___ C_h_ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t-= y'------------------------------------------------
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 . 262 Schematic
overview: LATCH
anchorage point loca-
tions
The illustration => fig. 262 shows the seating locations in your
vehicle which are equipped with the lower universal anchorages
system.
Description
The lower anchorage positions are marked for quick
locating.
Fig. 263 Second row
of seats: lower
anchorage bracket
locations
Fig. 264 Third row of
seats: locator buttons
for lower anchorages
Attachment locator markers for lower anchorages
The lower anchorage locations in the second row of seats are indi
cated by the attachment locator markers of the lower anchorage
brackets => fig. 263. Circular locator buttons on the third row of
seats* indicate the lower anchorage locations on the third row of
seats
=> fig . 264. ~
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
-L~C~ h~ il~ d ~S~ a~f e ~ ty!._ _____________________________________________ _
In stalling th e guidan ce fixtures
- Push down on the seat cushion so that the lower ancho r
ages are vis ible.
- Hold the guidance fixture with t he part number facing
downward and push it in the direction of the arrow onto
the anchorage =>
page 279, fig. 266.
- Make sure that each of the two guidance fixtures per seat snaps into place.
Removing the guidan ce fixtures
- Re move the child restrain t according the child res tra int
ma nufactur er's instr uct ions.
- Push down on the seat cushion so that the lower anchor
ages are visib le.
- Pu ll off the guidance fixtures from the lower a nch orages.
- Always remove the gu idance fixtures and keep them in a
safe p lace when not in use .
You may find it easier to insta ll child 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 fixtures can he lp you to locate
the LATCH anchorages.
& WARNING
Improp er use of tether anchorage s or lower anchorages can cau se
s erio us persona l inj ury i n a cra sh .
• Alway s carefully foll ow the child restraint manuf acturer's
in stru ction s fo r prope r inst allati on and use of child re str aint
sy stems .
& WARN ING (continued )
• Never use the LATCH or tether anchor ages to attach safety
belt s or ot her kinds of occupant re st raint s.
• Child restra int tether attachments and lower attachment s are
only de signed to se cure a child re straint that ha s been equipped
to use the se anchor ages .
• Tether a nchorages and lower anchorage s are desig ned t o with
s tand only those load s imposed by correctly fitted child re straint s.
Under no cir cum sta nce s ca n they be used safel y for adu lt or ch ild
s afety belts or harne sse s.
• Never mount more than one child r estraint to a single tether o r
to a lower an chorage point. Att aching two child restraints to a
s ingle anchorage point can ca use the ancho rag e to fail and cau se
s eri ous per sonal injury in a c rash .
0 Note
• Remove the guidance fixtures before fo lding the rear seatback to
prevent damaging the seat cushion.
• If you leave the guidance fixtures installed 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 fixtures were installed. The uphol
stery would also be permanent ly stretched around the guidance
fixtures . This applies especial ly 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. •
Installing a child restraint using the lower
anchorages of the LATC H system
Child safety seats equipped with the LATCH system can
quickly and easily be secured to the rear
seats.
Fig . 267 LATCH-type
seat with both latch
bars extended
Fig. 268 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.
- Install the guidance fixtures (only with third row of seats*) =>
page 279.
- Insert the latches onto the lower anchorages=> fig. 268.
Safety first
Child Safety
- Make sure you hear the child restraint 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 263, "Child Safety". •
Vehicle care
I I irechnical data
___ C_h_ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t-= y'------------------------------------------------
Mounting and releasing the anchorage hook
If you use a child restraint system with hooks or other
latches attached to adjustable strops.
Mounting
- Press the anchorage hook with the spring catch release
onto the lower anchorage so that the anchorage hook
locks into place.
Pull on the anchorage hook to make sure that it has
securely engaged the lower anchorage.
- Tighten the strap following the child restraint manufac
turer's instructions.
Releasing
Loosen the tension on the strap following the child
restraint manufacturer's instructions.
- Depress the spring catch on the hook.
- Hold the spring catch in depressed position.
- Move the hook in the direction of the vehicle floor so that
there is enough space to release the anchorage hook
from the lower anchorage.
& WARNING
• Improper installation of child restraints will increase the risk of
injuries in a crash.
• Always refer to 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. •
Tether anchors
Fig. 269 Tether
anchors for second
row of seats: attach
ment hook locations
Fig. 270 Tether
anchors for third row
of seats: attachment
hook locations
Beginning with model year 2000, the rear seating positions are
equipped with three tether anchors. For vehicles with third row
seats*, two tether anchors are present.
The tether anchors for the three rear seating positions in the second
row of seats are located underneath the seats in the back=> fig. 269.
For vehicles with third row seating*, the tether anchors for the two
seating positions in the third row of seats are stored underneath a
plastic cover cap in the floor=> fig. 270. .._
& WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will increase the risk of
injury and death in a crash.
• Improper use of child restraint anchors (tether anchors) could
lead to injury in a collision. The anchors are designed to withstand
only those loads imposed by correctly fitted child restraints .
• Never mount two child restraint systems on one LATCH lower
anchor point .
• Never attach two child restraint systems to one tether strap or
tether anchorage .
• Always follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer of
the child restraint you intend to install in your Audi .
• Never use child restraint tether anchorages to secure safety
belts or other kinds of occupant restraints.
• Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down hook in the luggage
compartment.
• Never secure or attach any luggage or other items to the LATCH
lower anchorages or to the tether anchors.
• If a tether or other strap is used to attach a child restraint 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.
• 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. •
Safety first
Child Safety
Tether strap
A tether is a straight or V-shaped strap that attaches the
top part of a child restraint to special anchorage points in
the vehicle.
Fig . 271 Tether strap
for second row seats:
proper routing and
mounting
Fig . 272 Tether strap
for third row seats:
proper routing and
mounting
Th e purpose of the tether is to reduce the forward movement of the
child restraint in a crash, in order to help reduce the risk of head
injury that could be caused by striking the vehicle interior.
Forward facing child restraints manufactured after September 1,
1999 , are required by U.S. federal regulations to comply with child
head movement performance requirements. These new perfor
mance requirements make a tether necessary on most new child
safety seats.
~
Vehicle care I I irechnical data
Fig. 274 Tether strap
for third row seats:
proper routing and
mounting
Securing the child restraint tether strap to the
tether anchor
- Release or deploy the tether strap on the child restraint
according to the child restraint manufacturer's usage
instructions.
- Guide the upper tether strap
under the rear head
restraint and into the rear cargo area (flip the head
restraint up and remove the cargo area cover, if neces
sary).
- For the second row of seats: Pull the flooring back, in
order to reach the tether anchors~
page 284, fig. 273.
-For the third row of seats:* Remove the plast ic cover cap
with a screw driver, in order to reach the tether anchors
~ fig. 274 .
- Slide the tether strap hook over the anchor bracket.
- Pull on the tether strap hook so that the spring catch of
the hook engages.
- Tighten the tether strap firmly following the child
restraint manufacturer's instructions.
Safety first
Child Safety
-For the second row of seats: Push the flooring forward
into place again.
Releasing the tether strap
- Loosen the tension following the ch ild restra int manufac
turer 's instructions.
- Dep ress the spring catch on the hook and release it from
the tether anchor.
- For the second row of seats: Push the flooring forward
into place again.
- For the third row of seats:* Replace the plastic cover cap.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS.
0 Note
If you leave the child restraint with the tether strap firmly installed
for several days, this could leave a mark on the uphols tery on the
seat cushion and backrest in the area where the tether strap was
ins talled . The uphols tery would also be permanen tly st ret ched
around the tether strap. This applies especially to leather seats.•
Vehicle care
I I irechnical data
llffl __ ln_ t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_ h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of several days or
weeks, electrical components are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and maintains starting capability
over a longer period.
Take into consideration that when you unlock your vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the remote key or power seat
adjustment, may not be available. The convenience functions will be
available again when you turn on the ignition and start the engine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with the engine turned off or
use other MMI functions, the battery is being discharged.
If starting capability is jeopardized due to energy consumption, the
following warning appears in the MMI display:
Please start engine, otherwise system will switch off in
3 minutes.
The warning indicates that the system will be turned off automati
cally after 3 minutes. If you wish to continue using the functions,
you have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when the vehicle is being
driven, the battery can become discharged. This happens mostly
when little energy is being generated and a great deal consumed and the battery's state of charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equilibrium, consumers
which require especially large amounts of energy are temporarily
cut back or switched off. Heating systems in particular require a
great deal of energy. If you notice, for example, that the heated
seats* or the heated rear window are not heating, they have been
temporarily cut back or switched off. These systems will be available
again as soon as the energy balance has been restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has been increased
slightly. This is normal and not a cause for concern. By increasing engine idle speed the additional energy required is generated and
the battery is charged. •
Driver notification in the instrument cluster
display
If battery power drops into the range where it can limit the ability of
the engine to start, this is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
C Low battery charge: battery will be charged while driving
This notification reminds you that the starting capability of the
engine may be limited. As soon as you start driving again, the
battery will be recharged and the notification will go out.
Driver notification appears and goes out again
If this driver notification appears after the ignition is turned on or
while driving and it goes out again after a while, the battery has
been adequately recharged.
Driver notification appears and does not go out again
If this driver notification appears after the ignition is turned on or
while driving and does not go out again, the battery's state of
charge is not in the optimal range. Starting ability is restricted. Have
the battery checked as soon as possible by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop. •