Child Safety IJ!III _________________________________ __:::...:....:...:..::.:......:__ ___ ....:.!.-__
& WARNING (continued )
• 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 190 . Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front passenger seat=>
page 170 , "Child restra ints on the front seat -
some important things to know ".•
Deactivating the convertible locking retractor
The c onver tib le l ocking retrac tor for ch ild res tra in ts will
be d ea ctivat ed automat ically wh en the belt i s wound all
th e way ba ck in to the retractor .
-Pre ss th e red bu tton o n the sa fety be lt bu ckle . Th e b elt
t o ngue will pop out of the b uck le .
- Guide the be lt all the w ay b ack in to i ts s to w ed p osition.
A lways l et t he safety belt retract complet ely into its stowed pos itio n.
T he safety belt can now be used as an ord inary safety be lt w ithout
t he conve rtibl e locking retractor for chi ld restrain ts.
I f the converti ble locking retractor should be activated inadvert
en tly, the safet y belt must be unf astened and guid ed completel y
back into its stowed pos ition to deactivat e th is feature. If the
c o nver tible loc kin g re tractor is n ot deac tiva te d , th e safe ty be lt wi ll
g radua lly becom e tighter and uncomfortab le to w ear .
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
Improperly installed
child safety seats in crease 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 190. Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat=>
page 170 , "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?
F or years, chil d restraints have been installed using the safety belts
a lre ady pre s en t in ev ery ve hicle .
Sinc e Septem ber 1, 1999, c hild restraint manufactur ers have b een
providing tether straps that attach the top of the chi ld rest raint to
th e veh icles structure, on most of t heir forward -facin g syst ems in
order to com ply with U.S. Federal regulations for child restraint
per formanc e in a cras h. V ehi cle m anu fac tur ers a re r equi red to
phase -i n tether ancho rages for attach ment of the tether st rap in
their U.S. veh icles beginni ng Septem ber 1, 1999.
The combi nation of the t ether anc horag es and t he lower anchor
age s is now gene ra lly calle d th e
LATCH system f or "Lo w er An chors
and Tether for Children ". ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
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(T he term "ISOFIX" regarding lower anchorages had been used by
Audi and other man ufacturers in the past, but LATC H is now the
standard name for the new child restraint anchorage system.)
Some chi ld restraint system manufacturers have been providing
t e th er straps on certain mode ls of their child restraint systems,
either as standard equipment or as a retrofit, for several years .
Check w ith the manu facturer of the ch ild restra int syste m for tether
strap availabili ty .
T o provide a simpler and more p racticab le way to a ttach the child
restraint system on the vehicle seat, U .S . Federal regulations require
the phase -in of lower anchorages in vehicles and devices on new
child restraint systems to attach to the vehicle anchora ges.
Child restraint system manufacturers will probab ly offer two kinds
o f lower a nchorages on their child safety seats
T hey could come with:
• hook-on o r push-on connectors attached to adjus tab le straps or
• rigid latches on bars that extend out the back of the ch ild
r est raint and are re leased w ith release but tons a t the bottom of the
child restra int.
I n addition to the LATCH lower anchorages, both of th ese child
r estra int syst ems use tether straps to help keep the c hild restrai nt
system firmly in p lace .
Tether an chorages
Your Audi Cabriolet is not equipped with a
LATCH system. It is not
equ ipp ed with top tether anchorages . It is equ ipped wit h lo wer
anchorages on ly.
Your Ca briolet is equipped with the Ac tive Rollover Protect ion
System, which is integrated into the backrest of the rear seat. The
Active Rollove r Protection System deploys upwards to help provide
additional protection in certain coll isions a nd cras h situations. For
this reason, your vehicle is not equipped with top tether anchorages
f or use with forward -facing child restra ints . In Canada
, provincia l law requires that forward -facing child
res tra ints use both t op tethe r anc horages and l owe r an ch orages;
therefore, it is not possible to insta ll a forward -facing chi ld restraint
i n t his vehicle.
In the United States , ch ild restraint installation mus t con form with
the child restraint manufacturer's instructions . Check the instruc
t ions that co me w ith the chi ld rest raint or co ntact the manufactu rer
to determine if the child restraint may be instal led facing forward
w it h out securing the top tether strap .
& WARNING
• Improper installation of child restraints will increa se the risk of
injur y in a crash .
• Alway s carefully follow the child restraints manuf acturer' s
instructions for proper installation of the child restraint and
proper use of the lower anchorages or safety belts in your vehicle .
• Never secure or attach any luggage or other items to the LATCH
lower anchorages. •
Where can I get additional information about
child restraint application and usage?
T here are a number of sources of add itiona l information about child
restra int se lection, i nstallati on a nd usage :
NH TSA advises that the best chi ld safety seat is the one that fits
you r ch ild and fit s in yo ur vehicle, and that you will use co rrectly and
consis tently.
T ry be fore you buy!
National Highway Traffic Safety Admin istratio n
Tel. : (888) DAS H-2- DOT
www.nhtsa.dot .gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
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Lower anchorages
The lower anchorage attachment points are located between the
rear seatback and rear seat cushion=> fig. 185.
Lower anchorages secure the child restraint in the seat without
using the vehicle's safety belts. 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 specifically certi
fied for use with
LATCH lower anchorages. Child restraints that are
not equipped with the lower anchorage attachments can still be
installed in compliance with the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions on using vehicle safety belts.
& WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will increase the risk of
injury in a crash.
• Always carefully follow the child restraints manufacturer's
instructions for proper installation of the child restraint and
proper use of the lower anchorages or safety belts in your vehicle.
• Never secure or attach any luggage or other items to the LATCH
lower anchorages.
• Always read and heed the important information about child
restraints in this chapter and
WARNINGS :::> page 190, "Child
Safety".•
Guidance fixtures for lower anchorages
Special guidance fixtures increase the convenience of the
lower anchorages and are available from your authorized
Audi dealer.
!6
"' 0 ± .,
"'
Fig. 186 Installing the
guidance fixtures on
the rear seat
Fig . 187 Close-up:
fitting the guidance
fixture over the lower
anchorage bracket
The lower anchorage attachment points are located on the
rear seats between the seatback and the seat cushion.
Special guidance fixtures increase the convenience of the
lower anchorages and help protect the seat material from
possible damage when installing child restraints that have
rigid lower anchorages and not straps with hooks. .,
_______________________________________________ C_h _i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t...: Y _ _____.1!1111
Installing the guidance fixtures
- Push down on the seat cushion so that the lower anchor
ages are visible.
- Hold the guidance fixture with the part number facing downward and push it in the direction of the arrow onto
the anchorage :::::, fig. 187.
- Make sure that each of the two guidance fixtures per seat
snaps into place.
Removing the guidance fixtures
- Remove the child restraint according the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions.
- Push down on the seat cushion so that the lower anchor
ages are visible.
- Pull off the guidance fixtures from the lower anchorages.
- Always remove the guidance fixtures and keep them in a
safe place when not in use.
You may find it easier to install child restraints equipped with hooks
attached to straps without the guidance fixtures in place. If this is
the case, remove the guidance fixtures by pulling them off the
anchorages . However, the guidance fixtures can help you to locate
the
LATCH anchorages.
& WARNING
Improper use of tether anchorages or lower anchorages can cause
serious personal injury in a crash.
• Always carefully follow the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions for proper installation and use of child restraint
systems.
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
•
Never use the LATCH or tether anchorages to attach safety
belts or other kinds of occupant restraints.
• Child restraint tether attachments and lower attachments are
only designed to secure a child restraint that has been equipped
to use these anchorages.
• Tether anchorages and lower anchorages are designed to with
stand only those loads imposed by correctly fitted child restraints.
Under no circumstances can they be used safely for adult or child
safety belts or harnesses.
• Never mount more than one child restraint to a single tether or
to a lower anchorage point. Attaching two child restraints to a
single anchorage point can cause the anchorage to fail and cause
serious personal injury in a crash.
0 Note
If you leave the guidance fixtures installed for several days, they
could 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 permanently stretched around the guidance
fixtures. This applies especially to leather seats.
[ i] Tips
• 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
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Install ing a child restraint using the lower
anchorages of the LA TC H system
Child safety seats equipped with the LATCH system can
quickly and easily be secured to the rear seats.
Fig. 188 LATCH-type
seat with both rigid
latch bars extended
Fig. 189 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.
- Install the guidance fixtures=:>
page 206.
-Insert the latches onto the lower anchorages=:, fig. 189.
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 190, "Child Safety". •
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Mounting and releasing the anchorage hook
If you use a child restraint system with hook-on or push-
on connectors attached to adjustable straps.
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 or push button to
release the push -on connector catch.
- 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. •
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
The direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
the aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is continua lly
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, -for example, when the vehicle starts hydrop laning on a
wet road -, ESP will automatical ly brake the appropriate wheel to
correct the problem.
The veh icle is then stabi lized by the forces act ing on the whee l
during braking. If the vehicle is oversteering (rear tends to skid out
of the turn), the brakes are mainly app lied on the whee l that is on
the outside of the curve. In the case of a vehicle that is understeering
(tendency to s lide out of the curve), the brakes are applied at the
rear wheel that is on the inside of the curve . An acoustic signal indi
cates when ESP brake application cuts in =>
&.
The system operates across the entire speed range in combinat ion
with the ABS system => page 216 . If the Anti -Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP wi ll be out of act ion as well.
Activa tion
When you turn on the engine, ESP w ill automatica lly be activated
and will perform a self -test .
The system can be activated o r deactivated by pressing the butto n
=> page 212, fig . 190 . The warning light comes on when the system
is switched off .
Normally, the ESP should a lways be on, however, it may be advanta
geous to turn off the system in certain specia l cases when some
degree o f wheel spin is desired such as :
• when driving with snow chains
• when driving in deep snow or on a loose surface (to allow the
whee ls to dig in to reach firm ground)
• when trying to "rock" the vehicle free whe n it has become stuck .
The system shou ld be reactivated once you are no longer in such
situations.
Both , the ABS and EDL systems are still functioning even if the ESP
is switched off .
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Int
ellig ent tec hnol ogy
& WARNING
The Ele ctron ic Stab ilization Program is neve rth ele ss s ubje ct to th e
law s of phy sic s. It is p art icularly important to pay at tent ion to thi s
f ac t on wet and slipper y ro ad s. It i s therefore important th at yo u
alway s adapt your driving to the condition of the road and traffic
c onditio ns. Do not allo w the in crea sed safety prov ided by t he Ele c
tronic Stabilization Program sy stem to lull you into a ccepting
addition al safety ri sk s.
• Plea se note that when ESP i s deactivated , the drive wheel s can
s pin on icy and slippery ro ads a nd the vehi cle can break away -
d anger of skidding ! C
E lectronic differential lock CEDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the rotational
speed of the drive wheels.
Gener al notes
The electronic differential lock (EDU helps the car to start moving,
accelerate and c limb a gradien t on surfaces providing poor or
a lmost no grip . Without EDL, this would be difficult , if not impos
sible.
How the syst em works
The EDL operates automat ical ly . It monito rs the rotationa l speed of
the drive whee ls on an axle with the he lp of the ABS sensors
=> page 216 . If a noticeable difference in rotational speed between
the drive wheels on one axle is de tected (e.g. on slippery grou nd on
one side), the spinning wheel is braked, thereby transferring power
to the other drive wheel or wheels (a ll -whee l drive) . This is done up
to a speed of about 60 mph ( 100 km/h). Noises from the brake
system signal that wheel spin is being control led.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
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Driving off
When driving off, always be sure to keep road conditions in mind as
you accelerate. If one drive wheel spins because it is on a surface
with less grip, gradually increase the pressure on the accelerator
pedal until the car starts to move. The wheel less able to transfer
power spins.
Overheating of brakes
To prevent the disc brake of the braked wheel from overheating if
subjected to excessive loads, the EDL cuts out temporarily. The
vehicle remains operational and behaves in the same way as a
vehicle without EDL.
As soon as the brake has cooled down, EDL switches on again auto matically.
& WARNING
• When accelerating on slippery surfaces, such as on ice or snow,
always be careful when depressing the accelerator pedal. Even
with the EDL working, the drive wheels can spin and reduce your ability to control your car. -Risk of crash!
• The increased safety afforded by EDL does not mean that you
can take safety risks. Always adapt your driving style to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
[ i] Tips
If a fault occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also not functioning. This is
indicated by the ABS warning light=>
page 20. •
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti-Slip Regulation System prevents the driven
wheels from spinning when the car is accelerating.
General notes
The Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) is integrated in the electronic
stabilization program (ESP). When the vehicle starts up and acceler
ates, the wheels are prevented from spinning by adjusting the
engine power to match the amount of grip available from the road
surface.
How the system works
ASR performs automatically, i.e. without the driver's intervention.
With the aid of the ABS sensors=>
page 276, ASR monitors the
speed of the driven wheels. If the wheels start to spin, the engine
power is reduced automatically until the tires find enough grip to
lock onto the road surface. The system is active across the entire
speed range.
Th e ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If a malfunction should
occur in the ABS, the ASR will also be out of action.
& WARNING
The increased safety afforded by ASR does not mean that you can
take safety risks. Always adapt your driving style to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
[ i] Tips
To ensure that the ASR works properly, all four wheels must be fitted
with identical tires Any differences in rolling radius of the tires can
cause the system to reduce engine power when this is not desired.
S ee also =>
page 279, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels". •