Child safety
exceptional circumstances and the PASSEN·
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear
ward-facing child safety seat in a rear seat
ing position and have the airbag system in
spected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer.
_& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must in
stall a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat:
- 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.
- Always follow the manufacturer's instruc
tions provided with the child safety seat or
carrier.
- 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 child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to
an upright position.
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on.
(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.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Advanced
Airbag System" in compliance with United States
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
208, as well as Canada Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time
your vehicle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has
been certified to meet the "low-risk" require
ments for 3- and 6-year old children on the pas
senger side and small adults on the driver side.
152 The low risk deployment criteria are intended
to
reduce the risk of injury through interaction with
the airbag that can occur, for example, by being
too close to the steering wheel and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates. In addition, the
system has been certified to comply with the "suppression" requirements of the Safety Stand
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up to
12 months who are restrained on the front pas
senger seat in child restraints that are listed in
the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Ad
vanced Airbag system, all children, especially
those 12 years and younger, should always ride
in the back seat properly restrained for their age
and size. The airbag on the passenger side makes
the front seat a potentially dangerous place for a child to ride. The front seat is not the safest place
for a child in a forward-facing child safety seat. It can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a
larger child in a rearward-facing seat.
· Advanced Airbags and the weight -sensing
mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle de
tects the presence of an infant or child in a child
restraint on the front passenger seat using the
weight-sensing mat in the seat cushion and the
sensor below the safety belt latch on the front
passenger seat that measures the tension on the
safety belt .
The weight-sensing mat measures total weight of the child and the child safety seat and a child
blanket on the front passenger seat. The weight
on the front passenger seat is related to the de
sign of the child restraint and its ' 'footprint", the
size and shape of the bottom of the child re- straint as it sits on the seat. The weight of a child
restraint and its "footprint" vary for different
kinds of child restraints and for the different
models of the same kind of child restraint of-
fered by child restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types,
makes and models of child restraints that the
NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard to
gether with the weight ranges of typical infants .,.
.... N
0 Ico ....
the control unit of the Advanced Airbag System .
When a child restraint is being used on the front
passenger seat with a typical 1 year-old child, the
Advanced Airbag System compares the weight measured by the weight sensing mat with the in
formation stored in the electronic control unit .
The electronic control unit also registers the ten
sion on the front passenger safety belt. The ten
sion on the safety belt for the front passenger
seat will be d ifferent fo r an adult who is properly
using the safety belt as compared to the tension
on the belt when it is used to attach a child re
straint to the seat. The senso r below the latch for
the safety belt for the front seat passenger
measures the tension on the belt. The input from
this sensor is then used with the weight to "de
cide", whether there is a child restraint with a
typical 1 year-old child on the front passenger
seat and whether or not the airbag must be
turned off .
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the child restra int that you use,
make sure that it has been cert ified to meet Safe
ty Standards and has been certified by its manu
facturer for use wi th an airbag. A lways be sure
that the child restraint is properly insta lled at
one of the rear seating positions . If in exception
al circumstances you must use it on the front
passenger seat, carefully read all of the informa
tion on chi ld safety and Advanced Airbags and
heed all of the applicable WARNINGS. Make cer
tain that the child restra int is correctly recog
n iz ed by the weight-sensing mat inside the front
passenger seat, that the front passenger air bag
is t urned off and that the airbag status is always
corre ct ly signaled by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light.
Many types and models of child rest raints have
been available over the yea rs, new mode ls are in
troduced regularly incorporating new and im
proved designs and older mode ls are taken o ut of
production . Chi ld restraints are not standardized .
Ch ild restraints of the same type typically have
d ifferent weights and s izes and different 'foot
prints,' the s ize and shape of the bottom of the
Child safety
child restraint that sits on the seat, when they
are installed on a vehicle seat . These differences
make it virtua lly impossib le to certify comp liance
with the requirements for advanced a irbags w ith
each and every child restraint that has ever been
sold in the past or wi ll be sold over the course of
the useful life of your vehicle.
For this reason, the United States Nationa l High
way Traffic Safety Admin istrat ion has published a
list of spec ific type, makes and mode ls of ch ild
restraints that must be used to certify compli
ance of the Advanced Airbag System in your veh i
cl e w ith the suppress ion requirements of Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. These chi ld
restra ints are:
Subpart A - Car bed child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Angel Guard Angel September 2S , 2007
Ride AA2403FOF
Subpart B - Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Century SmartFit 4S43 December 1, 1999
Cosco Arriva September 2S, 2007
22-013PAW and base
22-999WHO
Evenflo Discovery Ad- December 1, 1999
just Right 212
E venflo First Choice December 1, 1999
204
Graco Infant 84S7 December 1, 1999
Graco Snugride September 25, 2007
Peg Perego Primo Viag- September 25, 2007
g io SIP IMUNOOUS
Subpart C - Forward-facing and convertible
child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundabout September 25, 2007
E9L02xx
Cosco Touriva 02519 December 1, 1999
153
Child safet y
Model Manufactured on or
after
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007
High Back Booster
22-262
Cosco High Back Boos -
September 25, 200 7
ter 22-209
Evenflo Tribute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion 254 December 1, 1999
E venflo Generations September 25, 200 7
352xxxx
Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Graco Toddler Safety Sep tember 25, 200 7
Seat Step 2
Graco P latinum Cargo September 25, 2007
,& WARNING
T o red uce the risk of serio us i njur y, m ake s ure
t ha t the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht
comes o n and stays on wheneve r a child re
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is sw itche d on.
- Take the ch ild rest raint off the front passen
ger seat and insta ll it p roperly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspecte d by your
autho rized Aud i dealer immediately.
(D Tips
The ch ild seats listed in catego ries A to C have
been statica lly tested by Au di 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 on occident!
As the driver, you are respons ible for the safety
of everybody in the vehicle, especially chi ldren:
... Always use the r ight chi ld safety seat for each
c h ild and a lways use it properly
¢ page 156.
154 ...
Always carefully follow the chi ld safety seat
manufact urer 's instructions on how to route
the sa fety be lt properly thro ugh the ch ild safe
ty seat.
... When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first act ivate the
convertib le lock ing retracto r o n the safety belt
to prevent the chi ld safety seat from moving
¢ page 160.
... Push the ch ild sa fety sea t down wi th yo ur fu ll
weigh t to get the safety belt rea lly tight so tha t
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 passenge r seat, make
sure that it is not so tight t hat it causes the
weight -sensing mat to measure more weight
t han is actually o n the seat .
... Secu re unused safety belts on the rear s eat
¢ page 156.
Always remember : Even though your veh icle is
equipped wi th an Advanced Airbag system, all
c hi ld ren, especially those 12 yea rs and you nger,
s h ould always ride in th e back sea t proper ly re
strained for their age and s ize.
,& WARNING
-
Not usin g a child sa fe ty seat, us ing t he wrong
c h ild safety seat or imprope rly installing a
chi ld restraint inc reases t he risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- All vehicle occupants and es pecially children
m ust always be restra ined properly whenev
er riding in a vehicle.
- An unrestra ined o r imprope rly restrained
c h ild ca n be injured or killed by bei ng
t h rown ag ai nst the inside of the vehicle or
b y being ejected from it durin g a sudden
maneuver o r impact.
- An unrestra ine d or i mprope rly restrained
ch ild is at much g reater risk of injury or
death by being struck by an inflating air
bag .
- Commerc ia lly available child safety seats
are required to comply with U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213
(in Canada C MVSS 213). ...
.... N
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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 requ irements per
taining to the installation and use of child
safety seats and carefully follow the in
structions p rovided by the manufacturer
of the seat you are using.
- Never allow ch ildren under 57 inches
(1.45 meters) to wear a no rmal safety belt.
T hey must always be restrained by a proper
child restraint system. Otherwise, they
cou ld sustain injuries to the abdomen and
neck areas during sudden braking maneu
vers or acc idents.
- Never let more than one child occupy a child
safety seat.
- Never let babies or older children ride in a
vehicle while sitting on the lap of another
passenger.
- H old ing a chi ld in your arms is neve r a sub
stit ute for a child restra int system.
- The strongest pe rson could not hold the
child w ith the forces that ex ist in an acci
dent. The chi ld w ill strike the interior of
the vehicle and can a lso be struck by the
passenger .
- The ch ild and the passenger can also in
jure each other in an accident.
- Never install rearward-fac ing ch ild safety
seats or infant carriers on the front passen
ger seat. A child will be seriously injured and
can be killed when the passenger airbag in
flates -even with an Advanced Airbag Sys
tem.
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild safe
ty seat or infant car rier with g reat fo rce
and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the back rest, center arm
rest, door or roof.
- Always install rearward-facing child safety
seats or in fant carr iers on the rear seat .
Child safety
-Forward-facing child safety seats insta lled
on the front passenger 's seat can interfere
with the airbag when it inflates and cause
serious injury to the child. Always install for
ward-facing ch ild safety seats on the rear
seat.
- If exceptional c ircumstances requ ire the use
of a fo rward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat, the ch ild's safety
and well-being requ ire that the following
specia l preca utions be ta ken:
- Make sure the forward-facing seat has
been designed and certified by its manu
facturer for use on a front seat with a pas
senger front and side airbag.
- Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instruct ions provided with the ch ild safety
seat or carrier.
- Always move the front passenger seat into
the rearmost posit ion of the passenger
seat's fo re and aft adjustment range, and
as fa r away from the ai rbag as possib le be
fore ins tall ing the child restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing p revents
the front passenger's seat from being
moved to the re a rmos t position in its fore
and aft adjustment range .
- Always make sure that the backrest is in
the up right posit ion.
- Always buckle the child safety seat fi rm ly in
p lace even if a ch ild is not si tting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around dur ing
a sudden stop or in a co llision.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
¢page 121, Safety belts,
¢ page 129, Airbag system and
¢ page 151, Child safety.
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
stra int is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ign it ion is switched on .
~
155
Child safety
- Take the child restraint off the front passen
ger seat and install it proper ly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
PASSEN GER AIR
BA G OF F
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Aud i dealer immediately.
Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
F ig . 14 1 Schematic overv iew: keep unused safety be lts
away from c hildren i n chil d safety seats.@-oute r rear
safety belt
I f a chi ld safety seat is used on the rear bench,
especially with LA TCH universal lower anchorag
es, the unused safety be lts
mu st be secured so
that the child in the child restraint cannot reach
them ¢,& .
- Gu ide the safety belt webbing @beh ind the
head restraint of the seat where the child re
straint is installed ¢
fig. 141. When doing so,
do not engage the convertible locking retrac
tor! You should not hear a "clicking" sound
when winding up the safety belt.
- Let the belt retractor wind up the safety belt webb ing .
_& WARNING
A ch ild in a child safety seat installed with the
LATC H lowe r anchorages or w ith the standard
safety belt or a child in a booste r seat on the
rear seat could p lay with unused rear seat
safety belts and become entangled. This
cou ld cause t he chi ld ser ious personal injury
and even death.
- Always sec ure unused rear seat safety belts
o ut of reach of ch ild ren in child seats such
as by proper ly routing them aro und the
156 head restraint of the seat where the child
restraint
is installed .
- Never activate the convertible locking re
tractor when routing the safety belts around
the head restraints.
Child 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 . 14 2 Schema tic overv iew : rearward -facing infa nt seat,
p rope rly insta lled on the rea r seat
..,. When usi ng the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safe ty seat, yo u must first act ivate the
convertib le locking retractor on the safety belt
to prevent the chi ld safety seat from moving
¢ page 160 or insta ll the seat using the LATCH
attachments.
..,. Push the ch ild 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) .
..,. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢ page 156.
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs. or 9 kg) are
best protected in special infant carr ie rs and child
safe ty seats designed for the ir age group . Many
expe rts be lieve that infants and small ch ild ren
sho uld r ide o nly in special res tra ints in wh ich the
ch ild faces the back of the vehicle . These in fant
seats support the baby's back, neck and head in a
crash
r=> fig. 142 . ..,.
,-1 N
0 1-CX)
,-1 I.Cl U"I
,-1 I.Cl ......
The airbag on the passenger side makes the front
seat a potentially dangerous p lace for a child to
ride . The front seat is not the safest place for a
child in a forward-facing chi ld seat. It is a very
dangerous place for an infant or a larger child in
a rearward -facing seat .
& WARNING
Not using a ch ild safety seat, using the w rong
child safety seat or improper ly installing a
child restra int increases the r isk of se rious
personal in jury and death in a crash.
- Never install rearward-fac ing c hild safety
seats or infant car riers on the fron t passen
ger seat -even wit h an Advanced A irbag Sys
tem . A child w ill be seriously injured and can
be k illed when the inflat ing airbag hits the
child safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and smashes the child safety seat and child against the backrest, center armrest,
door or roof ¢
page 130, Child restraints on
the front seat -some important things to
know .
-Always install rearward-fac ing ch ild safety
seats or infant car riers on the rear seat .
- Never install a rearward-facing chi ld re
straint in the forward -facing direction . Such
restra ints are designed for the special needs
of infants and ve ry small ch ild ren and can
not protect them prope rly if the seat is for
wa rd -facing.
- If you must install a rearward fac ing ch ild
sa fety seat on t he front p asse nger seat be
ca use of exceptiona l circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay o n, immediate ly install
the rearward-facing child safety seat in a rear seat ing pos ition and have the airbag
system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when
ever using a child restra ined in a veh icle is
being used¢
page 121, Safety belts,
¢ page 129, Airbag system and
¢ page 151, Important information.
Child sa fety
Convertible child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats can
help protect toddlers and children over age one who weigh between 20 and 40 lbs. (9 and 18 kg)
in a crash.
F ig . 14 3 Schem atic overv ie w: installat ion o f the attac h
men ts applicable to a LA TCH sea t
Fig. 144 Schemat ic overv iew : insta llat ion of the seat usin g
t he ve hicle 's sa fety b elt syst em
.. W hen using the vehicle safe ty belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convertib le locking retractor on the safety belt
to prevent t he chi ld safety seat from moving
¢
page 160 or install the seat using the LATCH
attachments .
.. Push the ch ild safety seat down with yo ur full
we ight to ge t the safety belt really tight so that
t he seat can not move forward or sideways
more than one inch (2 .5 cm) ¢
page 160 .
.. If the child safety seat is equ ipped with a tether
strap, attac h it to the tether anchors
¢ page 166 .
.. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢page 156.
A toddler or child is usua lly too large fo r an in
fant restraint if it is more th an one year old and
weighs more than 20 lbs. (9 kg). ..,
157
Child safety
Toddlers and children who are older than one
year up to about 4 years old and weigh more than 20 lbs. (9 kg) up to 40 lbs. (18 kg) must always
be properly restrained in a child safety seat certi
fied for their size and weight¢
fig. 143 and
¢fig. 144 .
The airbag on the passenger side makes the front
seat a potentially dangerous place for a child to
ride. The front seat is not the safest pl ace for a
child in a forward-facing child safety seat . It is a
very dangerous place for an infant or a larger
child in a rearward-facing seat.
.8, 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 in a collision or oth
er emergency situation.
- Children on the front seat of any car, even with Advanced Airbags, can be seriously in
jured 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 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 install rearward-facing child safety
seats on the rear seat .
-If you must install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be
cause of exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immediately install
the rearward-facing child safety seat in a
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer.
- The rear side of the child safety seat should be positioned as close as possible to the
backrest on the vehicle seat. Adjust or re
move the rear seat head restraint if it is dif-
158
ficult to install the child seat with the head
restraint in place
¢page 58. Install the
head restraint again immediately once the
child seat is removed . Driving without head
restraints or with head restraints that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk of
serious or fatal neck injury dramatically.
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS when
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
¢page 121, Safety belts,
¢page 129, Airbag system
and
¢ page 151, Important information.
.8, WARNING
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 that the following special precautions be taken:
- Make sure the forward-facing seat has been
designed and certified by its manufacturer
for use on a front seat with a passenger
front and side airbag .
-Always follow the manufacturer's instruc
tions provided with the child safety seat or
infant carrier.
- Always move the front passenger seat into
the rearmost position of the passenger
seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and as
far away from the airbag as possible before
installing the child restraint .
- Always make sure that nothing prevents the
front passenger's seat from being moved to
the rearmost position in its fore and aft ad
justment range .
- Always make sure the backrest is in an up
right position .
- 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 light does not stay on, perform the
checks ¢
page 139, Monitoring the Ad
vanced 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
Child safety
body and the front of the passenger compart
ment, the airbag can inflate completely and pro
vide supplemental protection in certain frontal
collisions.
.,&. 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 flat 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 .
- Failure to properly route safety belts over a
child's body will cause severe injuries in an
accident or other emergency situation
~ page 121.
-The rear side of the child safety seat should
be positioned as close as possible to the
backrest on the vehicle seat . Adjust or re
move the rear seat head restraint if it is dif
ficult to install the child seat with the head
restraint in place
~page 58. Install the
head restraint again immediately once the
child seat is removed. Driving without head
restraints or with head restraints that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk of
serious or fatal neck injury dramatically.
- 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 any 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
any way during an accident can be struck by
a deploying airbag. This will result in serious
personal injury or death.
160
- 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~
page 139, 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.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
~ page 121, Safety belts,
~page 129, Airbag system
and
~ page 151, Important information.
Securing child seats
' Securing a child safety seat using a safety
I _l:>elt
Safety belts for the rear seats and the front pas
senger's seat can be locked with the convertible
locking retractor to properly secure child safety
seats.
The safety belts emergency locking retractors for
the rear seats safety belts and for the front pas senger 's seat safety belt have a convertible lock
ing retractor for child restraints. The safety belt
must be locked so that belt webbing cannot un
reel. The retractor can be activated to lock the
safety belt and prevent the safety belt webbing
from loosening up during normal driving . A child
safety seat can only be properly installed 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, all
children, especially those 12 years and younger,
should always ride in the back seat properly re-
strained for their age and weight . ..,.