180 Child Safet y
LATCH Lower
anchorages and tether
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To provide a simpler and more practicable way
to attach the child restraint on the vehicle
seat, Federal regulations require specia l lower
anchorages in veh icles and dev ices on new
child restraints to attach to the vehicle ancho
rages.
The combination of the tether anchorages and
the lower anchorages is now generally called
the
LA TC H system for "L ower Anchorages and
Tethers for C hildren ."
F orward-facing child restraints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are required by U.S.
federal regulations to comply with new child
head movement performance requirements .
These new performance requirements make a
tether necessary on most new child seats.
I nstalling a child restraint that requires a top
tether without one can seriously impair the
performance of the child restraint and its abi l
ity 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 .
Ch ild restra int manufacturers offer LATCH
lower anchorages on their child seats with
hook-on or push-on connectors attached to
adj ustab le straps.
In addition to the LATCH lower anchorages,
these child restraint systems usually require
the use of tether straps to help keep the child
restra int firmly in place.
_&. WARNING
Imprope r insta llation of chi ld restraints
w ill increase the risk of inju ry and death in
a crash.
- Always fo llow the instructions p rov ided
by the manufacturer of the c hild re- straint yo
u 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 LATC H
lower anchorage points can lead to injury
in a collision . T he LATC H lower anchorage
points are designed to withstand on ly
those loads imposed by correctly fitted
chi ld res traints.
- Never mount two child restra int systems
on one LATC H lower anchorage point.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or
other item to the LATCH lower anchorag
es.
(D Tips
In Canada, the terms "top tether" with
"lower universa l anchorages" (or "lower
u niversa l anchorage ba rs") are used to de
scribe the system.
- In other countries, the term " ISOFIX" is
used to describe the lower a ncho rages.
Location
Fi g. 166 Sc hem atic overview: LA TCH ancho rage point
l ocations
T he illust rat ion shows the seat ing loca tions in
you r vehicle which are equipped with the low
er anchorages system.
Description
The lower anchorage positions are marked
for quick locating.
Fig . 167 Lower anchorages, covers marked
Fig . 168 Rear seats: lower anchorage b racket locat ions
Lowe r ancho rages
The lower anchorage attachment points a re
located on the rear e nd of the rear sea tback.
Remove the covers
c:;, fig . 167 to access the
l ower anchorage attachment po ints.
The lower anchorage attachment points are
visible
c:;, fig . 168 .
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 attachment and minimize the possibili
ty of improper child restraint installation .
All ch ild restra ints 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 w ith
LATCH lower anchorages . Child
restra ints that are not equipped with the low
e r anchorage attachments ca n still be instal-
Child S afety 181
led in compliance with the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions on using vehicle
safety belts .
_& WARNING
Improper use of LATCH lower anchorages
can cause serious personal injury in an ac
cident.
- Always carefully follow the child re
straints manufacturer's instructions for
proper installation of the child restraint
and p roper use of th e lower anchorages
or safety belts in yo ur vehicle.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or
other items to the
LATCH lowe r ancho
rages.
- Always read and heed the importa nt in
formation about child r estraints in this
chapter and WARN INGS
¢page 166,
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. 169 Lowe r anc horages: proper mount ing
Mounting
.,. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in the upright pos it ion and securely
latched in place .
... Attach both hook-on co nnectors with the
spring catch rel ease on the child safety seat
onto the LATCH lower anchorage so that the
connec to rs lock into place
c:;, fig. 169 . ..,_
182 Child Safet y
• 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.
Re leasin g
• Loosen the tension on the straps following
the chi ld restraint manufacturer 's instruc
tions .
• Depress the spring catche s to release the
anchorage hooks from the lower anchorag
es .
Remember: Use tether straps to help keep the
child restrain t firmly in place.
A WARNING ,.
Improper use of the LATCH system can in
crease the risk of ser ious personal injury
and death in an acc ident .
- T hese anchors were developed only for
child safety seats us ing the "LATCH" sys
tem .
- Never attach other child safety seats,
belts or ot her 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
cou ld fly forward and h it the interior of
t he vehicle, or be ejected from the vehi
cle .
A WARNING
Improper insta llation of chi ld restraints
wi ll increase the risk of injury in an acc i
dent.
- Always follow the child restraint system manufacturer's instructions for proper
installation of the child restraint system
and proper use of tether straps as we ll as
the lower anchorages or safety belts in
your vehicle .
- Always read and heed the important in
format ion and WARNINGS about child
safety and the installation of child re
st raint systems ¢ page 166, Child Safe
ty.
-
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 170 Se dan Tet her an ch or s: r ecess flaps behind th e
rear sea tback s
Fig. 171 all road Tether a nch o rs: attachmen t hook lo
ca tions beh ind t he rear s eatb acks
Sedan: The tether ancho rs for the rea r seat ing
positions are located in recesses in the rear
windowshelf ¢fig.170.
allroad: The tether anchors for the rear seat
ing pos it ions are located on the backside of
the rear seatbacks
¢ fig. 171 .
A tether is a stra ight or V-shaped strap that
attaches the top part of a child restraint to
special anchorage points in th e vehicle.
T he purpose of the tethe r is to reduce the for
ward movement of the child restraint in a
crash, in order to help reduce the risk of head
injury that cou ld be caused by striking t he ve
hicle interior .
Forward facing child restraints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are requ ired by U.S .
federal regu lations to comply with c hild head
movement performance requirements. These
new perfo rmance requirements make a tether
neces sary on mos t new child safety sea ts.
IIIJ.
_& 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 re
straint you intend to install in your Audi.
- Improper use of child restraint anchors
(including tether anchors) can lead to in
jury in a collision. The anchors are de
signed to withstand only those loads im
posed by correctly fitted child restraints.
- Never mount two child restraint systems
on one LATCH lower anchor point.
- 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 attach 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 child 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 weight than is ac
tually on the seat.
- The heavier weight registered can make
the Advanced Airbag System work as
though an adult were on the seat and de
ploy the Advanced Airbag when it must
be suppressed causing 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
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im
mediately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
Child Safety 183
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Fig . 172 Sedan Tether strap: proper routing and
mou nting
Fig. 173 allroad Tether strap: proper routing and
mo unting
Installing the tether strap
.,. Release or deploy the tether strap on the
child restraint according to the child re
straint manufacturer's instructions .
.,. Guide the upper tether strap
under the rear
head restraint ~
fig. 172 or¢ fig. 173 (raise
the head restraint if necessary).
.,. Sedan: Tilt the recess flap up to expose the
anchor bracket.
.,. Sedan: Attach the tether strap anchorage
hook into th e opening of the tether anchor
age .
.,. allroad: Slide the tether strap hook over the
anchor bracket.
.,. Pull on the tether strap hook so that the
spring catch of the hook engages .
.,. Tighten the tether strap firmly following
the child restraint manufacturer's instruc
t ions.
Releasing the tether strap
.,. Loosen the tension following the child re -
straint manufacturer's instructions.
1J1-
184 Child Saf ety
• Depress the spring catch on the hook and
release it from the anchorage .
(D Note
If you leave the child restraint with the
tether strap firmly insta lled for several
days, this cou ld leave a mark on the up
holstery on the seat c ushion and backrest
in the area where the tether strap was in
stalled. The upholstery would a lso be per
manently stretched around the tether
strap. Th is applies especially to leather
seats.
Using tether straps on rea rward-facing
child restraints
Currently, few rearward-facing child rest raint
systems come with a tether . P lease read and
heed the child restraint system manufactur
er's instructions carefully to determine how to properly instal l the tether.
A WARNING
-
A child in a rea rward-facing child sa fety
s e at insta lled on the front passenger seat
w ill be seriously injured and can be killed if
t he fron t air bag infl ates -even wit h an Ad
vanced Airbag System.
- T he inflati ng a irbag wi ll hit the child
sa fety sea t or infan t carrier w it h grea t
f orce and w ill smash the c hild safety sea t
and child against the backrest, cente r
armrest, or door.
- A tight tet her or ot her st rap on a rear
wa rd-facing child restra int attached to
the front passenger seat can put too much pressure on the weight-mat i n the
seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. The heav ie r
we ight registe red can make the system
wor k as though a n adu lt were on the seat
and dep loy the A dvan ced Airbag when i t
mus t be suppres sed c ausing seriou s or
eve n fa tal injury to the child.
- If you mus t install a rea rw ard fa ci ng
ch ild s afety se at on the front passenge r
sea t beca use of excep tional circ ums tan - ces and t
he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im
mediately install the rearward-fac ing
child safety seat in a rear seating posi·
tion and have t he ai rbag system inspec t
e d by your authorized A udi dealer .
Additional Information
'
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a number of sources of add itiona l
information about child restra int selection, in
sta llation and use:
NHTSA advises that the best ch ild safety seat
is the one that fits your ch ild and fits in your
vehicle, and that you will use correct ly and
cons istently .
Try before yo u buy!
U .S National Highway Traffi c Safet y Admin
istration
Tel.: 1 -888-327- 4236 (TIY: 1-800-424-9153)
www.n htsa.gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Tel.: (202) 662 -0600
www.safek ids.org
Safet y BeltSafe U.S.A
Tel.: (800) 7 45-SAFE (English)
T el.: (800) 7 47-SANO (Spanis h)
www.carseat.org
Transport Canada Information Centre
T el.: 1 -800 -33 3-0371 o r ca ll
1-6 13-998-86 16 if yo u are i n the Ottawa area
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/
menu. htm
Audi Cu stomer Relation s
Tel.: (800) 822 -2834
202 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value .
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
purchase . Regular and correct care w ill con
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty claim should
corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Your author ized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedicated vehicle-care products and can ad
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i
or and interior of your vehicle .
Whether you use products recommended by
Audi or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor
rectly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product . Follow the di
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol ish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammable or
hazardous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ignit ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, etc. without pro
tecting your hands and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts. -
Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 188. Test the
brakes carefully each time you wash the
veh icle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environ mentally friendly clean
ing products. Leftover cleaning products
should not disposed of in the household
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best p rotection against environmental in
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often this is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the vehicle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental influences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and industria l gr ime, tar, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle body, the more lasting their destructive ef
fects will be . High temperatures caused by ex
posure to intense sunlight intensify the corro
sive effect, particularly when humidity is high as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekly washing
may be necessary. Under other conditions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferably in a
professional car wash.
Vehicles with matte finish paint
c::> page 204.
A WARNING
-A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c::> page 202.
210 Cleaning and protec tio n
grease or dye must be patted off using ab
sorbent materia l. It may be necessary to re
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa
te r.
I n the case of general soi ling of the uphols
tery and cover material, we recommend hiring
a specialist that has the equ ipment to clean
the seat cove rs and other fabric surfaces by
shampooing and spray ex traction.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
~ page 202.
(D Tips
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Velcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas. For pers istent dirt
use an Audi approved
s ol ve nt-fr ee plastic
cleane r/protectant.
A WARNING
So lvents can change the properties of
some plastics and make it harder for the
airbag to dep loy.
- Never clean the instr ument pane l or the
surface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents .
- Products containing solvents wi ll make
the surface of th is part porous.
- Serious injuries can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other information ~
page 202.
0 Note
Cleaning agents con taining solvents will
at tac k the mater ial and can change the
way it behaves .
Natural leather
Applies to vehicles: wit h natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather .
General
We offer many d ifferent types of leather on
our vehicles. Most are d ifferent types of nappa
leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors .
The intensity of the co lo r determines the visu
al characterist ics and appearance . If the sur
face of the leather has a typ ica l natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relat ive ly natura l condit ion. This
leather offe rs particularly good comfort and
breathes we ll. Fine veins, closed grai ns, insect
bites, skin fo lds, and s ubt le va ria tions in color
remain visible . These characteristics demon
strate that the material is natura l.
Natura l na ppa le ather is not covered by a co l
o r finish. It is therefore mo re sensit ive to soil
ing and wea r, which is something you need to
consider if children, animals or other factors
might prove to be part icu larly hard on the
leather.
By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a colo red finish layer are more durable . This
has a positive effect on the leather's resist
ance to wear and soiling in dai ly use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu
ral leather are barely or not apparent . Howev
er, th is does not mean that the leathe r itself
is of infe rior quality .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Aud i uses and their unique prop
erties (such as sens it ivity to oils, grease, soil
i ng, etc.), you will need to be somewhat ca re
ful with these leathers, and a ce rtain type of
ca re is req uired. For example, dark clo thing
ma ter ials can disco lor le athe r seats (especia l
ly if such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correct ly). Dust and dirt particles in pores ,
folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect ..,..
220 Checking and filling
-To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care
fully opening the hood .
- Keep children away from the engine com
partment .
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool
ant system is pressurized and hot cool
ant could spray out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of automatic trans- mission to
"P" (Park); put manual
transmission in Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact ing hot parts . Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine .
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards
~ /1. .
A WARNING
=
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac
cessories contain lead and lead com
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam
age to vehicle systems will occur.
@) For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au
thorized Audi dealer.