AUDI A7 2012 Owners Manual
Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2012, Model line: A7, Model: AUDI A7 2012Pages: 294, PDF Size: 73.33 MB
Page 161 of 294

Important  safety  instructions  on the 
side  airbag  system 
Airbags  are only supplemental  restraints.  Al
ways properly  wear safety  belts  and  ride in a 
proper  seating  position. 
There  is a  lot  that  you  and  your  passengers 
must  know  and  act  accordingly  to  help  the 
safety  belts  and  airbags  do  their  job  to  pro
vide  supplemental  protection . 
A WARNING 
An inflating  side  airbag  can  cause  serious 
or fatal  injury.  Improperly  wearing  safety 
belts  and  improper  seating  positions  in
crease  the  risk of  serious  personal  injury 
and  death  whenever  a vehicle  is  being 
used . 
- In  order  to  reduce  the  risk of  injury  when 
the  supplemental  side  airbag  inflates: 
-Always  sit in an  upright  position  and 
never  lean  against  the  area  where  the 
supplemental  side  airbag  is  located. 
- Never  let a child  or  anyone  else  rest 
their  head  against  the  side  trim  panel 
in  the  area  where  the  supplemental 
side  airbag  inflates. 
- Always make  sure  that  safety  belts  are  worn  correctly, 
- Do  not  let  anyone  sitting  in the  front 
seat  put  their  hand  or  any  other  parts 
of  their  body  out  of the  window. 
- Always  make  sure  that  the  side  airbag  can  inflate  without  interference. 
- Never  install seat  covers  or  replace 
ment  upholstery  over  the  front  seat
backs  that  have  not  been  specifically 
approved  by Audi. 
- Never  use  additional  seat  cushions  that 
cover  the  areas  where  the  side  airbags 
deploy. 
- Damage  to  the  original  seat  covers  or 
to  the  seam  in the  area  of the  side  air bag  module  must  always  be  repaired 
immediately  by an  authorized  Audi 
dealer. 
Airbag system 159 
- Objects  between  you  and  the  airbag  can 
increase  the  risk  of  injury in an  accident 
by interfering  with  the  way the  airbag 
unfolds  or  by being  pushed  into  you  as 
the  airbag  inflates. 
- Never  place  or  attach  accessories  or 
other  objects  (such  as  cup  holders,  tel
ephone  brackets,  or  even  large, bulky 
objects)  on  the  doors,  over  or  near  the 
area  marked  "AIRBAG" on  the  seat  backrests . 
- Such  objects  and  accessories  can  be come  dangerous  projectiles  and  cause 
injury  when  the  supplemental  side  air
bag  deploys. 
- Never  carry  any  objects  or  pets  in the 
deployment  space  between  them  and 
the  airbags  or  allow  children  or  other  passengers  to  travel  in this  position . 
- Always  use  the  built -in coat  hooks  only 
for  lightweight  clothing . Never  leave  any 
heavy  or  sharp-edged  objects  in  the 
pockets  that  may  interfere  with  side  air
bag  deployment  and  can  cause  personal 
injury  in  an  accident. 
- Always  prevent  the  side  airbags  from  be
ing  damaged  by heavy  objects  knocking 
against  or  hitting  the  sides  of the  seat
backs. 
- The  airbag  system  can  only  be  triggered 
once.  If  the  airbag  has  been  triggered, 
the  system  must  be  replaced  by an  au
thorized  Audi dealership. 
- Damage  (cracks,  deep  scratches  etc .) to 
the  original  seat  covers  or  to  the  seam  in 
the  area  of the  side  airbag  module  must  always  be  repaired  immediately  by an  au
thorized  Audi dealer . 
- If  children  are  seated  improperly, their 
risk of  injury  increases  in the  case  of  an 
accident 
~ page  163,  Child Safety. 
- Never  attempt  to  modify  any  compo
nents  of the  airbag  system  in any  way . 
- In  a  side  collision,  side  airbags  will  not 
function  properly  if sensors  cannot  cor rectly  measure  increasing  air  pressure  in-
side  the doors  when  air  escapes  through .,.. • 
•  
Page 162 of 294

160  Airbag system 
larger,  unclosed  openings  in the  door 
panel. 
- Never  drive  w ith  inter ior door  trim  pan
e ls  removed. 
- Never  drive  when  parts  have  been  re moved  from  the  ins ide  doo r panel  and 
the  openings  they  leave  have  not  been  p roperly  closed. 
- Never  d rive when  loudspeakers  in the 
doors  have  bee n removed  unless  the 
spea ker  holes  have  been  properly 
closed. 
-Always  ma ke  certa in that  openings  are 
covered  or fi lled  if additional  speakers 
or  other  equipment  is installed  in the 
inside  door  panels. 
- Always have  work  on  the  doors  done  by  an  authorized  Audi  dealer  or  qualified 
workshop . 
Side  curtain  airbags 
Description  of  side curtain  airbags 
The side  curtain  airbag  system can provide 
supplemental  protection  to properly  restrain 
ed  occupants. 
Fi g.  14 9 Side curtain  airbags,  dri ver 's  side: s ide  curta in 
a ir bag  location 
The s ide  curtain  airbags  are  located  on  both 
sides  of the  interior  above  the  front  and  rear 
side  windows ~ 
fig.  149. They are ident ified 
by the  word  "AIRBAG" on  the windshield 
frame  and  the  center  roof  p illar. 
The s ide  curtain  airbag  system  supplements 
the  safety  belts  and  can  help  to  reduce  the  risk of  injury for  occupants'  heads  and  upper 
torso  o n the  side  of  the  vehicle  tha t is struc k  in 
a side  collision . The  side  curtain  airbag  in
flates  in side  impacts  and  only  when the vehi
cle  acceleration  registered  by the  control unit 
is  high  enough . If  this  rate  is below  the refer
ence  value  programmed  into  the  control unit, 
the  side  airbags will  not  be  triggered,  even 
t h ough  the  car  may  be  bad ly damaged  as  a  re
su lt  of  the  co llision . 
It is  not  possib le to  de
fine  an  airbag  triggering  range  that  will cover  every  possib le  ang le  of  impact,  s ince  the  cir
cumstances  will vary  cons iderably  between 
one  collision  and  another.  Important  factors 
include,  for  example,  the  nature  (hard  or  soft) 
of the  impacting  object,  the angle  of impact, 
vehicle  speed, etc.~ 
page  161 , How side  cur
tain  airbags  work . 
Aside  from  their  normal  safety  function, safe
ty  be lts  work  to  help  keep  the  driver  or  front 
passenger  in  position  in  the event  of  a colli
sion  so that  the  side curtain  airbags  can  pro
vide  protection . 
The  airbag  system  is not  a  substit ute  for  your 
safety  belt. Rather,  it  is part  of  the overall  oc
cupant  restraint  system in your vehicle.  Al
ways  remember  that the  a irbag  system  can 
only  help  to  protect  you  if you  are  wear ing 
you r saf ety  belt  and  wearing  it  properly . This 
is anothe r reason  why yo u should  always  wear 
yo ur  safe ty belts,  no t just  because  the  law  re 
quires  yo u to  do  so 
q page  128,  General 
notes . 
It is  important  to  remember  that  w hile  the 
s ide  cur tain  airbag  system  is designed  to  help 
reduce  the  likelihood  of  ser ious  injur ies,  other 
injuries,  for  example, swelling,  bruising,  fric
tion  burns  and minor  abrasions  can also  be  as
sociated  with  these  airbags upon  dep loyment. 
Remember  too,  these  airbags  will deploy  only 
once  and only  in  certain  kinds  of  accidents  -
your  safety  belts  are  always  there  to  offer  pro 
tection. 
The side curtain  airbag  sy stem  basic ally 
cons ists of: 
- The  electronic  control  module  and  external 
side  impact  sensors  ..,..  
Page 163 of 294

-The  side  curtain  airbags  above  the  front  and 
rear  side  windows 
- The  airbag  ind icator  light  in the  instrument 
pane l 
The  a irbag  system  is  monitored  elect ro nic ally 
to  make  certain  it  is f unct io ni ng  proper ly a t all 
times.  Eac h time  you  switch  on  the  ignition, 
the  airbag  system  indicator  light  wi ll come  on 
for  a few  seconds  (se lf  diagnost ics) . 
The side curtain  airbag  is not  activated: 
-if the  ign ition  is swit ched  off, 
- i n s ide  coll isions  when  the  accelerat ion 
measured  by the  sensor  is too  low, 
- in  rear-end  collisions . 
_& WARNING 
-Sa fety  belts  and  t he a irbag  system  w ill 
only  p rov ide  p rotection  whe n occu pan ts 
are  in the  proper  sea ting  posit ion 
¢ page  SO, General recommendations. 
- If the  airbag  indicator  light  comes  on 
when  the  veh icle  is  being  used,  have  the 
system  inspected  immediately  by your 
authorized  Audi dealer.  T he  side  curtain 
airbag  may  not  work  properly  even  when 
the  vehicle  acceleration  in a  side  coll is ion 
is  h igh  enough  to  act ivate  the  airbag. 
How  side curtain  airbags  work 
Side curtain  airbags  can work  together  with 
side  airbags  to  help  reduce  the  risk  of  head 
and  upper  torso  injuries  for  occupants  who 
are properly  restrained . 
Fig . 150 Illust rat ion of pr inc ip le: In flated side  cur ta in 
airbags  on t he  left  s ide 
. 
A irba g  sy stem  161 
The  side  c urtain  airbags  infla te  between  the 
occupant  and  the  windows  on  the  side  of  the 
vehicle  that  is struck  in a  side  coll is ion 
¢ fig.  150. 
When  the  system  is trigge red,  t he side  curta in 
airbag  is filled  with  propellant  gas  and  breaks 
th ro ugh  a  seam  above  the  front  and  rear  side 
windows  identified  by the  AIRBAG  labe l. In  or
der  to  he lp provide  this  additional  protection, 
the  side  curta in a irbag  must  inflate  withi n the 
blink  of  an  eye  at  ve ry hig h speed  and  with 
great  fo rce . T he  side  curta in a irbag  could  in
j u re yo u if your  sea ting  posit io n  is not  proper 
o r u pright  or  if items  are  loca ted  in t he a rea 
where  the  supplemental  side  curta in a irbag 
in flates . This applies  especially  to  chi ldren 
~ page  163 . 
Although  they  are  no t  a soft  p illow,  side  cur
ta in a irbags  can  "cushion"  the  impact  and  in 
this  way they  can  help  to  reduce  the  risk  of  in
j u ry to  the  head  and  the  uppe r part  of  the 
body. 
A fine  dust  may  deve lop  when  the  airbag  de
ploys . This  is  qui te  no rma l and  does  not  mean 
there  is a fire  in the  vehicle . 
Important  safety  instructions  on the 
side curtain  airbag  system 
Airbags  are only  supplemental  restraints . Al
ways properly  wear safety  belts  and  ride  in  a 
proper  seating  position. 
There  is a  lot  that  you  and  your  passengers 
must  know  and  do  to  help  the  safety  belts  and 
airbags  do  t heir job  to  provide  supplemental 
protection . 
_& WARNING 
= 
Improperly  wea ring  safety  belts  and  im
p roper  seating  posit ions  increase  the  risk 
of  ser ious  perso nal  inj ury and  death  when
ever  a vehicle  is being  used. 
- Never  let  occupa nts  pla ce  any  pa rts  of 
thei r bo dies  in t he  area  fro m whi ch the 
side  curt ain air bag  inf late. 
- 
Page 164 of 294

162  Airbag  sys tem 
-Always  make  sure  that  the  side  curtain 
airbags  can  inflate  w ithout  interference . 
- Use the  built-in  coat  hooks  only for  light
weight  clothing . Never  leave  any  heavy  or 
sharp-edged  objects  in the  pockets  that 
may  interfere  with  airbag  deployment 
and  can  cause  personal  injury  in a  colli
sion . 
- Never  use  hangers  to  hang  clothes  on 
the  hooks . 
- Only use  factory-installed  sun  shades  or, 
if shades  installed  after  the  vehicle 
leaves  the  factory,  use  only  genuine  Audi 
sun  shades. 
- Never  swing  the  sun  viso rs ove r to  the 
side  windows  if things  such  as  pens,  ga
rage  door  openers,  hands-free  speake rs, 
etc.  are  a ttached  to  the  sun  visors.  They 
cou ld come  loose  and  cause  se rious  in
jury  if the  side  c urtain  airbag  inflates . 
- A deploying  air bag  infla tes  in  a fr action 
of a  second  and  with  great  force. 
- Never  a tta ch objects  to  the  cover  or  in 
the  deploymen t  zone  of  a side  curtain 
airbag . 
- T he  ai rbag  dep loymen t  zones  m ust  be 
kept  clear  a t all t imes . Make sure  t here 
are  no  objects,  pets,  or  other  persons  in 
the  space  between  any vehicle  occupant  and  any  airbag  at  any time. 
- Do not  attach  any  accessories  to  the 
doors . 
A WARNING 
-The  airbag  system  can  deploy  only  once . 
If  the  airbag  has  been  triggered,  the  sys
tem  must  be  replaced  by an  author ized 
Audi dealer  or  qualified  workshop. 
- Always  have  work  involving  the  side  cur
tain  airbag  system,  removal  and  installa
tion  of the  a irbag  components,  o r other 
repa irs  perfo rme d by a  qualified  dealer
ship.  Othe rwise  the  airbag  system  may 
not  wo rk cor re ctly . 
- Never  attempt  to  modify  any  compo
nents  of  the  airbag  system  i n any way.  
Page 165 of 294

Child  Safety 
Important  things  to know 
Introduction 
The rear seat  is generally  the  safest  place  in a 
collision . 
The physical  principles  of  what  happens when 
your  veh icle is  in a crash app ly also to  chi ldren 
~ page  129,  What  happens  to occupants  not 
wearing  safety  belts? . 
But unlike  adults  and 
teenagers,  their  muscles and  bones are not 
fu lly developed.  In  many respects children  are 
at  greater  risk of  serious  injury  in crashes than 
adu lts. 
Because  children's  bod ies are not  fully  deve l
oped,  they  require  restraint  systems  especial ly  designed  for  their  size, weight,  and body 
structure.  Many countries  and all  states  of  the 
United  States  and provinces  of  Canada have 
laws requiring  the  use of  approved  child  re
straint  systems for  infants  and small  children . 
In  a fronta l crash at  a speed of  20 -35  mph 
(30-56  km/h)  the  forces  acting  on a  13-pound 
(6  kg) infant  w ill be more  than  20 t imes the 
weight  of  the  child . This  means the  weight  of 
the  child  would  suddenly  be more  than 
260  pounds  (120  kg).  Under these  conditions, 
on ly an appropriate  chi ld restraint  properly 
used can  reduce the  risk of  ser ious injury . 
Child  restraints,  like adult  safety  belts,  must 
be used properly  to  be effective.  Used  improp
erly,  they  can increase the  risk of  serious  in 
jury  in  an accident. 
Consult  the child  safety  seat  manufacturer's 
instructions  in order  to  be sure the  seat  is 
right  for  your  chi ld's  size ~ 
page  167,  Impor
tant  safety  instructions  for  using  child safety 
seats. 
Please be sure to  read and  heed all  of 
the  important  information and WARNINGS 
about  ch ild  safety,  Advanced A irbags, and the 
installation  of  child restraints  in  this  chapter. 
There is a lot  you  need to  know  about  the  Ad
vanced Airbags  in your  vehicle  and  how they  work  when  infants  and children  in child  re-
Child  Sa fet y  163 
straints  are on the  front  passenger  seat . Be
cause of  the  large amount  of  important  infor
mation,  we cannot  repeat  it  a ll here . We  urge 
you to  read the  detailed  information  in this  owner's  manual  about  airbags  and the  Ad
vanced Airbag  System  in your  vehicle  and the 
very  important  information  about  transport
ing  children  on the  front  passenger  seat . 
Please be sure  to heed the  WARNINGS  -they 
are extremely  important  for your safety  and 
the  safety  of your  passengers, especially  in
fants  and small  chi ldren . 
.A, WARNING 
-Accident  statistics  have shown  that  chil 
dren  are generally  safer  in the  rear seat 
area than  in  the  front  seating  position. 
Always  restrain  any child  age 12 and un der  in the  rear. 
- All  vehicle  occupants  and especially  chil
dren  must  be restrained  properly  when
ever  riding  in a vehicle . An  unrestrained 
or  improperly  restrained  chi ld could  be 
injured  by str ikin g the  interior  or  by be
ing ejected  from  the vehicle  during  a 
sudden  maneuver  or  impact.  An un re 
strained  or  improper ly restrained  chi ld is 
also at  greater  risk of  injury  or death 
through  contact  with  an inflating  airbag. 
- A suitable  chi ld restraint  properly  instal
led and used at  one of  the  rear seating 
positions  provides the  highest  degree of 
protection  for  infants and small  children 
in most  accident  situations. 
A WARNING 
Children  on the  front  seat  of any car even 
with  Advanced  Airbags can be ser iously  in
jured  or  even  killed when  an a irbag in
flates.  A child  in  a  rearward-fac ing ch ild 
safety  seat  installed  on the front passen
ger  seat will  be ser iously  injured  and can 
be killed  if  the  front  airbag  inflates . 
- The  inflating  airbag  will  h it the  child 
safety  seat or  infant  carrier  with  great 
force  and will  smash the  child  safety  seat 
and child  against  the  backrest, center 
armrest,  or  door. 
• 
•  
Page 166 of 294

164  Child  Safety 
-Always  install  rear-facing  child  safety 
seats  on the  rear  seat. 
- If you  must  install  a  rearward  facing 
child  safety  seat  on  the  front  passenger 
seat  in exceptional  circumstances  and 
the 
PASSENGER AIR  BAG OFF light  does 
not  come  on  and  stay  on,  immediately 
install  the  rear-facing  child  safety  seat  in 
a  rear  seating  position  and  have  the  air
bag  system  inspected  immediately by 
your  Audi dealer. 
_&, WARNING 
- Forward-facing  child  seats installed on 
the  front  passenger  seat  may  interfere 
with  the  deployment  of the  airbag  and 
cause  serious  personal  injury to  the 
child. 
- If  exceptional  circumstances  require  the 
use  of  a  forward-facing  child  restraint  on 
the  front  passenger 's seat,  the  child's 
safety  and  well-being  require  the  follow ing  special  precautions  to  be  taken: 
- Always make  sure  that  the  forward-fac
ing  seat  has  been designed  and  certi
fied  by its  manufacturer  for  use  on  a 
front  passenger  seat  with  a front  and 
side  airbag. 
- Always carefully  follow  the  manufac
turer'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  in
structions  require  the  top  tether  strap 
to  be  used. 
- Never  put  the  forward-facing  child  re
straint  up  against  or very  near  the  in
strument  panel. 
- Always set  the  safety  belt  upper  an
chorage  to  the  adjustment  position 
that  permits  proper  installation  in ac
cordance  with  the child  restraint  manu
facturer's  instructions. 
-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  in
stalling  the  child  restraint.  The  back
rest  must  be  adjusted  to  an  upright  po
sition . 
- Always  make  sure  that  nothing  pre
vents  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  device  or  power  inverter). These 
may  influence  the  electrical  capaci
tance  measured  by the  capacitive  pas
senger  detection  system  and can  also 
fly around  in an  accident  and  cause  se
rious  personal  injury. 
- Never  place  or  use  any electrical  device 
(such  as  a  laptop,  CD player,  electronic 
games  device  or  power  inverter) on  the 
front  passenger  seat  if the  device  is 
connected  to  the  12-volt socket  or  the 
cigarette  lighter  socket. 
- If  a seat  heater  has  been  retrofitted or 
otherwise  added  to  the  front  passen
ger  seat,  never  install  any  child  re
straint  system  on  this  seat. 
- Make sure  that  there  are  no wet  objects 
(such  as  a wet  towel)  and  no water  or 
other  liquids  on  the  front  passenger 
seat  cushion . 
- Always  make  sure  that  the 
PASSENGER 
AIR  BAG OFF 
light  comes  on  and  stays 
on  all  the  time  whenever  the  ignition  is 
switched  on. 
- If  the 
PASSENGER AIR  BAG OFF light 
does  not  come on  and  stay  on,  immedi
ately  install  the  forward-facing  child 
seat  in a  rear  seating  position  and  have 
the  airbag  system  inspected  by your 
authorized  Audi dealer. 
- Always  buckle  the  child  seat  firmly  in 
place  even  if a  child  is  not  sitting  in it. 
A loose  child  seat  can  fly  around  during 
a sudden  stop  or  in a  collision. 
- Always  read and  heed  all WARNINGS 
whenever  using  a child  restraint  in ave
hicle 
¢ page  128,  Safety  belts, 
¢ page  137,  Airbag system 
and ~  
Page 167 of 294

~ page  163,  Important  things  to 
know. 
(D Tips 
Always replace  child  restraints that  were 
installed  in a vehicle  during  a crash.  Dam
age  to  a child  restraint  that  is not  visible 
could  cause  it to  fail  in another  collision 
situation. 
Advanced  front  airbag  system  and  children 
Your vehicle  is equipped  with  a front  "Ad
vanced  Airbag System"  in compliance  with  United  States  Federal  Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standard  (FMVSS) 208  as  applicable  at  the 
time  your  vehicle was  manufactured. 
The Advanced Airbag  system  in your  vehicle 
has  been  certified  to meet  the "low-risk"  re
quirements  for  3- and  6-year  old  children  on 
the  passenger  side  and  small  adults  on  the 
driver  side.  The low risk deployment  criteria 
are  intended  to  reduce  the  risk of  injury 
through  interaction  with  the  airbag  that  can 
occur, for  example,  by being  too  close  to  the 
steering  wheel  and  instrument  panel  when 
the  airbag  inflates. In  addition,  the  system 
has  been  certified  to comply  with  the  "sup
pression"  requirements  of  the Safety  Stand
ard,  to  turn  off the  front  airbag  for infants  up 
to  12  months  who  are  restrained  on the  front  passenger  seat  in child  restraints  that  are  list
ed  in the  Standard. 
Even though  your vehicle is equipped  with  an 
Advanced Airbag system,  all children,  espe
cially those  12 years  and  younger,  should  al
ways  ride in the  back seat  properly  restrained 
for  their  age  and  size.  The airbag  on the  pas
senger  side  makes  the  front  seat  a potentially 
dangerous  place  for  a child to  ride.  The front 
seat  is  not the  safest  place  for  a child  in a for
ward-facing  child  safety  seat.  It can  be a very 
dangerous  place  for  an  infant  or  a larger  child 
in  a rearward-facing  seat. 
The vehicle 's Advanced  Airbag System  has  a 
capacitive  passenger  detection  system  in the 
Child  Safety  165 
front  passenger  seat  cushion  that  can  detect 
the  presence  of  a baby  or  a child  in a child  re
straint  system  on this  seat. 
The  capacitive  passenger  detection system 
registers  the  changes  that  result  in an  electri
cal field  when  a child,  a child  restraint,  and  a 
baby  blanket  are  on the  front  passenger  seat . 
The change  in the  measured  capacitance  due 
to  the  presence  of  a child,  a child  restraint, 
and  a baby  blanket  on the  front  passenger 
seat  is related  to  the  child  restraint  system  resting  on  the  seat . The  measured  capacitance 
of  a  child  restraint  system  varies  depending 
on  the  type  of  system  and  specific  make  and 
model. 
The electrical  capacitance  of the  various 
types,  makes,  and  models  of  child  restraints 
specified  by  the U.S.National  Highway Traffic 
Safety  Administration  (NH TSA) in the  relevant 
safety  standard  are  stored  in the  Advanced 
Airbag System  control  unit  together  with  the 
capacitances  typical  of  infants  and  a  1-year 
old  child. When  a child  restraint  is used  on the 
front  passenger  seat  with  a typical 
1 year-old 
infant,  the  Advanced Airbag System  compares 
the  capacitance  measured  by the  capacitive  passenger  detection  system  with  the  data 
stored  in  the electronic  control  unit. 
Child restraints  and  Advanced  front 
airbag  system 
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  manu
facturer  for  use  with  an  airbag.  Always be sure 
that  the child  restraint  is properly  installed  at 
one  of the  rear seating  positions.  If  in excep
tional  circumstances  you  must  use  it on the 
front  passenger  seat,  ca refully  read  all of the 
information  on  child  safety  and  Advanced Air
bags  and  heed  all of  the  applicable  WARN
INGS.  Make certain  that  the  chi ld and  child  re
straint  are  correctly  recognized  by the  capaci
tive  passenger  detection  system  in the  front  passenger  seat,  that  the  front  passenger  air
bag  is turned  off, and  that  the  airbag  status  is  ..,. 
• 
•  
Page 168 of 294

166  Child  Saf ety 
always correctly  signaled  by the PA SSENGER 
AIR  BAG OFF 
light . 
M any types  and  models  of  ch ild  restra ints 
have been ava ilable  over the  years, new  mod
e ls are introduced  regularly  incorporating  new 
and  improved  designs  and older  models  are 
taken  out  of  production.  Child restraints  are  not  standardized.  Ch ild  restra ints  of  the  same 
type  typically  have different  weights  and s izes 
and d ifferent  "footprints",  the  size and shape 
of  the  bottom  of  the  child  restraint  that  sits 
on the  seat,  when  they  are installed  on a veh i
cle sea t. These differences  ma ke it  vi rtually 
i mposs ible to  ce rtify  comp lia nce w it h  the  re 
q ui rements  for  advanced a irbags w ith  each 
and every child  restraint  that  has ever been 
sold  in the  past  or  will  be sold  over the  course 
of  the  useful  life  of  your  vehicle. 
F or  this  reason, the  United  States  Nat ional 
Highway  Traffic  Safety  Administration  has 
published  a list  of  specific  type,  makes and 
models  of  child  restraints  that  must  be used 
to  certify  compliance  of  the  Advanced Airbag 
System  in your  vehicle  with  the  suppress ion 
requirements  of  Federal  Motor  Vehicle Safety 
Standa rd  208 . These child  rest raints  are : 
Subpart A  -Car  bed  child  rest ra int s 
Model 
Ange l Guard Ange l 
Ride AA2403FOF 
Manufactured  on or 
after 
September  25,  2007 
Subpart B  -Rear-facing  child  restraints 
Model  Manufactured  on or 
after 
Century  SmartFit  December  1,  1999 
4543 
Cosco Arriva  September  25,  2007 
22-0 13PAW and  base 
l 22-999WHO 
Evenflo  Discovery  Ad-December  1,  1999 
just  Right  212 
Evenflo  First  Choice  December  1,  1999 
1 20 4 
Graco Infant  8457  December  1,  1999 
-Model 
Graco Snug ride 
Manufactured  on or 
after 
September  25,  2007 
P eg Perego  Primo  Vi- September  25,  2007 
aggio  SIP  IMU NOOUS 
Subpart  C  -Forward -facing  and 
convertible  child  restraints 
Model  Manufactured  on or 
after 
Br itax  Roundabout  September  25,  2007 
E9L02xx 
December 1,  1999 
Cosco Summit  Deluxe  September  2S,  2007  H igh  Back Booster 
22-262 
Cosco High  Back  September  25,  2007  Booster  22-209 
E venf lo Tribute  V  September  25,  200 7 
379xxxx 
Evenflo  Medallion  December 
1, 1999 
254 
E venflo  Generations  Se ptember  25,  20 07 
3S2xxxx 
Graco ComfortSport  September  25,  2007 
Graco Toddler  Safety  September  2S, 2007 
Seat Step  2 
Graco Platinum  Cargo  Septembe r 25,  2007 
.&_ WARNING ~ 
To reduce the  risk of  serious  inju ry, ma ke 
sure that  the 
PASSENGER AIR  BAG OFF 
light  comes on and stays on whenever  a 
chi ld  restraint  is  insta lled on the  front  pas 
senger  seat and the  ignit ion  is switched 
on. 
- Ta ke the  chi ld restraint  off  the  front  pas
senger seat  and  install  it  properly  at  one 
of  the  rear seat  positions  if  the 
PASSEN 
GER AIR  BAG OFF 
li ght  does not  s tay on . 
- Have the  airbag  system  inspected  by 
your  author ized Audi  dealer  immed iate
ly .  
Page 169 of 294

@ Tips 
The  child  seats  listed  in  categories  A to  C have  been  statically  tested  by Audi  only  for 
the  Advanced  Airbag  function. 
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  safe
ty  of  everybody  in the  vehicle,  especially  chil
dren: 
~ Always  use the  right  child  safety  seat  for 
each  child  and  always  use  it  properly 
9page 169. 
~ Always carefully  follow  the  child  safety  seat 
manufacturer's  instructions  on  how  to  route 
the  safety  belt  properly  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 
r::!) page  174. 
~ 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). 
Always  remember:  Even though  your  vehicle  is  equipped  with  an  Advanced  Airbag  system,  all 
children,  especially  those  12 years  and  young
er,  should  always  ride in  the  back  seat  proper
ly  restrained  for  their  age  and  size. 
_& WARNING 
Not  using  a child  safety  seat,  using  the 
wrong  child  safety  seat  or  improperly  in
stalling  a  child  restraint  increases the  risk 
of serious  personal injury  and  death. 
- All vehicle  occupants  and  especially  chil
dren  must  always  be  restrained properly 
whenever  riding  in  a vehicle. 
-
- An unrestrained  or  improperly restrain
ed  child  can  be  injured or  killed  by be
ing  thrown  against  the  inside  of the  ve-
Child  Safety  167 
hide  or  by being  ejected  from  it  during 
a  sudden  maneuver  or  impact. 
- An unrestrained  or  improperly  restrain
ed  child  is at  much  greater  risk of  injury 
or  death  by being  struck  by an  inflating 
airbag. 
- Commercially  available  child  safety  seats  are  required  to  comply  with  U.S. Federal 
Motor  Vehicle  Safety  Standard  (FMVSS) 
213  (in Canada  CMVSS 213). 
- When  buying a  child  restraint,  select 
one  that  fits  your  child  and  the  vehicle. 
- Only  use child  restraint  systems  that 
fully  contact  the  flat  portion  of the 
seat  cushion.  The child  restraint  must 
not  tip  or  lean to  either  side.  Audi does 
not  recommend  using  child  safety 
seats  that  rest  on  legs  or tube-like 
frames.  They  do  not  provide  adequate 
contact  with  the  seat. 
- Always  heed all  legal  requirements  per
taining  to  the  installation and  use  of 
child  safety  seats  and  carefully  follow 
the  instructions  provided 
by the  manu
facturer  of the  seat you  are  using. 
- Never  allow  children  under  57  inches 
(1.45  meters)  to  wear  a  normal  safety 
belt.  They  must  always  be  restrained  by a 
proper  child  restraint system. Otherwise, 
they  could  sustain  injuries to  the  abdo
men  and  neck  areas  during  sudden  brak
ing  maneuvers  or  accidents. 
- Never  let  more  than  one  child  occupy  a  child  safety  seat. 
- Never  let  babies  or older  children  ride  in 
a vehicle  while  sitting  on  the  lap of  an
other  passenger. 
- Holding  a  child  in your  arms  is  never  a 
substitute  for  a  child  restraint  system . 
- The strongest  person  could  not  hold  the  child  with  the forces  that  exist  in 
an  accident.  The child  will strike  the  in
terior  of  the vehicle  and  can  also  be 
struck  by the  passenger. 
- The  child  and  the  passenger  can  also 
injure  each other  in  an  accident.  • 
•  
Page 170 of 294

168  Child  Saf ety 
- Never  install  rear-facing  chi ld  safety 
seats  or  infant  carriers  on  the  front  pas
senger  seat.  A chi ld will  be  ser iously  in
jured  and  can  be  k illed  when  the  passen
ger  airbag  inflates  -even  with  an  Ad
vanced  Airbag  System . 
- The  inflating  a irbag  will  hit  the  child 
safety  seat  or  infant  carrier  w ith  great 
force  and  w ill smash  the  ch ild  safety  seat 
and  child  against  the  backrest,  center 
armrest,  door  or  roof. 
- Always  install  rear-facing  child  safety 
seats  or  infant  car riers  on  the  rear  seat. 
- Forward-fac ing  ch ild  safety  seats  instal
led  on  the  front  passenger's  seat  can  in
terfere  wi th the  ai rbag  when  it  inflates 
and  cause  serious  injury  to  the  child.  Al
ways  install  forwa rd-facing  child  safety 
seats  on  the  rear  seat . 
- If  exceptiona l circumstances  require  the 
use  of  a forward-facing  chi ld  restraint  on 
the  front  passenger 's seat,  the  chi ld's 
safety  and  well-being  requ ire  that  the 
following  special  precaut ions  be  taken: 
- Make sure  the  fo rward-facing  seat  has 
been  designed  and  certified  by its  man
ufacturer  for  use  on  a front  seat  with  a 
passenger  front  and  side  airbag. 
- Always carefu lly follow  the  manufac
turer 's  instructions  p rov ided  with  the 
child  safety  seat  or  carrier. 
- Always move  the  front  passenger  seat 
into  the  rearmost  position  o f the  pas 
senger  seat 's fore  and  aft  adjustment 
range,  and  as  far  away  from  the  airbag 
as  possible  before  installing  the  child  restra int. 
- Always make  sure  that  nothing  pre vents  the  front  passenger 's  seat  from 
be ing  moved  to  the  rearmost  position 
in  its fore  and  aft  adjustment  range. 
- Always make  sure  that  the  backrest  is 
in the  upr ight  position . 
- Never  p lace  or  use  any  electrical  dev ice 
(such  as  a  laptop,  CD player,  electronic 
games  device  or  power  inverter)  on  the 
front  passenger  seat  if the  device  is  connected  to  the 
12-volt  socket  or  the 
c igarette  lighter  socket. 
- If  a seat  heate r has  been  retrofitted  or 
otherwise  added  to  the  front  passen
ger  seat,  never  install  any  child  re
stra int  system  on  this  seat. 
- Make sure  that  there  are  no wet  objects  (such  as  a wet  towel)  and  no water  or 
other  liquids  on  the  front  passenger 
seat  cushion . 
- Never  place  objects  on  the  seat  (such 
as  a  laptop,  CD player,  e lectronic 
games  device  or  powe r inverte r) . These 
may  influence  the  electr ica l capaci
tance  measured  by the  capacitive  pas
senger  detection  system  and  can  also 
fly a round  in an  accident  and  cause  se
rious  personal  injury. 
- Always buckle  the  child  safe ty seat  firmly 
in place  even  if a ch ild  is not  sitt ing  in  it. 
A loose  child  safety  seat  can  fly  around 
during  a s udden  stop  or  in  a collision. 
- Always read  and  heed  all  WARNINGS  whenever  using  a  child  restrained  in ave
h icle  is  being  used 
¢ page  128,  Safety 
belts, 
¢ page  13 7, Airbag  system and 
¢ page  163,  Child Safety . 
A WARNING ,-
To reduce  the  risk of  serious  injury , make 
sure  that  the 
PASSENGER AIR  BAG OFF 
light  comes  on  and  stays  on  whenever  a 
chi ld  restraint  is  installed  on  the  front  pas
senger  sea t and  the  ignit ion  is switched 
on. 
- Ta ke t he  chi ld  restraint  off  the  front  pas
senger  seat  and  install  it  prope rly at  one 
of the  rear  seat  positions  i f the 
PASSEN
GER AIR  BAG OFF 
light  does  not  stay  on. 
- Have the  airbag  system  inspected  by 
your  author ized  Audi  dealer  immed iate 
ly. 
A WARNING 
A child  in a  chi ld  restraint  installed  with 
the  LATCH lower  anchorages  or  with  the