belt AUDI A8 2011 Workshop Manual

172 Child Safety
Subpart C - Forward-facing and
convertible child r estra in ts
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundab out September 25, 2007
E 9 L02xx
Cos co Touriva 02519 December 1, 1999
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007
High Back Booster
22-262
Cosco High Back September 25, 2007
Booster 22-209
Evenflo Tribu te V Sep tember 25 , 200 7
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion December 1, 1999
254
Evenflo Generations
352xxxx
Graco ComfortSport
Graco Toddler Safety
Seat Step 2 September 25, 2007
September 25, 2007
September 25, 2007
Graco Platinum Cargo September 2S, 2007
8_ WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make
sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG O FF
light comes on and stays on whenever a
child restraint is installed on the front pas­
senger seat and the ignition is sw itched
on .
- Take the child restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it properly at o ne
of the rea r seat positions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
yo ur autho riz ed Aud i dealer immediat e­
ly.
The c hild seats listed in catego ries A to C
have been tested by A udi on ly for th e Ad­
vanced Ai rbag 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 dr iver, yo u are respons ib le for the safe­
ty of everybody in the veh icle, especially ch il­
dren:
.,. Always use the right ch ild safety seat for
each child and always use it properly
~ page 174.
.,. Always carefu lly fo llow the child sa fe ty seat
manufac turer's inst ruct ions on how to ro ute
t he sa fe ty belt properly through the child
safety seat .
.,. When using the vehicle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you must first activate
the convertib le locking retractor on the
safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from mov ing
r=> page 178.
.,. Push the c hild safety seat down with you r
full weight to get t he safety be lt really tight
s o that t he seat ca n no t move fo rward o r
sideways more th an one inch
(2 .5 cm) .
.,. If a s trap o r tet her 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 tho ugh yo ur vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
children, especially those 12 years and young­
er, shou ld always r ide in the back seat proper­
ly restra ined fo r the ir age and size .
A WARNING
-Not usi ng a child safety seat, using t he
wrong child safety s eat o r imprope rly in­
stalling a c hild res tra int increases the risk
of ser ious perso na l in ju ry an d de ath.
- All vehicle oc cupants and espe cially chil­
d ren mu st always be res tra ine d pr operly
wheneve r rid ing 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
hicle 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.
Child Safety 173
- The child and the passenger can also
injure each other in an accident.
- Never install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the front pas­
senger seat. A child will be seriously in­
jured and can be killed when the passen­ ger airbag inflates -even with an Ad ­
vanced Airbag System .
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and
will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, door or roof.
-Always install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the rear seat .
- Forward-facing child safety seats instal­
led on the front passenger's seat can in­
terfere with the airbag when it inflates
and cause serious injury to the child. Al­
ways install forward-facing child safety
seats on the rear seat.
- If exceptional circumstances require the
use of a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat, the child's
safety and well-being require that the
following special precautions be taken :
- Make sure the forward-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 carefully follow the manufac­
turer's instructions provided with the
child safety seat or carrier.
- Always move the front passenger seat
into the rearmost position of the pas­
senger seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and as far away from the airbag
as possible before installing the child
restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing pre­
vents the front passenger's seat from
being moved to the rearmost position
in its fore and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure that the backrest is
in the upright position .
-Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
~
•
•

17 4 Child Safety
A loose ch ild safety seat can fly around
dur ing a sudden stop or in a coll ision.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in
ave­
hicle is being used<=> page 137, Safety
belts,
<=> page 145, Airbag system and
r=> page 169, Child Safety.
&_ 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 pas­
senger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
- Ta ke the child restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it proper ly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
yo ur authorized Audi dealer immediate­
ly .
&_ WARNING
A child in a child restraint installed with
the LATCH lower anchorages or w ith the
standard safety belt on the rear seat may
play with unused rear seat safety belts and
become entangled resulting in serious per­
sonal injury and even death.
- Always buckle unused rear seat safety belts out of reach of ch ildren in ch ild
seats and properly activate the converti­
ble locking retracto r so that the child
cannot unreel the safety belt from the
retractor .
Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old
and
20 lbs . or 9 kg need special rearward-fac­
ing child restraints that support the back,
neck and head in a crash.
Fig. 158 Schematic overview: rearward -fac ing infant
seat, p rope rly installed on the rear seat
.,. When using the vehicle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you must first activate
the convertib le locking retractor on the
safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving
r=>page 178 or install the seat
using the LATCH attachments .
.,. Push the chi ld safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety be lt 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)
are best protected in special infant carriers
and child safety seats designed for their age
group. Many experts believe that infants and
small children should r ide only in special re­
stra ints in wh ich the child faces the back of
the vehicle. These infant seats support the ba­
by's back, neck and head in a crash
c:> fig. 158.
The airbag on the passenger side makes the
front seat a potentially dangerous place for a
ch ild to ride. The front seat is not the safest
place for a child in a forward-facing child sea t.
It is a very dangerous place for an infant or a
larger child in a rearward-facing seat. ..,_

_& 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 in a
crash.
- Never install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the front pas­
senger seat - even with an Advanced Air­
bag System. A child wilt be seriously in­
jured and can be killed when the inflat­
ing airbag hits the child safety seat or in­
fant carrier with great force and smashes
the child safety seat and child against
the backrest, center armrest, door or
roof¢
page 147, Child restraints on the
front seat -some important things to
know.
- Always install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the rear seat.
- Never install a rear-facing child restraint
in the forward-facing direction. Such re­
straints are designed for the special needs of infants and very small children
and cannot protect them properly if the
seat is forward-facing.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the a irbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
¢page 137, Safety
belts,¢ page 145, Airbag system
and
¢ page 169, Important things to know.
Child Safety 175
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 .
Fig. 159 Schematic overview: installat ion of the at­
tachments applicable to a LATCH seat
Fig. 160 Schematic overview: instal latio n of the seat
using the vehicl e's safety belt system
.,. When using the vehicle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you must first activate
the convertible locking feature on the safety
belt to prevent the child safety seat from
moving <=>
page 178 or install the seat using
the LATCH attachments.
.,. Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt realty tight
so that the seat cannot move forward or
sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm)
¢page 178.
.,. If the child safety seat is equipped with a
tether strap, attach it to the tether anchors
¢page 185.
A toddler or child is usually too large for an in­
fant restraint if it is more than one year old
and weighs more than 20 lbs. (9 kg).
Toddlers and children who are older than one
year up to about 4 years old and weigh more
~

176 Child Safety
than 20 lbs (9 kg) up to 40 lbs. (18 kg) must
a lways be properly restrai ned in a chi ld safety
seat certified for the ir s ize and wei ght
¢
fig. 159 and ¢ fig. 160.
The airba g on the passen ger side makes the
front seat a potentially dangerous place for a
chi ld to r ide. The front seat is not the safest
place for a child in a forward-facing child safe­
ty seat. It is a very dan gerous plac e for an in­
fant or a larger child in a rearward-fac ing seat.
A WARNING
Not using a ch ild safety seat, using the
wrong ch ild safety seat or improperly in­
stall ing a child restraint increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death in a
co llision or other eme rgency s ituation.
- Children on the front seat of any car,
even w ith Advanced A irbags, can be seri­
o usly inju red or even killed when an a ir­
bag inflates. A child in a rearward-facing
child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat w ill be seriously injured
and can be k illed if the front a irbag in­
flates -even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
- The inflating a irbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant car rier with great
force and w ill smash the ch ild safety seat
and child against the backrest, cente r
arm rest, door o r roof.
- Always install rear-facing child safety
seats on the rear sea t.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
sea t because of excep tional circ ums tan­
c es and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rea r-facin g child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed all WARNI NGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used¢
page 137, Safety
belts,¢ page 145, Airbag system
and
¢ page 169, Important things to know.
A WARNING
If exceptional circumstances require the
use of a fo rward-facing child restraint on
the front passenge r's seat, the child's safe­
ty and well-being require t hat the follow­
i ng spe cial preca utions be ta ken:
- Make sure t he forward-facing seat has
been designed and cert ified by its man u­
facturer fo r use on a front seat with a
p assenger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer' s in­
s truc tions prov ided with t he ch ild safety
seat o r infant ca rr ier.
- Always move the front passenger seat in­
to the rearmos t position of the passen­
ge r seat's fore and aft adjustment range,
and as far away from the airbag as possi­
b le before installing the ch ild restraint.
- Always ma ke sure that no thing prevents
the front passenger 's seat from being
moved to the rea rmost pos ition in its
fore and aft ad justment range.
- Always make sure the bac krest is in an
upright pos ition.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignit ion is switched
on.
- I f the light does not stay on, perform the
checks¢
page 156, Monitoring the Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- 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
l ight does not stay on
wheneve r the ignit ion 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. 161 Rear seat: child prope rly restrained in a boos­
ter seat
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit
most children until they are at least 4
ft. 9 in .
(57 inches/1.45 meters) tall and weigh about
80 lbs. (36 kg). Booster seats raise these chil­
dren up so that the safety belt will pass prop­
erly over the stronger parts of their bodies
and the safety belt can help protect them in a
crash.
.,. Do not use the convertible locking retractor
when using the vehicle's safety belt to re­
strain a child on a booster seat .
.. Always position the shou lder portion of the
safety belt midway over the child's shoulder.
If you must transport an older child in a
booster seat on the front passenger seat,
you can use the safety belt he ight adjust­
ment to help adjust the shoulder portion
properly .
.. Always make sure that the shoulder portion
of the safety belt never rests against or
across the child's neck .
.. Always make sure that the child can properly
wear the lap portion of the be lt low across
the thighs or pelvis and
never over the
stomach or abdomen.
Children up to at least 8 years old (over 40 lbs
or 18 kg) are best protected in chi ld safety
seats designed for their age and weight. Ex­ pe rts say that the ske letal structure, particu­
larly the pelvis, of these ch ildren is not fully
Child Safety 17 7
developed, and they must not use the vehicle
safety belts without a suitable child restraint.
It is usually best to put these child ren in ap­
propriate booster seats. Be sure the booster
seat meets all applicable safety standa rds.
Booster seats raise the seat ing posit ion 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 p laces. The
routing of the belt over the child's body is very
important for the child's protect ion, whether
or not a booster seat is used. Children age 12
and under must always ride in the rear seat.
Children who are at least 4
ft. 9 in. (57 in­
ches/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 child, regard ­
less of how big the ch ild is. Always remember
that children do not have the pronounced pel­
vic structure required for the pro per function
of lap belt portion of the vehicle's three point
lap and shoulde r belts. The child's safety ab­
solutely requires that a lap belt portion o f the
safety belt be fastened snugly and as low as
possible around the pelvis. Never let the lap
belt portion of the safety belt pass over the
child's stomach or abdomen .
In a crash, airbags must inflate within a blink
of an eye and with considerable force. In order
to do its job, the a irbag needs room to inflate
so that it will be there to protect the occupant
as the occupant moves forward into the air ­
bag.
A vehicle occupant 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 st ruck violently and
will receive serious or possibly even fatal in­
Jury.
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is
im portant that all veh icle occupants, espec ial-
ly 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 ..,_

178 Child Safety
the child's body and the front of the passen­
ger compartment, the airbag can inflate com­p lete ly and provide supp lemental protection
in certain fronta l collisions .
A WARNING
Not using a booster seat, us ing the boos­
ter seat improperly, incorrect ly install ing a
booster seat or using the vehicle safety
belt improperly increases the risk of seri­
ous personal injury and death in a col lision
or other eme rgency s ituation. To help re­
duce the risk of ser ious persona l injury
and/or death:
- Always make su re to position the should­
er portion of the three -point belt over
the midd le of child's sho ulder.
- Never le t the shoulder port ion of the belt
rest against or across the neck, face,
chin, or throat of the child.
- Always make su re the lap belt portion of
the three-po int be lt is worn sn ug and
passes as low as possib le across the
child's pelvis. Never let the belt pass over
the soft abdomen.
- Failure to properly route safety belts
over a ch ild's body will cause severe inju­
ries in an acc ident or other emergency
situation
c;,page 137.
-Children on the front seat of any car,
even w ith Advanced A irbags, can be seri­
ous ly injured or even killed when an a ir­
bag inflates.
- Never let a child stand or knee l on any
seat, for example the front seat.
- Never let a child ride in the cargo area of
your vehicle.
- Always remember that a ch ild lean ing
forward, sitt ing s ideways or out of posi­
t ion i n any way during an acc ident can be
struck by a deploying airbag . This will re­
sult in serious personal injury o r death.
- If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenger seat because of excep­
tional circumstances the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light must come on and
stay on, whenever the ignition is sw itch ­
ed on .
-
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OF F light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks described
c;, page 156, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System.
- Take the child restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PA SSEN ­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on
whenever the ignit ion is switched on.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever us ing a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
¢ page 137, Safety
belts,
c;, page 145, Airbag system and
c;, page 169, Important things to know.
Installing a child safety
seat
· Securing a child safety seat using a
safety belt
Safety belts for the rear seats and the front
passenger 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 passenger's seat safety be lt have a con­
vertib le locking retractor for child restraints .
The safety belt must be locked so that be lt
webbing cannot unreel. The retractor can be
activated to lock the safety belt and prevent
the safety belt webbing from loosening up
during normal dr iving . A child safety seat can
o n ly be properly instal led when the safety belt
is locked so that the chi ld and child safety
seat w ill stay in place .
Always remember : Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
child ren, especially those 12 years and young­
er, shou ld always r ide in the back seat prope r­
ly restrained for the ir age and size.
A WARNING
Improperly installed chi ld safety seats in ­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in a co llision. -

-Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat
in place during normal 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
during a sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always make sure that the rear seat
backrest to which the center rear safety
belt is attached is securely latched when­
ever the rear center safety belt is being
used to secure a child restraint.
- If the backrest is not securely latched,
the child and the child restraint will be
thrown forward together with the back­
rest and will strike parts of the vehicle
interior. The child can be seriously in­
jured or killed.
- Never install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the front pas­
senger seat. A child will be seriously in­
jured and can be killed when the passen­ ger 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
armrest, door or roof.
- Always install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the rear seat.
- Forward-facing child safety seats or in­
fant carriers installed on the front pas­
senger's seat may interfere with the de­
ployment 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 ave­
hicle is being used
¢page 169. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
¢ page 147, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
Child Safety 1 79
A 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 156, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System.
- Take the child 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
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 protec­
tion.
- An improperly installed child restraint
can interfere with the airbag as it de­
ploys and seriously injure or even kill the
child .
- Always carefully follow the manufactur­
er's instructions provided with the child
safety seat or carrier .
- Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight regis­
tered by the weight-sensing mat and can
cause injury in a crash.
A 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 re­
straint up, against or very near the in­
strument panel.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from •
•

180 Child Safety
the airbag as possible before installing
the forward-facing child restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upr ight
posit ion.
- Make sure that the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
t ime whenever the ignition is switched
on.
A WARNING , _
Rearward-fac ing ch ild restra ints:
- A ch ild in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenge r
seat will be ser iously injured and can be
killed if the front airbag inflates -even
with an Advanced Airbag System.
- T he inflating a irbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with g reat
force and w ill smash the ch ild safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, door or roof .
- Always be especially caref ul if you must
install a rearward facing child safety seat
on the front passenge r seat in exception ·
al circumstances .
- A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing
child restraint attached to the front pas­
senger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and reg is­
ter a heavier weight in the Advanced A ir­
bag System. The heav ier we ight regis­
tered can make the system work as
though an adult were on the seat and de­ ploy the Advanced Airbag when it must
be s uppressed causing ser ious or even
fatal injury to the child.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BA G
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install the rea r-facing chi ld safety
seat in a rear seating position and have
the a irbag system inspected by your Audi
dealer.
Act ivating the convertible locking
retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to se­
cure a child restraint.
Always heed the ch ild safety seat manufactur­
er's instructions when installing a child re­
st ra int in your vehicle. To activate the conve r­
t ible lock ing ret ractor:
.,. Place the ch ild restraint on a seat, prefera­
bly on the rear seat .
.,. Slowly pu ll the belt
all the wa y out .
.,. Route it around or through the child re­
straint belt path
¢ _& .
.,. Push the chi ld safety seat down with yo ur
full weight to get the safety be lt really tight.
.. Insert the belt tongue into the buck le for
that seating position.
.,. Guide the safety belt back into the retractor
until t he belt lies flat and snug on the child
safety seat.
.,. You should hear a "clicking" noise as the
be lt winds back into the inertia ree l. Test the
convert ible lock ing retractor by pulling on
the belt . You shou ld no longer be able to
pull the be lt out of the retractor. The con­
vertible locking retractor is now activated .
.. Make sure that the red release button is fac­
ing away from the child restraint so that it
can be unbuckled quickly.
.,. Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt
is properly tight and fastened so that the
seat cannot move forward or sideways mo re
than one inch (2.5 cm).
A WARNING
-
Using the wrong child restraint or an im­
p roperly installed chi ld restraint can cause
serious personal injury or death in a crash.
- Always ma ke sure that the safety belt re-
tractor is locked when insta lling a child
safety seat . An un locked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat in place dur ing norma l dr iving 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 during a sudden stop or in a crash.
- Always make sure the seat backrest to
which the child restraint is installed is in
an upright position and securely latched
into place and cannot fold forward. Oth­
erwise, the seatback with the child safety
seat attached to it could fly forward in
the event of an accident or other emer­ gency situation.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
Q page 169. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
Q page 147, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important 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 retractor .
.. Press the red button on the safety belt buck­
le . The belt tongue will pop out of the buck­
le.
.. Guide the safety belt all the way back into
its stowed position.
Always let the safety belt retract completely into its stowed position. The safety belt can
now be used as an ordinary safety belt with­
out the convertible locking retractor for child
restraints.
If the convertible locking retractor should be
activated inadvertently, the safety belt must
be unfastened and guided completely back in­
to its stowed position to deactivate this fea­
ture. If the convertible locking retractor is not
deactivated, the safety belt will gradually be­
come tighter and uncomfortable to wear.
Child Safety 181
A WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in a collision.
- Never unfasten the safety belt to deacti­
vate the convertible locking retractor for
child restraints while the vehicle is mov­ ing. You would not be restrained and
could be seriously injured in an accident.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used¢
page 169. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
¢ page 147, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
LATCH Lower
anchorages and tethers
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To provide a simpler and more practicable way
to attach the child restraint on the vehicle
seat, Federal regulations require special lower
anchorages in vehicles and devices on new
child restraints to attach to the vehicle ancho­
rages .
The combination of the tether anchorages and
the lower anchorages is now generally called
the
LATCH system for " Lower Anchorages and
Tethers for Children."
Forward-facing child restraints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are required by U.S.
federal 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
performance of the child restraint and its abil­
ity to protect the child in a collision. Installing
a child restraint that requires a top tether ..,. •
•