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Convertible locking retractor
Every safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a convertible locking retrac
tor that
must be used when the safety belt is
used to attach a child seat. Be sure to read the
important information about this feature
c::;,page 130.
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
serious injury in an accident
c::;, page 99,
Safety belt position.
- Safety belts offer optimum protection only
when the seatback is upright and belts are
properly positioned on the body.
- Never attach the safety belt to the buckle
for another seat. Attaching the belt to the
wrong buckle will reduce safety belt effec
tiveness and can cause serious personal in
jury .
- A passenger who is not properly restrained
can be seriously injured by the safety belt it
self when it moves from the stronger parts
of the body into critical areas like the abdo
men .
- Always lock the convertible locking retractor
when you are securing a child seat in the ve
hicle
c::;, page 131.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maxi
mum protection from safety belts.
Fig. 112 S afety be lt pos it io n
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust
the position of the safety belt to match your body
size .
Safety belts
-height -adjustable front seats.
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
serious personal injury in an accident .
- The shou lder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possible and
should fit well on the body. Hold the belt
above the latch tongue and pull it evenly
across the chest so that it sits as low as pos
sible on the pelvis and there is no pressure
on the abdomen. The belt should always fit
snugly
<> fig. 112. Pull on the belt to tighten
if necessary.
- The lap belt portion of the safety belt must
be positioned as low as poss ible across pel
vis and never over the abdomen. Make sure
the belt lies flat and snug
c::;, fig. 112 . Pull on
the belt to tighten if necessary.
- A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious
injuries by shifting its position on your body
from the strong bones to more vulnerable,
soft tissue and cause serious injury.
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
c::;, page 97 .
Pregnant women must also be properly
restrained
Th e best way to protect th e fetus is to make sure
that expectant mothers always wear safety belts
correc tly- throughout the pregnancy.
Fig. 113 Safety be lt po sition during preg nan cy
To prov ide max imum protect ion, safety belts
must a lways be positioned correctly on the wear-
er's body
r::!;>page 99. .,.
99
..... N
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N 1.1'1 .....
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on
and stay on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been t urned
off
by the electron ic control unit. Each time you turn
on the ignition, the
P A SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF
light will flash for a few seconds and:
- wi ll stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
- will stay on if there is a small child or child re
straint on the front passenger seat,
- wi ll go out if the front passenger seat is occ u
pied by an adult as registered by the weight
sensing mat .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light mu st co me
on and st a y on
if the ignition is on and
- a ca r bed has been insta lled on the front seat,
o r
- a rearward-fac ing c hild restraint has been in
stalled on the front passenger seat, or
- a fo rward-facing child restraint has been insta l
led on the front passenger seat, or
- the weight registered on the front passenger
seat is equal to o r less than the comb ined
weight of a typica l 1 yea r-old restrained in one
of the rear -facing or forwa rd-facing infant re
straints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 with which the Advanced Airbag
System in your vehicle was certified .
I f the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
fro nt airbag will not deploy, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on. Never install a
rearward-facing chi ld restraint on the front pas
senger seat
c::> page 103, Child restraints on the
front seat -some important things to know
and
c::>page 122, Child Safety .
If the PASSENG ER AIR BAG O FF light c omes on
when one of the condit ions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer
tain that the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on cont inuous ly whenever the ignition is
on. If the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not appear and not stay on a ll the time, stop as
soon as it is safe to do so and
- r eact ivate the system by turning the ignition
off
and then tu rning it on aga in;
Airbag syste m
- remove and reinstall the child restraint . Make
sure that the child restraint is properly installed
and that the safety belt for the front passenger
seat has been correct ly routed aro und the child
restraint as described in the child restra int
manufacturer's instructions;
- make sure that the convertible locking retractor
on the safety belt for the front passenger seat
has been activated and that the safety belt has
been pu lled tight . T he belt must not be loose or
have loops of s lack so that the sensor below the
safety belt latch on the seat can do its job
c::>page 130.
-make sure t hat things that may i ncrease the
weight of the ch ild and ch ild safety seat are not
be ing transpor ted on the front passenge r seat;
- ma ke s ure t hat the safety belt tension sensor is
not b locked. Shake the safety bel t latch on the
front passenger seat back and forth;
- I f a s trap o r tether is be ing used to tie the child
safety seat to the front passenger seat, ma ke
sure that it is not so tight that it causes the
weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on the seat.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still doe s
not come on
and does not stay on continuously
(when the ignition is switched on),
- t ake the child restraint
off the front passenge r
seat and insta ll it properly at one o f the rea r
seat positions. Have the airbag system inspect
ed by your Audi dealer immed iate ly .
- move the child to a rear seat position and make
sure that the child is properly restrained in a
child restraint that is appropr iate for its size
and age.
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light should NO T
come on when the ignition is on and an ad ult is
sitting in a proper seating position on the front
passenger seat. If the
PA SS ENG ER A IR BAG O FF
light comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds while dr iv ing, under these circumstan
ces, make sure that:
- the adult on the front passenger seat is proper- ly seated on the center of the seat cushion w ith
his or her back up against the backrest and the .,..
113
..... N
r-N "': ..... \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 .....
A WARNING ,~
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure
that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on whenever a child re
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is switched on.
- Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on and stay on 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, door or roof. Have the
airbag system inspected immediately by
your authorized Audi dealer.
{!) Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C have been statically tested by Audi only for the Ad
vanced Airbag function.
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially re
duces the risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safety of
everybody in the vehicle, especially children:
.. Always use the right child safety seat for each
child and always use it properly
c;, page 127.
.. Always carefully follow the child safety seat
manufacturer's instructions on how to route
the safety belt properly through the child safe
ty seat.
.. When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convertible locking retractor on the safety belt
to prevent the child safety seat from moving
c;, poge 130.
.. Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight so that
the seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than one inch (2 .5 cm) .
.. If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child
safety seat to the front passenger seat, make
Child Safety
sure that it is not so tight that it causes the
weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on the seat.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, a
child should always ride in the seat properly re
strained for its age and size.
A WARNING
-Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong
child safety seat or improperly installing a
child restraint increases the risk of serious personal injury and death.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children must always be restrained properly whenev
er riding in a vehicle.
- An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child can be injured or killed by being
thrown against the inside of the vehicle or
by being ejected from it during a sudden
maneuver or impact.
- An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is at much greater risk of injury or
death by being struck by an inflating air bag .
- Commercially available child safety seats
are required to comply with U.S. Federal Mo
tor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213 (in
Canada CMVSS 213).
- When buying a child restraint, select one
that fits your child and the vehicle .
- Only use child restraint systems that fully
contact the flat portion of the seat cush
ion. The child restraint must not tip or
lean to either side. Audi does not recom
mend using child safety seats that rest on
legs or tube-like frames. They do not pro
vide adequate contact with the seat.
- Always heed all legal requirements per
taining to the installation and use of child
safety seats and carefully follow the in
structions provided by the manufacturer
of the seat you are using.
- Never let more than one child occupy a child
safety seat.
~
125
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Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old and
20 lbs. or 9 kg need special rearward -facing
child restraints that support the back, neck and
head in a crash.
Fig. 123 Rearward-facing infa nt seat, prope rly installed on
the passenger seat
"'W hen using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convertible locking retractor on the safety belt
to prevent the child safety seat from moving
¢page 130.
"'Push the child safety seat down with your fu ll
weight to get the safety be lt really tight so that
the seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than one inch (2.5 cm) .
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs. or 9 kg) are
best protected in special infant carriers and child
safety seats designed for their age group . Many
experts believe that infants and small children
should ride only in spec ial restra ints in wh ich the
child faces the back of the vehicle. These infant
seats support the baby's back , neck and head in a
crash
¢ fig. 123 .
A WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong
child safety seat or improperly installing a
child rest raint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a crash.
- Never install a rear -facing child restraint in
the forward-facing direction. Such restraints
are designed for the special needs of infants
and very small children and cannot protect
them properly if the seat is forward-facing.
Child Safety
- Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on and stay on the
inflating a irbag will hit the child safety seat
or infant carrier with great force and will
smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, door or roof . Have the
airbag system inspected immediately by
your authorized Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used ¢
page 95, Safety belts,
¢ page 102, Airbag system and
¢ page 122, Important things to know.
Convertible child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats can
help protect toddlers and children over age on e
who weigh between 20 and 40 lbs.
(9 and 18 kg)
in a crash .
.,, 0
~ -', a, m
Fig. 124 Schemat ic overv iew: instal lat io n of t he sea t usi ng
t he ve hicle's sa fety belt system
.,. When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convertible locking retractor on the safety be lt
to prevent the child safety seat from mov ing
¢ page 130.
"' Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight so that
the seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than one inch (2.5 cm)¢
page 130.
A toddler or child is usually too large for an in
fant restraint if it is more tha n one year old and
weighs mo re than 20 lbs. (9 kg). .,.
127
..... N
r-N "': ..... \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 .....
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 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 tighten if nec essary.
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
must not use the vehicle safety belts without a
suitable child restraint.
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 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
t o re strain 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
Child Safety
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 chi ldren, who must be in the front 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
body and the front of the passenger compart
ment, the airbag can inflate completely and pro
vide supplemental protection in certain frontal
collisions.
A WARNING
-Not using a booster seat, using the booster
seat improperly, incorrectly installing a boos
ter seat or using the vehicle safety belt im
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death in a collision or other emer
gency situation. To help reduce the risk of se
rious personal injury and/or death :
- The shoulder belt must lie as close to the
center of the child's collar bone as possible
and must lie 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 tighten if necessary.
- Fai lure to properly route safety belts over a
child's body w ill cause severe injuries in an
accident or other emergency situation
~ page 95.
- Children on the front seat of any car, even
with Advanced Airbags, can be seriously in
jured or even killed when an airbag inflates.
- Never let a child stand or kneel on the seat.
- Never let a child ride in the cargo area of
your vehicle.
- Always remember that a child leaning for
ward, sitting sideways or out of position in
129
Child Safety
any way during an accident can be struck by
a deploying airbag. This will result in serious personal injury or death.
- If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional
circumstances the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light must come on and stay on, when
ever the ignition is switched on .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, perform the
checks described .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on whenever the igni
tion is switched on 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,
door or roof. Have the airbag system in
spected immediately by your Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
~ page 95, Safety belts,
¢ page 102, Airbag system
and
¢ page 122, Important things to know.
Installing a child safety
seat
Securing a child safety seat using a safety
belt
Safety belts for the front passenger can be
locked with the convertible locking retractor to
properly secure child safety seats .
The safety belts emergency locking retractors for
the front passenger's seat safety belt have a con
vertible locking retractor for child restraints . The
safety belt must be locked so that belt webbing
cannot unreel. The retractor can be activated to
lock the safety belt and prevent the safety belt
webbing from loosening up during normal driv
ing. A child safety seat can only be properly in
stalled when the safety belt is locked so that the
child and child safety seat will stay in place.
Always remember : Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, a
child should always ride in the seat properly re
strained for its age and size.
130
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.
- 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, door or roof.
- 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.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is being used
¢page 122. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat
¢ page 103, Child
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 .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on whenever the igni
tion is switched on the inflating airbag will
hit the child safety seat or infant carrier .,,.
..... N
r-N "': ..... \!) ..,.,
N ..,., .....
with great force and will smash the child
safety seat and child against the backrest,
door or roof. Have the airbag system in
spected immediately by your Audi dealer.
- 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.
-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
Child Safety
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, 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.
- Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on and stay on
have the airbag system inspected immedi
ately by your Audi dealer .
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the conver tible locking re trac tor to secure a
child restraint.
Always h eed the child safety seat manufacturer's
instructions when installing a child restraint in
your vehicle. To ac tiva te the convertible locking
retractor:
.. Place the child restraint on a seat.
.. Slowly pull the belt
all the way out .
.. Route it around or through the child restraint
belt path
c:> ,&. .
.. 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. ..,.
131
Child Safety
"' You should hear a "clicking" noise as the be lt
winds back into the inertia ree l. Test the con
vertib le lock ing retractor by pulling on the belt .
You should no longer be ab le to pull the be lt
out of the retractor. The convert ible locking re
tractor is now activated.
"' Make sure that the red release button is facing
away from the ch ild restraint so that it can be
unbuckled quic kly.
"' Pull on the be lt to make sure the safety belt is
properly tight and fastened so tha t the seat
cannot move forwa rd or sideways more than
one inc h (2.5 cm).
A WARNING
Us ing the wrong child restra int or an improp
er ly installed ch ild restra int 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 un locked safety be lt retractor
cannot hold the ch ild safety seat in place
dur ing no rma l driving o r in a crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in
place even if a child is not s itting in it . A
loose child safety seat can fly around du ring
a sudden stop or in a crash.
- Always make sure the seat backrest to wh ich
t h e chi ld restraint is insta lled i s in an up
right posi tion. Othe rwise , the seatback wi th
the chi ld safety seat at tached to it could fly
forward in the event of an accident o r other
emergency situation.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS when
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
r::!) page 122. Specia l precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat¢
page 103, Child
restraints on the front seat -some impor
tant things to know .
132
· 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 belt buckle.
T he be lt tong ue will pop out of the b uc kle .
"' Guide the safety be lt a ll the way back into its
stowed position .
Always let the safety be lt ret ract completely i nto
i ts stowed pos it ion. The safe ty belt can now be
u sed as an ordina ry safety belt without the con
vertib le locking retractor for child restraints .
If the conve rtib le locking retractor sho uld be ac
tivated inadvertent ly, the sa fety be lt mus t be un
fastened and guided comp letely back into its
stowed position to deactivate this feature .
If the
convertible locking retractor is not deactivated,
the safety belt will gradually become tighter and
uncomfortable to wear.
A WARNING
Improperly installed chi ld safety seats in
crease the risk of serious pe rsonal injury and
death in a co llision.
-
- Never unfasten the safety belt to deactivate
the convertible locki ng retractor for child re
straints while the vehicle is moving. You
wou ld not be restra ined and could be ser i
ously inj ured in an accident.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when
eve r using a child res trained in a vehicle is
be ing used
¢page 122. Special precaut ions
apply when installing a child sa fety seat on
the front passenger seat
¢ page 103, Child
restraints on the front seat -some impor
tant things to know.
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
. restraints and their use
There are a number of sources of additiona l infor
mation about child restraint se lection, insta lla
tion and use :