2016 AUDI A3 child seat

Airbag system
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG light still does
not come on ...
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG 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 restrained in a
child restraint that is appropriate for its size
and age .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG light should NOT
come on ...
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light should NOT
come on when the ignition is on and an adult is
sitting in a proper seating position on the front
passenger seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on or flashes for about
S seconds while driving, under these circumstan­
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 or her back up against the backrest and the
backres t is not recl ined,
- the adu lt is not taking weight off the 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 being properly worn 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
culate electrical capacitance.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
- If the status of the Adv a need Airbag System
has changed while the vehicle is moving, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light blinks for
198
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
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go off when an adult who is not very
small is sitting on the front passenger seat
after taking the steps described above, make sure the adult is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating posi­
tions. Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Audi dealer befo re trans­
porting anyone on the front passenger seat.
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop­
erly cannot provide supplemental protection in a fronta l crash.
- If the airbag indicator light~
page 21
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 wi ll not inflate when it should.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a ch ild without a
chi ld restraint, or in a rearward-facing child
safety seat, or in a forward-fac ing ch ild re­
straint that has not been properly insta lled
will be seriously injured and can be killed.
- Even though you r vehicle is equipped with
an Advanced A irbag System, make certain
that a ll 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 with 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
PASSEN·
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appear and
stay on, immediately install the rear-facing
child seat in a rear seat ing position and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dea le r.
~

Airbag syste m
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
he lp to reduce the risk of injury to the lower ex­
tremities .
All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that the airbags have deployed. The a irbags also inflate
with a great deal of force and it is important for
occupant safety that nothing should be in their
way when they deploy .
Fully inflated airbags in comb ination with proper­
ly worn safety belts slow down and limit the oc­
cupant's forward movement and help to reduce
the risk of inju ry.
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
App lies to veh icles : with knee a irbags
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Always
wear safety belts correctly and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
to provide supplemental protection .
,&. WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause ser ious in ­
jury. Wearing safety bel ts incorrectly and im­
proper seating positions increase the r isk of
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect you properly if you are seated too close to any of
the airbag locat ions. When adjusting their
seat positions, it is important that both the driver and the front passenger keep their
upper bodies and knees at the following
min imum safe distances:
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instrument panel.
- at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the
knees and the lower part of the instru­ ment panel.
- The risk of persona l injury increases if you
lean forward or to the s ide, or if the seat is
202
improperly positioned and you are not wear­
ing your safety belt. The risk increases even
more should the airbag deploy.
- Always make sure that the knee a irbag can
inflate w ithout interference. Objects be­
tween you and the airbag can increase the
r isk of injury in an accident by interfering
w ith the way the airbag deploys or by being
pushed i nto you as the a irbag deploys.
- Never let anybody, especia lly children or
anima ls ride in the footwell in front of the
passenger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can result in serious or fatal injuries .
- Never carry objects of any kind in the foot ­
well area in front of the driver's or pas­ senger's seat. Bulky objects (shopp ing
bags, for example) can interfere with or
prevent proper dep loyment of the a irbag.
Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you
or your passengers.
- Ma ke sure there are no crac ks, deep scratch­
es o r other damage in the area of the i nst ru­
ment panel where the knee airbags are lo ­
cated .
- If children are incorrec tly seated, their risk
of injury increases in a coll is ion
c:::> page 209, Child safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 169 S ide a irbag locatio n in the driver 's seat

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests¢
fig. 169 and the rear back­
rest facing the doors.
The s ide 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, part icular ly when
the occupant sitt ing next to it is not seated prop­
erly. The s ide airbag for the front passenger seat
can be used with properly insta lled child re­
stra ints . Please be sure to read the important in­
formation and warnings whenever using a child rest raint in a ve hicle: Safety belts ¢
page 176,
Airbag system ¢page 184, Child s afety
¢ page 209.
The side airbag system basically con sists of:
-the e lectron ic control modu le and externa l side
impact sensors
- the two airbags located in the sides of the front
backrests and the two airbags* located in the
rear backrest
- the a irbag warning light in the instrument clus-
ter .
T he 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 indicato r light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics).
The s ide airbag system supplements the safety
belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to
the dr iver 's, front and rear passenger's upper tor ­
so on the side of the veh icle that is struck in a
side coll is ion . T he a irbag dep loys only i n side im­
pacts and o nly when the vehi cle acceleration reg­
i stered by the cont rol un it is h igh enough .
If this
rate is below the refe rence value programmed in­
to the cont rol unit, the side airbags wi ll not be
triggered , even thoug h the car may be bad ly
damaged as a result of the collision. It is not pos ­
sib le to define an airbag tr igger ing range that
will cover every possib le ang le of impact, s ince
the circumsta nces wi ll vary considerably between
one collision and another . Important fac to rs in­
clude, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of
the impact ing object, the angle of impact, vehicle
Airb ag sys tem
speed, etc. ¢ page 204, Important safety in­
structions on the side airbag system .
Aside from the ir no rm al safety funct io n, safety
belts work to he lp keep the dr iver o r front pas­
senger in posi tion in the event o f a side co llision
so that the side airbags can provide protectio n.
T he airbag system is
not a substi tute for you r
sa fety belt. Ra ther, i t is par t of the ove rall 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 you r safety
belt and wear ing it properly . This is another rea ­
son why you should a lways wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do
so ¢
page 176, General notes .
It is important to remember that while the sup­
plementa l side airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other i nju ­
ries, for example, swelling, bru is ing, friction
burns and m ino r abras ions can also be assoc iated
with deployed s ide airbags. Remember too, s ide
airbags will deploy only once and only in certa in
ki nds of accidents -your safety belts are always
there to offer p rotection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs o r even the lack of
vehicle damage a re not necess aril y an ind ic a tion
of over-sens it ive or fa iled airbag ac tiva tion . In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may
inflate. Remember too, that airbags wi ll dep loy
only once and only in certain kinds of collisions -
your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
t ion 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 ignit ion is switched off
- in side co llisions when the acceleration meas -
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in rear -end co llisions
- in rollovers .
In some types of accidents the front a irbags, side
curtain airbags and side a irbags may be triggered
togethe r. .,..
203

Airbag syste m
_& WARNING
-Safety belts and the a irbag system w ill only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
¢ page 204 .
-If the airbag indicator light r::!;> page 21
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediate ly by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­ posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
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 .
Fig. 170 Side impact protect ion : inflated s ide a irbags (ex ­
amp le)
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 provide this additional
protection, the side airbag must inflate within a
fract ion of a second at very high speed and with
great fo rce. The supplementa l side airbag could
injure you if your seating position is not proper or
upright or if items are located in the area where
the supplemental side airbag expands. This ap­ plies especially to children
¢ page 209, Child
safety .
Supplemental side airbags inflate be­
tween the occupant and the door pane l on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certa in side
coll is ion
r::!;> fig. 170.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in th is way they can
204
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper part
of the body.
A fine d ust may develop when the a irbag dep loys.
This is norma l and does not mean there is a fire
in the vehicle.
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 your passengers must
know and act according ly to he lp the safety belts
and airbags do their job to provide supplemental protect ion.
_& WARNING
An inflating side a irbag can cause serious or
fata l injury. Improperly wearing safety belts
and improper seating posit ions increase the
risk of serious persona l 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 position and never
l ean against the area where the supple-
mental side airbag is located.
- Never let a child or anyone e lse rest their
head against the side trim panel in the
area where the supplementa l side airbag
i nflates .
- Always make sure that safety belts are
worn correctly,
- Do not 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 that the side a irbag can
inflate without interference.
- Never ins tall sea t covers or replacement
u pholstery ove r the fron t seatbacks that
have not been specifica lly approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags de- ploy . ..,.

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.... I.Cl U"I
.... I.Cl ....
-Damage to the original seat covers or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag
module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
- Objects between you and the airbag can in­
crease the risk of injury in an accident by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by being pushed into you as the airbag in­
flates.
- Never place or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cup holders, telephone
brackets, or even large, bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked
"AIRBAG" on the seat backrests.
- Such objects and accessories can become
dangerous projectiles and cause injury
when the supplemental side airbag de­ ploys .
- Never carry any objects or pets in the de­
ployment space between them and the
airbags or allow children or other passen­
gers to travel in this position.
-Always use the built-in coat hooks only for
lightweight clothing. Never leave any heavy
or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may interfere with side airbag deployment
and can cause personal injury in an accident.
- Always prevent the side airbags from being
damaged by heavy objects knocking against
or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once. If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealership.
- Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.) to the
original seat covers or to the seam in the
area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized
Audi dealer.
- If children are seated improperly, their risk
of injury increases in the case of an accident
Q page 209, Child safety.
- Never attempt to modify any components of
the airbag system in any way.
- In a side collision, side airbags will not func­
tion properly if sensors cannot correctly measure increasing air pressure inside the
Airbag system
doors when air escapes through larger, un­
closed openings in the door panel.
- Never drive with interior door trim panels
removed.
- Never drive when parts have been re­
moved from the inside door panel and the
openings they leave have not been proper­
ly closed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been properly closed.
- Always make certain that openings are
covered or filled if additional speakers or
othe r equipment is installed in the inside
door panels.
- Always have work on the doors done by an
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide sup­
plemental protection to properly restrained oc­
cupants.
Fig. 171 Sid e curta in airbags, driver's side : sid e curta in air­
bag locat ion (example)
The side curtain airbags are located on both sides
of the interior above the front and rear side win­
dows
Q fig. 171 . They are identified by the word
"AIRBAG" on the windshield frame and the cen­
ter roof pillar.
The side curtain airbags contain features that
provide ejection mitigation to help prevent vehi-
cle occupants or parts of their bodies from being
completely or partially ejected from the vehicle ..,.
205

..... N
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..... I.Cl U"I
..... I.Cl ..... How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper torso injuries for occupants who are properly re­
strained.
Fig. 172 Ill ustra tion of prin ciple : Inflated s ide cur ta in air ­
bags on th e left side ( example )
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc­
cupant and the windows on the side of the vehi­
cle that is st ruck in a side collision
¢ fig. 1 72 .
When the system is triggered, the side curtain
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional protection, the
side cur tain airbag mus t inflate within the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with great force .
The side curtain airbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the supple­
mental side curtain airbag inflates . This applies
especially to children
9 page 209.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side curtain
airbags can "cushion " the impact and in this way
they can help to reduce the risk of injury to the
head and the upper part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys .
This is quite normal and does not mean there is a
fire in the vehicle.
Airbag system
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain 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 your passengers must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
do their job to provide supplemental protection.
A WARNING ~
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper
seating positions increase the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle
is being used.
- Never let occupants place any parts of their
bodies in the area from which the side cur­
tain airbag inflate.
- Always make sure that the side curtain air­
bags can inflate without interference .
- Use the built-in coat hooks only for light­
weight clothing. Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in a collision.
- Never use hangers to hang clothes on the
hooks.
- Only use factory-installed sun shades or, if
shades installed after the vehicle leaves the
factory, use only genuine Audi sun shades.
- Never swing the sun visors over to the side
windows if things such as pens, garage door
openers, hands-free speakers, etc . are at ­
tached to the sun visors. They could come
loose and cause serious injury if the side cur­
tain airbag inflates.
- A deploying airbag inflates in a fraction of a
second and with great force.
- Never attach objects to the cover or in the
deployment zone of a side curtain airbag.
- The airbag deployment zones must be kept clear at all times. Make sure there are no
objects, pets, or other persons in the space
between any vehicle occupant and any air­
bag at any time.
- Do not attach any accessories to the doors.
207

,....,
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Important information
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a
collision .
The physical principles of what happens when
your vehicle is in a crash apply also to children
c:> page 177, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? .
But unlike adults and
teenagers, their muscles and bones are not fully
developed. In many respects children are at
greater r isk of serious injury in crashes than
adults .
Because children's bodies are not fu lly devel­
oped, they requ ire restraint systems especially
des igned for their size, we ight , and body struc­
ture. Many countr ies and all states of the United
States and provinces of Canada have laws requir­
ing the use of approved child restraint systems
for infants and small children .
In a frontal crash at a speed of 20-3 5 mph
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13-pound
(6 kg) infant will be more than 20 times the
weight of the child . This means the weight of the
child would suddenly be more than 260 pounds
(120 kg) . Under these conditions, only an appro­
priate child restraint properly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury . Child restra ints, like
adult safety belts, must be used properly to be
effect ive. Used improperly, they can increase the
risk of serious injury in an accident .
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's in­
structions in order to be sure the seat is right for
your child's size
c:> page 212, Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats .
Please
be sure to read and heed all of the important in­
formation and WARNINGS about child safety,
Advanced Airbags, and the installation of child restraints in this chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad­
vanced Airbags in your vehicle and how they work
when infants and children in chi ld restraints are
on the front passenger seat . Because of the large
amount of important information, we cannot re-
Ch ild safety
peat it all here. We urge you to read the detailed
information in this owner's manual about airbags
and the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
and the very important information about trans­
porting children on the front passenger seat.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they are
extremely important for your safety and the safe­
ty of your passengers, especially infants and small chi ldren.
_& WARNING
- Accident statistics have shown that children
are generally safer in the rear seat area than in the front seating position . Always restrain
any child age 12 and under in the rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children must be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly restrained child cou ld be injured by striking
the inter ior or by being ejected from the ve­
h icle during a sudden maneuver or impact .
An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is a lso at greater risk of injury or death
through contact w ith an inflating a irbag.
-A suitable ch ild restraint properly installed
and used at one of the rear seating positions
provides the h ighest degree of protect ion
for infants and small children in most acci­
dent situat ions .
_& WARNING
f"-"---
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 chi ld safety seat installed
on the front passenger seat will be seriously i njured and can be killed if the front airbag in­
flates .
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild safety
seat or infant carr ier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child aga inst the backrest, center armrest, or
door.
- Always install rear-fac ing child safety seats
on the rear seat .
- If you must install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat in
209

Child safety
exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immediately install
the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position 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.
- Never put the forward-facing child re­
straint up against or very near the instru­
ment panel.
-Always set the safety belt upper anchor­
age to the adjustment position that per­
mits proper installation in accordance
with the child restraint manufacturer's in­
structions.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing the
child restraint. The backrest must be ad ­
justed to an upright position .
- 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 .
210
-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
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer.
- Always buckle the child seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child seat can fly around during a
sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restraint in a vehi­
cle ¢
page 176, Safety belts, ¢ page 184,
Airbag system
and ¢ page 209, Impor­
tant information.
(D Tips
Always replace child restraints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle during a crash. Damage to
a child restraint that is not visible could cause
it to fail in another collision situation.