warning AUDI Q3 2015 Owners Manual

128 Airbag system
though the car may be badly damaged as a re ­
sult of the collision . It is not possible to de­
f ine an a irbag tr igger ing range that will cover
every possible angle of impact, since the cir­
cumstances will vary considerably between
one collision and another . Important facto rs
include, for example, the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the ang le of impact,
vehi cle speed, etc. ¢
page 129, Important
safety instructions on the side airbag system.
As ide from the ir normal safety function, safe­
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a side
coll is ion so th at the side a irbags can provide
protection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety be lt. Rather, it is pa rt of the overall oc ­
cupant restraint system in your ve hicle. Al­
ways remember that the side airbag system
can only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wearing it properly. This is another reason why you should a lways wear
your safety belts, not just because the law re­
quires you to do so¢
page 104, General
notes .
It is important to remember that while the
supplemental s ide a irbag system is designed
to reduce the like lihood of serious injur ies,
other injuries, for example, swell ing, bruising,
and minor abras ions can also be associated
with deployed side a irbags . Remember too,
side ai rbags w ill deploy on ly once and o nly in
cer tain k inds of accidents -yo ur sa fe ty belts
a re a lways there to offer protect ion .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack
of veh icle damage are not necessar ily an indi­
cation of over-sensi tive or failed a irbag activ a­
tion. In some co llisions, both fron t and s ide
airbags may inflate. Remember too, that air­ bags will deploy only once and only in certain
kinds of collisions -your safety belts are al­
ways there to offer protection in those acci­
dents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed .
The side airbag sy ste m will not depl oy :
- when the ignition is turned off - in side co
llisions when the accelera tion
meas ured by the sensor is too low
- in front -end collisions
- in rear -end collisions
- in rollove rs .
In some types of accidents the front airbags,
s ide curtain airbags and s ide a irbags may be
trigge red together .
_&. WARNING
-
-Safety b elts and th e airbag system w ill
only provide prote ction when occupa nts
are in the proper seating position
9 page 129.
- If th e ai rbag ind icator light ¢page 16
comes when the veh icle is being used,
have the system inspected immediately
by your authorized A udi dealer. It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it should.
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained.
F ig. 122 In flated side a irbags o n left s ide of veh icle
~ 0 :::, 00 a,
When the system is triggered, t he a irbag is
filled with propellant gas and b reaks through
a seam in the seat su rface area ma rked "AIR ­
BAG".
It expands between the side trim panel
and the passenger . In order to help provide
t hi s additional protect ion, the side airbag
must inflate within a fraction of a second at
very h igh speed and with great force . The sup­
plementa l side airbag could injure you if your
seat ing pos ition is not proper or upright or if ..,.

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items are located in the area where the sup­
plemental side airbag expands. This applies
especially to children ¢
page 133, Child Safe­
ty.
Supplemental side airbags inflate between
the occupant and the door panel on the side
of the vehicle that is struck in certain side col­
lision
¢ fig . 122.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
part of the body .
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de­
ploys. This is normal and does not mean there
is a fire in the vehicle .
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.
_& 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.
Airbag system 129
-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.
- Objects between you and the airbag can
increase the risk of injury in an accident
by inter fering 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 cupholders, tele­
phone 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 supplement al 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.
•
•

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vehicle speed, etc. c> page 131, How side cur ­
tain airbags work .
Aside from their normal s afety func tion, safe­
t y belts work to he lp keep the d river or front
passenger in position in the event of a co lli­
sion so that the side curtain airbags can pro­
vide protection.
The airbag system is not a s ubst itute for yo ur
safety be lt . Rather, it is part of the overall oc ­
cupant restraint system in your vehicle . Al­
ways remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wear ing it properly. Th is
is another reason why you shou ld always wear
your safety belts, not just beca use the law re­
qu ires you to do so
c> page 104, General
notes.
It is important to remember that while the
side curta in a irbag system is designed to he lp
reduce the like lihood of serious injuries, other
i n ju ries, for example, swell ing, b ruising, and
minor abras ions can also be associated w ith
these airbags . Remember too, these a irbags
will dep loy only once and only in certain kinds
of accidents - yo ur safety belts are a lways
there to offer protection.
The side curtain airbag system basically
con sis ts of:
- The electronic contro l mod ule and externa l
s ide impact sensors
- The side curtai n airbags above t he front and
rear side windows with ejection mitigation
features
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The a irbag system is monitored ele ct ron ic all y
to make certain it is functioning properly at a ll
times. Eac h time you turn on the ignition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for
a few seconds (se lf diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
- if th e ign it io n is turned off,
- i n s ide collisions when the accelerat ion
measure d by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end co llisions.
A irba g sy stem 131
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will
only provide protection w hen occupants
are in th e proper seating position
c> page 51, Front seats .
- If the airbag indicator light c> page 16
comes when the veh icle is being used,
have the system inspe cted immediately
by your authori zed A udi dealer .
It is pos­
sib le t hat the airbag will inflate when i t
is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it should.
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. 124 Illust rat io n of p rinciple: I nfla ted s ide cur tai n
a irbags on the left s ide
T he side c urta in airbags inflate be twee n the
occupant and the windows on the s ide of the
vehicle that is struck in a side collision
<=> fig. 124 .
When the system is t rigge red, the side curta in
a irbag is filled with propellant gas and b reaks
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 within the
blink of an eye at very high speed and with
great fo rce . The side curta in a irbag could in­
jur e you if your sea ting pos it io n is not prope r
o r uprig ht or if items are located in t he a rea
whe re the supplemen tal side curta in a irbag
infla tes . This applies espe cially to ch ildren
<=> page 133. II--

132 Airbag sys te m
Although they are not a soft pillow, side cur ­
tain airbags can "cushion" the impact and in
this way they can he lp to reduce the r isk of in ­
jury to the head and the upper part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de­ p loys . This is q uite norma l and does not mean
there is a fire in the veh icle.
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
a irbags do the ir job to provide supplemental
protection .
A WARNING
-
Improperly wearing safety belts and im­
prope r seat ing positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a veh icle is being used.
- Never le t occ upants p lace any p art s of
their bodies in the area from wh ich the
side curtain airbags inflate.
- Always make su re that the side curta in
airbags can inflate w ithout interference.
Unsuitable accessories fitted inside the
expansion range of a head a irbag can
dangero usly interfere w ith its function. A
deploying head a irbag develops enough
force to catapult any piece of add-on component out of its path of inflation
and into the passenger compartment . An
occupant hit by such a project ile can suf­
fer serio us inju ry or de ath
~page 240,
Technical Modifications.
- Do not swivel the su n visors to the side if
yo u have any objec ts clipped onto them
( f or example pens) . If the a irbag should
deploy, you co uld be in jured by these ob­
jects.
- Use the built -in coat hoo ks only for light ­
weight clothing. Neve r leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects
in the pockets that
may interfere with a irbag dep loyment
and can cause personal injury in an acci­
dent.
- Never use hangers to hang cloth ing from
the hooks.
- On ly use factory-installed sun shades or,
in the case of shades installed after the
veh icle leaves the factory, only Audi roll­
up sunscreens may be used
~ page 239,
Additional accessories and parts re­
placement.
- Always sit in p roper seat ing pos ition and
wear safety belts wh ile traveling so that
the side cu rtain airbags can help p rov ide
p rotec tion.
- T he airbag system can only be triggered
once.
If the airbag has been triggered,
the system must be replaced by an au­
thor ized Audi dealer or qualif ied work­
shop .
- Always have work involving the side cu r­
tain airbag system, removal and insta lla­
tion of the airbag components, or other repairs per formed by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop. Otherwise
the airbag system may not work correct­
ly.
- Never attempt to mod ify any compo­
nents of the airbag system in any way .

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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 105, 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 bodies 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 restra ints, 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 136, 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 133
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-facing child
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.
•
•

134 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
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's in­
structions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing
the child restraint. The backrest must be
adjusted to an upright position .
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays
on all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on.
(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 th e
driver side. The low ris k deployment criteria
are intended to reduce the risk of injury
through interact ion with the airbag t hat 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 .
Advanced Airbags and the weight­
sensing mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
detects the presence of an infant or child in a
child restraint on the front passenger seat us­
ing the weight-sensing mat in the seat cush ­
ion and the sensor below the safety belt latch
on the front passenger seat that measures the
tension on the safety belt.
The weight -sensing mat measures total
weight of the child and the child safety seat
and a child blanket on the front passenger
seat. The weight on the front passenger seat
is related to the design of the child restraint
and its "footprint", the size and shape of the
bottom of the child restraint as it sits on the .,..

136 Child Safety
Model Manufactured on or
after
Evenflo First Choice December 1, 1999
204
Graco Infant 8457 December 1, 1999
Graco Snugride September 25, 2007
Peg Perego Primo Vi- September 25, 2007
aggio SIP IMUN00US
Subpart C - Forward-facing and
convertible child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundabout September 25, 2007
E9L02xx
Cosco 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 Tribute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion December 1, 1999
254
Evenflo Generations September 25, 2007
352xxxx
Graco Comfo rtSport September 25, 2007
Graco Toddler Safety September 25, 2007
Seat Step 2
Graco Platinum Cargo September 25, 2007
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
child restraint is installed on the front pas­
senger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
- 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. -
Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Audi dealer immed iate­
ly.
@ 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 responsib le for the safe­
ty of everybody in the veh icle, especially chil­
dren:
.. Always use the right chi ld safety seat for
each child and always use it properly
c::;,page 139.
.. Always carefully follow the child safety seat
manufacturer's instruct ions 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
¢ page 143 .
.. Push the ch ild safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight
so that the seat cannot move forward or
sideways more than one inch (2 .5 cm) .
.,. If a strap or tether is be ing 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.
.. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
c::;, page 13 8.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
children, especially those 12 years and young­
er, shou ld always ride in the back seat proper-
ly restrained for their age and size . .,.

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A WARNING 1-=
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 be restrained properly when­
ever riding in a vehicle. An unrestrained
or improperly restrained child could be
injured by striking the interior or by be­
ing ejected from the vehicle during a
sudden maneuver or impact. An unre­
strained or improperly restrained child is
also at greater risk of injury or death
through contact with 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 S7 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.
Child Safety 137
- 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 .
- 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.
.___ ____________ _J ...
•
•

138 Child Safet y
-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.
A loose ch ild safety seat can fly around
dur ing a sudden stop o r in a collis ion.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used .:;,
page 104, Safety
belts, .:;,page 112, Airbag system
and
~ page 133, Child Safety.
_& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make
sure that the
PA SSENGER AI R 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.
- Take 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
your authorized Audi dealer immediate­
ly.
Secure unused safety belts on the rear
seat
Fig . 125 Schematic overview: keep un used safety belts
away from children in child sa fety seats. ®· outer rear
safety belt,
@ -center rear safety belt
.
If a chi ld safety seat is used on the rear bench,
especially w ith LATCH universal lower ancho- rages, the unused safety belts
mu
st be se­
cured so that the child in the child restraint
cannot reach them .:;,
&..
-Guide the safety belt webbings @and @
behind the head rest raint of the seat where
the child restraint is installed
<::;,fig . 125.
When doing so, do not engage the converti­
ble locking retractor! You shou ld not hear a
"clicking" sound when winding up the safety
belt .
- Let the belt retractor wind up the safety belt
webbing.
_& WARNING
=
A child in a child safety seat installed with
the LATCH lower anchorages or with the
standa rd safety be lt or a child in a booster
seat on the rea r seat co uld p lay with un­
used rear seat safety belts and become en ­
tang led . This cou ld cause the chi ld serious
personal injury and even death.
- Always secure unused rear seat sa fety
be lts out of reach of children in child
seats such as by proper ly routing them
around the head restraint of the seat
where the child restraint is installed.
- Never activate the convertible locking re­
tractor when routing the safety be lts
around the head restraints.
- Never let anyone sit at the center rear
seating position if the center rear safety
be lt has been routed around a rear head
restraint.

M N M N
0 :::i co
rl I.O
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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 . 126 Sche mati c overv iew: rearward-fac ing infa nt
seat, p roperly installed o n th e rear seat
.,. When using the vehicle safety belt to install
a ch ild safety seat , you must first activate
the convertible locking retracto r on the
safety be lt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving
r=;, page 143 or install the seat
using the LA T CH attachments.
.,. Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt rea lly tight
so that the seat cannot move forward or
sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm) .
.,. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢ page 138.
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs . or 9 kg)
are best protected in special infan t carriers
and child safety seats designed for their age
group . Many experts believe that infants and
small children should ride only in spec ial re­
straints in which the ch ild faces the back of
the vehicle. These infant seats support the ba­
by's back, neck and head in a crash
¢ fig . 126.
The airbag on the passenger side makes the
front seat a po tentially dangerous place for a
child to r ide . The front seat is not the safest
p lace for a child in a forward -facing child seat.
It is a very dangerous p lace for an infant or a
l arger ch ild in a rearward-facing seat.
Child S afety 139
A WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using t he
wrong child safety seat or improperly in ­
stall ing a ch ild restraint increases the risk
of ser ious personal injury and death in a
crash.
- Never install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant ca rr ie rs on the front pas­
senger seat -even with an Advanced Air ­
bag Sys tem. A c hild will be ser iously in­
jured and ca n 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
r=;, page 114, Child restraints on the
front seat- some important things to
know .
-Always install rear-fac ing ch ild safety
seats or infant carriers on the rear seat .
- Never install a rear-fac ing ch ild restraint
in the forward-fac ing d irect ion. Such re­
straints are designed for the special needs of infants and very small ch ild ren
and can not prote ct them properly if the
seat is forward- facing.
- If you mus t insta ll a rearward fa cing
child sa fety seat on the fro nt passenger
seat because of exceptiona l circumstan­
ces and t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately insta ll the rear -fac ing ch ild
safety seat in a rear seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Aud i dea ler .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
wheneve r us ing a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
r=;, page 104 , Safety
belts, ,=;,page 112, Airbag system
and
r=;, page 133, Important things to know.