air condition AUDI A8 2014 Owners Manual

In addition to t his Owner's Ma nual, your A udi
comes w ith t he
- MMI Oper ating In st ru cti ons
- Warranty
& Ma intenance boo klet.
If you are m iss ing one of these publicat ions,
or if you believ e that the information is not
comp lete, contact you r auth orized Audi dea le r
for assistanc e.
MMI Operating Instructions
contain detailed desc ription of the Aud i M ulti
Media Interface (MMI) including t he nav iga­
tion system, the so und system and the ha nd­
h e ld pho ne.
The Warranty & Maintenance booklet
explains how yo u can keep your A udi in top
driving condition by hav ing it serviced regular­
l y and conta ins detai led info rmat ion about
the wa rra nties covering your Aud i. Always
h ave the boo klet with yo u when yo u take your
ve hicl e to a n author ized Audi dealer for serv ­
i ce. Y our Audi Servi ce A dvis or will re cord each
sche duled service and can an swe r any ques­
tions you may have rega rding how to ma in tain
your ve hicle.
In Canada,
the veh icle lite rat ure is also avai lab le in
Fr ench . T o ob tain a cop y, contact your dea le r
or wri te to:
Au Canada, on peut se p rocure r un exemp la ire
e n fr an<;ais de ce do cument aupres du conces ­
sio nnair e ou de:
Volkswagen Canada Inc.
C lient Assistance
Assis tance a la Clientele
7 77 Bayly S tree t, Wes t,
A jax, On tario LlS 7G 7
If you sell your Audi
all lite ratu re should be left in the ve hicle to
make th e Warranty terms as we ll as a ll oper­
ating, safety and m aintenan ce inform ation
a vaila ble to the nex t owne r.
Vehicle literature 5
If you change your address or if you
bought this Audi used
be s ure to send in a "Notice of Add ress
Change"/ " Notice of Used Car Purchase" post
card. T his card can be fo und in the Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet or obtained from your
autho rized Aud i dea ler .
It is in your own interest that we are able to
contact you should the need arise .
•
•

Instrument s and warning /indicator lights
Open door/hood/rear lid warning
Fig. 14 D isplay: doors and rear lid open
With the ignition switched on, the warning il­
luminates when at least
one door or the hood
or the rear lid is not closed. The symbol also
shows you
which door(s) or lid is not closed.
In the illustration ¢
fig. 14 it is the driver's
door and the left rear door.
On-Board Diagnostic
system (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) ¢4 in
the instrument cluster is part of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The warning/indicator light illuminates when
the ignition is switched on and goes out after
the engine starts and the idle has stabilized.
This indicates that the MIL is work ing proper­
ly .
If the light does not go out after the engine
is started, or illuminates while you are driv­
ing, a malfunction may ex ist in the engine sys­
tem. If the light illuminates, the catalytic con­
verter could be damaged.
Continue driving
with reduced power (avoid­
ing sustained high speeds and/or rapid accel­
erat ions) and have the condition corrected.
Contact your author ized Audi dealer.
If the light illuminates, the electronic speed limiter may also be malfunctioning. For more
in formation ¢
page 30, Electronic speed
limiter.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may a lso
cause the MIL light to illuminate¢
page 225.
On-Board Diagnostics
Fig. 15 Location of Data Link Connector (DLC)
On-Board Diagnostics monitors the compo­
nents of your emission control system. Each
monitored component in your engine system
has been assigned a code . In case of a mal­
funct ion, the component will be identified
and the fault stored as a code in the control
module memory.
The MIL light may also illuminate if there is a leak in the on -board fuel vapor recovery sys­
tem.
If the light illuminates after a refueling,
stop the vehicle and make sure the fuel filler
cap is properly closed ¢
page 225.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the
stored data can only be displayed using spe­
cial diagnostic equipment (generic scan tool
for OBD).
In order to connect the special diagnostic
equipment, push the plug into the Data Link
Connector (DLC). The DLC is located to the
right of the hood release
¢fig. 15.
Your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified
service station can interpret the code and per­
form the necessary repair.
A WARNING
Do not use the diagnost ic connector for
personal use. Incorrect usage can cause
malfunctions, wh ich can increase the risk
of a collision!
-
29

Highway light function* (vehicles with LED
headlights) - this function adapts the lighting
for highway driving based on vehicle speed.
.&_ WARNING
-Automatic headlights are only intended
to assist the driver. They do not relieve
the driver of his responsibility to check
the headlights and to turn them on man­ ually according to the current light and
visibility conditions. For example, fog
cannot be detected by the light sensors.
So always switch on the headlights
~D
under these weather conditions and
when driving in the dark.
- Crashes can happen when you cannot see the road ahead and when you cannot be
seen by other motorists. Always turn on
the headlights so that you can see ahead and so that others can see your car from
the back.
- Please observe legal regulations when
using the lighting systems described.
(D Note
The rear fog lights should only be turned
on in accordance with traffic regulation, as
the lights are bright for following traffic.
(D Tips
- The light sensor* for automatic dynamic
headlight range control* is located in the
rear view mirror mount. You should
therefore not apply any stickers to the
windshield in this area in order to pre­
vent malfunctions or failures.
- In the event of a light sensor malfunc­
tion, the driver is notified in the instru­
ment cluster display~
page 22.
- You will hear a warning tone if you open
the driver door when the exterior lights
are switched on.
- In cool or damp weather, the inside of
the headlights, turn signals and tail
lights can fog over due to the tempera­
ture difference between the inside and
outside. They will clear shortly after Clear vision 4
7
switching them on. This does not affect
the service life of the lighting.
Emergency flasher
Th e emergency flasher makes other motorists
oware that you or your vehicle are in on emer­
gency situation.
'1'.r-- ~·
~ ·--~. -~ -..... -._.. l'
1
Fig. 38 Center console: emergency flasher switc h
.,. Press the switch ~ 9 fig. 38 to turn the
emergency flashers on or off .
When the emergency flasher is on, all four
turn signals blink at the same time. The turn
signal indicator lights
H Iii in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency
flasher switch~ blink likewise. The emergen­
cy flasher also works when the ignition is
turned
off.
The emergency flashers will turn on automati­
cally if you are in an accident where the airbag
has deployed.
@ Tips
You should turn on the emergency flashers
when:
-you are the last vehicle standing in a traf­
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, or when
- your vehicle has broken down or you are
in an emergency situation, or when
-your vehicle is being towed by a tow truck or if you are towing another vehicle behind you.

Warm and cold Climate controls
Description
Th e climate control sy stem warms, cools and
adds humidity to the a ir in the veh icle inter io r.
It is the most effect ive when the windows and
sunroof* a re closed. If the temperature inside
the parked vehicle becomes very warm, open­ ing the window briefly will speed up the cool­
ing process.
I n all heating mode f unctions except
defrost,
the blower on ly switches to a higher speed
once the engine coolant has r eached a certain
temperature.
Condensation from the cooling system can
drip and form a puddle of water under the ve­hicle. This is normal and does not mean there
is a leak.
Pollutant filter
The po llutant filte r removes po llutants s uch
as dust and pollen from the air.
The air pollutants filte r must be changed at
t he intervals spec ified in you r Wa rra nty
&
Main tenance book let, so tha t the air condi­
tioner can properly work.
I f you drive you r vehicle in an area with h igh
ai r po llution , the fi lter may need to be
changed more freq uent ly than specified in
your Aud i Warranty
& Ma intenance booklet. If
i n doubt, ask your authorized A udi Service Ad­
visor for advice .
Key coded settings
The clima te con trol settings are a utomat ically
stored and assigned to the remote contro l key
that is in use .
& WARNING
Reduced visibility is dangero us and can
cause accidents . -
Warm and cold 79
-For safe driving it is very important that
all windows be free of ice, snow and con­
densat ion.
- Comp letely fam iliarize yourse lf with the
proper use and funct ion of the heat ing
and ve nti lation system and especially
how to defog and defrost the w indows.
- Never use the windshield wiper/washer
system in freez ing weather unt il you
have warmed the w indshield first, using
the heating and ventilation system. The
washer sol ution may free ze o n the wind­
shie ld an d red uce visib ility.
(D Note
- If you suspect that the air conditioner has been damaged, switch the system
off to avoid furt her damage and have it
i n spected by a q ua lified dea lership.
- Repairs to the Audi air condition er re­
quire specia l techni cal know ledge and
speci al tools. Contact an autho rized Aud i
dealer fo r ass istance.
@ For the sake of the environment
B y reduci ng the amou nt of f uel you use,
you also re duce the amount of pollu tan ts
emitted in to the a ir .
(D Tips
- Keep the air intake s lo ts ( in fro nt of the
w indshield) free from ice, snow and de­
br is in order to maintai n the proper f unc ­
tion of the climate control system.
- T he energy m anagement system may
switch the seat heating* or rear window
defroster off temporar i Ly . These systems
are available again as soon as the energy
balance has been restored .
- Air escapes through vents under the rear
window. When placing items of clothing
on the luggage compartment cover, en­
sure that the openings are not covered.

142 Driving Safely
-Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
missible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driv­
ing
q page 135.
A WARNING
-
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving.
- Never transport objects larger than those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open , observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the power roof and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­ pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out . Being trapped in a vehicle can
Lead to serious personal injury .
-
-Never let children play in or around the
vehicle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions .
(D Tips
-Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel, on the
Left side of the Luggage compartment.
Be sure to keep these slots free and
open .
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load . The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure Label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal Load conditions, please see chapter
<=> page 252 .
Tie -downs
The luggage compartmen t is equipped wi th
four tie-downs to secure luggage and o ther
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo p rop­
erly
c> page 141, Loading the luggage com­
partment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en ­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4 .5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be

158 Airbag system
that deployment under these special
conditions is impossible in all conceiva­
ble situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle .
- The Advanced Airbag System can deploy
in accordance with the "low risk" option
under the U.S . Federal Standard if a child
that is heavier than the typical one-year old child is on the front passenger seat
and the other conditions for airbag de­
ployment are met .
- Accident statistics have shown that chil­
dren are generally safer in the rear seat
area than in the front seating position.
- For their own safety, all children, espe­
cially 12 years and younger, should al­
ways ride in the back properly restrained
for their age and size.
Advanced front airbag system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front Advanced
Airbag System in compliance with United
States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was manufactured .
The front Advanced Airbag System supple­ ments the safety belts to provide additional
protection for the driver's and front passeng­
er's heads and upper bodies in frontal crashes .
The airbags inflate only in frontal impacts
when the vehicle deceleration is high enough.
The front Advanced Airbag System for the
front seat occupants is not a substitute for
your safety belts . Rather, it is part of the over­
all occupant restraint system in your vehicle .
Always remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you , if you are sitting up­
right, wearing your safety belt and wearing it
properly. This is why you and your passengers
must always be properly restrained, not just
because the law requires you to be.
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 very small adults on
the driver side. The low risk deployment crite- ria
are intended to help reduce the risk of in­
jury through interaction with the front 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 "suppression" requirements
of the Safety Standard, to turn off the front
airbag for infants 12 months old and younger
who are restrained on the front passenger
seat in child restraints that are listed in the
Standard
¢ page 179, Child restraints and
Advanced Airbags .
"Suppression" requires the front airbag on the
passenger side to be turned off if:
- a child up to about one year of age is re­ strained on the front passenger seat in one
of the rear -facing or forward-facing infant
restraints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 208 with which the Ad­
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle was
certified . For a listing of the child restraints
that were used to certify your vehicle's com­
pliance with the US Safety Standard
¢page 179,
-weight less than a threshold level stored in
the control unit is detected on the front pas­
senger seat.
When a person is detected on the front pas­ senger seat, weighing more than the total
weight of a child that is about 1 year old re­
strained in one of the rear-facing or forward­
facing infant restraints (listed in Federal Mo­
tor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
was certified), the front airbag on the passen­
ger side may or may not deploy.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when the electronic control unit detects a to­
tal weight on the front passenger seat that re­
quires the front airbag to be turned off. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on, the front airbag on the passenger
side has not been turned off by the control
unit and can deploy if the control unit senses ..,_

an impact that meets the conditions stored in its memory.
If the total weight on the front passenger
seat is more than that of a typical 1 year -old,
but less than the weight o f a small adu lt, the
fro nt airbag on the passenger side may deploy
(the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on).
For e xample, the air b ag may deplo y if:
- a small child that is heavier than a typical 1
year-o ld child is on the front passenger seat
(regardless of whe ther the child is in one of
the chi ld seats listed
page 179),
-a ch ild who has outgrown child rest rain ts is
on the front passenger seat.
I f the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the center
of the inst rument panel w ill come on and stay
on.
The front a irbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not illuminate and stay lit) if:
- a small adult or teenager is on the front pas­
senger seat
- a passenger who is not sitt ing upr ight w ith
the ir back against a non-reclined backrest
with their feet on the veh icle floo r in front
of the sea t is on the front passenge r seat.
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the
Federal Standa rd requires the a irbag to meet
the " low risk" deployment criteria to help re­
duce the risk of inj ury through in terac tion
with the airbag . "Low risk" deployment occurs
in those crashes that take place at lower de ­
celerations as defined in the electronic control un it
~ page 164.
Always remember : Even though you r vehicle
is equipped with Advanced Airbags, the safes t
p lace for children is properly restrained on the
back seat . Please be sure to read the impor­
tant information in the sect ions that follow
and be sure to heed all of the WARNINGS.
A irbag system 159
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an a irbag
inflates, always wear safety be lts p roperly.
- If you are unrestra ined, leaning forward,
sitt ing s ideways or out of pos ition in any
way, your risk of injury is much higher.
- You will a lso receive serious injuries and
could even be killed if you are up aga inst
the airbag or too close to it when it in­
flates -even w ith an Advanced A irbag
page 153 .
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-fa cing ch ild seat in­
stalled on the front passenger seat will be
seriously inj ured and can be killed i f the
front airbag inflates -even w ith an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- Altho ugh the Advanced Airbag System in
your vehicle is designed to turn off the
front airbag when a rearward-facing
child restraint has been installed on the
front passenger seat, nobody can abso­
lutely guarantee that dep loyment is im­
possible in all conceivable s ituations that
may happen dur ing the usefu l life of your
veh icle.
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild seat
or infant car rier wit h great for ce and will
smash the child seat and child against
the b ackres t, center armrest, doo r, or
roof.
- Always install rearward-facing chi ld re­
s traints on the rear seat.
- If you mus t install a rearwa rd fac ing
child sea t on the front p assenger seat
because o f excep tional circumstances
an d the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immed i­
ately insta ll the rear-facing child seat in a
rea r seat ing pos ition and have the airbag
system inspected by your Audi dealer.
A WARNING
If, in except iona l circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
-
the front passenge r's seat: ..,. •
•

electronic control unit (the PA SS ENGE R AIR
BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on).
A WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase
the risk of serious injury in crashes.
- To reduce the risk of injury when the air­
bags inflate, the driver and passengers
must always sit in an upright posit ion,
must not lean against or place any part
of the ir body too close to the area where
the a irbags are located .
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of posi ­
t ion or too close to the airbag can be se­
riously injured by an airbag as it unfolds
with great force in the blin k of an eye
¢page 155.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child sea t in­
stalled 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 airbag will hit the child seat
o r infant carrier with great force and w ill
smash the ch ild seat and child against
the backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
- Always install rear-facing child seats on
the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child seat on the front passenger seat
because of exceptiona l circumstances
and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install the rea r-facing chi ld seat in a
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your Aud i deale r.
A WARNING
Objects be tween you and the a irbag will
increase the risk of in jury in a crash by in ­
terfering with the way the air bag unfolds
or by being pushed into you as the a irbag
inflates.
-
A irbag system 163
-Never hold things in you r hands o r on
your lap when the veh icle is in use.
- Never transport items on or in the area
of the front passenger seat. Objects
could move into the area of the front air­
bags during braking or other sudden ma­
neuvers and become dangerous projec­
tiles that can cause ser ious personal in­
jury if the a irbags inf late.
- Never place or attach accesso ries o r oth ­
er objects (such as cup holders, te le­
phone b rac kets, large, heavy or bulky ob ­
jects) on the doors, ove r o r near the are a
marked "AIRBAG" on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, seat backrests or be­
tween those areas and yo urself. These
objects could cause in ju ry in a c rash, es­
pecially when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger 's seat
to transport objects. Items can a lso
move into the area of the s ide a irbag or
the front a irbag during braking or in a
sudden maneuver. Objects near the air­ bags can become projectiles and cause
i nj ury, partic ula rly when the seat is re­
clined.
A WARNING
T he fine dus t create d when airbag s deploy
can cause breathing prob lems fo r people
with a history of as thma or ot her breat h­
ing cond itions.
- T o reduce the ri sk of breath ing problems,
those with asthma or other respiratory
conditions s hou ld get fresh air r ight
away by getting o ut o f the veh icle or
open ing windows or doors.
- If you are in a collision in which airbags
deploy, wash your hands and face with mild soap and water before eating.
- Be careful not to get the dust into your
eyes, or into any c uts or scratches .
-If the resi due should get into your eyes,
f lush them with water.
•
•

-the weight registered on the front passen­
ger seat is equa l to or less than the com­
bined weight of a typical 1 year -old restrain­
ed in one of the rear-fac ing or forward­
facing infant restraints listed in Federal Mo­
tor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
was certified .
If the front passenger seat is not occupied,
the front airbag will not deploy, and the
PAS­
SENGER AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on . Nev­
er insta ll a rearward-facing child restra int on
the front passenger seat, the safest place for
a child in any kind of child restraint is at one
of the seating positions on the rear seat
¢ page 155, Child restraints on the front seat
- some important things to know
and
¢ page 177, Child Safety.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on
when one of the conditions listed above is
met, be sure to check the light regularly to
make certa in that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light stays on cont inuously whenever the
ignit ion is on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light does not appear on and does not
stay on all the time, stop as soon as it is safe
to do so and
- react ivate the system by switching the igni­
t ion off and then switch ing it on again;
- remove and reinstall the child restraint .
Make sure that the child restraint is properly
installed and that the safety belt for the
front passenger seat has been correct ly
routed through the child rest raint as descri­
bed in the child restrai nt manufactu rer's i n­
str ucti ons;
- make sure that the conver tible locking fea­
ture on the safety belt for the front passen­
ger seat has been activated and that the
safety belt has been pulled tight. The belt
must not be loose or have loops of slack so
that the sensor below the safety belt latch
on the seat can do its job
¢ page 187.
- make sure that things that may increase the
weight of the chi ld and child seat are not be­
ing transported on the front passenger seat;
Airbag system 165
-make sure that the safety belt tension sen ­
sor is not blocked. Shake the safety belt
latch on the front passenger seatback and
forth;
- If a strap or tether is being used to tie the
child seat to the front passenger seat, make
sure that it is not so t ight that it causes the
weight-sensing mat to measure more
weight than is actually on the seat .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still
does not come on
and does not stay on con­
ti nu ously (when the ignition is switched on),
- take the child restraint off the front passen -
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions. Have the airbag system
inspected by your Audi dealer immed iately.
- move the ch ild to a rear seat position and
make sure that the child is properly restra in­
ed in a ch ild restra int that is appropriate for
its size and age .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light should
NOT come on when t he ignition is on and an
adult is sitting in a proper seating position on
the front passenger seat. If the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on or
flashes fo r about 5 seconds wh ile d riving, un­
der these circumstances , make sure that:
- the adult on the front passenge r seat is
prope rly seated on the center of the seat
cushion with his or her back up against the
backrest and the backrest is not re clin ed
¢ page 136, Proper occupant seating posi­
tions,
- the adult is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or support­
ing their weight on the armrest,
- the safety belt is being properly worn and
that there is not a lot of s lack in the safety
be lt webbing,
- accessory seat covers or cushions or other
things that may cause an incorrect reading
or impression on the weight-sensing mat
under the upho lstery of the seat have been
removed from the front passenger seat, ..,.
•
•

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 146, 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 180, 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 177
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.
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