•---=C:...:.h.:.: i.:.:ld ::.....: S~ a::. f~ e~ t~ y~ ----------------------------------------------
Fig. 149 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 177 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 177.
If the child safety seat is equipped with a tether strap,
attach it to the tether anchors ==>
page 183.
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 173, fig. 148 and => page 174 , fig. 149.
The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a potentially 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 135, "Safety belts",
=> page 145, "Airbag system" and=> page 167, "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:
• 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. ...
& WARNING !continued)
• 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 156,
uMonitoring 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. •
Safety first
Child Safety
Booster seats and safety be lts
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 . 150 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
children 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 properly.
- Always make sure that the shoulder portion of the safety
belt neve r rests against or across the child's neck.
9'>
Vehicle care I I irechnical data
___ C_h_ i_ ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_y ____________________________________________ _
-Always make sure that the chi ld can pr operly wear t he
lap por tion of the be lt low acr oss the thighs or pelvis and
never over the stomach or abdomen.
Children up to at least 8 years old (over 40 lbs or 18 kg) are best
protected in child safety seats designed for their age and weight.
Exper ts say that the ske le tal s tructure, particu lar ly the pe lvis, of
these children is not fully deve loped, and they must not use the
vehic le safety belts without a suitab le chi ld rest raint.
Children who are at least 4 ft. 9 in. (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall can
generally use the vehic le 's three point lap and shou lder belts . Never
use the lap belt portion of the vehic le's safety belt a lone to restrain
any chi ld, regardless of how big the child is. Always remember that
children do not have the pronounce d pelvic struc ture required for
the proper function of lap be lt portion of the vehicle's three point
lap and shou lder belts. The child' s safety abs olutely requires that a
lap belt portion of the safety belt be fastened snugly and as low as
possible aro und the pelv is. Never let the lap be lt portion of the
safety be lt pass over the child 's stomach or abdomen .
It is usua lly best to put thes e chi ldren in appropriate booster seats.
Be sure the booster seat me ets all app licable safety standards.
Booster seats raise the seating pos ition of the child and reposition
both the lap and s hou lder par ts of t he safety belt so that they pass
across the child's body in the right places. The routing of the belt
over the child's body is very important for the child 's protection,
whether or not a booster seat is used. Children age 12 and under must a lways ride in the rear seat.
In a crash, air bags must inflate wi th in a b link of an eye and with
considerab le force . In order to do its job, the airbag needs room to
inf la te so tha t it will be there to pr otec t the occ upant as the occu
pant moves forward into the airbag .
A vehicle occupant who is out of position and too close to the airbag ge ts in t he way of an inflating a irbag. When an occupant is too
close, he or she will be struck vio lent ly and will receive serious or
poss ibly even fatal inju ry. I
n order for the airbag to offer protection, it is important that all
v eh ic le occupan ts, espec ially any c hildren, who mus t be in the fron t
seat because of exceptiona l circumstances, be properly restrained
and as far away fro m the airbag as possible . By keepi ng room
between the child's body and the front of the passenger compart
ment, the ai rbag can inflate comp lete ly and provide s upplemental
p rotectio n in ce rtai n fr ontal collis ions .
& WARNING
Not u sing a booster seat , using the booster seat improperly , incor
rectly installing a boo ster seat or using the vehicle safety belt
improperly in creases 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 :
• Alway s 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 acro ss
the ne ck, fa ce , c hin , or throat of the child .
• Alway s make sure the lap belt portion of the three -point belt is
worn snug and pa sses as low a s po ssible across the child' s pel vis .
Never let the belt pass over the soft abdomen.
• Failure to properly route s afety belts over a ch ild's body will
cau se severe injurie s in an accident or other emergency situation
~ page 135 .
• Children on the front seat of any car , even with Advanced
Airb ags , c an be seriou sly injured or even killed when an airbag
inflates.
• Never let a child stand or knee l on any seat , fo r ex ample the
front seat .
• Never let a child ride in the cargo area of your vehicle .
• Always remembe r that a child leaning forward , sitting side
ways or out of po sition in any way during an accident can be
s truc k by a deploy ing airbag . Thi s will re sult in ser iou s per sonal
i njury or death .
~
Child Safety -
--------------------''----
& WARNING (continued )
• If you must install a booster seat on the front passenger seat
because of exceptional c ircumstances 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 156, "Monitoring the
Advanced A irbag System ".
• Take the ch ild 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 wheneve r the ignition is switched
on .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=>
page 135, "Safety belts",
=> page 145, "Airbag system " and => page 167 , "Important things
to know ".•
Installing a child safety seat
Securing a child safety seat using a safety
belt
S a fety belt s for the rea r sea ts and the front passenger con
b e lo cked with t he conver tible lo ckin g retr actor to p rop
e rly sec ure c hild saf ety sea ts.
T he s afe ty bel ts e merge ncy lo cking re trac to rs fo r th e rea r sea ts
safety belts and for the front pass enger's seat safety belt have a
c o nve rtible loc king re tr ac tor fo r child r estrai nts. The sa fe ty b elt
must be loc ked so that be lt webbin g cannot unr eel. The re trac tor
c an be activa te d to lock the safety be lt and prevent the safet y belt
w ebbi ng fr om l oos en ing up dur in g n orm al dr ivi ng . A chi ld sa fety
seat can only be properly insta lled when t he safety be lt is locked so
th at th e child and chil d sa fet y seat will sta y in p lace .
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation A
lways remember: Even though your vehic le is equipped with an
A dva nce d Airb ag sys tem, all chi ld re n, e sp ec ially those 12 yea rs a nd
youn ger, should a lways ride in the back seat prop erly restrained for
t hei r age a nd 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 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 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 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 armrest , 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 . ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
_______________________________________________ C_h _ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t..,:c y __ __
& WARNING (continued)
• 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
activate 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.
- Gu ide the safety belt back into the retractor until the belt
lies flat and snug on the child safety seat.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
- You should
hear a "clicking" noise as the belt winds back
into the inertia reel. Test the convertible locking retractor
by pul ling 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.
• 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 167 . Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat=>
page 147, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know". •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
_,___C_ h_il _d _ S_a_ f_ e _ t...:y ________________________________________________ _
Deactivating the convertible locking retractor The convertible locking retractor for child restraints will
be deactivated aut omatically when the belt is wound all
the way back into the retractor.
- Press the red button on the safety belt buckle . T he belt
tongue w ill pop out of the buckle .
- Guide t he safety belt a ll the way back into its stowed
position .
Always let the safety belt retract completely into its stowed position.
The safe ty belt can now be used as an ordinary safety belt without
the conv ertible locking retractor for child restraints.
If the conver tible locking ret ract or should be activa ted inadvert
ently, the safety belt must be unfastened and guided completely bac k 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 seriou s
per sonal injury and death in a colli sion .
• Never unfa sten the safety belt to de activate the convertible
lock ing retra ctor for ch ild re straint s while the veh icle i s moving .
You would not be restrained and could be seriously injured in an
acc ident .
• Alway s read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
rest rained in a vehi cle i s being used
=:> page 1 67. S pe cial pre cau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
pa ssenger seat =:>
pag e 147 , "Child restraint s on the front seat -
some important thing s 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
restra int on the vehicle seat, Federa l regulations require spec ia l
lower anchorages in vehicles and devices on new child restraints to
attach to the vehicle anchorages .
The combination of the tether anchorages and the lower anchor
ages is now generally called the
LATCH system for " Lowe r Anchor
ages and Tethers for Children ."
Forward -facing child restraints manufactured after September 1,
1999, are required by U .S . federa l regu lations to comply with new
chi ld head movement performance requirements . These new
performance requiremen ts make a te ther necessary on most new
chi ld seats .
I nstalling a child restraint that requires a top tether without one can
seriously impair the performance o f the child restra int and its abi lity
to protect the child in a collision . Installing a child restraint that
r equires a top tethe r w ithout the top tether may be a v iolat ion o f
state law .
Ch ild restra int manufactu rers offer LATCH lower a nchorages on
their child seats with hook -on or push -on connectors attached to
adjustable straps .
I n addition to the LATCH lower anchorages, these ch ild restraint
systems usually require the use of tether straps to he lp keep the
chi ld restraint firmly in place .
& WARNING
Improper installatio n of child restraint s will increase the risk of
injury and death in a crash .
•---=C:...:.h.:.: i.:.:ld ::.....: S~ a::. f~ e~ t~ y~ ----------------------------------------------
Fig . 153 R ear s eats:
l ower anchor age
br acke t locat ions
Att achment lo cator m arke rs fo r low er a nchora ges
Circular locator bu ttons on the rear seatback indicate the lower
anchorage locations on the rear seating positions=> fig. 152 .
Lower anchorag es
The lower anchorage attachment poin ts a re located between the
rear seatback and rea r seat cushion => fig . 153.
Lower anchorages secure the ch ild restrain t in the seat without
using th e ve hicle's safety belts. Anchorages provide a secure and
easy-to -use attachment an d min imize the possibility of i mproper
child restraint insta llation.
All chi ld res traints manufactured after September 1, 2002 , must
have lower anchorage attachments for the LATCH system .
Remember that the lower anchorage points are only intended for
installation and attachment of child restra ints specifica lly certified
for use with LATCH lower anchorages. Child r estraints that are not
equipped with the lower anchorag e attachments can still be
installed in comp liance wi th the child restrain t manufac turer's
instructions on using vehicle sa fety be lts .
& WARNING
Improper use of LATCH lowe r anchorages can cau se seriou s
pe rsonal injury in an accident.
& W AR N ING (continu ed )
• Alway s care fully follow the child re str aints manufacturer' s
inst ructions fo r proper in stallatio n of the child re straint and
proper u se of th e lower anchor ages or safety belts in yo ur veh icle .
• Never secure o r att ach an y lugg ag e or other item s to the
LAT CH
lower an chorage s.
• Alway s read a nd heed the import ant infor mation about child
restraint s in thi s chapter and WARNINGS =>
page 167, "Child
Safety ".•
Installing a child restraint with LATCH lower
anchorages
Wh eneve r you install a chil d re straint al ways f ollow the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions .
Mounting
F ig . 15 4 Low er
an chor age s: pr ope r
m oun ting
- Remove the cover* to access the lower anchorage attach
ment po ints.
Make sure the seat bac k of the rear seat benc h is in the
upright posit ion 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. 154.
- 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 instruct ions.
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.
Safety first
Child Safety
& 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 167, "Child Safety" .•
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig . 155 Tether
anchors: attachment
hook locations behind
the rear seatbacks
The tether anchors for the rear seating positions are located on the
backside of the rear seatbacks
~ fig. 155.
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.
The purpose of the tether is to reduce the forward movement of the child res traint 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 new ..
Vehicle care I I irechnical data