weight AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2010 User Guide

Airbag system Ill
----------------=--=---
the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight t han is act ua lly on
t he sea t.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does not come on and
does not stay on cont in uou sly (when the ignition is sw itched on),
• t ake the child re st raint o ff the fr ont pa ssenge r seat and in stall it
prope rly at one of t he rear seat pos itions. Have t he a irbag system
i n sp ec ted by y ou r au thorized A udi dea ler im medi ately.
• move the child to a rear seat posit io n and make sure that the child
i s prop erly re stra ined in a chi ld restr aint t hat is a ppr opr iate for i ts
size and age.
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light sho uld NOT come on when t he
ign ition is on and an adult is si tting in a proper seating pos it io n on the
front passenge r seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and st ays o n or flashes for abou t 5 seco nds w hile drivi ng, under these
circumstances, make sure that:
• t he adult on t he fr on t p asse nger sea t is pro pe rly se ate d on the
center of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the backrest
and the bac kres t is not recli ned => page 178, "Proper occ upant
seating posit ions",
• t he adult is n ot tak ing weig ht off t he se at by h olding on to t he
passenger assist handle above the fro nt passenger doo r or
s up po rting their weight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is be ing properly worn and th at there is not a lot of
s la ck in t he safe ty be lt webb in g,
• accessory seat cove rs or cushions o r othe r th ings that may cause
an in cor rect readin g or i mpress io n o n the weight -sen sing m at under
the upholstery of the seat have been removed from the front
pas senge r sea t,
• a safety be lt extender has not been left in the safety belt latch fo r
t he fr ont p asse n ge r se at.
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in t he center of the
instrument pa nel, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON w ill b riefly appear in th e inst rume nt clus ter
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
display.
This is to inform the dr iver of the current front passenger
a ir bag s tatus. •
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on, it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System. It is possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should .
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your autho­
rized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a child restraint, in a
rearward-facing child safety seat or in a forward-facing child
restraint that has not been properly installed will be seriously
injured and can be killed .
• Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that all children, especially 12 years and
younger , always ride on the back seat properly restrained for their
age and size .
• Always install forward or rear-facing child safety seats on the
rear seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• If you must install a rearward-facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of e xceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and stay on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

........ _A_ i_rb _ a_,g,:;._ s_, y'- s_ t_e _m ________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer .
• A tight tether or othe r strap on a rearward-facing child
restraint attached to the front passenger seat can put too much
pressure on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and register more
weight than i s actually on the seat. The heav ier weight registered
can make the system work as though an adult were on the seat
and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed
causing serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If, in ex ceptional circumstances, you must install a forward·
facing child restraint on the front passenger seat, always move
the seat into i ts rearmo st po sition in the seat's fore and aft adjust ·
ment range, as far away from the airbag as possible . The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position. Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
& WARNING
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light do es not go out when an
adult is sitting on the front passenger seat after taking the steps
de scribed above, make sure the adult i s properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating positions.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer before transporting anyone on the front passenger seat.
[ i ] Tips
If the we ight-sens ing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
empty seat, the front a irbag on the passenger side w ill be t urne d off,
and PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.•
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the a irbag system a re installed at many different p laces on
your Audi. Inst all in g, remov ing, servic ing or repa iring a part in an
area of the ve hicle can damage a part of an airbag system and preve nt
t ha t system from working pro perl y in a coll is ion.
T here are some important thi ngs you have to know to make sure that
the effectiveness of the system will not be impa ired an d that
discarded components do no t cause injury or poll ute the enviro n­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
• Never cover, obstruct , or change the steering wheel horn pad or
airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way.
• Never attach any objects such as cupholders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag unit s.
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft,
dry cloth or one moistened with plain water. Solvent s or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change the stiffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop·
erly .
• Never repair, adjust, or change any part s of the airbag system .
• All work on the steering wheel, instrument panel , front seats
or electrical sy stem (including the installation of audio equip·
ment , cellular telephones and CB radios, etc .) must be performed
by a qualified technician who ha s the training and special equip ·
ment necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly re commend
that you see your autho rized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body.
liJ,,

-Child Safety P:llf..,____ ______________ _
Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a collision.
The physi cal pr in ci ples of wha t happe ns when yo ur vehicl e is in a cras h
apply a lso to chi ldren=>
page 192, "What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts?" . B ut unlike a dults and teenage rs, their
muscles and bones are not fully deve loped. In many respects c hildren
are at greater risk of ser io us injury in c rashes than adults.
Beca use child ren's bodies are not fu lly d ev el op ed, they requ ire
restra int systems especially designed fo r their size, weight, and body
st ruct ure. M any count ries a nd a ll states of t he Uni ted St ates and
prov inces of Canada have laws requ iring the use of approved c hild
restrain t sys tems for infants and sm all chi ldr en .
In a frontal crash at a speed o f 20-35 mph (30-56 km/ h) the forces
act ing on a 13-poun d (6 kg) infant w ill be more than 20 times t he
we ight of the c hild . This means t he weigh t of the child would
sudden ly be more than 260 po unds (120 kg). Under these conditions,
only a n app ropr iate child restra int properly use d can red uce t he risk
of serious in jury. Child restra ints must be used properly to be effec­
t ive. Use d im properly, they c an increase the risk of ser io u s injury in an
acc ident.
Consult the c hild safety sea t manufac ture r's ins truc tion s in order to
be sure the seat is right for your c hild's size=>
page 225, "Im por tan t
safety instructions fo r using chi ld safety seats". P lease be s ure to
read and heed all of t he impo rtant informa tion and WAR NINGS
about ch ild safety, Advanced Airba gs, and the installation of c hild
restrain ts i n t his chapte r.
The re is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
veh icle and how t hey wo rk when inf ants and childre n in child
restra in ts are o n the front passenger seat . Beca use of the la rge amount of importan
t informat ion, we can not rep eat i t all he re . We
urge you to read the detai led information in this owner's manual
abou t ai rb ags a nd th e Adva nced Airbag Syste m in your vehicle an d the
very important information abo ut transporting children on the front
pa ssen ger s eat. P lease be sure to heed the W ARN IN GS -th ey are
extremely important fo r your safety a nd the sa fety of your passe n­
g ers , especially infants and small childre n.
& 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 could be inju red by striking the
interior or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden
maneuver or impact. An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death through contact with
an inflating airbag.
• A suitable child re straint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seating posit ions provides the highest degree of protec­
tion for infants and small children in most accident situations .
& WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with Advanced Airbags
can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates. A
child in a rearward -facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great for ce and will sma sh the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, or door.
IJll,

__________________________________________ ___:C~ h~il ~d ~ S~a ~f ~e ~t ¥_Y __ _
& WARNING (c on tinued )
• Always install rearward-facing child safety seat s on the rear
seat .
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat in e xceptional circumstance s and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and sta y on,
immediately install the rearward-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected immedi ·
ately by your authorized Audi dealer .
_& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install 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 manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions 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
airbag as po ssible before in stalling the child restraint. The back­
rest must be adjusted to an upright position.
• Alway s make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on all the time whenever the ign ition is
switched on .•
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped wi th a fron t "Adva nced Airbag Syste m" in
compliance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS) 20 8 as app licable at t he time your ve hicle w as m anufa c­
tured.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
T
he Advanced A irbag system in your veh icle has been ce rtified to
meet the "low-r isk" re quiremen ts fo r 3-and 6-ye ar old c hildre n on
t he passenger side and small ad ults o n the dr ive r side . The low r isk
deployme nt c riteria are intende d to reduce the risk of injury t hrough
in teraction with the airbag that can occ ur, for example, by being too
close to the steering w heel and i nstr ument panel when the ai rbag
inflates . In addi tion, the system has bee n certified to comp ly with the
"suppression" requirements of the Safety Sta ndard, to turn
off the
fr ont ai rbag for infan ts up to 12 month s w ho are rest rai ned on the
front passenger seat in child restraints t hat are listed in the Stan­
d ard .
Even thoug h your veh icle is eq uipped with an Advanced Airbag
system, a ll child ren, es pecially those 12 years and yo unger, should
always ride in the back seat pro perly r estra ined for the ir age and s ize.
T he airbag on the passenger si de makes the fro nt seat a potentially
dange rous place fo r a child to ride. The front seat is not the s afest
place for a c hild in a forward-facing c hild safety seat. It can be a very
dange rous place for a n infant or a larger ch ild in a rearward-fa cing
seat. •
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
Th e Advance d Airbag System i n your vehicle detects the p resence o f
an in fant o r chil d in a c hild rest raint o n the front passenger seat using
the weight-sens ing mat in the seat cushion and the sensor be low the
safety belt latc h on t he fro nt passeng er seat that meas ures t he
tension on the sa fety belt.
Th e weigh t-sens ing m at me asures to tal weight of the ch il d and t he
child saf ety seat a nd a child blanket on the front passenge r seat . T he
we ight on t he front passenger seat is re lated to t he desi gn of the
child res traint and i ts "foot print", the size and shape of the bo ttom
of the chi ld restraint as it sits on the seat . The weight of a child
restra int a nd its " foo tprint" va ry for diffe re nt k inds of child res tra ints
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Child Safety ---- ~---------------------------
and for the different models of the same kind of child restraint
offered by child restraint manufactu rers .
The weight ranges for the individual types, makes and models of ch ild
restraints that the NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typica l infants and typical 1 year­
old child have been stored in 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 chi ld, the Advanced Airbag System
compares the weight measured by the weight sens ing mat with the
information stored in the electronic control unit .
T he electronic control unit also registers the tension on the front
passenger safety be lt . The tension on the safety belt fo r the front
passenger seat will be different for an adult who is properly using the
safety belt as compared to the tension on the be lt when it is used to
attach a child restraint to the seat. The sensor 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 we ight to
"decide", whether there is a child restraint with a typical 1 yea r-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 restraint that you use, make sure that it has
been certified to meet United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been certified by its manufacturer for use with an
airbag . Always be sure that the child restraint is properly installed at
one of the rear seating positions. If in exceptional circumstances you
must use it on the front passenger seat, carefully read all of the infor­
mation on chi ld safety and Advanced Airbags and heed a ll of the
applicable WARNINGS. Make certain that the child restraint is
correctly recognized by the weight-sensing mat inside the front
passenger seat, that the front passenger airbag is turned off and that
the airbag status is always correctly signaled by the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light. Many
types and models of child restra ints have been available over
the years, new mode ls are introduced regularly incorporating new
and improved designs and older models are taken out of production .
Chi ld restraints are not standardized. Child restraints of the same
type typically have different weights and sizes and different 'foot­
prints,' the size and shape of the bottom of the chi ld restraint that
sits on the seat, whe n they are installed on a vehicle seat. These
differences make it virtually impossible to certify compliance with
the requirements for advanced airbags with each and every child
restraint that has ever been sold in the past or w ill be sold over the
course of the useful lif e of yo ur vehicle.
For this reason, the United States National H ighway Traffic Safety
Administration has published a list of specific type, makes and
mode ls of child restraints that must be used to cert ify comp liance of
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle with the suppression
requirements of Fede ral Motor Vehicle Safety Standa rd 208. These
child restraints are:
A. Car beds, manufactured on or after September 1,
2004:
• Cosco Dream Ride 02-719
B. Rearward facing child restraint systems,
manufactured on or after September 1, 2004:
(When the restraint system comes equipped with a removable base,
compliance has to be certified w ith or w ithout the base).
• Britax Handle with Care 191
• Century Assura 4553
• Century Smart Fit 4543
• Cosco Arriva 02727
• Evenflo Discovery Adjust Right 212
• Evenflo First Choice 204
• Graco Infant 8457

Child Safety Ill
-------------------"'---
C. Forward-facing convertible child restraint
systems, manufactured on or after September 1,
2004:
• Britax Roundabout 161
• Century Encore 4612
• Century STE 1000 4416
• Cosco Olympian 02803
• Cosco Touriva 02519
• Evenflo Horizon V 425
• Evenflo Medallion 254
• Safety First Comfort Ride 22-400
& 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 restraint is installed on the front passenger seat and 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 if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer immediately.
(I} Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C have been tested by Audi
only for the Advanced Airbag function. •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially reduces the
risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safety of everybody
in the vehicle, especially children:
- Always use the right child safety seat for each child and
always use it properly::::>
page 227.
- Always carefully follow the child safety seat manufac­
turer's instructions on how to route the safety belt prop­
erly through the child safety seat.
- When using the vehicle safety belt to install a child safety
seat, you must first activate the convertible locking
retractor on the safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving ::::>
page 232.
-Push the child 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).
- If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child safety seat
to the front passenger seat, make sure that it is not so
tight that it causes the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on the seat.
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 restrained for
their age and size . ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ C_h _i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_,, y'-----------------------------------------------
- Push the child 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).
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs. or 9 kg) a re best protected in
special infant carriers and child safety seats designed for the ir age
group . Many exp erts believe that infants and small children should
r ide only in spec ial restraints in which the child faces the back of the
vehicle. These infant seats suppo rt the baby's back, neck and head in
a crash=> fig. 205.
The airbag on the passenge r side makes the front seat a potentially
dangerous place for a chi ld to ride. The front seat is not the safest
place for a ch ild in a forward-facing child seat. It is a very dangerous
place for an infant or a large r child in a rearward -fac ing seat.
& 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 crash.
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats
or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
A child will be seriously injured and can be killed when the
inflating airbag hits the child safety seat or infant carrier with
great force and smashes the
child safety seat and child against the
backrest, center arm rest,
door or roof => page 202, "Child
restraints on the front seat- some important things to know".
• Always install rearward-facing child safety seats
or infant
carriers on the rear seat.
• Never install a rearward-facing child restraint in the forward­
facing direction. Such restraints are designed for the special needs
of infants and very small children and cannot protect them
prop·
erly if the seat is forward-facing.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
& WARNING (continued)
immediately install the rearward-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained
in a vehicle is being used => page 190, "Safety belts",
=> page 200, "Airbag system" and => page 222, "Important
things to know" .•
Convertib le 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 .
Fig. 206 Schematic
overview: installation
of the attachments
applicable to a LATC H
seat ...

Fig. 20 7 S chem atic
o verview : in stallati on
o f the seat usi ng t he
v e h icl e's s afety belt
system
- Whe n usi ng th e v ehicle safety belt to ins tall a c hild safety
seat , you mus t first activ ate the convert ible locking
f ea ture on the s afe ty b elt to preve nt the child s afe ty seat
fro m moving==>
page 232 or install t he seat usi ng t he
L A T CH a ttac hments .
- P ush the child saf ety s eat dow n with yo ur full weight to
get the safety be lt rea lly t ight so that the se at ca nnot
mov e fo rward o r sideways more than o ne i nch ( 2.5 cm)
=> page 232.
A tod dler or ch ild is usu a lly too large for a n in fant rest raint if it is
more tha n on e year old and weig hs mo re than 20 lbs. (9 kg).
Todd le rs and children who are older than one year up to about 4 years
old and weig h m or e th an 20 l bs ( 9 kg) up t o 40 l bs. (1 8 kg) mus t
always be properly restrained in a chi ld safety seat certif ied for the ir
si ze and weig ht =>
p age 2 28, fi g. 206 and => page 229, fig . 207 .
Th e a irbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a pot entia lly
dange rous p lace for a child to ride . The front seat is not t he safest
pla ce fo r a child in a forwa rd-f acin g ch ild sa fe ty seat . It is a very
dange rous p lace for an infant or a large r chi ld in a rearward -facing
se at.
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Child Safety
& 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 other emergency situa­
tion .
• Children on the front seat of any car, even with Advanced
Airbags, can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates. A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on
the front passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed
if the front airbag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag
System .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
c arrier with great force and will sma sh the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, 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 because 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 .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever u sing a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=>
page 190, "Safety belts ",
=> page 200, "Airbag system " and => page 222, "Important
things to know ".
& WARNING
If exceptional cir cumstances require the use of a forward-facing
c hild restraint on the front passenger's seat, the child' s safety and
well-being require that the following special precautions be
taken:
9J,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Child Safety -
-------------------"'---
- Always make su re t hat t he chi ld can proper ly wear the lap
port ion of the belt low across the th ighs or pe lvis a nd
never over the s tomac h or a bdo men.
Child ren up to at leas t 8 yea rs o ld (o ver 40 lbs. o r 18 kg) are best
protected in c hild safety seats designed for their age and weight.
E xpe rts say t hat the s ke letal str uctu re, pa rticularly t he pe lvis, of
these ch ildren is not fully deve loped, and they must not use the
vehicle safety belts without a suitable ch ild restraint.
Children up to abou t 40 lb s ( 18 kg) are bes t pro tec ted in child safety
seats des igned for the ir age and weight. Experts say that the ske letal
s tr uct ure, particula rly t he pe lv is, o f these ch ildren is no t fully deve l­
oped, and they must not use the vehicle safety belts without a suit­
able child r estrain t.
It is usually best to p ut these ch ild ren in approp riate booster seats .
Be sure the booster seat meets all a pplicable safety standar ds.
B ooster se ats raise the sea ting pos it io n of the c hild a nd reposi tion
both t he lap and shoulder parts of the safety belt so that they pass
acro ss t he child' s body i n t he righ t pla ces . Th e routin g of th e be lt ove r
the ch ild's body is very important fo r the ch ild's protection, w het her
or not a boos ter seat is used . Children age 12 and unde r m ust always
r ide in the rea r seat.
Children who are at least 4 ft. 9 in . (57 inches/1.45 meters) ta ll can
gen erally use th e vehi cle' s three poin t lap an d should er b elts. Never
use the lap belt port ion of the vehicle's safe ty be lt a lone to restra in
a ny child, reg ardl ess of how big the child is . A lw ay s re membe r tha t
children do not have the p ronounced pelvic structure required for the
pr op er f unc tion of l ap bel t po rt io n o f the vehicle 's three poin t la p an d
shoulder be lts . The child's safe ty abso lutely requires that a lap belt
port ion o f the safe ty be lt be fastened snugly and as low a s possible
around the pelvis. Never let t he lap bel t po rtion of the safety belt
pass over t he child's stomach o r ab dome n.
I n a cr ash, airbags must in flate wi thin a blink o f an eye and with
considera ble force. In order to do its job, the airbag needs room to
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
inflate so
tha t it w ill be the re to protect the occ upa nt as the occupant
mo ves forwar d into th e airba g.
A vehicle occ upant who is o ut of po sit ion and too close to the a irbag
gets in the way of an inflati ng airbag . W hen an occ upant is too close,
he or sh e will be s truck violently and will re ce ive serio us or po ssibly
even fatal in jury.
I n or der for the air bag to o ffer pr ote ction , it is import an t that all
veh icle occupa nts, espec ia lly any chi ldre n, who m ust be in the front
seat beca use of exceptiona l ci rcumstances, be p ro perly restra ined
and as far away from t he a irbag as possib le. By keepi ng room
between the child 's body and t he front of the passenge r com part ­
men t, the airbag ca n infl at e co mple tely a nd pro vid e su pp le ment al
protection in certa in frontal colli sions .
& WARNING
Not using a booster seat, using the booster seat improperly, incor­
rectly installing a booster seat or using the vehicle safety belt
improperly increases the risk of serious personal injury and death
in a collision or other emergency situation . To help reduce the risk
of serious personal injury and/or death:
• Always make sure to position the shoulder portion of the three­
point belt over the middle of child's shoulder.
• Never let the shoulder portion of the belt rest against or across
the neck , face , chin , or thro at of the child.
• Always make sure the lap belt portion of the three-po int belt is
worn snug and passes as low as possible across the child's pelvi s.
Never let the belt pass over the soft abdomen.
• Failure to properly route safety belts over a child 's body will
cause severe injuries in an accident or other emergency situation
~ page 190 .
• Children on the front seat of any car, even with Advanced
Airbags, can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Child Safety Ill
------------------=------
& WARNING (continued)
will strike parts of the vehicle interior. The child can be seriously injured or killed.
• Never install rearward-facing child safety seats or infant
carriers on the front passenger seat. A child will be seriously
injured and can be killed when the passenger airbag inflates .
• 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 rearward-facing child safety seats or infant
carriers on the rear seat.
• Forward-facing child safety seats or infant carriers installed on
the front passenger's seat may interfere with the deployment of
the airbag and cause serious injury to the child.
• It is safer to install a forward-facing child safety seat on the
rear seat.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used:::::>
page 222. Special precau­
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat:::::>
page 202, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know ".
& WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must install a forward or
rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat in
exceptional situations:
• Whenever a forward or rearward-facing child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat, the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light must come on and stay on whenever the ignition is
switched on.
• If the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and
stay on, perform the checks described:::::>
page 211, "Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System".
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(continued)
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger 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.
• Improper installation of child restraints can reduce their effec­
tiveness or even prevent them from providing any protection.
• An improperly installed child restraint can interfere with the
airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or even kill the child.
• Always carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier.
• Never place additional items on the seat that can increase the
total weight registered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause
injury in a crash.
& WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
• Always 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. • Never put the forward-facing child restraint up, against or very
near the instrument panel.
• 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 forward-facing child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on.
& WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data