2011 AUDI A6 Owners Manual

Child Safety -
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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

-Child Safety P:fM..,____ ______________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
• Always bu ckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a
child i s not sitting in it . A loo se child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a crash.
• Always make sure the seat backre st to which the child restraint
is installed is in an up right position and securely latched into place
and cannot fold forward . Otherwise, the seat back with the child
safety seat attached to it could fly forward in the event of an acci ­
dent or other emergency situation.
• Alway s read and heed all WARNINGS wheneve r using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=>
page 219. Special precau­
tions apply when installing a ch ild safety seat on the front
passenger seat =>
page 199, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know ".•
Deactivating the convertible Locking
retractor
The convertible l ocking retrac tor for child restraints will
be d eactivated automatically when the belt is wound all
the way back into the retractor.
- P ress the red butto n on t he safety be lt buckle . T he belt
to ngue will pop out o f the buckle.
- G uid e the s afety belt all the way back in to its stowed posi-
t ion .
Always le t the safety be lt retract comple tely i nto i ts s towed position.
T he safety bel t can now be used as an ord inary safety belt without the
convertib le locking ret ractor for ch ild rest raints.
If th e convertible locking r etractor should be activated inadve rtently,
the safety be lt must be unfastened and guided comp letely back into
i t s s towe d position to de activa te th is fe ature. If th e convert ible locking retractor is
not deact ivated, the safety belt w ill gradua lly
become tigh ter and uncomfo rtable to we ar.
& WARNING
Improperly in stalled child safety seats increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a collision.
• Never unfasten the safety belt to deactivate the convertible
lo cking retractor for child restraints while the vehicle is moving.
You would not be restrained and could be seriou sly injured in an
a ccident .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever u sing a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=> page 219. Special precau­
tions apply when in stalling a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat =>
page 199, "Child restraints on the front seat -
s ome important things to know ".•
LATCH Lower anchorages and
tethers for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
T o prov ide a simp le r a nd more practic able way to a ttach the child
restraint on the vehicle seat, Federal regulat ions require special
lowe r anch orages in ve hicl es and devi ces on new ch ild re st rain ts to
attac h to the veh icle anchorages.
Th e combination of the tether anchorages and the lower anchorages
is now gene rally called the
LATCH sys tem fo r "Lowe r Anch orages and
T ethers for Children ."
Forw ard -fa cing child res train ts manuf actured aft e r September 1,
1999, are required by U.S. federa l regu lat ions to comp ly with new
c hild head moveme nt performan ce requirements. These new per for -
~

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 "ISOFIX" is used to describe the lower
anchorages. •
Location
Fig. 193 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

Ill Child Safety __ .,.___ ____________ _
Description
The lower anchorage positions are marked for quick
locating.
Fig. 194 Rear seat­
backs: locator buttons
fo r lower anchorages
Fig . 195 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. 194 .
Lower anchorages
The lower anchorage attachment points are located between the rear
seatback and rear seat cushion:::;, fig . 195.
Lower anchorages secure the child restraint in the seat without using
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 219, "Child
Safety". •

Guidance fixtures for Lower anchorages
Special guidance fixtures increase the convenience of the lower anchorages and are available from your authorized
Audi dealer .
Fig. 196 Outer rear
seats: installing the
guidance fixtures
Fig. 197 Close-up:
fitting the guidance
fixture over the lower
anchorage bracket
The lower anchorage attachment points are located on the
rear seats between the seatback and the seat cushion.
Special guidance fixtures increase the convenience of the lower anchorages and help protect the seat material from
possible damage when installing child restraints.
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Child Safety
Installing the guidance fixtures
- Push down on the seat cushion so that the lower anchor­
ages are visible .
- Hold the guidance fixture with the part number facing
downward and push it in the direction of the arrow onto
the anchorage ~ fig . 197 .
- Make sure that each of the two guidance fixtures per seat
snaps into place .
Removing the guidance fixtures
-Remove the child restraint according the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions.
- Push down on the seat cushion so that the lower anchor­
ages are visible.
- Pull off the guidance fixtures from the lower anchorages .
- Always remove the guidance fixtures and keep them in a
safe place when not in use.
You may find it easier to install child restraints equipped with hooks
attached to straps without the guidance fixtures in place.
If this is the
case, remove the guidance fixtures by pulling them off the anchor­
ages . However, the guidance fixtures can help you to locate the
LATCH anchorages.
& WARNING
Improper use of tether anchorages or lower anchorages can cause
serious personal injury in a crash.
• Always carefully follow the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions for proper installation and use of child restraint
systems.
II>
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

lffll.___C_ h_ il_d _ S_a _ f_ e _ t--= y '------------------------------------------------
& WA RNING (conti nued)
• Never u se the LATCH or tether anchorages to attach safety
belt s or other kinds of occupant re straints .
• Child restraint tether attachments and lower attachment s are
only designed to se cure a child restraint that has been equipped to
u se the se anchorages.
• Tether anchorages and lower anchorages are designed to with ·
stand only tho se loads imposed by correctly fitted child re straints.
Under no circumstances can they be used safely for adult or child
s afety belts or harnesses .
• Never mount more than one child restraint to a s ingle tether or
to a lower anchorage point. Attaching two child restraint s to a
single anchorage point can cause the anchorage to fail and cause
seriou s personal injury in a crash.
0 Note
• Remove the g uidance fixtures before folding the rear seatback to
preven t damaging the seat cushion .
• If you leave t he gui dance fix tures ins talled for severa l days, they
co uld leave a mark o n th e upholste ry on t he seat c ushi on and bac krest
in th e area t hat the guidance fixt ures w ere install ed. The upholstery
wou ld also be permane ntly stretc hed a round the gu idance fixtures .
Th is applies especially to leathe r seats. •
Installing a child restraint with LATCH
lower anchorages
Whenev er you install a child restraint always f ollo w the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions.
Mounting
Fig. 19 8 Lower
anch ora ges : pr op er
mounting
- M ake sure the seat back of the re ar seat bench is in the
u prigh t position a nd securely latche d in p lace .
- Att ach both hook-o n con nectors wi th th e spring catc h
release on t he ch ild sa fety se at o nto the LATC H lower
anchorage so t hat th e connectors lock i nto place
~ fi g. 198 .
-Pull o n the con nec tor attac hmen ts to ma ke s ure they are
properly attac hed to t he LAT CH lower anchorage.
- Pull st ra ps t ig ht fo llow ing t he child r est raint manufa c­
t u re r's instr uct io ns.
Releasing
- Loose n the tens ion on t he straps fo llowing t he child
restrain t man ufacture r's i nst ructions.

-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
219, "Child Safety".•
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Child Safety
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 199 Tether
an chors : recess flaps
behind the rear seat·
backs
The tether anchors for the rear seating positions are located in recesses in the rear window shelf~ fig . 199.
A tether is a straight or V-shaped strap that attaches the top part of
a child restraint to special anchorage points in the vehicle.
Th e pu rpose of the tether is to reduce the forward movement of the
child restraint in a crash, in order to help reduce the risk of head injury
that could be caused by striking the veh icle inter ior.
Forward fac ing ch ild restraints manufact ured after September 1,
1999, are required by U.S. federa l regulations to comply with new
child head movement performance requirements. These new perfor·
mance requirements make a tether necessary on most new child
safety seats.
& 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 Audi.
• Improper use of child restraint anchors (including tether
anchors) can lead to injury in a collision . The anchors are designed •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

___ C_h _i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_,, y'-----------------------------------------------
& WARNING (cont inued )
to withstand only those loads imposed by correctly fitted child
restraints.
• Never mount two child restraint systems on one LATCH lower
anchor point .
• Never attach two child restraint system s to one tether strap or
tether anchorage.
• Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down hook in the luggage
compartment.
• Never u se child restraint tether anchorages to secure safety
belts or other kinds of occupant restraints .
• Never se cure or attach any luggage or other items to the LATCH
lower anchorages or to the tether anchors.
• If a tether or other strap i s used to attach a child restraint to
the front passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight, that it
c auses the weight -sensing mat to mea sure more weight than is
actually on the seat .
• The heavier weight regi stered can make the Advan ced Airbag
System work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy the
Advanced Airbag when it must be suppre ssed causing serious or
e ven fatal injury to the child.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of e xceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer. •
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Installing the tether strap
Fig. 2 00 Tet her s tra p :
prop er rou ting and
mounting
- Release or deploy the tet her strap on the ch ild restrai nt
according to the c hild restrain t manufac ture r's instruc ­
tions .
- Guide t he u pper tet her strap
under th e rear head rest raint
=> fi g. 20 0 (raise t he head restraint if necessary).
- T ilt the recess fla p up to ex pose t he anc hor brac ke t.
- Attach the teth er st ra p anchora ge hoo k in to the openi ng
of t he t eth er anchora ge.
- Pu ll on the tet her s trap hoo k so that the s pri ng catch of
th e h ook is e ngag ed .
- Tighte n the te ther s trap firm ly followi ng the chi ld
res traint manufactu re r's i nstruc tio ns.
Releasing the tether strap
- Loos en the ten sion follow ing th e ch ild restr aint man ufac -
t u re r's instru ctio ns.
~