___ C_h _i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_,, y'-----------------------------------------------
Fig. 208 Schematic
overview: installation
of the seat using the
vehicle's safety belt
system
- When using the vehicle safety belt to install a child safety
seat, you must first activate the convertible locking
feature on the safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving~
page 241 or install the seat using the
LATCH attachments.
- 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)
=>
page 241.
- If the child safety seat is equipped with a tether strap, attach it to the tether anchors=>
page 249.
A toddler or child is usually too large for an infant restraint if it is
more than one year old and weighs more than 20 lbs . (9 kg) .
Toddlers and children who are older than one year up to about 4 years old and weigh more than 20 lbs. (9 kg) up to 40 lbs. (18 kg) must
always be properly restrained in a child safety seat certified for their
size and weight~
page 237, fig. 207 and~ page 238 , fig. 208.
The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a poten tially
dangerous place for a child to ride. The front seat is not the safest
place for a child in a forward-facing child safety seat . It is a very
dangerous place for an infant or a larger child in a rearward-facing
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 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
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
• Always install rear-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 rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained
in a vehicle is being used ~ page 199, "Safety belts",
~ page 209, "Airbag system" and ~ page 231, "Important
things to know".
& WARNING
If exceptional circumstances require the use of a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat, the child's safety and
well-being require that the following special precautions be
taken:
11'-
& WARNING (continued)
• Make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed and certi·
fied by its manufacturer for use
on a front seat with a passenger
front and side airbag.
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions provided with
the child safety seat or infant carrier.
• Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost posi
tion of the passenger seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and as
far away from the airbag as possible before installing the child
restraint.
• Always make sure that nothing prevents the front passenger's
seat from being moved to the rearmost position in its fore and aft
adjustment range.
• Always make sure the backrest is in 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.
• If the light does not stay on, perform the checks => page 220,
"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. a
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Child Safety
Booster seats and safety belts
Properly used booster seats can help protect children
weighing between about 40 lbs. and 80 lbs. (18 kg and
36 kg) who are less than 4 ft.
9 in.
(57 inches/1.45 meters) tall .
Fig. 209 Rear seat:
child properly
restrained in a booster
seat
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most children until
they are at least 4 ft. 9 in. (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall and
weigh about 80 lbs. (36 kg). Booster seats raise these chil
dren up so that the safety belt will pass properly over the
stronger parts of their bodies and the safety belt can help
protect them in a crash.
- Do not use the convertible locking retractor when using
the vehicle's safety belt to restrain a child on a booster
seat.
- Always position the shoulder portion of the safety belt
midway over the child's shoulder. If you must transport an
older child in a booster seat on the front passenger seat,
you can use the safety belt height adjustment to help
adjust the shoulder portion prop erly.
- Always make sure that the shoulder portion of the safety
belt never rests against or across the child's neck.
9'>
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
_____________________________________________ C _h_i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t__. y'--- __
& WA RNING (c on tinued )
by a deploying airbag . This will result in se rious personal injury or
death.
• If you must install a booste r seat on the front passenger seat
because of exceptional cir cumstance s the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OF F light must come on and stay on , whenever the ign ition is
s wit ched on .
• If the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and
stay on, perform the checks described => page 220, " Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System".
• Take the child re straint off the front passenger seat and install
it prope rly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition i s sw itched
on.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever u sing a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=>
page 199 , "Safety belts",
=> page 209, "Airbag sy ste m " and => page 231, "Important
things to know ".•
Installing a child safety seat
Securing a child safety seat using a safety
belt
S afet y belts f or t he rear se ats a nd the fr ont pa ssenger
can be l ocke d wit h the co nverti ble lockin g retract or to
p ro p erly sec ure chi ld safety seats .
The safety be lts emergency lo ck ing retractors for the rear seats
safety belts and fo r the fron t passe nger's seat safety belt have a
convertib le locking retractor for child restraints . The safety be lt must
be locked so that belt webbing cannot u nreel. The retractor can be
activated to lock the safety be lt and prevent the safety belt webbing
from loose ning up du ring normal dr iv ing. A child safety seat can only
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation be properly
installed when the safety belt is locked so that the child
and child s afety se at will s tay in place.
Always remember: Even though yo ur vehicle is equipped w ith a n
Advanced Airbag system, all chi ldren, especia lly those 12 yea rs and
younger, should a lways ride in th e back sea t pro perly res train ed fo r
their age and size .
& WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a collision.
• 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 o r
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 collision.
• 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 to secure a child restraint .
• 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 seat s or infant carrier s on
the front passenger seat . A child will be seriously injured and can
be killed when the pa ssenger airbag inflates.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will sma sh the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center armrest, door or roof .
• Always in stall rear-facing child safety seats or infant carrier s
on the rear seat. _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
_____________________________________________ C _h_i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t ... Y'--- __
& WARNING (continued)
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 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.
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
-
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 lock ing retractor
by pulling on the belt. You should no longer be able to pull
the belt out of the retractor. The convertible lock ing
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.
• 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 231. Special precau-
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
lill-
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
lffll,___C_ h_ il_d _ S_a _ f_ e _ t-= y ;....._ ____________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
passenger seat => page 211, "Child restraints on the front seat -
s ome important thing s to know ".•
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
The convertible lockin g retractor for child restraints will
be d eac tiv a ted aut omatic all y when the bel t is wou nd all
t he wa y back in to the retrac tor.
-Press the r ed button on the sa fety belt buckl e. T he b elt
t o ngue will po p out of t he buckle .
- Guid e the safety belt a ll the way back into its stowe d posi-
t ion.
Always le t the sa fety be lt retrac t co mple tely i nto i ts s tow ed position .
The safety bel t can now be used as a n or dinary sa fe ty belt withou t the
convert ib le locking ret ractor fo r chi ld rest raints .
If the convertible locking retractor should be activated inadvertently,
t he s afety be lt mus t be unfa stened and guide d comple tely b ack in to
its stowed position to deactivate this feature. If t he convert ib le
lo ckin g ret ractor is no t d eactiv ated , the sa fe ty bel t w ill grad ually
become tighter and uncomfo rtable to wea r.
& WARNING
Imp roperly installed child safety seats increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a colli sion.
• 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.
& WARNING (con tinued )
• Alway s read and heed all WARNINGS whenever u sing a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=> page 231. Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
pass enger seat =:>
page 211, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some impo rtant things to know ".•
LATCH Lower anchorages and
tethers for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
T o prov ide a simpler and more practicable way to attach the child
restrain t on the vehicle seat, Federa l regulat io ns re quire spe cial
lower ancho rages in ve hicles and devices o n new chi ld restraints to
at ta ch to the ve hicle an chor ages.
The combination of the tether anchorages and t he lower anchorages
is now gene rally called the
LATCH system fo r "Lowe r Ancho rages and
T ethers for Childre n."
Forward-fac ing c hild restraints manufactured after Se ptember 1,
199 9, are requ ired by U .S. feder al reg ulat ion s to comp ly w ith new
child head moveme nt performance requirements . These new perfor
m anc e req uire men ts ma ke a tether nece ssary on m ost new child
seats.
Insta lling a child restraint that req uires a top tether w ithout one can
ser iously impair t he p erf or mance of th e chi ld res tra int and its ab ility
to p rotect the ch ild in a collision. Insta llin g a c hild rest raint that
req uires a top te ther w ithout t he top tet her m ay be a v iol at ion of
state law. ..
• .___C_ h_ il_d _ S_a _ f_ e _ t--= y '------------------------------------------------
in the area that the guidance fixtures were installed . The upholstery
would also be permanently stretched around the guidance fixtures.
This applies especially to leather seats .•
Installing a child restraint with LATCH
lower anchorages
Whenever you install a child restraint always follow the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions.
Mounting
Fig. 215 Lower
anchorages: proper
mounting
- Make sure the seat back of the rear seat bench is in the
upright position and securely latched in place.
- Attach both hook-on connectors with the spring catch
release on the child safety seat onto the LATCH lower
anchorage so that the connectors lock into place
~ fig. 215.
- Pull on the connector attachments to make sure they are
properly attached to the LATCH lower anchorage.
- Pull straps tight following the child restraint manufac
turer's instructions.
Releasing
- Loosen the tension on the straps following the child
restraint manufacturer's instructions.
- Depress the spring catches to release the anchorage hooks
from the lower anchorages.
Remember: Use tether straps to help keep the child restraint firmly
in place.
& WARNING
Improper use of the LATCH system can increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death in an accident.
• These anchors were developed only 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 231, "Child Safety". •
Intelligent technology
'-----------------------------------------------
Intelligent technology
Notice about data recorded by
vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR),
installed by some manufacturers for the express purpose of
capturing data for retrieval after an accident or crash event. ED Rs are
sometimes called "crash recorders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or downloading of data stored
by ED Rs that were installed in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash event without the owner's
consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an EDR, it is equipped w ith
a number of electronic control modu les for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emission control, as well as for
the airbags and safety belts.
T hese electronic contro l modules also record vehicle-re lated data
during normal vehicle operation for diagnostic and repair purposes .
Th e recording capacity of the e lectronic control modu les is limited to
data (no sound is recorded) and only a sma ll amount of data is actu
ally recorded over a very limited period of time and stored when a
system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle speed, direction, braking
as well as restraint system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and down
loaded with special equipment.
Electronic Stabilization Program
(ESP)
General information
The ESP improves the vehicle stability.
Fig. 220 Center
console with ESP
switch
ESP is des igned to help you maintain vehicle control in situations
where the car approaches the limits of "grip", especia lly when accel
erat ing and cornering. ESP reduces the risk of skidd ing and imp roves
stability under all road conditions.
Th e system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system. If the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc
tions, the ESP will also shut down.
How the system works
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)
and the Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) are integrated in the elec
tronic stabilization p rogram. In addition to the data provided by
these funct ions, the ESP control unit requires additional measure
ment data provided by high performance sensors. The rotational
speed of the vehicle about its vertical axis, veh icle acceleration in the ...
_________________________________________ I_ n_ t_ e_ ll_,igent technology ,__E~-
fore-and-aft and lateral directions, the brake pressure and the
steering angle are all measured.
The direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
the aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is continually
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example, when the vehicle starts hydroplaning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate whee l to correct
the problem.
The vehicle is then stabi lized by the forces acting on the whee l during
braking. If the vehicle is
oversteering (rear tends to skid out of the
turn), the brakes are main ly applied on the wheel that is on the
outs ide of the curve. In the case of a vehicle that is
understeering
(tendency to slide out of the curve), the brakes are applied as needed
on the wheel that is on the inside of the curve or additionally on the
other wheels. An acoustic s ignal indicates when ESP brake application
cuts in=> &.
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system ~
page 256 . If the Anti -Lock Brake System
(ABS) ma lfunctions, the ESP wi ll be out of action as well.
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESP will automatically be activated and
will perform a self-test. As soon as the test is comp leted, the system
is in normal operating mode .
Offroad mode
ESP should normally be operated in normal mode because this
ensures maximum vehicle stability. If necessary, you can activate the
ESP offroad mode by pressing the button=>
page 252, fig. 220 to
obtain maximum traction and braking ability when driving off paved
roads at low speeds. In ESP offroad mode, the ESP indicator light
=> page 16 illuminates and the message ESP Offroad Caution!
Limited driving stability
appears briefly in the disp lay.
The ESP offroad mode can be useful in the following exceptiona l situ
ations when slip or a highly effe ctive different ial loc king funct ion is
desirable. Examples:
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
when driving w ith tire chains,
• when driving in deep snow or on loose ground,
• when driving on uneven surfaces with the wheels severely
unloaded (articulation), and
• when rocking the vehicle loose a fter it has become stuck.
When the unusual situation is past, you should sh ift back to the
normal ESP operating mode by pushing the button again. The
message
ESP/ ASR on then appears briefly in the display.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control is switched on in ESP offroad mode. When
slowly descending steep gradients on loose ground or when the axles
are art iculated, hill descent control provides assistance by automati
cally applying the brakes to keep vehicle speed constant. The vehicle
is also rende red easier to steer by select ive distribution of braking
force. Hill descent control intervenes when:
• the accelerator pedal is not pressed,
• the vehicle is travelling less than 12 mph (20 km/h),
• a steep gradient is detected,
• wheel behavior indicates loose ground or conditions with poor
adhesion (e.g. also axle articulat ion).
Hill descent control operates both dr iving forward and in reverse.
Active hi ll descent control is deactivated by pressing the accelerator
pedal until the conditions for activation already listed are met aga in .
& WARNING
• The Electronic Stabilization Program is nevertheless subject to
the laws of physics . It is particularly important to pay attention to
this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important that
you always adapt your driving to the condition of the road and
traffic conditions. Do not allow the increased safety provided by
the Electronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into
accepting additional safety risks. ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data