ECU AUDI A5 COUPE 2016 Owner's Manual

Safe ty belts
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 pregnancy.
Fig. 129 Safety be lt pos itio n during preg nan cy
To prov ide maximum protection , safety belts
must always be posit ioned correctly on the wear­
er's body
¢ page 125.
... Adjust the front seat and head restraint cor­
rectly¢
page 54, Seats and storage .
... Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench
is in an upright position and securely latched in
place before using the belt .
... Hold the be lt by the tongue and pull it even ly
ac ross the chest and pe lv is
c::> fig. 129 , c::> &_.
... Inser t the tong ue into the cor rec t buckle of
you r seat until you hear it latch secure ly
¢ page 124, fig. 127 .
... Pu ll on the be lt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buck le.
A WARNING
Improperly pos itioned safety be lts can cause
ser ious persona l injury in an accident.
- Expectant mothers must a lways wear the
lap po rtion of the safety belt as low as pos­
sible across the pelvis and below the ro und­
i ng of the abdomen .
- Always read a nd heed all WARNINGS and
othe r important information
c::> .&. in Fasten­
ing saf ety belts on page 125.
126
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
button only ofter the vehicle hos stopped.
.,,
Fig . 130 Releasing the tongue from the buckle
... Push the red re lease button on the buck le
c::> fig. 130. The belt tongue wi ll spring out of
the buck le
c::> A .
... Let the belt wind up on the retractor as yo u
guide the belt tongue to its stowed position .
A WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt while the vehicle is
moving . Do ing so will increase your r isk of be­
ing inj ured or killed .
Improperly worn safety belts
0 ,-. N 0 :i: .. m
Incorrectly positioned safety belts con cause se­
vere injuries.
Wear ing safety belts improperly can cause seri­
ous injury or deat h. Safety belts can only work
whe n they are correct ly posit ioned on the body .
Imprope r seating positions red uce the effective­
ness of safety belts and w ill even increase the
risk of inj ury and dea th by moving the safety be lt
to c rit ic al are as of the body . Imprope r seating
pos itions also increase the ris k of serious injury
and death when an airbag dep loys and strikes a n
occupant who is not in the correct seating posi­
tion. A driver is responsible for the safety of all
vehicle occupants and especially for chi ldren .
Therefore:
... Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect
sitt ing position in the vehicle while traveling
c::> A -

Child safet y
Model Manufactured on or
after
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007
High Back Booster
22-262
Cosco High Back Boos -
September 25, 200 7
ter 22-209
Evenflo Tribute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion 254 December 1, 1999
E venflo Generations September 25, 200 7
352xxxx
Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Graco Toddler Safety Sep tember 25, 200 7
Seat Step 2
Graco P latinum Cargo September 25, 2007
,& WARNING
T o red uce the risk of serio us i njur y, m ake s ure
t ha t the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht
comes o n and stays on wheneve r a child re ­
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is sw itche d on.
- Take the ch ild rest raint off the front passen ­
ger seat and insta ll it p roperly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspecte d by your
autho rized Aud i dealer immediately.
(D Tips
The ch ild seats listed in catego ries A to C have
been statica lly tested by Au di only for the Ad­
vanced Airbag function.
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially re­
duces the risk of injury in on occident!
As the driver, you are respons ible for the safety
of everybody in the vehicle, especially chi ldren:
... Always use the r ight chi ld safety seat for each
c h ild and a lways use it properly
¢ page 156.
154 ...
Always carefully follow the chi ld safety seat
manufact urer 's instructions on how to route
the sa fety be lt properly thro ugh the ch ild safe­
ty seat.
... When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first act ivate the
convertib le lock ing retracto r o n the safety belt
to prevent the chi ld safety seat from moving
¢ page 160.
... Push the ch ild sa fety sea t down wi th yo ur fu ll
weigh t to get the safety belt rea lly tight so tha t
the seat cannot move forward or sideways
more than one inch (2 .5 cm).
... If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child
safety seat to the front passenge r seat, make
sure that it is not so tight t hat it causes the
weight -sensing mat to measure more weight
t han is actually o n the seat .
... Secu re unused safety belts on the rear s eat
¢ page 156.
Always remember : Even though your veh icle is
equipped wi th an Advanced Airbag system, all
c hi ld ren, especially those 12 yea rs and you nger,
s h ould always ride in th e back sea t proper ly re­
strained for their age and s ize.
,& WARNING
-
Not usin g a child sa fe ty seat, us ing t he wrong
c h ild safety seat or imprope rly installing a
chi ld restraint inc reases t he risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- All vehicle occupants and es pecially children
m ust always be restra ined properly whenev­
er riding in a vehicle.
- An unrestra ined o r imprope rly restrained
c h ild ca n be injured or killed by bei ng
t h rown ag ai nst the inside of the vehicle or
b y being ejected from it durin g a sudden
maneuver o r impact.
- An unrestra ine d or i mprope rly restrained
ch ild is at much g reater risk of injury or
death by being struck by an inflating air­
bag .
- Commerc ia lly available child safety seats
are required to comply with U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213
(in Canada C MVSS 213). ...

Child safety
- Take the child restraint off the front passen­
ger seat and install it proper ly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
PASSEN GER AIR
BA G OF F
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Aud i dealer immediately.
Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
F ig . 14 1 Schematic overv iew: keep unused safety be lts
away from c hildren i n chil d safety seats.@-oute r rear
safety belt
I f a chi ld safety seat is used on the rear bench,
especially with LA TCH universal lower anchorag­
es, the unused safety be lts
mu st be secured so
that the child in the child restraint cannot reach
them ¢,& .
- Gu ide the safety belt webbing @beh ind the
head restraint of the seat where the child re­
straint is installed ¢
fig. 141. When doing so,
do not engage the convertible locking retrac­
tor! You should not hear a "clicking" sound
when winding up the safety belt.
- Let the belt retractor wind up the safety belt webb ing .
_& WARNING
A ch ild in a child safety seat installed with the
LATC H lowe r anchorages or w ith the standard
safety belt or a child in a booste r seat on the
rear seat could p lay with unused rear seat
safety belts and become entangled. This
cou ld cause t he chi ld ser ious personal injury
and even death.
- Always sec ure unused rear seat safety belts
o ut of reach of ch ild ren in child seats such
as by proper ly routing them aro und the
156 head restraint of the seat where the child
restraint
is installed .
- Never activate the convertible locking re­
tractor when routing the safety belts around
the head restraints.
Child seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old and
20 lbs . or
9 kg need special rearward-facing
child restraints that support the back, neck and
head in a crash.
Fig . 14 2 Schema tic overv iew : rearward -facing infa nt seat,
p rope rly insta lled on the rea r seat
..,. When usi ng the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safe ty seat, yo u must first act ivate the
convertib le locking retractor on the safety belt
to prevent the chi ld safety seat from moving
¢ page 160 or insta ll the seat using the LATCH
attachments.
..,. Push the ch ild safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight so that
the seat cannot move forward or sideways
more than one inch (2 .5 cm) .
..,. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢ page 156.
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs. or 9 kg) are
best protected in special infant carr ie rs and child
safe ty seats designed for the ir age group . Many
expe rts be lieve that infants and small ch ild ren
sho uld r ide o nly in special res tra ints in wh ich the
ch ild faces the back of the vehicle . These in fant
seats support the baby's back, neck and head in a
crash
r=> fig. 142 . ..,.

,-1 N
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,-1 I.Cl U"I
,-1 I.Cl ......
The airbag on the passenger side makes the front
seat a potentially dangerous p lace for a child to
ride . The front seat is not the safest place for a
child in a forward-facing chi ld seat. It is a very
dangerous place for an infant or a larger child in
a rearward -facing seat .
& WARNING
Not using a ch ild safety seat, using the w rong
child safety seat or improper ly installing a
child restra int increases the r isk of se rious
personal in jury and death in a crash.
- Never install rearward-fac ing c hild safety
seats or infant car riers on the fron t passen­
ger seat -even wit h an Advanced A irbag Sys­
tem . A child w ill be seriously injured and can
be k illed when the inflat ing airbag hits the
child safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and smashes the child safety seat and child against the backrest, center armrest,
door or roof ¢
page 130, Child restraints on
the front seat -some important things to
know .
-Always install rearward-fac ing ch ild safety
seats or infant car riers on the rear seat .
- Never install a rearward-facing chi ld re­
straint in the forward -facing direction . Such
restra ints are designed for the special needs
of infants and ve ry small ch ild ren and can­
not protect them prope rly if the seat is for­
wa rd -facing.
- If you must install a rearward fac ing ch ild
sa fety seat on t he front p asse nger seat be­
ca use of exceptiona l circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay o n, immediate ly install
the rearward-facing child safety seat in a rear seat ing pos ition and have the airbag
system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restra ined in a veh icle is
being used¢
page 121, Safety belts,
¢ page 129, Airbag system and
¢ page 151, Important information.
Child sa fety
Convertible child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats can
help protect toddlers and children over age one who weigh between 20 and 40 lbs. (9 and 18 kg)
in a crash.
F ig . 14 3 Schem atic overv ie w: installat ion o f the attac h­
men ts applicable to a LA TCH sea t
Fig. 144 Schemat ic overv iew : insta llat ion of the seat usin g
t he ve hicle 's sa fety b elt syst em
.. W hen using the vehicle safe ty belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convertib le locking retractor on the safety belt
to prevent t he chi ld safety seat from moving
¢
page 160 or install the seat using the LATCH
attachments .
.. Push the ch ild safety seat down with yo ur full
we ight to ge t the safety belt really tight so that
t he seat can not move forward or sideways
more than one inch (2 .5 cm) ¢
page 160 .
.. If the child safety seat is equ ipped with a tether
strap, attac h it to the tether anchors
¢ page 166 .
.. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢page 156.
A toddler or child is usua lly too large fo r an in­
fant restraint if it is more th an one year old and
weighs more than 20 lbs. (9 kg). ..,
157

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,-1 I.Cl U"I
,-1 I.Cl ......
BAG OFF 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 between 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. 145 Rear seat: c hild prope rly rest rai ned in a booste r
sea t
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most
children until they are at least 4
ft. 9 in. (5 7 in­
ches/1.45 meters) tall and weigh about 80 lbs.
(36 kg). Booster seats raise these chi ldren up so
that the safety belt will pass properly over the
stronger parts of the ir bodies and the safety belt
can help protec t 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 belt must lie as close to the cen­
ter of the child 's collar bone as possible and
must lie flat and snug on the upper body. It
must never lie across the throat or neck. The
lap belt must lie across the pelvis and never
across the stomach or abdomen. Make sure the
belt lies flat and snug. Pull on the belt to tight­
en if necessary .
.,.. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
<=>page 156.
Children up to about 40 lbs. (18 kg) are best pro­
tected in ch ild safety seats des igned for their age
and weight . Experts say that the skeletal str uc­
ture, pa rticular ly the pe lv is , of these children is
no t fully developed, and they must not use the
Child safety
vehicle safety be lts wi thout a suitable child re­
straint.
It is usually best to put these childr en in appro­
priate booster seats. Be su re the booster seat
meets all applicab le safety standards .
Booster seats raise the seating position of the
child and reposition both the lap and shoulder
parts of the safety belt so that they pass across
the child's body in the right places. The routing o f
the belt over the chi ld's body is very important
for the ch ild's protection, whether or not a boos ­
ter seat is used. Children age 12 and under must
always ride in the rear seat.
Ch ildren 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 vehicle 's safety belt alone
to restrain any ch ild, regard less of how big the
ch ild is. Always remember that childr en do not
have the pronounced pelvic structure required for
the proper function of lap belt portion of the ve­
hicle's three point lap and shoulder belts . T he
child's safety absolutely requires that a lap belt
portion of the safety belt be fastened snugly and
as low as possible around the pe lvis. Never let
the lap belt portion of the safety belt pass over
the child 's stomach or abdomen .
In a crash, airbags must inflate within a blink of
an eye and with considerab le force. In order to do
its job, the airbag needs room to inflate so that it
will be there to protect the occupant as the occu­ pant moves forward into the airbag .
A vehicle occ upant who is out of position and too
close to the a irbag gets in the way of an inflating
airbag. When an occupant is too close , he or she
will be struck violently and w ill receive serious or
possibly even fata l injury .
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 exceptiona l circumstances, be properly
restrained and as far away from the airbag as
possible. By keeping room between the child's ..,.
159

Child safety
body and the front of the passenger compart­
ment, the airbag can inflate completely and pro­
vide supplemental protection in certain frontal
collisions.
.,&. WARNING
Not using a booster seat, using the booster
seat improperly, incorrectly installing a boos­
ter seat or using the vehicle safety belt im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death in a collision or other emer­
gency situation. To help reduce the risk of se­
rious personal injury and/or death:
- The shoulder belt must lie as close to the
center of the child's collar bone as possible
and must lie flat and snug on the upper
body.
It must never lie across the throat or
neck. The lap belt must lie across the pelvis
and never across the stomach or abdomen .
Make sure the belt lies flat and snug. Pull on
the belt to tighten if necessary .
- Failure to properly route safety belts over a
child's body will cause severe injuries in an
accident or other emergency situation
~ page 121.
-The rear side of the child safety seat should
be positioned as close as possible to the
backrest on the vehicle seat . Adjust or re­
move the rear seat head restraint if it is dif­
ficult to install the child seat with the head
restraint in place
~page 58. Install the
head restraint again immediately once the
child seat is removed. Driving without head
restraints or with head restraints that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk of
serious or fatal neck injury dramatically.
- Children on the front seat of any car, even
with Advanced Airbags, can be seriously in­
jured or even killed when an airbag inflates.
- Never let a child stand or kneel on any seat.
- Never let a child ride in the cargo area of
your vehicle.
- Always remember that a child leaning for­
ward, sitting sideways or out of position in
any way during an accident can be struck by
a deploying airbag. This will result in serious
personal injury or death.
160
- If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional
circumstances the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light must come on and stay on, when­
ever the ignition is switched on .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, perform the
checks described~
page 139, Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System .
-Take the child restraint off the front passen­
ger seat and install it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
~ page 121, Safety belts,
~page 129, Airbag system
and
~ page 151, Important information.
Securing child seats
' Securing a child safety seat using a safety
I _l:>elt
Safety belts for the rear seats and the front pas­
senger's seat can be locked with the convertible
locking retractor to properly secure child safety
seats.
The safety belts emergency locking retractors for
the rear seats safety belts and for the front pas­ senger 's seat safety belt have a convertible lock­
ing retractor for child restraints. The safety belt
must be locked so that belt webbing cannot un­
reel. The retractor can be activated to lock the
safety belt and prevent the safety belt webbing
from loosening up during normal driving . A child
safety seat can only be properly installed when
the safety belt is locked so that the child and
child safety seat will stay in place.
Always remember : Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
children, especially those 12 years and younger,
should always ride in the back seat properly re-
strained for their age and weight . ..,.

.... N
0 I-­co .... .... A WARNING ,~ -
Improperly installed child safety seats in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury and
death in a collision.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt retrac­
tor cannot hold the child safety seat in place
during no rma l driving or in a crash.
- 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 d uring
a sudden stop or in a collision .
- If the backrest is not securely latched, the
child and the child restrain t will be thrown
forward together with the backrest and will strike parts of the vehicle interior. The ch ild
can be seriously injured or killed.
- Never install rearward -facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the front passen­ ger seat. A child will be seriously injured and
can be killed when the passenger airbag in­
flates.
- 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 child
against the backrest, center armrest, door or roof .
- Always install rearward-fac ing ch ild safety
seats or infant carriers on the rear seat .
- Forward-fac ing ch ild safety seats or infant
carriers installed on the front passenger's
seat may inte rfere with the deployment of
the a irbag and cause serious injury to the
c hild.
- It is safe r to install a forward-fac ing ch ild
safety seat on the rear seat.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a veh icle is
being used
¢page 151. Specia l pre caut ions
apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat¢
page 130, Child
restraints on the front seat -some impor­
tant things to know.
Ch ild safety
A WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must
i nstall a forward or rearward-facing child re­
stra int on the front passenger's seat in excep­
tional s ituations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-fac ing
child restraint is installed on the front pas­
senger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
lig ht must come on and stay on w henever
the ignition is switched on.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght does
not come on and stay on, perform the
checks desc ribed¢
page 139, Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System.
- Take the child restr aint off t he 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.
- Improper installation of child restraints can
reduce their effectiveness or even prevent
them from providing any protect ion.
- An imprope rly installed child restraint can
interfere with the airbag as it deploys and
serious ly injure or even kill the chi ld.
- Always care fully follow the manufacturer's
instr uctions provided with the child safety
seat or carr ier.
- Never p lace add itiona l items on the seat
that can increase the total weight registered
by the weight-sensing mat and can cause in­
jury in a crash.
A WARNING
-Forward-facing child restra ints:
- Always make sure the forward-facing seat
has been des igned and certified by its man ­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag .
- Never put the forward-facing child restraint up, against or very nea r the instrument pan­
el.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost posit ion in the seat's fore and aft
-
161

Child safet y
adjustment range, as far away from the air­
bag as possib le before insta lling the for­
ward-facing child restra int. The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright posit ion.
- Make sure that the
PASSEN GER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on .
A WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
- A ch ild 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 a irbag w ill hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier wi th great force and
will smash the chi ld safety seat a nd child
against the backrest, cen ter armrest, door
or roof.
- Always be especially careful if you must in­
sta ll a rearward facing child safety seat on
the front passenger seat in exceptional cir ­
cumstances .
- A tight tether strap on a rearward-fac ing
child restraint attached to the front passen­
ger seat can put too much pressu re on the
weight-mat in the seat and register a heavi­ er we ight in the Advanced Airbag System.
The heav ier we ight registered can make the
system work as though an adult were on the
seat and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it m ust be s uppressed causi ng serio us or
even fatal injury to the child.
- Make s ure 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
sta ll the rearward-facing child safety seat in
a rear seating position and have the a irbag
system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer .
162
· Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a
child restraint.
Always heed the ch ild safety seat manufacturer's
i nstruct ions when installing a child restra int in
your vehicle . To activate the convertible locking
retractor:
.. Place the child restraint on a seat, preferably
on the rear seat.
.. Slowly pull the belt
all th e w ay out .
.. Route it around or through the child restra int
be lt path
~ ,&. .
.. Push the ch ild safety sea t down wi th yo ur full
weigh t to get the safety belt really tight.
.. Insert the be lt tong ue into the b uck le for that
seating position .
.. Guide the safety be lt back into the retracto r un­
til the belt lies flat and sn ug on the ch ild safety
seat.
.. You should hear a "cl icking" noise as the belt
w inds back into the inertia reel. Test the con ­
vert ible lock ing retractor by pull ing on the belt.
You shou ld no lo nge r be able to pull the belt
out of the retracto r. T he convertib le locking re­
tractor is now activa ted.
.. Make sure that the red release button is facing
away from the chi ld restraint so that it can be
unbuckled quickly .
.. Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt is
properly t ight and fastened so that the seat
cannot move forward or s ideways more than
one inch (2 .5 cm) .
A WARNING
Using the wrong ch ild restraint or an improp­
e rly installed child restra int can ca use serious
personal injury or death in a crash.
- Always make sure that the safety be lt re­
tr actor is locked when installing a ch ild
safety seat . An unlocked safety be lt retrac­
tor cannot hold the ch ild safety seat in place
during normal driving or in a crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in
place even if a chi ld is not sitting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around during
a sudden stop or in a crash.

.... N
0 I­co .... .... -Always make sure the seat backrest to which
the child restraint is installed is in an up­
right position and securely latched into
place and cannot fold forward. Otherwise,
the seatback with the child safety seat at­
tached to it could f ly forward in the event of
an accident or other emergency situation.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a veh icle is
being used
r=;,page 151. Spec ia l precaut ions
apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat¢
page 130, Child
restraints on the front seat -some impor­
tant things to know.
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
The convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints will be deactivated automatically when
the belt is wound all the way back into the re­
tractor .
~ Press the red button on the safety belt buckle.
The belt tongue will pop out of the buckle.
~ Guide the safety belt all the way back into its
stowed position .
Always let the safety belt retract complete ly into
its stowed position. The safety belt can now be
used as an ordinary safety belt without the con­
vertible locking retractor for child restraints.
If the convert ible locking retractor should be ac­
tivated inadvertently, the safety belt must be un­
fastened and guided completely back into its
stowed position to deact ivate this feature. If the
convert ible lock ing retractor is not deactivated,
the safety belt w ill gradually become tighte r and
uncomfo rtable to wea r.
_& WARNING
-
Improperly installed chi ld safety seats in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury and
death in a collision.
- Never unfasten the safety belt to deactivate
the convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints while the vehicle is moving . You
Child safety
wou ld not be restrained and could be seri­
ously injured in an accident.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
be ing used ¢
page 151. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat
¢ page 130, Child
restraints on the front seat -some impor­
tant things to know.
163

Child safety
LATCH system (Lower
anchorages and tethers
for children)
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To prov ide a simpler and more practicable way to
attach the child restra int on the vehicle seat,
Federal regulations require special lower ancho­
rages in vehicles and devices on new child re­
straints to attach to the vehicle anchorages.
I n the United States, the combination of the
tether anchorages and the lower anchorages is
now generally called the LATCH system for
"Lower Anchorages and Tethers for Children". In
Canada, the terms "top tether" with "lower uni­
versal anchorages" (o r "lowe r universal anchor­
age bars") are used to describe the system.
In othe r countries the term "ISO FIX" is used to
describe the lower anchorages .
F orward-facing child restraints manufactured af­
ter September 1, 1999, are required by U.S. fed­
eral regulations to comply with new child head
movement performance requirements. These
new performance requirements make a tether
necessary on most new child seats.
Installing a child restraint that requires a top
tether without one can seriously impair the per­
formance of the child restraint and its ability to
protect the child in a collision . Installing a chi ld
restraint that requires a top tether without the
top tether may be a violation of state law.
Child restraint manufacturers offer LA TCH lower
anchorages on their child seats with hook-on or
push-on connectors attached to adjustable
straps .
In addition to the LA TCH lower anchorages, these
child restraint systems usually require the use of
tether straps to help keep the child restraint
firmly in place.
A WARNING
Improper installation of ch ild restraints will
increase the r isk of injury and death in a
crash.
164
- Always follow the instructions provided by
the manufacturer of the child restraint you
intend to install in your vehicle.
- 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.
- Improper use of child restraint LATCH lower
anchorage points can lead to injury in a colli­
sion. The LATCH lower anchorage points are
designed to withstand only those loads im­
posed by correctly fitted child restraints.
- Never mount two child restraint systems on
one LATCH lower anchorage point.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or other
item to the LATCH lower anchorages.
Location
Fig. 146 Schema tic ove rview : LATCH anchorage poi nt loc a­
t ion s
The illustration shows the seating locations in
your vehicle which are equ ipped with the lower
anchorages system.