___ C_h _i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_,, y'-----------------------------------------------
- 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).
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs. or 9 kg) a re best protected in
special infant carriers and child safety seats designed for the ir age
group . Many exp erts believe that infants and small children should
r ide only in spec ial restraints in which the child faces the back of the
vehicle. These infant seats suppo rt the baby's back, neck and head in
a crash=> fig. 205.
The airbag on the passenge r side makes the front seat a potentially
dangerous place for a chi ld to ride. The front seat is not the safest
place for a ch ild in a forward-facing child seat. It is a very dangerous
place for an infant or a large r child in a rearward -fac ing seat.
& 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
in a crash.
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats
or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
A child will be seriously injured and can be killed when the
inflating airbag hits the child safety seat or infant carrier with
great force and smashes the
child safety seat and child against the
backrest, center arm rest,
door or roof => page 202, "Child
restraints on the front seat- some important things to know".
• Always install rearward-facing child safety seats
or infant
carriers on the rear seat.
• Never install a rearward-facing child restraint in the forward
facing direction. Such restraints are designed for the special needs
of infants and very small children and cannot protect them
prop·
erly if the seat is forward-facing.
• 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,
& WARNING (continued)
immediately install the rearward-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained
in a vehicle is being used => page 190, "Safety belts",
=> page 200, "Airbag system" and => page 222, "Important
things to know" .•
Convertib le child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats can help
protect toddlers and children over age one who weigh between 20 and 40 lbs. (9 and 18 kg) in a crash .
Fig. 206 Schematic
overview: installation
of the attachments
applicable to a LATC H
seat ...
Fig. 20 7 S chem atic
o verview : in stallati on
o f the seat usi ng t he
v e h icl e's s afety belt
system
- Whe n usi ng th e v ehicle safety belt to ins tall a c hild safety
seat , you mus t first activ ate the convert ible locking
f ea ture on the s afe ty b elt to preve nt the child s afe ty seat
fro m moving==>
page 232 or install t he seat usi ng t he
L A T CH a ttac hments .
- P ush the child saf ety s eat dow n with yo ur full weight to
get the safety be lt rea lly t ight so that the se at ca nnot
mov e fo rward o r sideways more than o ne i nch ( 2.5 cm)
=> page 232.
A tod dler or ch ild is usu a lly too large for a n in fant rest raint if it is
more tha n on e year old and weig hs mo re than 20 lbs. (9 kg).
Todd le rs and children who are older than one year up to about 4 years
old and weig h m or e th an 20 l bs ( 9 kg) up t o 40 l bs. (1 8 kg) mus t
always be properly restrained in a chi ld safety seat certif ied for the ir
si ze and weig ht =>
p age 2 28, fi g. 206 and => page 229, fig . 207 .
Th e a irbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a pot entia lly
dange rous p lace for a child to ride . The front seat is not t he safest
pla ce fo r a child in a forwa rd-f acin g ch ild sa fe ty seat . It is a very
dange rous p lace for an infant or a large r chi ld in a rearward -facing
se at.
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Child Safety
& 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 in a collision or other emergency situa
tion .
• 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-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
c arrier with great force and will sma sh the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, door or roof.
• Always install rearward-facing child safety seats on the rear
seat .
• 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 rearward-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever u sing a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=>
page 190, "Safety belts ",
=> page 200, "Airbag system " and => page 222, "Important
things to know ".
& WARNING
If exceptional cir cumstances require the use of a forward-facing
c hild restraint on the front passenger's seat, the child' s safety and
well-being require that the following special precautions be
taken:
9J,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
Child Safety -
-------------------"'---
- Always make su re t hat t he chi ld can proper ly wear the lap
port ion of the belt low across the th ighs or pe lvis a nd
never over the s tomac h or a bdo men.
Child ren up to at leas t 8 yea rs o ld (o ver 40 lbs. o r 18 kg) are best
protected in c hild safety seats designed for their age and weight.
E xpe rts say t hat the s ke letal str uctu re, pa rticularly t he pe lvis, of
these ch ildren is not fully deve loped, and they must not use the
vehicle safety belts without a suitable ch ild restraint.
Children up to abou t 40 lb s ( 18 kg) are bes t pro tec ted in child safety
seats des igned for the ir age and weight. Experts say that the ske letal
s tr uct ure, particula rly t he pe lv is, o f these ch ildren is no t fully deve l
oped, and they must not use the vehicle safety belts without a suit
able child r estrain t.
It is usually best to p ut these ch ild ren in approp riate booster seats .
Be sure the booster seat meets all a pplicable safety standar ds.
B ooster se ats raise the sea ting pos it io n of the c hild a nd reposi tion
both t he lap and shoulder parts of the safety belt so that they pass
acro ss t he child' s body i n t he righ t pla ces . Th e routin g of th e be lt ove r
the ch ild's body is very important fo r the ch ild's protection, w het her
or not a boos ter seat is used . Children age 12 and unde r m ust always
r ide in the rea r seat.
Children who are at least 4 ft. 9 in . (57 inches/1.45 meters) ta ll can
gen erally use th e vehi cle' s three poin t lap an d should er b elts. Never
use the lap belt port ion of the vehicle's safe ty be lt a lone to restra in
a ny child, reg ardl ess of how big the child is . A lw ay s re membe r tha t
children do not have the p ronounced pelvic structure required for the
pr op er f unc tion of l ap bel t po rt io n o f the vehicle 's three poin t la p an d
shoulder be lts . The child's safe ty abso lutely requires that a lap belt
port ion o f the safe ty be lt be fastened snugly and as low a s possible
around the pelvis. Never let t he lap bel t po rtion of the safety belt
pass over t he child's stomach o r ab dome n.
I n a cr ash, airbags must in flate wi thin a blink o f an eye and with
considera ble force. In order to do its job, the airbag needs room to
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
inflate so
tha t it w ill be the re to protect the occ upa nt as the occupant
mo ves forwar d into th e airba g.
A vehicle occ upant who is o ut of po sit ion and too close to the a irbag
gets in the way of an inflati ng airbag . W hen an occ upant is too close,
he or sh e will be s truck violently and will re ce ive serio us or po ssibly
even fatal in jury.
I n or der for the air bag to o ffer pr ote ction , it is import an t that all
veh icle occupa nts, espec ia lly any chi ldre n, who m ust be in the front
seat beca use of exceptiona l ci rcumstances, be p ro perly restra ined
and as far away from t he a irbag as possib le. By keepi ng room
between the child 's body and t he front of the passenge r com part
men t, the airbag ca n infl at e co mple tely a nd pro vid e su pp le ment al
protection in certa in frontal colli sions .
& WARNING
Not using a booster seat, using the booster seat improperly, incor
rectly installing a booster seat or using the vehicle safety belt
improperly increases the risk of serious personal injury and death
in a collision or other emergency situation . To help reduce the risk
of serious personal injury and/or death:
• Always make sure to position the shoulder portion of the three
point belt over the middle of child's shoulder.
• Never let the shoulder portion of the belt rest against or across
the neck , face , chin , or thro at of the child.
• Always make sure the lap belt portion of the three-po int belt is
worn snug and passes as low as possible across the child's pelvi s.
Never let the belt pass over the soft abdomen.
• Failure to properly route safety belts over a child 's body will
cause severe injuries in an accident or other emergency situation
~ page 190 .
• Children on the front seat of any car, even with Advanced
Airbags, can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Child Safety Ill
------------------=------
& WARNING (continued)
will strike parts of the vehicle interior. The child can be seriously injured or killed.
• Never install rearward-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 rearward-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 222. Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat:::::>
page 202, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know ".
& 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.
• If the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and
stay on, perform the checks described:::::>
page 211, "Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System".
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(continued)
• 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.
& 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.
& WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
ffl.___C_ h_ il_d _ S_a _ f_ e _ t--= y '------------------------------------------------
& WARNING (continued)
• 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 rearward-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 acti
vate 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.
• 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.
___________________________________________ C_ h_il _d _ S_a _f _e _t ~ y __ _
Using tether straps on rearward -facing
child restraints
Currently, few rearward-facing child rest raint systems come w ith a
t e ther. Please re ad and heed the c hild restrain t system manu fac
t u rer 's instructions car efully to determine how to prope rly insta ll the
t ether.
& 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.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
c arrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center armrest , or door .
• A tight tether or other 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 regi s
tered can make the system work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy the Advanced A irbag when it must be suppressed
c ausing serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat becau se of exceptional circum stances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on ,
immediately install the rearward-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer. •
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a number of sou rces of additional informat ion abo ut child
restr aint sele ct io n, inst all ati on and use:
NH TSA adv ises t hat t he best ch ild safety seat is the one that f its your
child and fits in yo ur vehicle, a nd that yo u wi ll use cor rectly and
co nsist en tly .
Try before you buy!
U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
T el. : 1-888 -327 -4236 (T TY : 1-800 -424-9153)
www .nhtsa .gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Te l.: (202) 662-0600
www. safe kids .o rg
Safety BeltSafe U .S.A
T el. : (800) 745 -SAFE ( English)
Te l.: (800) 747-SA NO (Span ish)
www .carseat .org
Transport Canada Information Centre
Te l.: 1 (800) 333-0371 or call 1 (613) 998 -8616 if you are in the
O tt awa area
www .tc .gc.ca/ roadsafety
Audi Customer CARE
Te l.: (800) 822-2834 •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor
tation.
If yo u plan to tow a t rai ler, p lease rem emb er that the add itiona l load
wi ll affect durab ility, economy and performance.
T railer tow ing not on ly p laces mo re s tress on the vehicle, it a lso calls
for more concentrat ion from the driver.
For this reason, a lways follow the ope rating and dr iv ing instr uctions
prov ided and use common sense .
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the gross trailer weig ht.
Th e hitch mus t be suitable for yo ur vehicle a nd tra ile r and mus t be
mounted secure ly on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically sound l oca
t ion. Use only a trailer hitch wi th a remov ab le b all m ount. Alw ays
check w ith the tra iler hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using t he cor re ct hi tch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The h itch must be installed in such a way t hat it does not interfere
w ith the impa ct-absorbing b umper system. No mod ifi cat ions sho uld
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems. From time to
ti me, chec k tha t all hitc h mou ntin g bol ts rem ain secure ly f aste n ed.
When you a re not tow ing a tra iler, remove the tra iler hitch ba ll
mount. This prevents the hitc h from caus ing damage should yo ur
vehicle be struck from behind=> &.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is eq
uipped with a braking system, check to be s ure that
i t confo rm s to all regula tions.
The tra iler hydraulic brake system must not be directly connected to
the vehicle's hydraulic brake system=>& .
Safety chains
Alw ays use safety chains be twee n your vehicle and the trai ler.
Trailer lights
Tr ailer l ights m ust meet all reg ulat io ns. Be su re to check with your
author ized Audi deale r for correct wir ing, switches, and re lays.
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traffic behind you us ing the regular
outside m irro rs, then you
must install extended m irro rs. It is impor
tant that yo u
always have clear vision to the rear.
& WARNING
• If a trailer has electrical b rake s please note that these brakes
are not activated by the factory-fitted control unit -ri sk of acci
dent!
• After removing the trailer hitch , do not store it in your vehicle.
In case of sudden braking, the hitch could fly fo rward and injure
you or your passengers. •
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer we ight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical class 1 or class 2 trailer . .,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Trailer towing
"-------------------------------------------------
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in pla ce to prevent it
from shifting forward, backward or s ideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer => & in "Driving instruc
tions" on
page 256.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the eng ine work harde r. It is important that
the cooling system's performance is up to the additional load. Make
sure that the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your vehicle to the cold tire
pressure listed under "Full load" on the label located either on the
dr iver's side B-pillar (visible when the door is open) or inside the fuel
filler flap . Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' spec
ifications.
Lights
The headl ight settings should be checked w ith the trailer attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety cha ins are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough s lack in the chains to permit
turning corners. When you install safety chains, make sure they will
not drag on the road when you are driving.
T he chains should cross under the trailer tongue to p revent it from
dropping in case of separation from the hitch.
Driving instruct!ons
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle and trailer,
please note the following:
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
- Be especially careful when passing other veh icles .
- Observe speed limits.
- Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed.
- Always apply brakes early.
- Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer w ith an empty car results in a highly unstable
distr ibution of weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very low
speeds only to avo id the r isk of losing steer ing control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control. Th is means that the
tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissible,
wh ile keeping the trailer as light as possible under the c ircumstances.
Whenever possible, trans fer some cargo to the luggage compart
ment of the tow vehicle while observing tongue load requirements
and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
Th e higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
control the r ig . Do not drive at the maximum permiss ible speed.
Reduce your speed even more if load, weather or wind conditions are
unfavorable -part icularly when go ing downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately i f the trailer shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not try to stop the swaying by accelerating. _,