2017 AUDI A7 tow

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\.J ' intervals and ensures a better reaction time fo r
the brakes in wet weather.
The braki ng effect can also be red uced if you are
driving on salted roads and you do not apply the b rakes for long periods of time . The layer of salt
on the brake rotors and pads must be worn off
f irst when the brakes are app lied.
Due to its surface, the ceramic bra ke rotor* ab­
sorbs moisture in certa in situations. There fore,
there will temporarily be less braking force than
when the brakes are dry . You can compensate for
this by pressing the brake pedal harder.
Cor rosion
L eaving the vehicle parked fo r long periods of
time, low mi leage and avoiding heavy braking
can contribute to corrosion on the brake rotors
and to dirty brake pads.
I f you usually avo id heavy braking or if there is
corrosion present , occasional heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and pads
q ,& .
Brak e system malfunct ion
if you notice that the brake pedal travel has sud­
denly increased, then a brake c ircui t in the dual­
circuit brake system may have malfunctioned. Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or a uthorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
problem corrected. On the way there, drive with
reduced speed and keep in mind that you w ill
need a longer distance to stop and you w ill need
to p ress the b rake pedal harde r.
L ow brake fluid level
When the brake fl uid level is low, malfunct ions in
the brake system may occur . The brake f lu id level
is electronically monitored.
Br ak e boost er
The brake booster amplifies the pressure you ap­
p ly to the brake peda l. It only works when the en­
g ine is running.
A WARNING
- Only apply the brakes for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system whe n road and
-
Intellig ent Technology
traffic conditions permit. You must not en­
danger other road users. This increases the
risk of an accident.
- Never let the vehicle roll while the engine is
stopped because this increases the risk of an
accident.
- New brake pads do not ach ieve the ir full
braking effect during the first 250 m i
(400 km). They m ust be "broken in" first.
The break-in per iod ca n be cons iderably lon­
ge r fo r vehicles with ceram ic brake rotors* .
H owever, you can compensate fo r the
slightly reduced braking force by pressi ng
fi rm ly on the brake pedal. Avo id heavy b rak­
ing du ring the break -in pe riod.
- Ce rtain weathe r and ope rating condi tions
such as driving through water, dr iv ing in
heavy rain o r driv ing after was hing your ve­
hicle can impa ir the effect iveness of the
brakes. In the winter, ice may build up on
the brake pads, rotors and drums . Check
these components by braking carefully. Ap­
p lyi ng the brakes carefully several times
d ries the b rakes and removes ice build-up .
- The efficiency of the brakes can also be im­
pa ired by dr iv ing for long stretches on roads
covered with sa lt without using the bra kes .
You can remove salt deposits from the
b rake rotors and pads by carefully applying
t he brakes several times .
- I f the fron t spoiler is damaged o r yo u install
another spoi ler, make su re the front wheel
b rakes are ven tilated properly . Othe rw ise,
the brake system co uld overheat, which re­
duces their effectiveness .
- Fa ilure of a brake circuit impairs brak ing
pe rformance, which increases b raking dis­
tance. Avo id driving the vehicle and have it
towed it to the nearest a uthorized Audi
deale r or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility.
- I f the brake booster is not working, yo u w ill
have to p ress much harder on the brake
pedal to compensate fo r the lack of the
booster.
Q) Note
- Never let the brakes "rub" by pressing the
peda l lightly when braking is not actually
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\.J ' ~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the vehicle at all times.
F or detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see¢
page 48.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in­
jured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help re­
duce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the
lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the out­
side of the steering wheel rim with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to help reduce the risk of personal in ­
jury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steer ing wheel at the
12 o'clock posit ion or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the driver 's airbag inflates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supplemen­
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a colli­ sion.
- Always sit in an upright position and never
lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
properly and make sure that all passengers
are properly restrained.
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly .
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
-
Driving safety
-Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child seats
¢
page 172 . Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat¢
page 148.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is
important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the seat for the front passenger
to the fol lowing position:
~ Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position and your back comes in full
contact with it whenever the vehicle is moving.
~ For adjustable head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos ­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as close to this position as possible
¢
page 132. Move the head restraint so that it
is as close to the back of the head as possible.
~ Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat.
~ Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 143.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see¢
page 48.
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbe lted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured or killed by the airbag as it
unfolds . To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po­
sition and never lean against or place any pa rt of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located. .,,.
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\.J ' -Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already installed
floor mats. Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal
area and interfere with the pedals .
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for cleaning.
- Always make sure that objects cannot fall
into the driver footwell while the vehicle is
moving . Objects can become trapped under
the brake pedal and accelerator pedal caus­ ing a loss of veh icle control.
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly
stowed and secured in the luggage compart­
ment.
L oose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling charac­
teristics. Loose items can also increase the risk of
serious personal injury in a sudden vehicle ma­
neuver or in a collision.
.. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com­
partment.
.. Always place and properly secure heavy items in
the luggage compartment as far forward as
possible.
.,. Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided
¢ page 55 .
.,. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can
fly through the vehicle causing serious per­
sonal injury in the event of hard braking or an
accident. To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage or
other heavy items in the luggage compart­
ment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage com­
partment using the tie-down hooks and
suitable straps.
Driving safety
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehi­
cle handles. To help reduce the risk of a loss
of control leading to serious personal injury:
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the center of
gravity can also cause changes in vehicle handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible .
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the
luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating
or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating specified
on the safety compliance sticker on the left
door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight
standards can cause the vehicle to slide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driving
¢page 129.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from
being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the
rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than those
f itting completely into the luggage area be­
cause the rear lid cannot be fully closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear lid open, observe the following notes to reduce
the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument pan-
el,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed .
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows , the power roof* and the rear lid are se­
curely closed and locked to reduce the r isk of
in jury when the vehicle is not being used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make sure
-
that it is properly closed and locked. ~
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<..:l 'SI'
Pregnant women must also be correctly
restrained
The best way to protect the fetus is to make sure
that expectant mothers always wear safety belts
corre ctly -throughout the pregnan cy.
F ig. 152 S afe ty be lt pos it io n dur ing pregnan cy
To provide max imum pro tection, safety bel ts
mu st always be posit ioned correctly on the wear­
er 's body ¢
page 144 .
.,. Adjust the front seat and adjustable head re­
strain t* cor re ctly ¢
page 48, Seat s and stor­
age .
.,. Pull the safety belt evenly across the chest so
that it sits as low as poss ib le on the pelv is and
the re is no pressu re on the abdomen
¢ fig . 152, ¢ ,& .
.,. Inse rt the tongue in to the correc t buckle of
your seat until you hea r it latch secure ly .
.. Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buck le .
.&_ WARNING
Improperly posit ioned safety be lts can cause
ser ious personal injury in an accident.
- Expectant mothers must always wear the lap portion of the safety belt as low as pos­
sible across the pelvis and below the round­
ing of the abdomen .
- Always read a nd heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
i:> &. in Fasten ­
ing safety belts on page 144 .
Safety bel ts
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
button only o~er the vehicle hos stopped .
J-L
Fig . 1 53 Re leas ing t he tong ue from the buckl e
.. Push the red re lease button on the buck le
¢
fig . 153. The belt tongue w ill spring out of
the buck le ¢ ,& .
.,. Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you
guide the belt tongue to its stowed position .
_& WARNING
-Never unfasten safety belt wh ile the vehicle is
moving . Do ing so w ill increase your r isk of be­
in g injured or killed .
Adjusting safety belt height
With the aid of the safety belt height adjust­
ment , the three point safety belt strop routing
con be fitted to the shoulder area, according to
body size .
Fig. 154 Safet y belt he ig h t adj ust m en t fo r th e fro nt seats
- loop -a rou nd f itt ings
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The shoulder be lt shou ld lie as close to the center
of the co ll ar bone as possible and shou ld fit well
o n the body
¢ ,& in Safe ty belt position on
page 144. ..,.
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\.J ' -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.
- Never use cushions, pillows, blankets, or
similar items on the front passenger seat.
The additional layers prevent the capacitive
passenger detection system from accurately
measuring the ca pacita nee of the child safe­
ty seat and/or the person on the seat and
thus keep the Advanced Airbag System from
working properly.
- 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. Such
devices can influence the capacitance regis­
tered by the capacitive passenger detection system, so that incorrect information is pro­
vided to the airbag control unit .
- If you must use a child restraint on the front
passenger seat and the child restraint man­
ufacturer's instructions require the use of a
towel, foam cushion or something else to properly position the child restraint, make
certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the
child restraint is installed on the front pas­
senger seat.
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately in­
stall child restraint in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dealer.
.&_ WARNING
If the front passenger seat gets wet, dry it im­
mediately.
- If liquid soaks into the front passenger seat,
this can keep the airbag system from work­
ing properly and may, for instance, deacti­
vate the passenger frontal airbag.
If this
happens, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light will come on and stay on together with
the airbag indicator light
fl (USA models) I
Airbag system
E,I (Canada models) in the instrument clus­
ter.
- If liquid is pooled on the seat, but has not
soaked in, this may also keep the airbag sys­
tem from working properly and cause the
passenger frontal airbag to be enabled
(turned on), even though there is a properly
installed child restraint system on the seat.
Wet towels or other wet things on the seat
cushion can have the same effect.
If the
front passenger frontal airbag is turned on,
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light light
will go out.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the side
airbags supplement the protection offered by the
front three-point safety belts with pretensioners
and load limiters and the adjustable head re­
straints* to help reduce the risk of injury in a
wide range of accident and crash situations. Be
sure to read the important information about
safety and heed the WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Adv a need Airbag System and
the activation of the safety belt pretensioners de­
pend on the deceleration measured by the crash
sensors and registered by the electronic control
unit. Crash severity depends on speed and decel­
eration as well as the mass and stiffness of the
vehicle or object involved in the crash.
On the passenger side, regardless of safety belt
use, the front passenger frontal airbag will be
turned off if the electrical capacitance measured by the capacitive passenger detection system on
the front passenger seat is less than the amount
programmed in the electronic control unit . The
front passenger frontal airbag will also be turned off if the capacitance measured by the system for
the front passenger seat equals that of an infant of about one year of age in one of the child seats
that was used to certify the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
208. The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on and stays on to tell you when the front Ad­
vanced Airbag System on the passenger side has been turned
offc::;,page 160 . Ill>-
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\.J ' the front passenger seat. Always make sure that
the safety belt for the front passenger seat is proper ly fastened .
The PA SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF ligh t will sh ow
the statu s of the fr ont sea t pass eng er 's frontal
A dvanced Ai rb ag a fe w second s after the igni­
tion i s swit ched on and the air bag indi cator
light goes off. The PA SSENGER AIR BA G OFF
light:
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occup ied;
- will stay on if the electrical capacitance meas­
ured by the capacitive passenger detection sys­
tem for the front passenger seat equals the
combined capacitance of an infant up to about
one year of age and one of the rearward-facing
or forward-facing child restraints listed in Fed ­
era l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 w ith
which the Advanced Airbag System in your veh i­
cl e was certified ; Fo r a listing of the child re­
straints th at were used to ce rtify you r vehicle's
compliance with the U.S. Safety Standard
¢ page 174.
-wi ll go out if the front passenge r seat is occu ­
pied by an adult as registered by the capacitive
passenger detection system .
- The
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OF F light must come
on and stay on if the ignition is on and .. .
- a car bed has been insta lled on the front pas ­
senger seat, or
- a rearward-facing child restra int has been in ­
sta lled on the front passenger seat , or
- a fo rwa rd-facing child restra int has been instal­
led on the front passenge r seat,
- and if the e lectr ica l capacitance registered on
the front passenger seat is equal to or less than
the combined capacitance of a typica l 1 year­
o ld infant and one of the rearward-facing o r
forward-facing chi ld restraints listed in Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certified.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
front airbag wi ll not deploy, and the
PAS SENG ER
AIR BA G OFF
light will stay on. Never install a
rearward-fac ing child restraint on the front pas­
senger seat, the safest place for a child in any
Airb ag sys tem
kind of child restraint is at one o f the seating po ­
sitions on the rear seat¢
page 149, Child re­
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and ¢ page 172, Child safety .
If the PASSENGER AI R BAG light come s
on ...
If the PA SSEN GER AIR BAG O FF 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
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on continuously whenever the ignition is
on. If the
PAS SENGER AIR BA G OFF light does
not appea r on and does no t stay on a ll the time ,
stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
- reactivate the system by turning the ignit ion
off for more than 4 seconds and then turn ing it
on again;
- remove and re insta ll the chi ld restraint . Make
sure that the chi ld restraint is properly insta l­
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 c hild re ­
straint man ufacturer's instructions;
- ma ke sure that the conve rt ible lock ing retrac­
tor on the safety belt for the front passenger
seat has been activated and that the safety belt
has been pulled tight.
- 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 c igarette 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 interfere with the
safety belt buckles and that they are not ob­
structed;
- 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 . .,._
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\.J ' A WARNING
Child ren on the front seat of any car even w ith
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 ch ild 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 fac ing ch ild
safety seat on the front passenger seat in
exceptiona l circumstances and the
PA SSEN ­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immediately insta ll 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 chi ld seats installed on the
front passenger seat may interfere with the deployment of the a irbag 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.
Ch ild safety
-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 front passenger seat to
the h ighest 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 a irbag as poss ible, befo re installing
the forward-facing child restraint .
- Always make sure that the safety belt up­
per anchorage is behind the chi ld restraint
and not next to or in front of the child re­
straint so that the safety belt wi ll 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
ch ild seats) . These may influence the elec­
trical capacitance measured by the capac i­
tive passenger detection system and can
also fly around in an acc ident and cause
serious personal injury.
- Never place or use any elect rical 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-
vo lt socket or the cigarette lighter socket.
- If a seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passenger
seat, never insta ll any child restraint sys­
tem on this seat.
- Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towe l) and no water or oth­
er liquids on the front passenger seat
cushion .
- Always make sure that the
PASS ENGER
AI R BA G OFF
light comes on and stays on
17 3

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\.J ' -The child and the passenger can also in­
jure each other in a n accident .
- Never install rear-facing chi ld safety seats
or infant carriers on the front passenger
seat. A child will be serious ly injured and
can be killed when the passenger airbag in­
flates - even with an Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem.
- The inflating a irbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the ch ild safety seat and chi ld
against the backrest, center armrest, door
o r roof.
- Always install rear-facing child safety seats
or infant carriers on the rear seat.
- Make sure there is enough space in front of
the ch ild in the child seat. If necessary, ad­
just the ang le and posit ion of the seat in
front of the child sea t.
- Forward-fac ing ch ild safety seats installed
on the front passenger's seat can inte rfe re
with the airbag when it inflates and cause
serious injury to the child . Always insta ll for­
ward-facing child safety seats on the rear
seat.
- 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-fa cing seat h as
been designed and certif ied by its manu­
facturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag.
- Always care fully follow the manufacturer's
instr uctions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
- Always move the front passenger seat to the highest position in the up and down
ad justment range and move it back to the
rearmost posit ion in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible, before installing
the forward-fac ing ch ild restraint .
- Always make sure that the safety be lt up­
per anchorage is behind the child restra int
and not next to or in front of the child re-
Ch ild safety
straint so that the safety belt wi ll be prop­
erly pos it ioned.
- 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 posit ion.
- Never place or use any elect rical 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-
vo lt socket or the cigarette lighter soc ket.
- If a seat heater has been retrofitted or othe rw ise added to t he fron t passenger
seat, neve r insta ll any child rest raint sys­
tem on this seat.
- Make su re that there a re no wet objects
(such as a wet towe l) and no water or oth­
er liquids on the front passenger sea t
cush ion .
- Neve r place objects o n the sea t (such as a
laptop, CD player, e lect ronic games de ­
vice, power inverter or seat heater for
child seats). These may inf luence the elec­
trical capacitance meas ured by t he capac i­
tive passenger detection system and can also fly around in an acc ident and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firm ly in
p lace even if a ch ild is not sitt ing in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around dur ing
a sudde n stop or i n a co llision .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever us ing a child restrained in a vehicle is
be ing used ~
page 140, Safety belts,
<=> page 148, Airbag system and
<=> page 172, Child safe ty.
_&. WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, ma ke sure
t h at the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t
comes on and stays on whenever a child re ­
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ign it ion is switched on. ..,
177