Child safety
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. 177 Rear seat: child prope rly restrained in a booste r
seat
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most
children until they are at least 4
ft. 9 in . (57 in
ches/1.45 meters) tall and weigh about 80 lbs. (36 kg) . Booster seats raise these children 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 .
• Do not use the convertible locking retractor
when using the vehicle's safety belt to restrain
a child on a booster seat.
• The shoulder belt must lie as close to the cen
ter of the child's collar bone as possible and
must lie fla t and snug on the upper body. It
must never lie across the throat or neck . The
lap belt must lie across the pelvis and never
across the stomach or abdomen . Make sure the
belt lies flat and snug. Pull on the belt to tight
en if necessary.
• If you must transport an older child in a boos
ter seat on the front passenger seat, you can
use the safety belt height adjustment to help
adjust the shoulder portion properly .
• Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
c> page 177.
Children up to at least 8 years old (over 40 lbs. or
18 kg) are best protected in child safety seats de
signed for their age and weight. Experts say that
the skeletal structure, particularly the pelvis, of
these children is not fully developed, and they
180
must not use the vehicle safety belts without a
suitable child restra int .
It is usually best to put these children in appro
priate 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 shoulder
parts of the safety belt so that they pass across
the child's body in the right places. The routing of
the belt over the child's body is very important
for the child's protection, whether or not a boos
ter seat is used. Children age 12 and under must
always ride in the rear seat .
Ch ildren 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 portion of the vehicle's safety belt alone
to restrain any child, regardless of how big the
child is. Always remember that children do not
have the pronounced pelvic structure required for
the proper function of lap belt portion of the ve
hicle's three point lap and shoulder belts . The
child's safety absolutely requires that a lap belt
portion of the safety belt 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 must inflate within a blink of
an eye and with considerable force . In order to do
its job, the airbag needs room to inflate so that it
will be there to protect the occupant as the occu
pant moves forward into the airbag .
A vehicle occupant who is out of position and too
close to the airbag gets in the way of an inflating
airbag. When an occupant is too close, he or she
will be struck violently and will receive serious or possibly even fatal injury .
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is
important that all vehicle occupants, especially
any children, who must be in the fron t seat be
cause of exceptional circumstances, be properly
restrained and as far away from the airbag as
possible. By keeping room between the child's .,,.
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body and the front of the passenger compart
ment, the airbag can inflate comp letely and pro
vide supp lemental protection in certain frontal
coll is ions .
& WARNING
Not using a booster seat, us ing the booster
seat imprope rly, incorrect ly installing a boos
ter seat or using the vehicle safety belt im prope rly increases the r isk of se rious personal
injury and death in a collision or other emer
gency sit uat ion. To he lp reduce the risk of se
r ious personal inju ry and/or death:
- T he shoulder be lt mus t lie as close to the
c en ter o f the child's co llar bone as possible
and must lie f lat and snug on the uppe r
body.
It must never lie across the throat o r
neck . The lap belt m ust lie across the pelv is
and never across the stomach or abdomen.
Make sure the belt lies flat and snug. Pull on
the belt to t ighten if necessary.
- Failure to properly route safety belts over a
child's body will cause severe in juries in an
acc ident or other emergency situat ion
~ page 144.
-The rea r side of the child safety seat shou ld
be pos it ioned as close as poss ible to the
backrest on the vehicle seat . Adjust or re
move the rear seat head rest raint if it is d if
ficult to install the child seat w ith the he ad
res traint in p lace
~ page 67. Inst all the
head restraint again immed iate ly once the
child seat is removed . Dr iv ing without head
restraints or with head rest raints that are
not prope rly adjusted inc reases the r isk o f
serious or fatal neck injury dramatically.
- Children on the front seat of any car, even
with Advanced Airbags, can be ser ious ly in
jured or even killed when an airbag inflates.
- Never let a child stand or knee l on any seat,
for example the front seat.
- Never let a child ride in the cargo area of
yo ur vehicle.
- Always remember that a chi ld lean ing fo r
ward, sitting s ideways or o ut o f pos ition in
any way dur ing an accident can be struck by
a deploying airbag. Th is w ill result in ser ious
persona l inju ry or death .
Child sa fety
- If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenge r seat because o f exceptional
circumstances the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght must come on and stay on, when
eve r the ignit ion is switched o n.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, perform the
checks desc ribed
~ page 162, Monitoring
th e Advanc ed Airbag System.
- Take t he chi ld restraint off the fron t passen
ge r seat and install it properly at one of the
rea r seat posi tions if the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
ligh t does n ot stay on whenever
the igni tion is switched on.
- Always read and heed al l WARN IN GS when
eve r using a child res tra ine d in a vehicle is
be ing used ¢
page 1 44, Safety belts,
¢ page 152, Airbag system and
¢ page 172, Important information .
Securing child seats
Securing a child safety seat using a safety
belt
Safety belts for the rear seats and the front pas
senger can be lock ed with th e conv ertible locking
retrac tor to properly secure child safety seats.
The safety belts emergency locking retracto rs fo r
the rea r seats safety belts an d for the front pas
senger 's seat safety be lt have a convert ible lo ck
i ng re tr acto r fo r child restr aints. The safety be lt
must be loc ked so that belt webbing cannot un
reel. The ret ractor can be activated to lock the
safety belt and prevent the safety be lt webb ing
from loosen ing up d uring normal driv ing. A child
safety seat can on ly be properly installed when
the safety belt is locked so that the child and c h ild safety seat will stay in p lace .
Always remember: Even tho ugh your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
c hi ldren, especially those 12 years and younge r,
shou ld always r ide in the back seat prope rly re
stra ined for their age and size.
181
Child safety
A WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats in
crease the risk of serious personal injury and
death in a collision.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re
tractor is locked when installing a child safe
ty 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.
- Always make sure that the rear seat back
rest to which the center rear safety belt is
attached is securely latched whenever the
rear center safety belt is being used to se
cure a child restraint.
- If the backrest is not securely latched, the
child and the child restraint will be thrown
forward together with the backrest and will
strike parts of the vehicle interior. The child
can be seriously injured or killed.
- Never install rear-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 armrest, door
or roof.
-Always install rear-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 when
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
~page 172. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat~
page 153, Child
182
restraints on the front seat -some impor
tant things to know.
A WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must
install a forward or rearward-facing child re
straint on the front passenger's seat in excep
tional situations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front pas
senger 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 162, Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System.
-Take the child restraint off the front passen
ger 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 effectiveness 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 in
jury in a crash.
A WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
-Always make sure the forward-facing seat
has been designed and certified by its man
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas
senger front and side airbag.
- Never put the forward-facing child restraint
up, against or very near the instrument pan
el.
-
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-Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the air
bag as possible before installing the for
ward-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.
A 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 Ad
vanced 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 in
stall a rearward facing child safety seat on
the front passenger seat in exceptional cir cumstances.
- A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing
child restraint attached to the front passen
ger seat can put too much pressure on the
weight-mat in the seat and register a heavi er 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 in
stall the rear-facing child safety seat in a
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your Audi dealer.
Child safety
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a
child restraint .
Always heed the child safety seat manufacturer's
instructions when installing a child restraint in
your vehicle . To activate the convertible locking
retractor:
.. Place the child restraint on a sea t, 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 un
til 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 con
vertible locking retractor by pulling on the belt .
You should no longer be able to pull the belt
out of the retractor. The convertible locking re
tractor 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) .
A WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an improp
erly installed child restraint can cause serious
personal injury or death in a crash .
- Always make sure that the safety belt re
tractor is locked when installing a child safe
ty 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. ..,.
183
Child safet y
-Always make sure the seat backrest to which
the chi ld restraint is installed is in an up
right position and secure ly latched into
place and cannot fold forward. Otherw ise,
the seatback with the ch ild safety seat at
tached to it co uld fly forward in the event of
an accident or other emergency sit uat ion.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS when
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used ¢
page 172. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat¢
page 153, Child
restraints on the front seat -some impor
tant things to know.
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 re
tractor .
~ Press the red button on the safety be lt buck le.
Th@ belt tongue will pop out of the buckle.
~ Guide the safety belt all the way back into its
stowed position .
A lways let the safety belt retract complete ly into
its stowed position . The safety belt can now be
used as an ordinary safety be lt without the con
vertible locking retractor for child restra ints .
If the convert ible locking retractor should be ac
tivated inadvertently, the safety belt must be un
fastened and guided completely back into its
stowed position to deact ivate this feature .
If the
convert ible locking retractor is not deactivated,
the safety belt wi ll gradua lly become t ighter and
uncomfo rtable to wear.
_& WARNING
Imprope rly installed child safety seats in
crease the risk of serious persona l injury and
death in a collision .
-
-Never unfasten the sa fety belt to deac tivate
the convertible locking retractor for child re
straints while the vehicle is moving. You
184
wou ld not be restrained and could be seri
ously inj ured in an accident.
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS when
ever us ing a child restrained in a vehicle is
be ing used
¢page 172. Special precaut ions
apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat
r=> page 153, Child
restraints on the front seat -some impor
tant things to know.
LATCH system (Lower
anchorages and tethers
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 ch ild restraint on the vehicle seat, Fed
eral regulat ions require spec ial lower anchorages
i n vehicles and devices on new child restraints to
attach to the vehicle anchorages.
The combination of the tether anchorages and
the lower anchorages is now generally called the
LATCH system for " Lower Anchorages and
Tethers for C hildren ."
Forward-facing chi ld restraints manufactured af
ter September 1, 1999, are required by U.S. fed eral regulat ions to comp ly w ith new ch ild head
movement performance requirements . These
new performance requirements make a tether
necessary on most new child seats .
Installing a ch ild restraint that requires a top
tether without one can seriously impair the per
formance of the ch ild restra int and its ability to
protect the ch ild in a collision . Install ing a chi ld
r est raint that requi res a top tether w it h out t he
top tether m ay be a v io la tion of state law.
Child rest raint manufacturers offer LATCH lower
anchorages on the ir chi ld seats with hook-on or
push-o n connectors attached to adjustable
straps.
In add ition to the LATCH lower anchorages, these
c hi ld restra int systems usually requ ire the use of
tethe r straps to he lp keep the ch ild restrai nt
firmly i n place. .,.
Child safety
not equipped with the lower anchorage attach
ments can still be installed in compliance with
the child restraint manufacturer's instructions on
using vehicle safety bel ts .
A WARNING
Improper use of LATCH lower anchorages can
cause serious personal injury in an accident.
- Always carefully follow the child restraints
manufacturer's instructions for proper in
stallation 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 infor
mation about child restraints in this chapter
and WARNINGS
¢ page 172, Child safety.
Installing a child restraint with LATCH
lower anchorages
Whenever you install a child restraint always fol
low the child restraint manufacturer's instruc tions.
Fig. 181 L owe r an ch orages : proper mounting
Mounting
~ Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench is
in the uprigh t 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. 181.
~ Pull on the connector attachments to make
sure they are properly attached to the LATCH
lower anchorage.
186
~ Pull straps tight following the child restraint
manufacture r's instructions.
Releasing
~ Loosen the tension on the straps following the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions.
~ Depress the spring catches to release the an
chorage hooks from the lower anchorages.
Remember : Use tether straps to help keep the
child 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" 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.
A 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 in
stallation of the child restraint system and
proper use of tether straps as well as the
lower anchorages or safety belts in your ve
hicle .
- Always read and heed the important infor
mation and WARNINGS about child safety
and the installation of child restraint sys
tems
~ page 172, Child safety.
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shared, please see your contract with the
wireless telecommunications provider and the
"About Aud i connect" tab in your vehicle's
MMI*:
IMENU I button> Audi connect > About
Audi connect .
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) reinfor
ces driver safety. It reduces the risk of slipping
and improves driving stability. ESC detects criti
cal s ituations such as the vehicle oversteering
and understeering or the wheels sp inning. The
veh icle is stab ilized by applying the brakes or re
ducing engine torque. Once the ESC is act ive, the
indicator light
m blinks in the instrument clus
ter.
The fol low ing systems a re integrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up when
brak ing . The vehicle can still be steered even dur
ing hard braking. Apply steady pressure to the
brake pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A pulsing in
the brake pedal indicates that the system is help
ing you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking d is
tance . It increases braking power when the dr iver
presses the brake pedal quick ly in emergency s it
uations. You must press and hold the brake pedal
unti l the situation is over. In vehicles w ith adap
tive cruise control*, the brake assist system is
more sensitive if the distance detected to the ve
hicle ahead is too small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive whee ls
begin to spin and adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to start, acceler
ate and drive up hills.
Smart Technology
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes whee ls that are spinning and
trans fers the drive power to the other whee ls.
This function is not avai lable at higher speeds .
In extreme cases, EDL automatically sw itches off
to help keep the brake on the braked wheel from
overheating. EDL will switch on again automati
ca lly when conditions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC helps to stabilize the vehicle by changing
the steering torque.
On vehicles with dynam ic steering*, ESC helps
stab ilize the steer ing in crit ical situat ions .
Selective wheel torque control
Selective wheel torque control is used when driv
ing on curves. The front wheel on the inside of
the curve or both wheels on the inside of the
curve are braked select ively as needed. This al
lows more precise driving in curves. The applica
ble system may not activate when driving in wet
o r snowy conditions .
A WARNING
-
-The ESC and its integrated systems cannot
overcome the laws of physics. This is espe
cially important on slippery or wet roads. If
the systems begin acting to stabilize your
vehicle, you should immediately change
your speed to match the road and traffic conditions . Do not let the increased safety
provided by these systems tempt you to
take risks. Doing so will increase the risk of a
loss of vehicle control, collision and serious
personal injuries.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions. The risk of los ing con
trol of the vehicle increases when driving
too fast, especially through curves and on
slippery or wet roads, and when driving too
close to vehicles up ahead . The ESC and its
integrated systems cannot a lways prevent
coll isions - there is st ill a risk of acc idents!
- Always accelerate with special care on even,
smooth surfaces such as those that are wet
or covered with ice and snow. The drive
191
Offroad driving
Off road driving
Driving under difficult
conditions and off-road
General information
The opera tion of the E lectronic Stabilization Con
trol (ESC) is expanded for operation away from paved roads. In situat ions where s lip or a differ
ential locking function is required, the offroad mode can be activated
<=> page 191. Your Aud i al
so has permanent a ll-wheel drive in addition .
However, your Audi is not a pure offroad veh icle.
It was not bu ilt for driving under extreme condi
tions, e.g. for trips that are in the nature of an ex
pedit io n.
Dri ve o nly on roads and offro ad sections which
match the des ign of you r vehicle and your abil i
ties as a dr iver. Neve r take r isks!
B efo re driving offroad
- Check the eng ine oil level, tire p ressure, cool
ant leve l, and the fluid level i n the windshield
washer reservo ir.
- Stow luggage items and other objects in the
lu ggage compartment, and sec ure them
against slid ing aro und.
After dri ving off road
- After trips offroad, remove any twigs and othe r
f oreign objects from the grill, the unde rbody
and the wheels . Pay special attention to foreign
objects (stones) which have become lodged in
the tire tread.
- Clean the body and the vehicle unders ide, and
inspect the vehicle for poss ible damage.
- Clean dirty windows, headlamp lenses, rear
lights, and license p lates.
- Perform a brake check (particularly after t ravel
li ng through water).
A WARNING
- Drive especia lly attentive ly and plan ahead
in diffic ult road cond itions and w hen
off
road. Excessive speed or incorrect mane u
vers can cause in ju ries and damage to the
vehicle.
202
- Always adapt your speed and driving sty le to
road, off road, traffic, and weather cond i
tions. Dr ive espec ially slowly offroad w hen
your view is restricted.
- Please be aware that in offroad mode, par
ticularly on a smooth and slippery road, the
wheels may have an increased tendency to
spin and the vehicle may break away -dan
ge r of skidding!
- Stability is limited in the offroad mode .
® For the sake of the environment
Avoid damage to the environment and respect
nature.
(D Tips
Only drive where it is permitte d and stay on
marked roads and paths .
Explanation of some technical terms
The following data refer to ideal cond itions. De
pend ing on veh icle load a nd gro und cond itions
and the env ironment, the numbe rs may vary.
It is
the d river 's responsibility to decide whethe r ave
h icle can overcome a specific s ituation
<=> .&, .
Gradient angle
The number of meters in alt itude ga ined over a
distance of 109 .4 yards or 100 meters (grade)
are given as a pe rcentage o r degrees . Info rma
tion about the gradient the ve hicle can climb un
der i ts own power (depends in part on the road
s ur fa ce and eng ine power). M axim um permi tted
grade: 31°
Ground clearance
The distanc e between the road s urface and the
l owest poi nt of the veh icle underbody . G round
cl ear ance 7.9 in ( 20 0 mm)
A WARNING
Exceed ing the s tated max imum figur es c an
res ult in seve re injuries or vehicle damage .
- All the info rm ation w as g athered on level,
-
fi rm and non -slip pery road s urfaces, and un-
de r dry weather conditions .
llll>