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
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& 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
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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
_____________________________________________ C _h_i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t ... Y'--- __
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Intelligent technology
--------------------------------------------------' "---.L==--
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
w ith the ABS sys tem. If the A nti-L o ck Brak e System (A BS) mal fun c
tions, the ESP will also shut down.
How the system works
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Elect ronic D ifferential Lock (EDL)
and the Anti-Slip Regul ation System (AS R) are in teg rated in the e lec
tronic stab ilizat ion program . In addition to the data prov ided by
th ese fun ctions, the ESP control unit re quires addi tional meas ure
ment data provided by hig h pe rformance senso rs . The ro tat ional
speed of the vehicle about its vertical axis, veh icle acceleration in the
fore-and-a ft and lateral d irect ions, the brake pressure , a nd the
steerin g ang le are all measured .
Th e d irec tion in whi ch the driver w ishes to tra ve l is d ete rm ined wi th
the a id of the steering a ngle and ve hicle speed and is con tinually
c omp ared wi th the a ctu al b ehavior o f the ve hicl e. If t he two do no t
match, for example, when the vehicle starts hydroplani ng on a wet
roa d, E SP w ill automatica lly bra ke the approp riate whee l to correct
the problem.
Th e ve hicle is t hen stab ilized by the fo rces acting on the whee l during
bra king .
If the ve hicl e is oversteering (the vehicle tu rns too s harp ly
and the rear whee ls slide toward the outside of a curve), the brakes
a re mainly a pplied on the whee l tha t is o n the o uts ide of t he curve. In
the case of a vehicle that is
understeering (the vehicle does not turn
shar ply enough and push es out o f a curve), the b rakes are ap plied as
needed on the whee l th at is on the inside of the curve or additionally
on the ot her wheels . An acoustic s ignal indicates w hen ESP bra ke
applica tion cuts in=> &.
T he system operates across the entire speed range in combination
w ith the A BS system =>
page 245. If the A nti-Lo ck Br ake Sys tem
(ABS) ma lfunctions, the ESP w ill be o ut of act ion as we ll.
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESP wi ll automatica lly be activated and
w ill pe rfor m a self- tes t. As soo n as t he tes t is c om plete d, th e sys tem
is in normal operating mo de.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Yo
u can activate a deactivated ESP or deactivated ESP/ ASR if required
b y pressi ng the =>
page 240, fi g. 2 13 => page 240, fig. 2 12 bu tton.
Wh en they are activated, the message
Stabilisation program on
appears briefly in t he di sp lay .
Deactivating
The ES P shoul d no rma lly be acti va te d a ll the tim e. I f necess ary, y ou
can deact ivate A nti-Slip Reg ulat io n (ASR) or th e Electro nic Sta biliza
t ion Progr am ( ES P) by p ress ing the button =>
page 2 40, fig. 213.
• Deactivating ASR: Tap th e button . In cer tain exceptional s itua
t ions (e.g. driving with tire chains), the Anti -Slip Reg ulation (ASR) can
be dea ct iva te d =>
page 242. The m ess age ASR off Caution! Limited
driving stability
a pp ears in the d isp lay as well.
• Deactivating ESP/ASR Press the but ton for mor e tha n 3 seconds .
With the ESP/ASR deactivated, t he ESP check light comes o n, see
=>
p age 14. The m ess age Warning! Restri cted stability ap pears in
the display as we ll.
& WARNING
The Electronic Stabilization Program is nevertheless subje ct 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 .
u
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data