Page 193 of 316

Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
The convertible locking retractor for child re
straints will be deactivated automatically when the belt is wound all the way back into the retractor.
" Press the red button on the safety be lt
buck le. The belt tongue will pop out of the
bu ck le .
" Guide the safety belt all the way back into
its stowed position .
A lways le t the safety belt retrac t complete ly
into its stowed posit ion . The sa fety belt can
now be used as an ordinary safety belt with
out the convertib le locking retractor for chi ld
restra ints.
If the convertible locking retracto r shou ld be
activated inadvertently, the safety belt m ust
be unfastened and guided completely back in
to its stowed position to deactivate th is fea
ture. If the convertib le locking retractor is not
deactivated, the safety belt will gradually be
come tighter and u ncomfo rtable to wea r.
A WARNING
Imprope rly insta lled child saf ety seats in
c rease the risk of ser ious perso nal inju ry
a nd dea th in a collision.
- Never unfasten the safety belt to deacti
va te the convert ible lo ck ing re tr act or for
c hild res train ts w hile the veh icle is mov
ing. You would not be rest rained an d
cou ld be seriously injure d in an accident.
- Always read and hee d all WARN INGS
whenever using a child rest rained in ave
hicle is being used
¢page 178. Special
precautions apply when installing a ch ild
safety seat on the front passenger seat
¢ page 158, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
Child Sa fet y 191
LATCH Lower
anchorages and tethers
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To p rov ide a simple r and more practicable way
to attach the chil d restra in t on t he vehi cle
seat, Federal regulat ions req uire spec ia l lower
an chorages in vehicles and devi ces on new
c h ild restraints to at tach to the vehicle ancho
rages.
T he combination o f the te ther anchorages and
t he lower anchorages is now gener ally c alled
the
LATCH system for " Lowe r Anchorages and
T ethers for Chil dren."
Fo rw ard- facing ch ild restr ain ts manufa ctured
after September 1, 19 99, are requ ired by U .S .
f edera l reg ulations to comply wi th new child
head movement performance req uir ements .
These new performance requirements make a
tether necessary on most new child seats.
Installing a chil d restraint that requires a top
tether without one can seriously impair the performance of the c hild restra int and its abil
ity to protect the child in a coll is ion. Insta lling
a chi ld restraint that requi res a top tether
without the top tether may be a violat io n of
state law.
Child restraint manufacturers offer LATCH
lower anchorages on their child seats w ith
hook-on or push-on connectors attached to
adjustable straps.
In add ition to the LATCH lower anchorages,
these chi ld restraint systems usually require
the use of tether straps to he lp keep the chi ld
rest raint fi rmly in place .
A WARNING
Imp roper installat io n of ch ild restra ints
will increase the r is k of inj ury a nd deat h in
a c rash.
-
•
•
Page 194 of 316

192 Child Safety
-Always follow the instructions provided
by the manufacturer of the child re
straint you intend to install in your vehi
cle.
- Never install a child restraint without a
properly attached top tether strap if the
child restraint manufacturer's instruc
tions 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 anchorag
es .
(j) Tips
-In Canada, the terms "top tether" with
"lowe r universal anchorages" (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. 179 Schematic overview: LATCH a nch orage point
locations
The illustration shows the seating locations in
your vehicle which are equipped with the low
er anchorages system.
Description
The lower anchorage positions are marked
for quick locating.
Fig. 180 Lower anchorages, covers marked
Fig. 181 Rear seats: lower anc horage bracket locations
Lower anchorages
The lower anchorage attachment points are
located between the rear seatback and rear
seat cushion.
Remove the covers ¢
fig. 180 to access the
lower anchorage attachment points.
The lower anchorage attachment points are
visible
c:> fig. 181 .
Lower anchorages secure the chi ld restraint in
the seat without using the vehicle's safety
belts. Anchorages provide a secure and easy
to-use attachment and minimize the possibili
ty of improper child restraint installation .
All child restraints manufactured after Sep
tember 1, 2002, must have lower anchorage
attachments for the
LATCH system.
Remember that the lower anchorage points
are only intended for installation and attach
ment of child restraints specifically certified
for use with
LATCH lower anchorages. Child ..,_
Page 195 of 316

restraints that are not equipped with the low
er anchorage attachments can still be instal
led in compliance with the ch ild restra int
manufacturer's instructions on using vehicle
safety belts.
A WARNING
Improper use of LATCH lower anchorages
can cause serious personal injury in an ac
cident.
-Always carefully follow the ch ild re
straints manufacturer's inst ruct ions for
proper installation of the child restra int
and proper use of the lowe r anchorages
or safe ty belts in your vehicle.
- Never secure o r attach any luggage or
other items to the
LATCH lower ancho
rages.
- Always read and heed the important in
formation about ch ild restra ints in this
chapter and WARNINGS
~ page 178,
Child Safety.
Installing a child restraint with LATCH
lower anchorages
Whenever you install a child restraint always
follow the child restraint manufacturer's in
structions.
F ig. 182 Lower ancho rages: proper mount ing
Mounting
~ Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in the upr ight position and securely
latched in place.
~ Attach both hook-on connectors with the
spring catch release o n the child safety seat
onto the LATC H lower anchorage so that the
connectors lock into place
~ fig. 182.
Child S afety 193
~ Pull on the connector attachments to make
sure they are properly attached to the LATCH
lower anchorage.
~ Pull straps tight following the child re
straint manufacturer's instructions.
Relea sing
~ Loosen the tension on the straps following
the child restraint manufacturer's instruc
tions.
~ Depress the spring catches to release the
anchorage hooks from the lower anchorag
es .
Remember: Use tether straps to help keep the
ch ild restraint firmly in place.
A WARNING
Improper use of the LATCH system can in
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in an accident .
- These anchors were developed only for
child safety seats using the "LATCH" sys
tem.
- Never attach other ch ild safety seats,
be lts or other objects to these anchors.
- Always make sure that you hear a click when latch ing the seat in place. If you do
not hear a click the seat is not secu re and
could fly forwa rd and hit the inter ior of
the vehicle, or be e jected from the vehi
cle.
A WARNING
Improper installat ion of child restraints
will i ncrease the risk of injury in an acci
dent .
- A lways follow the child restraint system
manufacturer's instructions for proper
installation of the ch ild restra int system
and proper use of tether straps as well as
the lower anchorages or safety belts in
your veh icle.
- Always read and heed the important in
formation and WARNINGS about child
safety and the instal lation of ch ild re
straint systems~
page 178, Child Safe
ty.
-
Page 196 of 316

194 Child Safe ty
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 183 Tethe r ancho rs: attachment hook locatio ns
behind the rea r sea tbacks
The tether anchors for the rear seating posi
tions are located on the backside of the rea r
seatbacks
~ fig. 183.
A tether is a straight or V-shaped strap that
attaches the top part of a child restraint to
specia l anchorage points in the veh icle.
The purpose of the tether is to reduce the for·
ward movement of the ch ild restra int in a
crash, in order to help reduce the r isk of head
in ju ry that could be ca used by striking the ve
hicle interior.
Forward facing child restra ints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are required by U .S .
federal regulations to comply with new child
head movement performance requirements.
These new performance requ irements make a
tether necessary on most new chi ld safety
seats.
A WARNING
Improper insta llation of chi ld restraints
w ill increase the risk of injury and death in
a crash.
- Always follow the instructions prov ided
by the manufacturer of the ch ild re
stra int you intend to install in your Audi.
- Improper use of c hild restra int anchors
(including tether anchors) can lead to in ·
jury in a co llision. Th e anchors are de·
sign ed to withstand only those loads im
posed by cor rect ly fi tted ch ild restraints.
- Never mou nt two chi ld restraint systems
on one LA TCH lower anchor po int. -
Never attach two child restraint systems
to one tether strap or tether anchorage .
- Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down
hook in the luggage compartment.
- Never use child restraint tether ancho
rages to secure safety belts or other
kinds of occupant restraints.
- Never secure or attac h any luggage or
other items to the LATCH lower ancho
rages or to the tether anchors.
- If a tether or other strap is used to at
tach a chi ld restraint to the front passen
ger seat, make sure that it is not so
tight, that it causes the weight-sensing mat to measure more we ight than is ac
tually on the seat.
- The heavier weight registered can make the Advanced Airbag System work as
though an adult were o n the seat and de·
p loy the Advanced Airbag when it mus t
be supp ressed causi ng serio us or even
fatal injury to the ch ild .
- If you must ins tall a rearw ard fa cing
c h ild safe ty seat on the fro nt passenger
seat because of exceptiona l circumstan
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on , im
mediately insta ll the rear-fac ing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Aud i deale r.
Page 197 of 316

Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Fig. 184 Tether strap: proper routi ng and mounting
Fig. 185 Tether strap: proper rou ting and mounting
In sta ll ing the tether strap
• Release or deploy the tether strap on the
child restra int according to the child re
straint manufacturer's instructions .
• Gu ide the upper tether strap
under the rear
head restraint and into the rear cargo area
Q fig. 185 (raise the head restraint if neces
sary) .
• Slide the tether st rap hook over the ancho r
bracket.
• Pu ll on the tether strap hook so that the
spring catch of the hook engages.
• Tighten the tether strap firmly following
the child restrai nt manufacturer's instruc
t ions .
Attaching to the cent er seating po sition
• Slide the rear seat forward ¢ page 64.
• Pull the anchor bracket forward and con
nect the tether strap hook.
• Tighten the tether strap and move the seat
backward .
Child Safet y 195
Releasing th e teth er strap
• Loosen the tension following the child re
straint manufacturer's instructions.
• Depress the spring catch on the hook and
release it from the anchorage.
(D Note
If you leave the child restraint w ith the
tether strap firmly installed fo r several
days, t his could leave a mark on the up
holstery on the seat cushion and backrest
in the area where the tether strap was in
stalled . The upholstery would also be per
manently stretched around the tether
strap. This applies especia lly to leather
seats.
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently, few rear-facing child restraint sys
tems come with a tether. Please read and
heed the ch ild restraint system manufactur
er's instructions carefully to determine how to
properly install the tether .
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-fac ing ch ild safety
seat installed on the front passenger seat
will be ser ious ly injured and can be killed if
the front airbag inflates -even with an Ad
vanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, or door.
- A tight tether or other strap on a rear
ward-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 A irbag System. The heavier
weight registered can make the system
wo rk as though an adult we re on the seat
a nd deploy the Advanced Airbag when it
Page 198 of 316

196 Child Saf ety
must be suppressed ca using serious or
even fatal injury to the child.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan
ces and the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im
med iately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating posi tion and
have the a irbag system inspec ted by your
Audi dealer.
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a numbe r of sources of addi tional
i n fo rmation about ch ild restra int select ion, in
stallat io n and use:
NHTSA advises that the best child safety seat
is the one that fits your child and fi ts in your
ve hicle, and that you w ill use correctly and
con sis tently.
Try before you buy!
U.S National H ighway Traffic Safety Admin
istrat ion
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY : 1-800-424-9153)
http ://www .nhtsa .gov
National SAFE KID S Campaign
Te l.: (202) 662-0600
http ://www .safekids.org
Safety BeltS afe U .S.A
Te l.: (800) 745-SAF E (E nglish)
Te l.: (800) 747-SANO (Spanish)
http ://www .carseat.org
Tran sport Canada Info rm ation Cent re
Te l.: 1-800-333 -0371 o r call
1-613-998-8616 if you are in the Ottawa area
http ://www .tc.gc .ca/eng/roadsafety/
menu .htm
Audi Customer Relations
Te l.: (800) 822-2834
Page 199 of 316

Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu
facturers for the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event. EDR's are sometimes called "crash re
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, engine function, emis
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle op
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and downloaded with special equip
ment.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) rein
forces driver safety. It reduces the risk of slip
ping and improves driving stability. ESC de
tects critical s ituations such as the vehicle
Intelligent technology 197
oversteering and understeering or the whee ls
spinning . The vehicle is stabilized by applying
the brakes or reducing eng ine torque . Once
the ESC is active, the indicator light
G1 blinks
in the instrument cluster.
ESC includes the anti-lock brake system (ABS),
brake assist system, anti-slip regulation
(ASR), electronic differential lock (EDL), dy
namic steering*, hill descent assist and selec
tive wheel torque control.
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the whee ls from locking up
when braking . The vehicle can still be steered
even during hard braking. App ly steady pres
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped
al. A pulsing in the brake pedal indicates that
the system is helping you to brake the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking
distance. It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake pedal quickly in emer
gency situations . You must press and hold the
brake pedal until the situation is over . In
vehicles with adaptive cruise control*, the
brake assist system is more sensitive if the
distance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels beg in to sp in and adapts the force to
the road conditions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerate and drive up hill s.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the othe r whee ls .
T his function is available up to about 78 mph
(125 km/h) .
In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked wheel
from overheat ing. EDL will switch on again au
tomatically when conditions have returned to
normal.
•
•
Page 200 of 316

198 Intelligent technology
Dynamic ste ering *
On vehicles with dynamic stee ring* , ES C helps
stabilize the st eering in critical s ituations .
Selective wh eel torque c ontrol
The selective whee l torque control operates
when dr iv ing through curves . T he front wheel
on the inside of the curve or both wheels on
the inside of the curv e are braked selective ly
as needed. This m inimizes sliding in the front
wheels and allows for more pr ecise driving
through curves . T he system may not act ivate
when driving in wet or snowy cond itions .
A WARNING
-ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL dynamic steering"
and the se lective wheel torque control
cannot overcome the laws of physics .
Th is is especially important on slippery
or wet roads.
If the systems begin act ing
to stabilize yo ur vehicle , you sho uld im
med iately change your speed to ma tch
the road and traffic condit ions. Do not
let the increased safety provided by
these systems tempt you to take risks. Do ing so wi ll increase the risk of a loss of
vehicle control, collision and serious per
sonal injuries .
- Always adapt your speed to road, traff ic
and weather condit ions. The risk of Los-
-
ing cont ro l of the veh icle increases when
dr iv ing too fast, especially th rough
c u rves and on slippery o r wet roads, and
when d riving too close to vehi cles up
ahead. ESC, A BS, the brake assis t sys
tem, AS R, EDL, dynamic steering* and
the se lective wheel torque control can
not prevent collis ions.
-Always acce lerate with specia l care on
even, smooth surfaces s uch as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even with
these ass istance systems that cannot al
ways help to reduce the risk of loss of ve
hicle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only wo rk correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identi
cal tires. Different tire si zes can lead to a
reduction in engine power .
- Yo u may hear noises when the systems
described are working.
- If the ind icator light
DJ or E (USA
mode ls)/ m] (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction
q page 15 ,
q page 17.
-When i nstalling a factory -supplied roof
rack system on the roof railing, the ESC
will adapt itse lf to a different center of
gravity .
Switching on/off
ESC turns on automatically when you start
the engine.
F ig. 1 86 Vers ion A: l owe r ce nte r con so le, butto n YJ
OFF
Fig. 1 87 Version B: upper cente r console, button YJ
OFF
ESC Offroad mode
The ESC Off road mode was developed espe
c ia lly for offroad driving . In o rder to maintain
max imum trac tion and optimal b raking when
driv ing offroad, the cond it ions for the ESC to
IJII,