& 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;....._ ____________________________________________ _
- 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 shoulde r.
- Always make sure that the shoulder portion of the safety belt never rests against or across the child's neck.
- Always make sure that the child can properly wear the lap
portion of the belt low across 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 des igned for their age and we ight.
Experts say that the skeletal structure, particularly the pelvis, of
these ch ild ren is not fully developed, and they must not use the
veh icle safety belts w ithout a suitable ch ild restraint .
Children up to about 40 lbs (18 kg) are best protected in child safety
seats des igned for their age and weig ht. Expe rts say that the skeletal
structure, particularly the pelvis, of these children is not fully devel
oped, and they must not use the vehicle safety bel ts witho ut a suit
able child restraint .
It is usually best to put these chi ldren in appropriate booster seats.
Be sure the booster seat meets all applicable safety standards.
Booster seats raise the seating position of the child and reposition
both the lap and sho ulder parts of the safety bel t so that they pass
across the child's body in the right places. The routing of the belt over
the ch ild 's body is very impo rtant for the chi ld's p rotection, whether
or not a booster seat is used. Children age 12 and under must always
ride in the rea r seat.
Chi ld ren who are at least 4 ft. 9 in . (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall can
generally use the vehicle's three point lap and shoulder belts . Never
use the lap belt port ion of the vehicle 's safe ty belt alone to restra in
any child, regard less of how big the child is. Always remember that children do not have the pronounced pelvic structure requ
ired for the
proper func tion o f lap belt por tion of the vehicle's three poin t lap and
shoulder belts . The ch ild's safety absolutely requires that a lap belt
portio n of the safety be lt be fastened snugly and as low as possible
around the pelvis. Never let the lap belt portion of the safety belt
pass over the child's stomach or abdomen .
In a crash, airbags m ust inflate with in a blink of an eye and with
considerable force. In order to do its job, the airbag needs room to
inflate so tha t it w ill be the re to protect t he occ upant as the occupant
moves forward into the a irbag.
A vehicle occupant who is out of position and too close to the airbag gets in the way of an inflating a irbag. When a n occupant is too close,
he or she will be struck violently and will receive serious or possibly
even fata l injury.
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is important that all
vehicle occupants, especia lly any ch ild ren, who must be in the front
seat because of exceptional circumstances, be properly restra ined
and as far away from the airbag as possib le .
By keeping room
between the child's body and the front of the passenger compart
ment, the a irbag can inflate completely and provide supplemental
protection in certa in frontal collisions .
& WARNING
Not using a booste r s eat, using the boo st e r se at improperl y, incor
r ectl y installing a boo st e r seat or u sing the vehicle saf ety belt
i mp rope rly incre ases th e ris k of s eri ou s per sonal injury and d eath
i n a colli sion o r other emergenc y situatio n. To he lp reduce the risk
of s eri ous p ersonal injury and /or d eath:
• Alwa ys make su re to po sition the shoulder portion of the three
p o int belt o ver the m iddle of child' s shoulder .
• Never let the sh o ulde r por tio n of the belt re st agai nst or ac ros s
the ne ck, f ace, chin , or throat of the ch ild. .,_
_______________________________________________ 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
-L-___::C~h...:.: i:.:: l .:::d ~S:::.::: a..:..f .::. e ..::tY L- ___________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
will strike parts of the vehicle interior. The child can be seriously
injured or killed.
• Never install rearward-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 arm rest, door or roof.
• Always install rearward-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.
• It is safer to install a forward-facing child safety seat on the
rear seat.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child restrained in a vehicle is being used==>
page 221. Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat==>
page 201, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know".
& WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must install a forward or
rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat in
exceptional situations:
• Whenever a forward or rearward -facing child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat, 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 ".
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• 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.
• Improper installation of child restraints can reduce their effec
tiveness or even prevent them from providing any protection.
• An improperly installed child restraint can interfere with the
airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or even kill the child .
• Always carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier.
• Never place additional items on the seat that can increase the
total weight registered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause injury in a crash.
& WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
• Always 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 .
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up, against or very
near the instrument panel.
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible before installing the forward-facing child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to 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.
& WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
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
-L~C:!:h ~i~ ld ~ S~a ~f ~e ~ty l.._ ________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
• Alway s make sure the se a t backre st to which the child restraint
i s installed is in an upright position and securely latched into place
and cannot fold forward. Otherwise, the se atback with the child
s afety seat attached to it could fly forward in the event of an acci
dent or other eme rgency situation .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used~
page 221. Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat~
page 201, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important thing s to know ".•
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
The convertible lockin g retractor for child restraints will
be deac tiva ted a utoma tic ally when the bel t is wou nd all
the way back in to the retr actor.
- Press th e re d but ton on the safety belt buckle. T he belt
t o ngu e will po p out of t he buckle .
- G uide the safe ty belt all the way back i nto its sto wed posi-
t ion.
Always le t the safety be lt retract comple tely into i ts s towed position .
Th e safety bel t can now be used as a n or dinary sa fe ty belt withou t the
convertible locking ret ractor fo r chi ld rest raints .
If the convertible locking retractor should be activated inadvertently,
t he s afety be lt must be unfa stened and guide d comp le tely b ack into
its stowed position to deactivate this feature. If t he convert ible
loc king ret ra ctor is no t deactiva te d , the sa fety belt w ill grad ually
become tighter and uncomfo rtable to wea r.
& WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats increase the r isk of serious
per sonal injury and death in a collision.
• Never unfasten the safety belt to deactivate the convert ible
lo cking retractor for child re straint s while the vehicle is moving .
You would not be restrained and could be seriously injured in an
accident.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle i s being u sed
~ page 221. Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
pa ssenger seat~
page 201, "Child re straints on the front seat -
some important things to know ".•
LATCH Lower anchorages and
tethers for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To prov ide a simpler and more practicable way to attach the child
restrain t on the vehicle seat, Federal regulat ions req uire special
lower anc ho rages in ve hicles and devices o n new ch ild restraints to
attac h to the ve hicle anchorages .
Th e combin ation of the tether anchorages and the l ower anchor ages
is now generally called the
LATCH system for " Lower Anc horages and
T ethe rs fo r Chil dre n."
Forward-fac ing c hild restraints manufactured afte r September 1,
1 999, a re requi red by U.S. federa l reg ulat ions to comp ly with new
child head moveme nt performance requirements . These new per for
mance req uirements make a tether necessary on most new ch ild
sea ts.
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
Ill Child Safety __ .,.___ ____________ _
Description
The lower anchorage positions are marked for quick
locating.
Fig. 209 Rear seat
backs: locator buttons
fo r lower anchorages
Fig . 210 Rear seats:
lower anchorage
bracket locations
Attachment locator markers for lower anchorages
Circu lar locator buttons on the rear seatback indicate the lower
anchorage locations on the rear seating positions:::;, fig. 209.
Lower anchorages
The lower anchorage attachment points are located between the rear
seatback and rear seat cushion:::;, fig . 210.
Lower anchorages secure the child restraint in the seat without us ing
the vehicle's safety belts. Anchorages prov ide a secure and easy-to- use attachme
nt and minimize the possibility of improper child
restrain t installat ion.
All ch ild restraints manufactured after September 1, 2002, must
have lower anchorage attachments for the
LATCH system.
Remember that the lower anchorage points are only intended for
installat ion and attachment of ch ild restraints specifically certif ied
for use with
LATCH lower anchorages . Child restraints that are not
equ ipped with the lower anchorage attachments can st ill be installed
in compliance with the ch ild restraint manufact urer's instructions on
using vehicle safety belts .
& WARNING
Improper use of LATCH lower anchorages can cause serious
per sonal injury in an accident.
• Always carefully follow the child restraints manufacturer 's
instructions for proper installation of the child restraint and
proper use of the lower anchorages or safety belts in your vehicle.
• Never secure or attach any luggage or other items to the
LATCH
lower anchorages.
• Always read and heed the important information about child
restraints in this chapter and WARNINGS :::;,
page 221, "Child
Safety". •