
.... N 
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Remember  too, airbags will deploy  only once  and 
only  in  certain  kinds  of  accidents  -your safety 
belts  are  always  there  to  offer  protection  in those 
accidents  in which  airbags  are  not  supposed  to 
deploy  or when  they  have  already  deployed,  for 
examp le 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  while  the  sup
plemental  knee air bag  system  is designed  to  re
duce  the  likelihood  of serious injuries, other  inju
ries , for  example,  swelling,  bruising  and  minor 
ab rasions  and  friction  burns  can  also  occur when 
an  airbag  inflates. 
The  knee airbag  system  basically consists of: 
-The  electronic  control  module 
- Two inflatable  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 
-in frontal  collisions  when  the  deceleration 
measured  by the  control  unit  is too  low 
- in  side  collisions 
- in  rear-end  collisions 
- in  rollovers 
- in the  event of a  system  malfunction  (warning/ 
indicator  light is on) 
cf;> page  18. 
A WARNING 
-Safety  belts  and the  airbag  system  can  only 
provide  protection  when occupants  are  in 
the  proper  seating  position 
cf;> page  151. 
- If the  airbag  indicato r light c:::> page  18 
comes  when the  vehicle  is be ing us ed,  have 
the  system  inspected  immed iately  by  your 
authorized  Audi  dealer. It is possible  that 
the  airbag  will inf late  when  it is  not  sup
posed  to,  or  will  not inflate  when  it  should. 
Airbag  system 
How  knee airbags  work 
App lies  to vehic les : with  knee  airbags 
The risk of injury to  the  leg  area can be  reduced 
by fully  inflated  knee airbags . 
Fig. 161 Inflated  airbags  protecting in a  fronta l co llision 
T he  knee  airbag  system  has  been designed  so 
that  the  airbags  for  the  driver  and  front  passen ger  dep loy in  certain  but  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  fill with  a 
propellant  gas,  and  inflate  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 151, fig. 158. 
Although  they  are not  a  soft  pillow,  they  can 
"cushion"  the  impact  and in this  way they  can 
help  to  reduce  the  risk of  injury  to  the  lower  ex
tremities. 
All of th is takes  place  in the blink  of  an  eye, so 
fa st  that  many  people  don't  even  real ize that  the 
airbags  have  deployed.  The  airbags  a lso  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  combination  with  proper
ly worn  safety  belts  slow  down and limit  the  oc 
cupant's  forward movement  and  help  to  reduce 
the  risk of  injury. 
159  

-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  airbag  warning  light  in  the  inst rument  clus-
ter. 
The  a irbag  system  is  monitored  electronically  to 
make  certa in that  i t  is functioning  properly  at  all 
times . Each time  you  switch  on  the  ignition,  the 
airbag  system  indicator  light  will  come  on  for  a 
few  seconds  (self  diagnostics) . 
The  s ide  airbag  system  supp lements  the  safe ty 
be lts  and  can  help  to  reduce  the  risk of  injury  to 
the  driver's,  front  and  rear  passenger's  upper  tor
so  on  the  side  of  the  vehicle  that  is  struck  in  a 
side  coll is ion.  The  a irbag  dep loys  only  in side  im
pacts  and only  when  the vehicle  acceleration  reg
istered  by the  control  un it  is  h igh  enough . If  this 
rate  is  below  the  reference  value  programmed  in
to  the  cont rol  un it,  the  side  a irbags  w ill not  be 
tr iggered,  even  thoug h the  car  may  be  bad ly 
damaged  as  a  resul t 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  o f impact,  since 
the  circumstances  wi ll vary  considerably  between 
one  co llision  and  another.  Important  factors  in
clude,  for  example,  the  nature  (hard  or  soft)  of 
the  impacting  object,  the  angle  of  impact,  vehicle 
speed,  etc . 
q page 162,  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
senger  in  posit ion  in the  event  of  a  side  collision 
so  that  the  s ide  a irbags  can  prov ide  protection. 
The  airbag  system  is 
not a  substitute  for  your 
safety  belt.  Rather,  it  is part  of  the  overall  occu
pant  restraint  system  in your  veh icle . Always  re
member  that  the  s ide  airbag  system  can  only 
h e lp to  protect  you  if you  are  wea ring  your  safety 
be lt  and  wea ring  it  p roperly.  This  is  ano ther  rea
son  why you  s hou ld  always  wear  yo ur safety 
be lts,  not  just  because  the  law  requ ires  yo u to  do 
so 
q page  134,  General information. 
It is important  to  remember  that  wh ile  the  sup
p lemental  side  a irbag  sys tem  is designed  to  re-
Airb ag  sys tem 
duce  the  likelihood  of  serious  injuries,  other  in ju
ries,  for  example,  swelling,  bruising,  friction 
burns  and  m inor  abras ions  can  also  be  assoc iated 
with  deployed  side  airbags.  Remember  too,  side  airbags  will  deploy  only  once  and  only  in certa in 
k inds  of  accidents  -your  safety  belts  are  a lways 
there  to  offer  protect ion. 
Vehicle  damage,  repair  costs  or  even  the  lack  of 
vehicle  damage  are  not  necessar ily an  ind ication 
of  over-sens it ive or  fa iled  a irbag  activation.  In 
some  collisions,  both  front  and  side  airbags  may 
inflate . Remember  too,  that  a irbags  w ill dep loy 
o nl y once  and  only  in certa in kinds  of  collisions  -
yo ur  safe ty belts  are  alw ays  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 io n  is switched  off 
- in side  co llisions  when  the  acceleration  meas-
ured  by the  sensor  is too  low 
- in fro nt-end  coll is ions 
- in  rear-end  collisions 
- in  rollovers. 
In  some  types  of  accidents  t he  front  airbags,  side 
curtain  airbags  and  side  ai rbags  may  be  triggered 
together. 
A WARNING 
-- Safety  belts  and  the  airbag  system  will  only 
provide  protect ion  when  occupants  are  in 
the  proper  seat ing  pos ition  ¢ 
page  162. 
-If the  airbag  ind icator  light¢ page  18 
comes  when  the  veh icle  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  w hen  it  should. 
161  

Airbag system 
below  the  reference  value  programmed  into  the 
control  unit,  the  side  curtain  airbag  will not  be 
triggered,  even  though  the  car  may  be  bad ly 
damaged  as  a  result  of the  collision.  It  is not  pos
sible  to  define  an  airbag  triggering  range that 
will  cover  every  possible  angle  of  impact , since 
the  circumstances  will vary  cons iderably  between 
one  co llision  and  another. Important  factors in
clude,  for  example,  the  nature  (hard  or  soft)  of 
the  impacting  object,  the  angle of  impact,  vehicle 
speed,  etc.  ¢ 
page  164,  How side  curtain air
bags  work. 
Aside from  their  normal  safety  function,  safety 
be lts  work  to  help  keep  the  driver or  front  pas
senger  in  pos it ion  in  the event  of  a  collision  so 
that  the  side  curtain  airbags  can  provide  protec 
tion . 
The  airbag  system  is  not  a substitute  for your 
safety  belt.  Rather,  it is  part  of  the  overa ll occu
pant  restraint  system  in your  vehicle.  Always  re member  that  the  airbag  system  can  only  he lp to 
protect  you  if you  are  wearing  your  safety  belt 
and  wear ing  it properly . This  is another  reason 
why you  should  always  wear  your  safety  belts , 
not  just  because  the  law requires  you  to  do  so 
¢ page  134,  General information. 
It  is  important  to  remember  that  while  the  s ide 
curtain  airbag  system  is designed  to  help  reduce 
the  likelihood  of serious  injuries, other  injuries, 
for  example,  swel ling,  b ruising,  fr iction  burns 
and  minor  abrasions  can  also  be  assoc iated  with 
these  airbags  upon  deployment . Remember  too, 
these  airbags  will deploy  only  once  and only  in 
certain  kinds  of  acc idents  -your  safety  be lts  are 
always  there  to  offer  protection. 
The side curtain  airbag  system  basically 
consists  of: 
-The  electronic  control  module  and  external  side 
impact  sensors 
- The  side  curtain  airbags  above  the  front  and 
rear  side  windows  with  ejection  mitigation  fea 
tures 
- T he airbag  indicator  light  in the  instrument 
panel 
The  airbag  system  is  monito red  electronically  to 
make  certa in  it  is funct ion ing properly  at  all 
164 
times.  Each  time  you  switch  on  the  ignition,  the 
airbag  system  indicator  light  will come  on  for  a 
few  seconds  (se lf diagnostics). 
The  side  curtain  airbag  is not  activated: 
-if the  igni tion  is  sw itched  off, 
- in side  collisions  when  the  acceleration  meas-
ured  by the  sensor  is too low, 
- in  rear-end  co llisions. 
A WARNING 
- Safety  belts  and  the  airbag  system  will only 
provide  protection  when occupants  are  in 
the  proper  seating position¢ 
page  53,  Gen
eral information. 
- If the  airbag  indicator  light¢ page  18 
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 will  not  inflate  when  it should. 
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. 165 Illus trat ion  of  principle:  Inflated  side  curtain  a ir
bags  o n the  left  s ide 
The side  curtain  airbags  inflate  between  the  oc
cupant  and  the  windows  on  the  side  of the  veh i-
cle  that  is struck  i n a  side  collision  ¢ 
fig. 165 . 
When  the  system  is triggered,  the  s ide  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  ..,.  

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 . 
Child safety 
-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 
r=;, page  134,  Safety  belts, r=;, page  142, 
Airbag system 
and ¢ page  166,  Impor
tant  informat ion . 
(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. 
167  

.... N 
0 CJ '
-Make sure  the  forward-facing  seat  has 
been  designed  and  certified  by  its manu
facturer  for  use  on  a front  seat with  a 
passenger  front  and  side  airbag. 
- Always carefully  follow  the manufacturer's 
instructions  provided  with  the child  safety 
seat  or  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  be
fore  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 adjustment  range. 
- Always make  sure  that  the  backrest  is in  the  upright  position. 
- 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. 
- 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. 
- Always buckle  the  child safety  seat  firmly  in 
place  even  if a  child  is  not sitting  in it.  A 
loose  child  safety  seat  can  fly around  during 
a sudden  stop  or  in a  collision  . 
- Always read  and  heed all WARNINGS when
ever  using  a  child  restrained  in a vehicle  is 
being  used¢ 
page  134,  Safety  belts, 
Child safety 
¢ page  142,  Airbag  system and 
¢ page  166,  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
straint  is installed  on  the  front  passenger  seat 
and  the  ignition  is switched  on . 
- 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. 
- Have  the  airbag  system  inspected  by your 
authorized  Audi dealer  immediately. 
Secure unused  safety  belts  on the  rear seat 
:8 
. ,. -,. i 
--- CJ 
Fig. 166 Sc hematic  overview:  keep  unused  safety  be lts 
away  from ch ild ren  in c hild safety  seats.@· outer  rear 
safety  belt,®· center  rear safety  belt* 
~ 
If a  child  safety  seat  is used  on  the rear  bench, 
especially  with  LATCH universal  lower anchorag
es,  the  unused  safety  belts 
must be  secured  so 
that  the child  in the  child  restraint cannot  reach 
them ¢_& . 
- Guide the  safety  belt  webbings @and 
@* be
hind  the  head  restraint of  the seat where  the 
child  restraint  is  installed 
¢ fig.  166 . When  do
ing  so,  do  not  engage  the  convertible  locking 
retractor!  You should  not  hear  a  "clicking" 
sound  when  winding  up  the  safety  belt. 
- Let the  belt  retractor  wind  up  the safety  belt 
webbing. 
171  

Child  safety 
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 arm  rest , door 
or  roof. 
- 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  be
cause  of  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  by your  Audi dealer . 
- The  rear  side  of the  child  safety  seat  should 
be  positioned  as  close  as  possible  to  the 
backrest  on  the  vehicle  seat. 
- For adjustable  head  restraints:  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 57. 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  134,  Safety  belts, 
¢ page  142,  Airbag  system and 
¢ page  166,  Important  information. 
A WARNING 
If exceptional  circumstances  require  the  use 
of a  forward-facing  child  restraint  on  the 
front  passenger's  seat,  the  child's  safety  and 
174 
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 . 
- Never  place  or  use  any  electrical  device 
(such  as  a  laptop,  CD player,  electronic 
games  device , power  inverter  or  seat  heater 
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  oth
erwise  added  to  the  front  passenger  seat,  never  install  any  child  restraint system  on 
this  seat. 
- Make sure  that  there  are  no  wet  objects 
(such  as  a wet  towel)  and  no water  or  other 
liquids  on  the  front  passenger  seat  cushion. 
- Never  place  objects  on  the  seat  (such  as  a 
laptop,  CD player,  electronic  games  device, 
power  inverter  or  seat  heater  for  child 
seats).  These  may  influence  the  electrical 
capacitance  measured  by the  capacitive  pas
senger  detection  system  and  can  also  fly 
around  in an  accident  and  cause  serious  per
sonal  injury. 
- Make sure  that  the 
PASSENGER AIR  BAG 
OFF 
light  comes  on  and  stays  on  all the  time 
whenever  the ignition  is switched  on. 
- If the 
PASSENGER AIR  BAG OFF light  does 
not  come  on  and  stay  on,  immediately  in
stall  the  forward-facing  child  seat  at a seat-
ing  position  on  the  rear  seat  and have  the 
~  

.... N 
0 CJ '
airbag  system  inspected  by your  authorized 
Audi dealer. 
- Take the  child  restraint  off  the  front  passen
ger  seat  and  install  it  properly  at  one  of the 
rear  seat  positions  if the 
P AS SEN GER  AIR 
BA G O FF 
light  does  not  stay  on  whenever 
the  ignition  is switched  on . 
Booster  seats  and  safety  belts 
Properly  used booster  seats  can help  protect 
children  weighing  be tween about  40  lbs.  and  80 
lbs . (18  kg and  36  kg) who  are  less than  4 
ft. 9 
in . (57  inches/1 .45  meters)  tall . 
Fig. 170 Rea r seat:  chi ld  p roperly  restrained  in a booster 
seat 
T he  vehicle's  safety  belts  alone  will  not  fit  most 
children  until  they  are  at  least  4 
ft . 9  in . (57  in
ches/1.45  meters)  tall  and  weigh  about  80  lbs . 
(36  kg) . Booster  seats  raise  these  child ren  up  so 
that  the  safety  belt  will  pass  properly  over t he 
stronger  parts  of  the ir bodies  and  the  safety  belt 
can  help  protect  them  in a  crash . 
.,.  Do not  use  the  convertible  locking  retractor 
when  usi ng  the  vehicle's  safety  belt  to  restrain 
a  ch ild  on  a  booster  seat. 
..  The  shoulder  be lt  must  lie as  close  to  the  cen 
ter  of the  child's  co llar  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  tight
en  if necessary  . 
.,.  If you  must  transpo rt  an  older  chi ld  in a  boos
te r seat  on  the  fron t passenger  seat , you  can 
use  the  safety  belt  he ight  ad justment  to  help 
adjust  the  shoulder  portion  properly . 
Child sa fety 
..  Secure  unused  safety  belts  on  the  rear  seat 
i=> page  171 . 
Children up to  at  least  8 years  o ld  (over  40  lbs  or 
18  kg) a re  best  protected  in child  safety  seats  de
signed  for  their  age  and  weight . Experts  say that 
the  skeletal  structure,  particularly  the  pe lvis,  of 
these  children  is not  fully  developed,  and  they 
must  not  use  the  vehicle  safety  belts  without  a 
su itable  child  restraint. 
It  is usually  best  to  put  these  children  in appro
priate  booster  seats.  Be sure  the  booster  seat 
meets  all  applicab le  safety  standards. 
Booster  seats  raise  the  seating  position  of the 
child  and  reposition  both  the  lap  and  shou lder 
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  ch ild's  body  is very  important 
for  the  ch ild's  protection,  whether  or  not  a  boos 
te r seat  is used . Children  age  12  and  under  must 
always  ride  i n the  rea r seat. 
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  veh icle's  safety  belt  a lone 
to  restra in any  ch ild,  regard less  of  how  big the 
child  is.  Always remember  tha t ch ildren  do  not 
have  the  pronounced  pelvic str ucture  required  for 
the  p roper  function  of  lap  be lt  po rtion  of the  ve 
hicle's  three  point  lap  and  shoulder  belts.  The 
child 's  safety  abso lutely  requ ires  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  ch ild's  stomach  or  abdomen . 
In  a  crash,  airbags  must  inflate  w ith in a  blink  of 
an  eye  and  with  considerable  force . In order  to  do 
its job,  the  airbag  needs  room  to  inflate  so  that  it 
will  be  the re to  protect  the  occupant  as  t he occu
pant  moves  fo rwa rd  in to the  airbag. 
A vehicle  occupant  who  is  out  of  posit ion  and  too 
close  to  the  a irbag  gets  in the  way of  an  inflating 
airbag . When  an  occupa nt  is too  close , he  or  she 
will  be  struck  violent ly and  w il l  rece ive serio us or 
poss ibly eve n fata l injury.  .,,. 
175  

Child  safety 
In order  for  the  airbag  to  offer  protection,  it  is 
important  that  all  vehicle  occupants,  especially 
any  children , 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 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  that  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  134. 
- The  rear  side  of the  child  safety  seat  should 
be  positioned  as  close  as  possible to  the 
backrest  on  the  vehicle  seat. 
- For adjustable  head  restraints:  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  57. 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, 
for  example  the  front  seat. 
176 
-
-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 . 
- 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 153,  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  134,  Safety  belts, 
¢page  142,  Airbag system 
and 
¢ page  166,  Important  information. 
Securing  child  seats 
Securing  a child  safety  seat  using  a safety 
belt 
Safety  belts  for  the  rear seats  and  the  front  pas
senger con 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