on the
shoulder belt. This feature locks the belt when the belt is pulled out
fast, during hard braking and in an accident. The belt may also lock
when you drive up or down a steep hill or through a sharp curve. During normal driving the belt lets you move freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped with a belt pretensioner that helps to
tighten the safety belt and remove slack when the pretensioner is
activated. The function of the pretensioner is monitored by a
warning light=>
page 19.
Switchable locking feature
Every safety belt except the one on the driver seat is equipped with
a switchable locking feature that
must be used when the safety belt
is used to attach a child safety seat. Be sure to read the important
information about this feature=>
page 273.
& WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious injury in an
accident =>
page 236, "Safety belt position".
• Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat back
is upright and belts are properly positioned on the body.
• Always make sure that the rear seat backrest to which the
center rear safety belt is attached is securely latched whenever
the rear center safety belt is being used. If the backrest is not
securely latched, the passenger will move forward with the back
rest during sudden braking, in a sudden maneuver and especially
in a crash.
& WARNING (continued)
• Never attach the safety belt to the buckle for another seat.
Attaching the belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt
effectiveness and can cause serious personal injury.
• A passenger who is not properly restrained can be seriously
injured by the safety belt itself when it moves from the stronger
parts of the body into critical areas like the abdomen.
• Always lock the convertible locking retractor when you are
securing a child safety seat in the vehicle
=> page 275. •
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maximum
protection from safety belts.
Fig. 246 Head restraint
and safety belt posi
tion as seen from the
side
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust the position of
the safety belt to match your body size .
• belt height adjustment for the front seats and the outer seating
positions in the second row seating,
• height-adjustable front seats. .,
& 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 236, fig. 246 . 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 236, fig. 246. 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 234. •
Safety first
Safety belts
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. 247 Safety belt
position during preg
nancy
To provide maximum protection, safety belts must always
be positioned correctly on the wearer's body=>
page 236.
-Adjust the front seat and head restraint correctly
=>
page 92, "General recommendations" .
- 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 a nd pull it evenly across the
chest and pelvis=> fig . 247, =>
&.
- Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of your seat
until you hear it latch securely =;,
page 235, fig. 245.
- Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely latched in
the buckle.
IJ),
Vehicle care I I irechnical data
__ .....::S-=a ::..;f _:e :..:t :.!..y _ b::.....:: e..:..lt :.:s::..._ _____________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal
injury in an accident.
• Expectant mothers must always wear the lap portion of the
safety belt as low as possible across the pelvis and below the
rounding of the abdomen .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important infor
mation
~ & in "Fastening safety belts" on page 235. •
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release button only
after the vehicle has stopped.
Fig . 248 Releasing the
tongue from the buckle
- Push the red release button on the buckle=> fig. 248. The
belt tongue will spring out of the buckle =>& .
- Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you guide the belt
tongue to its stowed position.
On vehicles with third row seat* : an unfastened safety belt can be
secured in the retaining clip in the luggage compartment side trim.
In this way, the luggage compartment cover can be removed
without obstruction. Also, the belt tongue height can be adjusted so that luggage compa
rtment can be loaded without obstruction with
the backrest folded forward.
& WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt while the vehicle is moving. Doing so
will increase your risk of being injured or killed . •
Adjusting safety belt height
With the aid of the safety belt height adjustment, the three
point safety belt strap routing can be fitted to the shoulder
area, according to body size.
Fig. 249 Safety belt
height adjustment -
loop-around fittings
- Push the loop-around fittings up=> fig. 249 @, or
- squeeze together the G) button, and push the loop -
around fittings
down @ .
- Pull the belt to make sure that the upper attachment is
properly engaged .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important informa-
tion
~ page 234. .,
Child Safety -
--------------------''---
child is available. In these exceptional situations, the use of a lap
belt is better than perm it t ing the chi ld to remain totally unre
strained . But remember: a lap be lt 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 vio late
laws in your state o r Province .
Never use a lap belt a lone to res train a chi ld tha t weighs less than
abou t 80 lbs (36 kg) and who is less than 4'9? tall. A lways remember
that children do not have the pronounced pelvic structure required
for the pro per func tion of lap belts . If a lap bel t is only restrain t
system available, then the chi ld's safety absolutely requires that the
lap be lt be fas tened snugly a nd as low as possible arou nd the pe lvis
let a lap belt pass over the chi ld's stomach or abdomen .
& WARNING
Using wrong child rest raints or improperly installed child
restr aint s can cau se seriou s personal injury or death in a crash.
• Fa ilu re to properly ro ute safety belts over a child's body will
c au se severe injuries in a cra sh. The lap belt portion of the three
point belt a s well a s an y lap belt alone mu st always pas s as low a s
possible acros s the pelvi s, never over the stomach or abdomen .
• An improperly worn safet y belt will not pro vide the best protec
tion in a cra sh and may cause seriou s personal injury . Always
ma ke sure that children and other vehi cle occupants p rope rly
wear available restraint systems . C arefully follow the instructions
provided by the manufacturers of child re straints . •
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Installing a child safety seat
Securing a child safety seat using a safety
belt
Sa fety belts for the r ear seats an d the fr ont passenger con
be locked with the convertible locking retractor to prop
erly secure child safety seats .
The safety belts eme rgency locking retractors for the rear seats
safety belts and for the front passenger's seat safety belt have a
convertible locking ret ractor for child rest raints . The safety belt
must be locked so that belt webbing cannot unreel. T he ret ractor
can be activated to lock the safety be lt and prevent the safety be lt
webbi ng fro m loosen ing up dur ing norma l driving . A child sa fety
seat can on ly be properly installed when the safety belt is locked so
that the child a nd ch ild safety seat will s tay i n place .
A lways remember: Even though your vehic le is equipped with an
Advanced A irbag system, all child ren, espec ially those 12 years and
younger , should a lways ride in the back seat properly restrained for
their age and size.
& WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seat s increase the risk of serious
pe rsonal injury and death i n a collision.
• Always make sure that the safety belt retractor i s locked when
in stalling a child safety seat. An unlocked safety b elt retracto r
cannot hold the child safety seat in pla ce during normal driving or
in a cr ash.
• Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a
c hild i s not sitting in it . A loo se ch ild safety seat can fly around
durin g a sudden stop or in a collision
• Always make su re that the re ar se at ba ckrest to which the
center rear safety belt is atta ched is se curely latched wh enever
the re ar center safety belt is being u sed to se cur e a child re stra int .
9)1,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
___ C_h_ i_ ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_y ____________________________________________ _
& 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 263. Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat
~ page 243, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know ".
L1}. 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 .
& WARNING (continued)
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, perform the checks described
~ page 252, "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.
L1}. 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 . _.
Child Safety -
--------------------''---
& 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
authorized Audi dealer. •
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a child
restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufacturer's instruc
tions when installing a child restraint in your vehicle. To
activate the convertible locking retractor:
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
-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 proper ly
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. ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
-L~C~h~ i~ ld ~ S~ a~ f~ e~ t:1Y :._ ___________________________________________ _
& 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 263. Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat
=> page 243, "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.
& 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 263. Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat
=> page 243 , "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know" .•
Additional Information
What types of child restraint anchors are
available and how 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".
~
Lower a nch orages
The lower anchorage attachment po ints are located between the
rear seatback and rear seat cushion~
page 278, fig. 263 or
~ page 278, fig. 264 .
Lower anchorages secure the child restraint in the seat without
using the vehicle's safety be lts. Anchorages provide a secure and
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 specifical ly certi
fied for use with LATCH lower anchorages. Child restraints that are
not equipped with the lower anchorage a ttachments can sti ll be
insta lled in compliance with the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions on using vehicle safety be lts .
& WARNING
Improper in sta llation of child re stra in ts will in crea se the ri sk of
inj ury i n a c ras h.
• Alway s care fully follow th e child re str ain ts m anuf acture r's
i n stru ctio ns for proper inst allati on of the child restraint and
pr oper us e of th e lo wer anchorage s or safet y be lt s i n y our vehi cle.
• Never sec ure or att ach a ny lugg age or othe r item s to th e
LATCH
low er an chor ages.
• Alwa ys read and heed the important information ab out child
r estra ints in thi s chapt er a nd WA RNIN GS
~ page 263, "Child
S afet y". •
Safety first
Child Safety
Ap plie s to vehi cles: with th ird row s eat ing
Guidance fixtures for lower anchorages
Special guidance fixtures increase the convenience of the
lower anchorages and are available from your auth orized
Audi dealer.
I
I I
I 0
F ig . 265 Thi rd row of
seats: insta lling th e
g uid ance fixt ure s
Fig . 2 66 Close- up:
f it ting th e gu idan ce
fi xt ure over the lower
a n cho rage brac ket
The lower anchorage attachment points are located on the
third row of seats between the seatback and the seat
cushion. Special gu idance fixtures increase the conve
nience of the lower anchorages and help protect the seat
mate rial from poss ible damage when i nstalling child
restraints t hat have rigid lower anchorages and no t straps
wit h hooks . .,.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data