2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET light

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Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
~ ( USA models) / !f (Canada models )
Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag moni­ toring indicator light and the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light.
The Advanced Airbag System as we ll as the side
a ir bags and side curtain airbags with eject ion
mitigation features (including the e lectronic con­
trol unit, sensors and system w iring) are all
monitored co nti nuously to make sure that they
are funct io ni ng properly whenever the ignition is
on. Every t ime you turn on the ignition, the air­
bag system ind icator light
1B (USA models)/ El
(C an ada models) will come on for a few seconds
(f unction check).
The system must be inspected when the
indicator light
II ( USA models) / m
( Canada models) :
-does not come on when the ignition is switched
on,
- does not go out a few seconds after you have switched on the ign ition, or
- comes on w hile d riving .
I f an airbag system malf unct ion is detected, the
i ndicator lig ht w ill c ome on to se rve as a consta nt
reminder to h ave the system inspected immedi­
a tely .
I f a malfunction occurs that turns the front air­
bag on the passenger side off, the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignit io n is on .
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop­
er ly cannot provide supp lemental protection
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicator l ight
c:::> page 17
comes when the vehicle is be ing used, have
the system inspected immed iate ly by your
authorized Aud i dealer. It is possible that
Airbag system
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or w ill not inf late w hen it should.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
F ig . 14 0 Center console: passenger a irbag off warning
light
The PASS ENG ER AIR BAG OFF light is located in
the center of the inst rument panel
c:::> fig . 140.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light w ill come on
and stay on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off by the electronic contro l unit. If the b ulb for the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light bur ns out, the
airbag indicato r ligh t
fl (USA models)/ El
(Canada models) w ill come on to signa l a ma l­
f unct ion in the Advanced Airbag System. A l­
though the burned -out bu lb wi ll not change the
way the front passenger's fronta l airbag works, it
will no longer be possible to use the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light to make sure that the a irbag
on/off status is correct for the occupant on the
front passenger seat. Have the airbag system in­
spected immediately by your authorized A udi
dealer.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will blink
for about 5 seconds when:
- the ignition is switched on and
- the capacitive passenger detection system,
which switches the fro nt seat passenger's fron ­
tal Advanced Airbag on and off, detects a
change in the status of the front passenger
seat.
As soon as the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stops blinking, always make sure that the airbag
status (on or off) as shown by the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light is proper for the age, size and ..,.
155

Airbag system
electrical capacitance of the person occupying
the front passenger seat . Always make sure that
the safety belt for the front passenger seat is
properly fastened.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will show
the status of the front seat passenger's frontal
Advanced Airbag a few seconds after the igni­
tion is switched on and the airbag indicator
light goes off . The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light:
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied;
- will stay on if the electrical capacitance meas­
ured by the capacitive passenger detection sys­
tem for the front passenger seat equals the combined capaci tance of an infant up to about
one year of age and one of the rearward-facing
or forward-facing child restra ints listed in Fed­
era l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with
wh ich the Advanced Airbag System in your vehi­
cle was certified; For a lis ting of the child re­
strain ts that were used to certify you r vehi cle's
compliance with the U.S. Safety Standard
¢page 167.
-will go out if the front passenger seat is occu­
pied by an adult as registered by the capacitive
passenger detection system.
- The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come
on and stay on if the ignition is on and ...
- a car bed has been installed on the front pas­
senger seat, or
- a rearward -facing child restraint has been in­
stalled on the front passenger seat, or
- a forward-facing child restraint has been instal­
led on the front passenger seat,
- and if the electrica l capacitance registered on
the front passenger seat is eq ua l to or less than
the combined capacitance of a typical 1 year­
o ld infant and one of the rearward -facing or
forward-facing child restraints listed in Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 w ith which
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was
certified .
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
front airbag will not deploy, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on. Never install a
rearward -fac ing c hild restraint on the front pas-
156
senger seat, the safest place fo r a child in any
kind of child restraint is at one of the seating po­
s itions on the rear seat
¢ page 144, Child re­
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and ¢ page 165, Child safe ty .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG light comes
on ...
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when one of the conditions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer­
ta in that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on continuously whenever the ignition is
o n. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not appear on and does not stay on all the time,
stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
- react ivate the system by turning the ignition
off for more than 4 seconds and then turning it
on again;
- remove and re insta ll the child restrain t. Make
sure that the child restraint is properly instal­
led and that the safety belt for the front pas­
senger seat has been correct ly routed through
the child restraint as described in the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions;
- make sure that the convertible locking retrac­
tor on the safety belt for the front passenger
seat has been activated and that the safety belt
has been pulled t ight.
- make sure that no e lectrica l device (such as a
laptop, CD player, e lectronic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for chi ld seats) is
placed or used on the front passenger seat if
the device is connected to the 12-volt socket or
the cigarette lighter socket;
- make sure that no seat heater has been retro ­
fitted or otherw ise added to the front passen­
ger seat;
- make sure that noth ing can inte rfere with the
safety belt buckles and that they are not ob­
structed;
- make sure that there are no wet objects (such
as a wet towe l) and no water or other liquids on
the front passenger seat cushion . .,..

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If the PA SSENGE R AIR BAG light st ill doe s
not c om e on ...
If the PASSENGER AIR B AG OFF light still does
not come on and does not stay on continuously
(when the ignition is switched on),
- take the child restraint off the front passenger
seat and install it properly at one of the rear
seat positions. Have the airbag system inspect­ ed by your Audi dealer immediately .
- move the chi ld to a rear seat position and make
sure that the child is properly restra ined in a
child restraint that is appropriate for its size
and age .
The PAS SENGER AIR BAG light should NOT
come on ...
The PASS ENGER AIR B AG OFF light should NOT
come on whe n the ignition is on and an adult is
sitting in a proper seating position on the front passenger seat .
If the PAS SENGER AIR BA G OFF
light comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds while d riving, under these c ir c umstan­
ces, make s ure that:
- the adult on the front passenger seat is proper­
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion with
his o r her back up aga inst the bac kres t and the
backrest is not recl ined,
- the adult is not taking weight off t he seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or supporting
their weight on the armrest,
- the safety belt is be ing properly wo rn and that
there is not a lot of slack in the safety belt web ­
bing,
- there are no aftermarket seat covers or cush­
ions or other things (such as blankets) on the
front passenger seat that might cause the ca­
pacitive passenger detection system to miscal­
cu late electrical capac itance.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
_& WARNING t= -
- If the status of the Adv a need Airbag System
has changed while the vehicle is moving, the
PA SSENGER AIR BA G OFF light blinks for
Airb ag sys tem
about S seconds to catch the driver's atten­
tion.
If this happens, always stop as soon as
it is safe to do so and check the steps descri­
bed above.
- If the
PASS ENGER AIR B AG OFF light does
not go off when an adult who is not very
small is s itting on the front passenger seat
after taking the steps described above,
make sure the adu lt is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating posi­
tions. Have the a irbag system inspected by
your authorized Audi dealer before trans­
porting anyone on the front passenge r seat .
A WARNING
-
An airbag system that is not functioning prop­
erly cannot provide supplemental protection
i n a fronta l crash.
- If the airbag indicator light ¢page 17
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer.
It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or w ill not inflate when it should.
A WARNING
If the front a irbag inflates, a ch ild witho ut a
chi ld restraint, or in a rearward-facing child
safety seat, or in a forward-fac ing child re­
stra int that has not been properly insta lled
will be serious ly injured and can be killed.
- Even tho ugh you r vehicle is equipped with
an Advanced A irbag System, make certain
that all children, especially 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat prop­ erly restrained for their age and size.
-Always install forward or rear -facing child
seats on the rear seat -even w ith an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- If you must install a rearward-facing child
seat on the front passenger seat because of
except ional circumstances and the
PA SSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appear and
stay on, immed iately install the rear-facing
child seat in a rear seat ing pos ition and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
deale r.
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157

Airbag syste m
-If, in exce ptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-faci ng chi ld restraint on
t h e front passenger seat, always m ove the
seat into its rearmost pos ition in the s eat's
f ore an d aft adjustm ent ra nge, as far away
from th e airbag as pos sibl e. Th e backrest
mus t be adjusted to an up right posit ion.
Make s ure that the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
.&_ WARNING
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go out when an ad ult is sitting on the
front passenger seat after taking the steps
described above, make sure the adu lt is
properly seated and restrained at one of the
rear seat ing positions .
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer before transporting anyone on
the front passenger seat .
(D Tips
If the capacitive passenger detection system
determines that the front passenger seat is
empty, the frontal airbag on the passenger
side will be turned off, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
l ight will stay on.
Repair , care and disposal of the airbags
Pa rts of t he a irbag system are installed at many
d ifferent places on your Aud i. Insta lling, remov ­
ing, servic ing o r repa iring a part in an area of the
veh icle can damage a part of an airbag system
and p revent that system from working properly
in a co llision .
There are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system wi ll not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or poll ute the
env ironment.
.&_ WARNING
Improper care, serv icing and repair proce­
dures can increase the r isk of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de-
158
-
p loying when needed or deploy ing an a irbag
unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer­
ing wheel horn pad or airbag cover or the in­
strument panel or modify them in any way.
- Never attach any objects s uch as c up ho lders
or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
ering the a irbag un its .
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened w ith plain water. Solvents or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change
the st iffness o r streng th of the material so
that the airbag cannot deploy and p rotect
prope rly.
- Never repair, ad just, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, inst rument
panel, front seats or e lectr ica l system ( in­
cluding the installation of a udio eq uipment,
cellular tele phones and C B radios, etc.)
m ust be perfo rmed by a qu alified techn ician
who has the training and specia l equipment
necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strong ly recommend that you see your au­
thorized A udi dealer or qualified wo rkshop.
- Never modify the front b umper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side a irbag can
inflate w ithout interference:
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery ove r the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
A udi .
- Never use addi tional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags in­
flate .
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the area of the s ide airbag
module mus t always be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an autho riz e d Au di dealer .
- The a irbag sys tem can deploy only once. Af­
ter an airbag has been deployed, i t m ust be
replaced with new replacement parts de­
signed and approved espec ia lly for your
Aud i model version . Replacement of com­
plete airbag systems or airbag components

Airbag system
thresho ld stored in the control unit is met
c::>
page 153, More important things to know
about front airbags .
In addition to their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts help keep the driver or front passenger in
position in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can prov ide supplemental protect ion .
The airbag system is not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wearing it properly . This is why you should
always wear your safety belt, not just because
the law requires you to do soc::>
page 135, Gener­
al notes .
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents -your safety
belts are always there to offer protect ion in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for
example when your vehicle strikes or is struck by
another after the first collis ion .
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt. The airbag
system works most effectively when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your
safety belts correct ly.
It is important to remember that whi le the sup­
p lemental knee airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of serious injuries, other inju­
ries, for example, swelling, bruising and minor
abras ions and friction burns can also occur when
an airbag inflates .
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
-The electronic control module
- Two inflatab le airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the driver and one for the front
passenger
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignition is switched off
160
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the contro l unit is too low
- in side collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
- in the event of a system malfunction (warning/
ind icator light is on)
<=:>page 17.
.&_ WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protection when occupants are in
th e proper seating position
r:!> page 153 .
-If the airbag indicator light c::> page 17
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer.
It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup ­
posed to, or will not inf late when it should.
How knee airbags work
Applies to: vehicles with knee airbags
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully inflated knee airbags.
Fig. 142 Inflated a irbags protect ing in a frontal coll is io n
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger dep loy in certain bu t not all fronta l co llisions.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal coll isions when the deployment
threshold stored in the control unit is met.
When the system deploys, the airbags f ill with a
compressed propellant gas, and inf late between
the lower part of the instrument panel and the
driver and the lower part of the instrument panel
and the front passenger c::>
page 153, fig. 139 . .,..

Airbag system
The side airbags installed for the front seating
positions have been designed and certified to
he lp reduce the risk of injury that can be caused
by airbags when they inflate, particularly when
the occupant sitting next to it is not seated prop­
erly. The side airbag for the front passenger seat
can be used with properly installed child re­
stra ints. Please be sure to read the important in­
formation and warnings whenever using a child
rest raint in a veh icle: Safety belts¢
page 135,
Airbag system¢ page 143, Child safety
qpage 165.
The side airbag system basically consists of:
-the electronic control modu le and external side
impact sensors
- the two airbags located in the sides of the front
backrests
- the a irbag warning light in the instrument clus-
ter .
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain that it is functioning properly at all
times . Each time you switch on the ign ition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics) .
The s ide a irbag system supplements the safety
be lts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to
the dr iver's and front passenger's upper torso on
the s ide of the vehicle that is struck in a s ide col­
lision . The airbag deploys on ly in s ide impacts
and only when the vehicle accele ration registered
by the control unit is high enough. If this rate is
be low the reference value programmed into the
control unit, the side airbags will not be trig­
gered, even tho ugh the car may be badly dam­
aged as a resu lt of the collision.
It is not possible
to define an airbag triggering range that w ill cov­
er every poss ible angle of impact, since the cir­
cumstances will vary cons iderably between one
coll is ion and a nother . Important factors include,
for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the im­
pacting objec t, the ang le of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
q page 163, Important safety in­
structions on the side airbag system.
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to help keep the driver or front pas-
162
senger in position in the event of a side co llision
so that the side airbags can provide protection .
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt . Rather, it i s part of the overall occ u­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that the side airbag system can only
help to protect you if you are wear ing your safety
belt and wearing it properly. This is another rea­
son why you should always wear your safety belts, not just because the law requires you to do
so
q page 135, General notes.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
plemental side airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other inju­
ries, for example, swelling, bru is ing, friction
burns and minor abrasions can also be assoc iated
with deployed side airbags. Remember too, side
a irbags w ill deploy only once and only in certa in
kinds of accidents -your safety belts are always
there to offer protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessarily an ind icat ion
of over-sens itive or fa iled airbag activation. In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may
inflat e. Remember too, that airbags wi ll deploy
on ly once and only in certain kinds of collisions -
your safety be lts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignition is switched off
- in side co llisions when the acceleration meas -
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end col lisions
- in rea r-end collisions
- in rollovers.
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side curta in airbags and side a irbags may be triggered
together .
&_ WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position ¢
page 163.

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-If the airbag indicator light c::> page 17
comes when the vehicle is be ing used, have
the system inspected immediate ly by your
authorized Aud i dealer . It is possible that
the a irbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it shou ld .
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu ­
pants who are properly restrained.
F ig. 144 S ide impac t protec tion : inf lated s ide a irbags
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in
the seat surface area marked "AIRBAG". It ex­ pands between the s ide trim panel and the pas­
senger. In order to help prov ide this add itional
protection, the side airbag must inflate within a
fract ion of a second at very high speed and with
great force . The supplemental side airbag cou ld
i nju re yo u if your seating position is not p roper or
up right o r if items a re loc ated in the area where
the supplemental side airbag expands . This ap­
p lies especially to children
c::> page 165, Child
safety .
Supplemental side a irbags inf late be­
tween the occupant and the door panel on the side of the vehicle that is struck in certa in side
coll is ion
c::> fig. 144 .
Although they are not a soft pi llow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in th is way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper part
of the body .
A fine dust may develop when the airbag dep loys.
This is no rmal and does not mean there is a fire
in the vehicle .
Airbag sys tem
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Always
properly wear safety belts and ride in a proper
seating position .
There is a lot that you and yo ur passengers must
know and act acco rding ly to he lp the safety belts
and airbags do their job to prov ide supplementa l
pro tect ion .
A WARNING
An inflating side ai rbag can cause serious or
fata l injury. Improperly wearing safety be lts
and improper seating posit ions increase the
risk of ser ious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- In order to reduce the risk of injury when the supplemental side airbag inflates:
- Always s it in an upr ight posi tion and never
lean against the area where the supp le­
mental s ide airbag is located .
- Neve r let a child or anyone e lse rest their
head ag ainst the side tr im panel in the
area where the s upplementa l side airbag
inflates.
- Always make s ure tha t safety belts are
worn correctly,
- Do no t let anyone s itting in the front seat
put their hand or any other parts of their
body out of the window .
- Always make sure th at the side airbag can
inflate without interference .
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholste ry over the front seatbacks that
have not been specif ically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags de­ ploy.
- Damage to the orig inal seat covers or to
the seam in the area of the s ide airbag
mo dule must a lways be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an authorized Audi dealer.
-
- Objects between you and the a irbag can in­
crease the r is k of injury in an a cciden t by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds o r _,.
163

Child safety
A WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with
Advanced Airbags can be seriously injured or
even killed when an airbag inflates. 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 in­
flates.
- 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, or
door.
- Always install rear-facing child safety seats
on the rear seat.
-If you must install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat in
exceptional circumstances and the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear­
facing child safety seat in a rear seating po­
sition and have the airbag system inspected
immediately by your Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Forward-facing child seats installed on the
front passenger seat may interfere with the deployment of the airbag and cause serious
personal injury to the child.
- If exceptional circumstances require the use
of a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat, the child's safety and well-being require the following special
precautions to be taken:
- Always make sure that the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by its
manufacturer for use on a front passenger
seat with a front and side airbag.
-Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child seat
or infant carrier.
- Never install a child restraint without a
properly attached top tether strap if the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions
require the top tether strap to be used.
166
-Never put the forward-facing child re­
straint up against or very near the instru­
ment panel.
- Always move the front passenger seat to
the highest position in the up and down
adjustment range and move it back to the
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible, before installing
the forward-facing child restraint.
-Always make sure that the safety belt up­
per anchorage is behind the child restraint
and not next to or in front of the child re­
straint so that the safety belt will be prop­
erly positioned.
- Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger's seat from being
moved to the rearmost position in its fore
and aft adjustment range.
- Never place objects on the seat (such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic games de­
vice, power inverter or seat heater for
child seats). These may influence the elec­
trical capacitance measured by the capaci­
tive passenger detection system and can
also fly around in an accident and cause
serious personal injury.
- Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat heat­
er for child seats) on the front passenger
seat if the device is connected to the 12-
volt socket or the cigarette lighter socket.
-If a seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passenger
seat, never install any child restraint sys­
tem on this seat.
- Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or oth­
er liquids on the front passenger seat
cushion.
- Always 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, immediate- ly install the forward-facing child seat in a
~