__________________________________________ ___:C~ h~il ~d ~ S~a ~f ~e ~t ¥_Y __ _
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:
Subpart A - Car bed child restraints
Model
Angel Gua rd Angel Ride
AA2403 FOF
Manufactured on or
after
September 25, 2007
Subpart B -Rear-facing child restraints
Model
Century SmartF it 4543
Cosco Ar riva 22-013PAW and
base 22-999 WHO
Evenflo D iscovery Ad just Right
21 2
Evenflo First Cho ice 204
Manufactured on or
after
December 1, 1999
September 25, 20 07
December 1, 1999
December 1, 1999
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
_____________________________________________ C_h _i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_. y'--- __
- If a stra p or tet her is be ing us ed to tie t he chil d safety seat
to t he fro nt passenger seat, make sure that it is no t so
tight that i t causes the weight-sens ing ma t to measure
more weight t han is act ually on the seat.
Alw ays reme mbe r: Even though yo ur vehicle is equip ped with an
Adva nced Airbag system, all ch ild ren, especially those 12 years a nd
younger, should a lways ride in the bac k seat proper ly rest ra ined for
their age and size .
& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, us ing the wrong child safety seat or
improperly in stalling a child re straint in crea se s the ri sk of serious
personal injury and death .
• All vehicle oc cupants and e specially children mu st 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 unre strained or improperly restrained child is at much
greater risk of injury or death by being struck by an inflating
airbag .
• Commercially a vailable child safety seats are requi red to
c omply 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 u se child restraint sy stem s that fully contact the flat
portion of the seat cushion . The child rest raint must not tip or
lean to either side . Audi does not recommend using child
s a fety seats that rest on legs or tube-like frames. They do not
provide adequate contact with the seat .
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(co ntinued )
-Always heed all legal requirements pe rtaining to the in stal
lation and use of child safety seat s and carefully follow the
inst ructions provided by the manufacturer of the seat you are
using.
• Never allow child ren under 57 inches (1.5 meters ) to wear a
normal safety belt . They must always be restrained by a prop er
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.
• Never let babies or olde r children ride in a vehicle while sitting
on the lap of another passenger.
-Holding a child in your arms is never a sub stitute for a child
restraint system .
- The stronge st p ers on could not hold the child with the force s
that e xist in an accident . The child will strike the interio r of the
v ehicle and can also be struck by the pa ssenger.
- The child and the passenger can also injure each other in an
accident.
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the front pas senger seat. A child will be seriously injured and can
be killed when the passenger airbag inflates - e ven with an
Advanced Airbag Sy stem .
• 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 aga inst the bac krest, center arm rest, door o r roof.
• Always in stall rear -facing child safety seats or infant carriers
on the rear seat .
• Forward-facing child safety seats installed on th e front
passenger 's seat can interfere w ith the airbag when it inflates and
c ause seriou s injury to the child . Always install forward-facing
c hild safet y seats on the rear seat . .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babies an d infan ts up t o a bout one y ear old a nd 2 0 lbs . or
9 kg need speci al rearward -facing child res tra int s tha t
s upport th e back, nec k and head in a crash.
F ig. 204 Schem atic
overview : re arwa rd
facing infa nt seat,
properly install ed on
the rea r seat
- Whe n u sin g the veh icle sa fety bel t to insta ll a child s afety
s e at, you mu st first acti vate the converti ble lo cking
ret ractor on th e saf ety belt to preven t th e chi ld safet y seat
fro m moving==>
page 231 or install t he seat usi ng t he
LATCH attachments .
- Pus h the child sa fety s eat d own with y our fu ll weight to
g et t he sa fety be lt really tig ht so t hat th e sea t c an not
mov e fo rwar d or sid eways mor e t han one in ch ( 2.5 cm) .
Infa nts up t o ab out one yea r (2 0 lb s. or 9 kg) are best protec ted in
special infant carr iers a nd ch ild safety seats desig ned fo r th eir age
g roup. Many e xperts believe t hat infa nts and sm all c hildr en sho uld
r ide on ly in spec ia l re stra in ts i n w hic h the child faces th e back of the
v ehicle . T hese i nfant seats support t he baby's back, neck and head in
a crash=>
page 227 , fig . 204 .
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Child Safety
The airbag on the passenger side makes the fro nt seat a potentially
d ange rous place for a child to rid e. Th e front seat is not the safest
place for a ch ild in a forwa rd-faci ng child seat . It is a very da ngerous
place for an infant o r a larger child in a rearward-fac ing seat .
& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, u sing the wrong child safety seat or
improperly installing a child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a cra sh .
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat -even with an Advanced Airbag Sy stem.
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 201, "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,
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 189, "Safety belts ",
=> page 199 , "Airbag system" and => page 221 , "Important
things to know". •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
& WARNING (continued)
• 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 using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=> page 189, "Safety belts",
=>
page 199, "Airbag system" and=> page 221, "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.
• 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.
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Child Safety
& WARNING (continued)
• If the light does not stay on, perform the checks=> page 210,
"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
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. 207 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. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
_______________________________________________ C_ h_ il_d _ S_a _ f_ e _ t..,. Y :...._ __
& WA RNING (c on tinued )
• Always make sure the lap belt portion of the three-point belt is
worn snug and pa sses as low a s pos sible across the ch ild 's pelvis .
Never let the belt pass over the soft abdomen.
• Failure to properly route safety belts over a child's body will
c ause severe injurie s in an accident or other emergen cy situation
:::> page 189.
• Children on the front seat of any car, even with Advanced
Airbags, can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag
inflates .
• Never let a child stand or kneel on any seat, for e xample the
front seat.
• Ne ver let a child ride in the cargo area of your vehicle .
• Alway s remember that a child leaning forward, sitting side
ways or out of position in any way during an accident can be struck
by a deploying airbag . This will result in seriou s personal injury or
death.
• If you must install a booster seat on the front pas senger seat
because of exceptional circumstances 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 210, "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 wheneve r the ignition is sw itched
on.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle i s being used =>
page 189, "Safety belts ",
=>
page 199 , "Airbag system " and => page 221, "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 se ats an d the fro nt passen ger 's
seat can be l ock ed with th e conv ertible loc kin g ret ractor
to pro perly secur e ch ild safety seats.
T he safety belts emergency locking retractors for the rear seats
safety belts an d for the front passenge r's se at safety b elt hav e a
convertib le 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 s afety sea t will s tay in place .
A lways r emembe r: Even tho ugh yo ur vehicle is equipped w ith a n
Advanced Air bag system, all ch ild ren, espec ia lly those 12 yea rs and
younge r, should always ride in t he back seat properly res tra ined for
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 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 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.
• If the backrest is not securely latched, the child and the child
restraint will be thrown forward together with the backre st and
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Child Safety Ill
-------------------"'---
& 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 .
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
-
Slowly pull the belt all the way out.
-Route it around or through the child restraint belt path
=>& .
- Push the child safety seat down w ith 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.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Child Safety --------------------"'---l'ff'II
Installing a child restraint that requires a top tether without one can
seriously impair the performance of the child restraint and its ability
to protect the child in a collision. Installing a child restraint that
requires a top tether without the top tether may be a violation of
state law.
Child restraint manufacturers offer LATCH lower anchorages on their
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 tether straps to help keep the child
restraint firm ly in place.
Tether anchorages
Your Audi Cabriolet is not equipped w ith a LATCH system. It is not
equipped with top tether anchorages. It is equipped with lower
anchorages only .
Your Cabriolet is equipped with the Active Rollover Protection
System, which is integrated into the backrest of the rear seat. The
Active Rollover Protection System deploys upwards to help provide
additional protection in certain collisions and crash situations. For
this reason, your vehicle is
not equipped with top tether anchorages
for use with forward-facing child restraints.
In Canada, provincial law requires that forward-facing child
restra ints use both top tether anchorages and lower anchorages;
therefore, it is
not possible to install a forward-facing child restraint
in this vehicle.
In the United States, child restraint installation must conform with
the child restraint manufacturer's instructions. Check the instruc
tions that come with the child restraint or contact the manufacturer
to determine if the child restraint may be installed facing forward
without securing the top tether strap.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& 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.
• Improper use of child restraint LATCH lower anchorage points
c an 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.
(I) Tips
In other countr ies, the term "ISOFIX " is used to descr ibe the lower
anchorages. •
Location
Fig. 208 Schematic
overview: LATCH
anchorage point loca
tions
The illustrat ion shows the seat ing locations in your vehicle which are
equipped wi th the lower anchorages system. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
___________________________________________ C_ h_il _d _ S_a _f _e _t =c,. y __ lft'II
Installing a child restraint with LATCH
lower anchorages
Whenever you install a child restraint always follow the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions.
Mounting
Fig. 211 Lower
anchorages: proper
mounting
- Make sure the seatback 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. 211.
-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.
Controls and equip·
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
-
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 221, "Child Safety". •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data