child lock AUDI Q3 2015 User Guide

M N
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to reduce the risk of injury when the vehi­
cle is not be ing 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. Be ing trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious persona l injury.
- Never let children play in or around the vehicle .
- Never let passe ngers r ide in the luggage
compartment . Ve hicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air c irculation helps to reduce window
fogging. Sta le air escapes to the outside
th rough vents in the trim pane l. Be su re
to keep these slots free and open.
- The t ire pressure must correspond to the
load. The t ire pressur e is shown o n the
tire p ress ure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is loc ated on the d river's s ide B-pi ll a r.
The t ire pressure label lists the recom­
mended cold ti re inflat ion pressu res for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weig ht and the tires that were on you r
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended t ire pressures fo r nor­
mal load conditions, please see chap ter
c:>page 199.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly
c:> page 100, Loading the luggage com­
partment.
In a coll is ion, the laws of phys ics mean that
even smalle r items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
Dr iving S afel y 101
serious injury. Items in the ve hicle possess en ­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight o f the item . Vehicle speed is the most
s ignificant factor.
Fo r example, in a fronta l collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10 -lb (5 kg) object a re about 20 times the
no rmal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would sudden ly be
about 200 lbs. (90 kg) . You can imag ine the
i njur ies that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying
fr eely th ro ugh the passenger compar tme nt
c ould cause in a co lli sion like this.
A WARNING
We ak, dam aged or improper str aps used
to secure items to tie -downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury .
-Always use s uita ble mount ing stra ps and
properly secu re items to the tie-downs in
the l uggage compa rtme nt to he lp pre­
vent items from shift ing or f ly ing fo r­
ward as dangerous missiles .
-When the rea r seat backrest is folded
down, a lways use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to hel p prevent items from fly ing for­
ward as dangerous missiles into the pas­
s enger compartment.
- Never attach a chi ld safety seat te th er
strap to a t ie- down .
Reporting Safety
Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you b elieve that your v ehi cle
has a d efe ct whi ch could cause
a crash or could cause injury or
d eath, you should imm ediately
inform the National Highway
Tr affic Safet y Admini stration ..,.
•
•

108 Safet y belt s
To provide maximum protection, sa fety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the
wearer 's body .
.,. Adjust the front seat and head restr aint
properly ¢
page 51, Front seats .
.,. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in an upright pos ition and securely
latched in place befo re using the belt¢.&, .
.,. Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it even­
l y across the chest and pelvis¢.&, .
.,. Inse rt the tongue into the correct buckle of
you r seat until you hea r it latch securely
¢ fig . 112.
.,. Pull on the be lt to m ake s ure th at it is se-
curely latched in the b uckle .
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety belt is eq uipped w ith an automat­
ic belt retractor on the shoulder be lt . T his fea­
ture locks the be lt when the belt is pulled out
fast, dur ing hard bra king and in an acci dent.
The belt may also lock when yo u drive up or
down a steep hill or through a sharp curve. During normal driving the belt lets you move
freely .
Safety belt pret ensioners
The sa fe ty belts are equippe d wi th a be lt pre­
tensioner that helps to tigh ten the safety bel t
and remove s lack when the pretensioner is ac ­
tivated. The function of the pretensioner is
monitored by a warning light
¢ page 16.
Convertible lock ing retractor
Every sa fe ty belt ex cep t the one on the dr iver
seat is eq uipped w it h a co nvertib le lock ing re ­
tracto r th at
mu st be used when the safety
be lt is used to attach a child sa fety seat . Be
sure to read the important inf ormation about
this feature ¢
page 143.
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can
cause serious injury in a n accident
¢ page 108, Safety belt posit ion.
- Safety belts offe r optimum protection
only when the seatback is up right and
-
be lts are properly posit ioned on the
body.
- Always make sure that the rear seat
backrest to wh ich the center rear safety
be lt is attached is securely latched when­
ever the rea r center safety belt is being
used. If the backrest is not secure ly
latched, t he passenger w ill move for­
ward with the ba ckr est dur ing sudd en
bra king, in a sudden maneuver and espe­
ci ally in a crash .
- Neve r attach the safety be lt to t he buck­
le for ano ther sea t. At taching the belt to
the wrong buckle will redu ce s afe ty be lt
effec tiveness and can cause serio us per ­
sonal injury.
- A passenger who is not properly restrain­
ed can be seriously injured by the safety
be lt itself w hen it moves from the stro n­
ger parts of the body into cr itical areas
like the abdomen .
- Always loc k the convertible locking re­
tractor when you are secu ring a child
safety seat in the vehicle
c:> page 145 .
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to gett ing
maximum protection from safety belts.
Fig . 11 3 Safe ty bel t pos it ion
Standard features on your veh icle help you ad ­
j u st the pos ition of the safety be lt to match
you r body si ze.
- be lt height adjustment for the front seats,
- he ight-adjustable front seats.
1111-

124 Airbag sys te m
- a rearward-facing ch ild restraint has been
insta lled on the front passenger seat, or
- a forward-facing child restraint has been in­
sta lled on the front passenger seat, or
- 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-facing or forward-fac­
ing infant restraints listed in Federal Motor
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
P A S­
S ENG ER AIR BA G OFF
light will stay on . Nev­
er install a rearward-fac ing ch ild restra int on
the front passenger seat, the safest place for
a child in any kind of child rest raint is at one
of the seat ing positions on the rear seat
¢ page 114, Child restraints on the front seat
- some important things to know
and
¢ page 133, Child Safety.
If the PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light c om es
on
when one of the conditions listed above is
met, be sure to check the light regular ly to
make certain that the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG
OF F
light stays on cont inuo usly whenever the
ignit ion is on. If the
PA SSENGER AIR BA G
OFF
light does not appear and not stay on all
the t ime, stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and
- react ivate the system by turning the ignition
off and then turning it on again;
- remove and reinsta ll the chi ld restraint.
Make sure that the child restraint is properly
installed and that the safety be lt for the
front passenger seat has been correctly ro uted around the child restraint as descr i­
bed in the chi ld restraint manufactu rer's in­
stru ctions;
- make sure that the convertible locking re­
t ra ctor on the safety belt fo r the front pas­
senger seat has been act ivated and that the
sa fety belt has been pulled tight . The belt
must not be loose or have loops of slack so
that the senso r below the safety be lt latch
on the seat can do its job ¢
page 143.
- make sure that things that may increase the
weight of the child and ch ild safety seat are
not being transported on the front passen­
ger seat;
- 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 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-sens ing mat to measure
more weight than is actually on the seat.
If the PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still
does not come on
and does not stay on con­
t inuously (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 autho rized Aud i deale r
immed iate ly.
- move the child to a rear seat position and make sure that the child is properly restra in­
ed in a c hild restra int that is approp riate for
its s ize and age.
The
PASS ENG ER AIR BAG OFF light should
NOT come on when the ignit ion is on and an
adult is s itting in a proper seating position on
t h e front pas senge r sea t. If the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on or
flashes for about 5 seconds wh ile driving, un ­
der these ci rcumstances, make sure that:
- the adult on the front passenger sea t is
prope rly seated on the cente r of the sea t
cushion with his or her back up aga inst the
backrest and the backrest is not reclined
¢ page 95, 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 proper ly worn and
that there is not a lot of s lack in the safety
be lt webb ing, .,..

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 . .,.

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.

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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.

140 Child Safety
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. 127 Schematic overv iew : ins tallat ion of t he at­
ta chments applicable to a LATCH seat
Fig. 128 Schematic overview: insta llation of th e seat
us ing t he veh icle's safety belt system
.. When using the vehicle safety be lt 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
c:> page 143 or install the seat
using the LATCH attachments .
.. Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight
so that the seat cannot move forward or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm)
c:>page 143.
.. If the child safety seat is equ ipped with a
tether strap, attach it to the tether anchors
c:> page 149.
.. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
c:> page 138.
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
than 20 lbs. (9 kg) up to 40 lbs. (18 kg) must
always be properly restrained in a child safety
seat certified for their size and weight
c:> fig . 12 7 and c:> fig . 128 .
The airbag on the passenger 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 forward -facing child safe­
ty seat . It is a very dangerous place for an in­
fant or a larger child in a rearward-facing seat.
_&. WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the
wrong child safety seat or improp erly in­
stalling a child restraint increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death in a
collision or other emergency situation .
- Children on the front seat of any car,
-
even with Advanced Airbags, can be seri­
ously injured or even killed when an air­ bag inflates . A child in a rearward-facing
child safety seat installed on the front passenger seat will be seriously injured
and can be killed if the front airbag in­
f la tes -even with an Advanced 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 on the rear seat .
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptiona l 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 airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
- The rear side of the child safety seat
should be positioned as close as possible ..,.

M N
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,...., ..,., ,....,
-Children on the front seat of any car,
even with Advanced A irbags, can be seri­
ous ly injured or even killed when an a ir­
bag inflates.
- Never let a child stand or kneel on any
seat, for examp le 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 sideways or out of posi­
t ion in any way during an acc ident can be
struck by a deploying airbag . This will re­
sult in se rious personal injury or death .
- If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenger seat because of excep­
t ional circumstances the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light must come on and
stay on, whenever the ignition is switch­
ed on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks described
¢ page 123, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System.
- Ta ke the child restrain t 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.
- 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
c:> page 133, Important things to know.
Installing a child safety
seat
Securing a child safety seat using a
safety belt
Safety belts for the rear sea ts and the fron t
passenger can be locked wi th the convertible
locking retractor to properly secure child
safety seats .
The safety belts emergency lock ing retractors
for the rear seats safety belts and for the
front passenger's seat safety belt have a con ­
ve rtible locking retractor for child restraints.
Child Sa fet y 143
The safety belt must be locked so that be lt
webbing cannot unree l. 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
only be properly installed when the safety belt
i s 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
ch ildren, especially those 12 years and young­
er, shou ld always r ide in the back seat proper­
ly restrai ned fo r 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 collision.
- Always ma ke sure that the safety belt re­
tracto r is loc ked when installing a child
safety seat . An unlocked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat
in place during normal dr iving or in a
crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a ch ild is not sitt ing in it.
A loose child safety seat can fly around during a sudden stop or in a collision .
- Always make sure that the rear seat
backrest to which the center rear safety
be lt is attached is securely latched when­
eve r the rea r center safety belt is being
used to secure a ch ild restra int.
- 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-fa cing child safety
seats or infant carrie rs on the front pas ­
senger seat . A child will be serio usly in­
jured and can be killed when the passen­ ger airbag inflates.
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
~
•
•

M N
M N
0 ::i co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
-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 regis­
ter a heavier weight in the Advanced Air­
bag System . The heavier weight 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 suppressed causing serious or even
fatal injury to the child .
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install the rear-facing child safety
seat in a rear seating position and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer.
Activating the convertible locking
retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to se­
cure a child restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufactur­
er's instructions when installing a child re­
straint in your vehicle . To activate the conver­
tible locking retractor :
.. Place the child restraint on a seat, prefera­
bly on the rear seat.
.. Slowly pull the belt
all the way out .
.. Route it around or through the child re ­
straint belt path~&_ .
.. Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight.
.. Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for
that seating position .
.. Guide the safety belt back into the retractor
until the belt lies flat and snug on the child
safety seat .
.. You should hear a "clicking " noise as the
belt winds back into the inertia reel. Test the
convertible locking retractor by pulling on
the belt . You should no longer be able to
Child Safety 145
pull the belt 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 more
than one inch (2.5 cm).
_&. WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an im­
properly installed child restraint can cause
serious personal injury or death in a crash.
- 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 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¢
page 133. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
¢ page 114, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know .
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•
•

146 Child Saf ety
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 safe ty belt buck­
le. The be lt tongue w ill pop out of the buck­
le .
.. Guide the safety be lt all the way back into
its stowed position .
A lways le t the safety bel t retract comp lete ly
into its stowed posit ion . The sa fety belt can
now be used as an ordinary safety belt with ­
out the convert ib le locking ret ractor for chi ld
restra ints.
If the convertible locking retracto r shou ld be
activated inadvertently, the safety belt m ust
be unfastened and guided comp letely back in­
to its stowed pos ition to deactivate th is fea­
ture. If the convertib le locki ng retractor is not
deactivated, the safety be lt will gradually be­
come tighter a nd u ncomfo rtable to wea r.
A WARNING
Imprope rly insta lled child saf ety seats in­
crease t he risk of ser ious personal inju ry
a n d death in a collision .
- Never unfaste n the safety belt to deacti­
vate the convert ible lo cking re tr actor fo r
ch ild rest rain ts while the veh icle is mov­
ing. You would not be res trained and
cou ld be seriously injured in an accident.
- Always re ad and heed all WARN INGS
whenever using a child rest rained in ave ­
hicle is being used
¢page 133. Special
precautions apply when installing a ch ild
safety seat on the front passenge r seat
¢ page 114, 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
T o p rov ide a simple r and more practicable way
to a ttach the child restra int on t he vehi cle
sea t, Federal regulat ions re quire spe cial lowe r
anchorages in vehicles and devices on new
c h ild restraints to attach to the vehicle ancho­
rages.
T he comb inat io n of th e tether anc horages and
the lowe r anchorages is now genera lly c alled
t h e
LATCH system fo r "Lower Anchorages and
T ethers for Child ren."
F o rward-f ac ing ch ild res trai nts ma nufacture d
after September 1, 1999, are req uired by U .S .
f ede ra l regu lations to comply with new child
head movement performance req uirements.
These new performance req uirements make a
tether necessary on most new child seats.
Installing a child restraint that requires a top
tethe r without one can seriously impair the
performance of the c hild restra int and its abil­
ity to protect the child in a coll is ion. Insta lling
a chi ld restrai nt that requires a top tether
without the top tether may be a violat ion of
state law.
Child rest raint manufacturers offer LATCH
lower anchorages on their child seats w ith
hook-on or push-on connectors attached to
adjustable straps .
In add ition to the LATCH lower anchorages,
t h ese chi ld restraint systems usually require
t h e use of tethe r straps to he lp keep the ch ild
rest raint fi rmly in place.
A WARNING
-Imp roper installat ion of ch ild restra ints
will i ncrease the r is k of injury a nd dea th i n
a cr ash.
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