2011 AUDI A3 service

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Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a collision.
Th e physical pr in ci ples o f wha t happens w hen yo ur vehicl e is in a crash
app ly a lso to children=>
page 137, "What happens to occupants not
wearing safety be lts?". But unlik e adu lts and teenagers, the ir
muscles and bones are not fully developed. In many respects c hildren
are at greate r risk of ser io us injury in cras hes than adults .
Because children 's bodies a re not f ully deve loped, they require
restraint systems especially designed fo r their size, weight, and body
st ruct ure. Many cou ntries and all states of t he Unite d States and
prov inces of Canada have laws req uiring the use of approved ch ild
restrain t sys tems for infan ts an d sm all ch ild ren .
I n a fronta l crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph (30-56 km/h) the forces
act ing o n a 13- pound (6 kg) infant w ill be more than 20 times the
we ight of the ch ild . This means the we ight of the child wo uld
suddenly be more than 260 po unds (120 kg). Unde r these conditions,
only a n app ropr iat e child restra int proper ly used can red uce the risk
of serious injury. Child restraints, like adult sa fety be lts, must be used
pro perl y to be effective. Use d imprope rly, they can i ncrease t he ris k
of serious injury in an accident.
C onsult the ch ild safety seat manufacturer's instruc tion to be s ure
t he seat is right for your child's size
=> page 170, "Importa nt safety
instructions for using ch ild safety seats" . P lease be sure to read and
heed all of the impo rtant informat io n and WAR NIN GS about child
safety, Advanced Airbags, and the insta llation of ch ild rest raints in
t his chapte r.
There is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
vehicle and how t hey wo rk when inf ants and childre n in child
restra ints are on the front passenger seat. Beca use of t he large
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
amou
nt of importa nt info rmation, we cannot repeat i t all here . We
urge you to read the detailed information in th is owne r's man ua l
abou t airbags and t he Advanced A irbag System in your vehicle and the
very important information abo ut transporting c hildren on the front
p assenger se at. P lea se be sure to heed the WARNIN GS - they a re
extremely important for your safety and the safety of your passe n­
gers, especially infan ts and small ch il dre n.
& WARNING
• Accid ent statisti cs have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position. Always
re strain any child age 12 and under in the rear.
• All vehicle occupants and especially children must be
restrained properly when ever riding in a vehicle. An unre strained
or improperly restrained child could be injured by striking the
interior or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden
maneuver or impact. An unrestrained or improperly rest rained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death through contact with
an inflat ing airbag .
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seating pos itions provides the highest degree of protec­
tion for infants and small children in most accident situations.
& WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with Advanced Airbags
can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates. A
c hild in a rearward -facing child safety seat in stalled on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflate s.
• 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 armrest, or door . •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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and for the different models of the same kind of child restraint
offered by child restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types, makes and models of ch ild
restraints that the NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typical infants and typical 1 year­
old child have been stored in the control unit of the Advanced Airbag
System. When a child restraint is being used on the front passenger
seat with a typical 1 year-old chi ld, the Advanced Airbag System
compares the weight meas ured by the weight sensing mat with the
information stored in the electronic control unit .
The electronic contro l unit a lso registers the tension on the front
passenger safety belt. The tension on the safety belt for the front
passenger seat will be different for an adult who is properly using the
safety belt as compared to the tension on the belt when it is used to
attach a child restraint to the seat . The sensor below the latch for the
safety belt for the front seat passenger measures the tension on the
belt. The input from this sensor is then used with the weight to
"decide", whether there is a child restraint with a typical 1 year-old
child on the front passenger seat and whether or not the airbag must
be turned off .•
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the child restraint that you use, ma ke sure that it has
been certified to meet United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been ce rtified by its manufacturer for use with an
airbag . Always be sure that the child restraint is properly installed at
one of the rear seating positions. If in exceptional circumstances you
must use it on the front passenger seat, carefully read all of the infor­
mation on ch ild safety and Advanced Airbags and heed all of the
app licab le WARNINGS. Make certain that the child restra int is
correctly recognized by the weight-sensing mat inside the front
passenger seat, that the front passenger airbag is turned off and that
the airbag status is always correctly signaled by the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Many types and models of child restra
ints have been available over
t he years, new models are introduced reg ularly incorpo rating new
and improved designs and older models are taken out of product ion.
Chi ld restraints are not standardized. Child restraints of the same
type typ ically have d ifferent weights and sizes and differe nt 'foot­
prints,' the size and shape of the bottom of the child restraint that
sits on the seat, when they are installed on a vehicle seat . These
differences make it virtually impossib le to certify compliance with
t he requirements for advanced airbags with each and every chil d
restra int that has ever been sold in the past or will be sold over the
course of the useful life of your vehicle.
For this reason, the United States Nationa l Highway Traffic Safety
Administration has published a list of specific type, makes and
mode ls of child restra ints that must be used to cert ify compliance of
the Advanced Airbag System in yo ur vehicle with the suppression
requirements of Federal Motor Veh icle Safety Standard 208. These
child restraints are:
A. Car beds, manufactured on or after September 1,
2004:
• Cosco Dream Ride 02-719
B. Rear facing child restraint systems,
manufactured on or after September 1, 2004:
(When the restraint system comes equipped with a removable base,
compliance has to be cert ified with or without the base) .
• Britax Handle with Care 191
• Century Assura 4553
• Century Smart Fit 4543
• Cosco Arriva 02727
• Evenflo Discovery Adjust Right 212
• Evenflo First Choice 204
• Graco Infant 8457
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& 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.
• All vehicle occupants and especially children must always be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle.
- An unrestrained or improperly restrained child can be injured or killed by being thrown against the inside of the
vehicle or by being ejected from it during a sudden maneuver or impact.
- An unrestrained or improperly restrained child is at much greater risk of injury or death by being struck by an inflating
airbag.
• Commercially available child safety seats are required to
comply with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
213 (in Canada CMVSS 213).
- When buying a child restraint, select one that fits your child and the vehicle.
- Only use child restraint systems that fully contact the flat portion of the seat cushion. The child restraint must not tip or
lean to either side. Audi does not recommend using child
safety seats that rest on legs or tube-like frames. They do not
provide adequate contact with the seat.
- Always heed all legal requirements pertaining to the instal­
lation and use of child safety seats and carefully follow the
instructions provided by the manufacturer of the seat you are
using.
• Never allow children under S7 inches (1.45 meters) to
wear a
normal safety belt. They must always be restrained by a proper
child restraint system. Otherwise, they could sustain injuries to
the abdomen and neck areas during sudden braking maneuvers or
accidents.
• Never let more than one child occupy a child safety seat.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(continued)
• Never let babies or older children ride in a vehicle while sitting
on the lap of another passenger.
-Holding a child in your arms is never a substitute for a child
restraint system.
- The strongest person could not hold the child with the forces
that exist in an accident. The child will strike the interior of the
vehicle and can also be struck by the passenger.
- The child and the passenger can also injure each another in
an accident.
• 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 - 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 or infant carriers
on the rear seat.
• Forward-facing child safety seats installed on the front
passenger's seat can interfere with the airbag when it inflates and
cause serious injury to the child. Always install forward-facing
child safety seats on the rear seat.
• 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 precau­
tions be taken:
- 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.
- Always carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-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) are best protected in
special infant carriers and chi ld safety seats designed for t heir age
group. Many experts believe that infants and small childr en should
r ide only in spec ia l restra ints in w hich the child faces the back of the
vehicle. These infant seats support the baby's back, neck and head in
a crash=> fig. 144.
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 ch ild in a forward-facing child seat.
It is a very dangerous
place for an infant or a large r child in a rear ward-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 armrest, door or roof=>
page 147, "Child
restraints on the front seat -some important things to know".
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers
on the rear seat.
• Never install a rear-facing child rest raint in the forward-facing
direction. Such restraints are designed for the special needs of
infants and very small children and cannot protect them properly
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,
Safety
first Vehicle OP-eration
Child Safety
& WARNING (continued)
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 ".•
Convertible child safety seat:s
Properly used convertible child safety seats can help
protect toddlers and children over age one who weigh
b etween 20 and 40 lbs. (9 and 18 kg) in a crash.
Vehicle care
Fig . 145 Schematic
overview: installation
of the attachments
applicable to a LATCH
seat
ti,
Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

& 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 156,
"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. 147 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 properly.
- 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

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& WA RNING (c on tinued )
• Never let a child stand or kneel on an y seat , for e xample the
front seat.
• Never let a child ride in the cargo area of your vehicle .
• Always remember that a child leaning forward , sitting s ide­
ways or out of position in any way during an accident can be struck
by a deploying airbag . This will result in se rious personal injury or
death.
• If you must install a booster seat on the front passenger seat
because of exceptional circumstance s the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light must come on and stay on , whenever the ign ition is
switched on.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight does not come on and
s tay on , perform the checks described=>
page 156, "Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System ".
• Take the child re straint off the front pa ssenger seat and in stall
it properly at one o f the rea r seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition i s swit ched
on.
• Alway s read and heed all WARNINGS whenever u sing a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=>
page 135, "Safety belts",
=>
page 145 , "Airbag sy stem " and => page 167, "Important
things to know ".•
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
lnstalli ng a child safety seat
Securing a child safety seat using a safety
belt
S
afety belts for the rear sea ts and the fron t passen ger
can be l ocke d with th e co nverti ble lo cki ng retract or to
p ro p erly secur e child saf ety seats.
T he safety belts emergency locking retractors for the rear seats
safety belts and for the front passenge r's se at safety belt have a
convertible locking retractor for child restrai nts. The safety belt must
be locked so that belt webbing canno t unreel. The retra ctor can be
act ivated to lock the safety belt and prevent the safety belt webb ing
fr om loosen ing up du ring normal dr iv ing. A child sa fe ty sea t can on ly
be properly installed when the safety belt is locked so that the child
and child safety sea t will s tay in place .
Always remembe r: Even tho ugh yo ur vehicle is equipped w ith a n
Advanced Airbag system, all ch ildren, espec ia lly those 12 yea rs and
younge r, should a lways ride in t he back seat properly res tra ined for
their age and size.
& WARNING
Improperly in stalled 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 chi ld 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 safet y 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 colli sion.
• 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.
9JI,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
• 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 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 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:
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
-
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
i nto 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.S 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. ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

mance requirements make a tether necessary on most new ch ild
seats.
Installing a child restra int that requires a top tether w ithout one can
seriously impair the performance of the chi ld restrai nt and its ability
to prote ct the child in a collision. Insta lling a child restraint tha t
requires a top tether without the top tether may be a violation of
state law.
Child restraint manufacturers offer LATCH lower anchorages on the ir
child seats with hook -on or push-on connectors attached to adjust­
able straps .
In addition to the LATCH lower anchorages, these child restraint
systems usually require the use of tet he r straps to he lp keep the child
restra int firm ly in place.
& WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will increase the risk of
injury and death in a crash.
• Always follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer
of the child restraint you intend to install in your vehicle.
• Never install a child restraint without a properly attached top
tether strap if the child restraint manufacturer 's instructions
require the top tether strap to be used.
• Improper use of child restraint LATCH lower anchorage points
can lead to injury in a collision . The LATCH lower anchorage points
are designed to withstand only those loads imposed by correctly
fitted child restraints .
• Never mount two child restraint systems on one LATCH lower
anchorage point .
• Never secure or attach any luggage or other item to the LATCH
lower anchorages .
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Child Safety
(I) Tips
• In Canada, the terms "top tether" with "lower universal anchor­
ages" (or " lower universal anchorage bars") are used to describe the
system.
• In other countries, the term "ISO FIX" is used to descr ibe the lower
anchorages. •
Location
Fig. 148 Schematic
overview: LATCH
a nchorage point loca­
tions
Th e illustrat io n shows the seat ing locat ions in your vehicle whic h are
equipped with the lower anchorages system. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data