esp AUDI Q3 2016 Service Manual

Airbag syste m
-Never place or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cupholders, telephone
brackets, large, heavy or bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, seat backrests or between
those areas and yourself. These objects
could cause injury in a crash, especially
when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger's seat to
transport objec ts. Items can also move into
the area of the side airbag or the front a ir­
bag dur ing braking or in a sudden maneu­
ver. Objects near the airbags can become projectiles and cause injury, particularly
when the seat is reclined.
A WARNING
The f ine dust created when airbags deploy can
cause breath ing problems for people w ith a
history of asthma or other breathing condi­
t ions.
- To reduce the risk of breathing problems,
those w ith asthma or other respiratory con­
ditions should get fresh air right away by
gett ing out of the vehicle o r opening w in­
dows or doors.
- If you are in a collision in which airbags de­
ploy, wash your hands and fa ce with mild
soap and water befo re eat ing.
- Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes,
o r into any cu ts or sc ratches.
- If the resid ue should get into yo ur eyes,
flush them with water.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
!f Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag moni­
toring indicator light and the
PA SSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light.
The Advanced Airbag System as well as the side airbags and side curtain airbags with eject ion
mit igat ion features ( including the electronic con­
trol unit, sensors and system wiring) are all
122
monitored continuous ly to make sure that they
are functioning properly whenever the ignition is
on . Each time you turn on the ignit ion, the airbag
monitoring indicator light
m will come on for a
few seconds (se lf diagnostics) .
The system mu st be inspected wh en th e
indicat or light
E,I:
- does not come on when the ignition is switched
on,
- does not go out a few seconds after you have
switched on the ignit ion, or
- comes on while driving.
If an airbag system malfunc tion is detec ted, the
indicator light will first start flashing to catch the
driver's attention and then stay on continuously
to serve as a constant rem inder to have the sys­
tem inspected immediately.
If a malfunction occurs that turns the front air ­
bag on the passenger side off, the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG O FF
light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is on.
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop­
erly cannot provide supplemental protect ion
in a frontal crash .
- If the airbag ind icator light
q page 16
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possib le that
the airbag will i nfla te when i t is no t sup­
posed to, or wi ll not inf late when it sho uld.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 12 4 Section from the inst rument panel: PASSENGER
&l N 9 ::::, CD m
AIR BAG OFF l ight ...

Airbag syste m
-the adu lt on the front passenger seat is proper ­
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion with
his or her back up against the backrest and the
backrest is not reclined
c> page 96, Correct pas­
senger seating positions,
- the adult is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or supporting
their we ight on the armrest,
- the safety belt is being properly worn and that
there is not a lot of slack in the safety belt web­
bing,
- accessory seat covers or cushions or other
th ings that may cause an incorrect read ing or
impression on the weight-sensing mat under
the upho lstery of the seat have been removed
from the front passenge r seat,
- a safety be lt extender has not been left in the
safety belt latch for the front passenge r seat.
In addition to the
PA SSE NGER AIR BA G OFF
lig ht in the center of the instrument panel, the
message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG ON
w ill briefly appear in the inst ru­
ment cluster display . T his is to inform the driver
of the current front passenger airbag status.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ion ing prop­
er ly cannot p rovide supplemental p rotection
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicato r light
c>page 16
comes when the vehicle is be ing used, h ave
the system inspected immediate ly by yo ur
authorized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not s up­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a
child restraint, in a rearward-facing child safe­
ty seat or in a forward-facing child restra int
that has not been properly installed w ill be
ser iously injured and can be killed .
124
-Even tho ugh your vehicle is equipped with
an Advanced A irbag System, make certain
that a ll children, espec ia lly 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat prop­
erly restrained for their age and s ize.
- Always install forward or rear-facing child
safety seats on the rear seat - even with an
Advanced A irbag System.
- If you must install a rearward-facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
appear and s tay on, immedi ately ins tall the
rear-facing child safety seat in a re ar seat ing
position and have the a irbag system in ­
spected by your authorized Audi dea ler.
- A t ight tether or other s trap on a rearward­
facing chi ld restraint attached to the front
passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and
register more weight than is actually on the
seat. The heavier weight registered can
make the system work as thoug h an adu lt
were on the seat and deploy the Advanced
Airbag when it must be suppressed causing
serious or even f atal injury to the child.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child res traint on
the front p assenge r seat, always move the
seat into i ts rearmost position in the sea t's
fore and aft ad justment range, as far away
from the ai rbag as possible . The backrest
must be adjusted to an upr ight position.
Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the time
wheneve r the ignit ion is switched on.
A WARNING
- If the PASSENG ER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go out when an adult is sitting on the
front passenger seat afte r taking the steps
described above, make s ure the adult is
p roper ly sea ted and restra ined at one o f the
rear sea ting posit ions .
- Have the ai rbag system inspected by your
author ized Audi dealer befo re t ransporting
anyone on the front passenger seat.

(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front passen­
ger seat detects an empty seat, the front air­
bag on the passenger side will be turned off,
and
P ASS ENGER AIR B AG OFF will stay on.
Repair , care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the a irbag system are installed at many
d ifferent p laces on your Aud i. Installing, remov­
ing, servicing o r repa iring a part in an area of the
vehicle can damage a pa rt of an airbag system
and prevent that system from working properly in a co llision.
There are some importa nt things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system w ill not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.
A WARNING
Improper care, serv icing and repair proce­
dures can increase the r isk of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de­
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly :
-
-Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer­
ing wheel horn pad or a irbag cover or the in ­
strument panel or mod ify them in any way .
- Never attach any objects such as cupholders
or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
er ing the airbag units .
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners
cou ld damage the a irbag cover or change
the stiffness or strength of the mater ial so
that the airbag cannot dep loy and protect
properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
- All work on the stee ring wheel, instr ument
pane l, front seats or electrical system (in­
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
cellu lar telephones and CB radios, etc .)
must be performed by a qualified technician
Airb ag sys tem
who has the training and special equ ipment
necessary.
- For any wo rk on the airbag system, we
strong ly recommend that you see your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side a irbag can
inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery ove r the front seatbacks that
have not been specifica lly approved by
Audi .
- Never use addi tional seat cushions that
cove r the areas where the side airbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the area of the s ide airbag
module must a lways be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an authorized Aud i dealer.
- The airbag system can be activated only
once . A fter an airbag has inflated, it must
be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technic ian who has the technical
information, training and spec ial equ ipment
necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once . After an airbag has been deployed, it
must be replaced with new rep lacement
parts des igned and approved especially for
your Aud i model version. Replacement of
comp lete airbag systems or airbag compo­
nents must be performed by qualified work­
shops only. Ma ke sure that any airbag serv­
ice act ion is en tered in your Aud i Wa rranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE ­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
@ For the sake of the environment
Un deployed airbag modules and p retension-
ers might be classif ied as Perchlorate Materi -
al -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc .ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo-
rate . When the vehicle or parts of the re-
straint system including airbag modu les safe-
ty belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all
applicable laws and regu lations must be ob­
se rved. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar .,.
125

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for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the im­
pacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
¢ page 128, Important safety in­
structions on the side airbag system.
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to he lp keep the driver or front pas­
senger in posit ion in the event of a side collision
so that the side airbags can provide protection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your veh icle. Always re­
member 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 rea ­
son why you should always wear your safety be lts, not just because the law requires you to do
so
¢ page 104, General information.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lem ental side airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of serious injur ies, other inju­
ries , fo r example, swell ing, bruising, and minor
abrasions can also be associated with deployed
side airbags. Remember too, side airbags wi ll de­
ploy only once and only in certain kinds of acci­
dents· your safety belts are always there to offer
protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
ve hicl e damage are not necessarily an indication
of over-sensitive or failed airbag activation. In
some col lisions, both front and side a irbags may
inflate. Remember too, that airbags will deploy
only once and only in certain kinds of coll isions -
your safety belts are always there to offer protec ·
tion in those acc idents in which a irbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ign ition is turned off
- in side collisions when the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers.
Airbag system
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side
curtain airbags and side airbags may be triggered
together.
A WARNING
=
- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seat ing pos ition¢
page 128.
- If the airbag ind icator light Q page 16
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed 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.
Fig. 126 Inflated side a irbags on left side of vehicle
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in
the seat surface area marked "AIRB AG". It ex­
pands between the side trim panel and the pas·
senger . In order to help provide this addit ional
protect ion, the side airbag must inflate w ith in a
fraction of a second at very high speed and with
great force. Th e supplemental side airbag could
injure you if you r seating position is not proper or
upright or if items are located in the area where
the supp lemental side a irbag expands. This ap­
plies especially to children¢
page 132, Child
safety.
Supplemental side airbags inflate be­
tween the occupant and the door panel on the
s ide of the vehicle that is struck in certain side
collision ¢
fig. 126. .,.
127

Airbag system
The side curtain airbag system basically
consists of:
- The electronic control module and external side
impact sensors
- The side curta in airbags above the front and
rear side windows with ejection mitigation fea­
tures
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored electronically to
make certain it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ignition, the air­
bag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the ignition is turned off,
-in side collisions when the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end collisions.
,&. WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
¢ page 50,
Front seats.
-If the airbag indicator light ¢page 16
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer . It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
130
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 re­
strained.
Fig. 128 Illus tratio n of principle: I nflated side curtain a ir­
bag s on t he left s ide
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc­
cupant and the windows on the side of the vehi­
cle that is struck in a side collision
~ fig. 128.
When the system is triggered, the side curtain
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional protection, the
side curtain airbag must inflate within the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with great force.
The side curtain airbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the supple­
mental side curtain airbag inflates. This applies
especially to children~
page 132.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side curtain
airbags can "cushion" the impact and in this way
they can help to reduce the risk of injury to the
head and the upper part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys .
This is quite normal and does not mean there is a
fire in the vehicle .

Child safety
Child safety
Important information
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a
collision .
The physical principles of what happens when
your vehicle is in a crash apply also to children
¢ page 105, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? .
But unlike adults and
teenagers, their muscles and bones are not fully
developed. In many respects children are at
g reater r isk of serious injury in crashes than
adults .
Because children's bodies are not fully devel­
oped, they require restraint systems especially
des igned for their size, weight, and body struc­
ture. Many countries and all states of the United
States and provinces of Canada have laws requir­
ing the use of approved child restraint systems
for infants and small children .
I n a frontal crash at a speed of 20-35 mph
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13 -pound
(6 kg) infant will be more than 20 times the
weight of the child. This means the weight of the child would suddenly be more than 260 pounds (120 kg) . Under these conditions, only an appro­
priate child restraint properly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury . Child restra ints, like
adu lt safety belts, must be used properly to be
effect ive. Used improperly, they can increase the
risk of serious injury in an acc ident.
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's in­
structions in order to be sure the seat is right for
your child's size¢
page 135, Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats .
Please
be sure to read and heed all of the impo rtant in­
formation and WARNINGS about child safety,
Advanced Airbags, 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 restraints are
on the front passenger seat . Because of the large
amount of important information, we cannot re-
132
peat it all here. We urge you to read the detailed
information in this owner's manual about airbags
and the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle and the very important information about trans­
porting children on the front passenger seat.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS - they are
extremely importa nt for your safety and the safe­
ty of your passengers, especia lly infants and
small chi ldren.
.&_ WARNING
- Accident statistics have shown that children
are generally safer in the rear seat area than
in the front seating position. Always restrain
any child age 12 and under in the rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children
must be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly
restrained child cou ld be injured by striking
the inter ior or by being ejected from the ve­
hicle during a sudden maneuver or impact.
An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is a lso at greater r isk of injury or death
through contact w ith an inf lating airbag.
- A suitable ch ild restraint properly installed
and used at one of the rear seating positions
provides the highest degree of pro tect ion
for infants and small children in most acci­
dent sit uations.
.&_ WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with
Advanced Airbags can be seriously injured or
even killed when an airbag inflates. A child in
a rearward-facing chi ld safety seat installed
on the front passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the front airbag in­
flates.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carr ier with great force and
w ill smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst the backrest , center armrest, or
door.
- 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
PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immed iately install
the rear-fac ing ch ild safety seat in a rear
seating pos it ion and have the airbag system
inspected immediately by your Audi dealer .
A WARNING
If, in exceptio nal circumstances, you must in­
stall a forward-facing chi ld restraint on the
front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-fac ing seat
has been designed and ce rtified by its man­
ufact urer fo r use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag .
- Always follow the manufact urer's instruc­
tions prov ided with the ch ild 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 air­
bag as possib le before installing the child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to
an upr ight position.
- Always make sure that the
PA SSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
t ime whenever the ignition is switched on.
{D) Tips
Always replace chi ld restraints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle dur ing a crash . Damage to
a child restraint that is not visible could cause
it to fail in another collision situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your veh icle is equipped with a front "Advanced
Airbag System " in compliance w ith United States
F edera l Moto r Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
208, as well as Canada Motor Ve hicle Safe ty
Stand ard (CMVSS) 208 as appli cable at the t ime
your vehicle was manufactured .
The Advanced Airbag system in your ve hicle has
been ce rtified to meet the "low-risk " requ ire­
ments for 3 -and 6-year old children on the pas­
senger side and small adults on the driver side .
The low risk deployment criteria are intended to
Ch ild safety
reduce the risk of injury through interaction with
the airbag that can occur, for example, by being
too close to the steering wheel and instr ument
panel when the airbag inflates. In addition, the
system has been cert ified to comply with the
"suppression" requirements of the Safety Stand ­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up to
12 months who are restrained on the front pas­
senger seat in ch ild rest raints that are lis ted in
the S tanda rd .
Even thoug h your veh icle is equipped with an Ad­
vanced Airbag system, all ch ildren, especially
those 12 yea rs and younger, sho uld a lways ride
i n the back seat properly restra ined for their age
and size . The airbag on the passenger side makes
the front seat a potentia lly dangerous p lace for a
child to ride. The front seat is not the safest place
for a ch ild in a forward-fac ing ch ild safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a
larger ch ild in a rearward-facing seat .
Advanced Airbags and the weight -sensing
mat in the front seat
T he Advanced A irbag System in you r vehicle de­
tects the presence of a n in fan t or child in a ch ild
restra int on the front passenger seat using the
weight-sensing mat in the seat cushion 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 chi ld safety seat and a child
blanket on the front passenger seat. The weight
on the front passenger seat is related to the de­
s ign of the child restra int and its "footprint" , the
s ize and shape of the bottom of the c hild re ­
straint as it s its on the seat. The weight of a chi ld
r estra int and its "footprint " va ry for different
k inds of child restra ints and for the different
models of the same kind of ch ild rest raint of ­
fered by child restraint manufacturers.
T he weight ranges for the individ ual types,
makes and mode ls of chi ld restrain ts that the
N HT SA has spec ified in the Safety Standard to­
gether with the weight ranges o f typical infants
and typical 1 year-old chi ld have been stored in .,.
133

Model Manufactured on or
after
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007
High Back Booster
22-262
Cosco High Back Boos -
September 25, 200 7
ter 22-209
Evenflo Tr ibute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion 254 December 1, 1999
Evenflo Generations September 25, 2007
352xxxx
Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Graco Toddler Safety September 25, 2007
Seat Step 2
Graco Platinum Cargo September 25, 2007
.&_ WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious inju ry, make sure
that the
P ASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on whenever a child re ­
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and 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 if the
P A SSEN GER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer immediately.
(D Tips
The chi ld seats listed in categories A to C have
been statically tested by Audi only for the Ad­
vanced Airbag function.
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially re­
duces the risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safety
of everybody in the veh icle, especially chi ldren:
.,. Always use the r ight child safety seat for each
child and a lways use it properly
q page 137.
Child safety
.,. Always carefully follow the chi ld safety seat
manufacturer's instructions on how to route
the safety belt properly through the ch ild safe ­
ty 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 chi ld safety seat from moving
q page 141.
.,. 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 being used to tie the child
safety seat to the front passenger seat, make
sure that it is not so tight that it causes the
weight -sensing mat to measure more weight
than is actually on the seat .
.,. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
q page 137.
Always remember: Even though your veh icle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
ch ildren, especia lly those 12 years and younger,
sho uld a lways ride in the back seat proper ly re·
strained for their age and s ize.
.&_ WARNING
=
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong
chi ld safety seat or improperly insta lling a
chi ld restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children
must be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestra ined or improperly
restrained child could be injured by striking
the inter ior or by be ing ejected from the ve­
h icle dur ing a sudden maneuve r or impact .
An unrest rained or imprope rly restrained
child is a lso at greater r isk of injury or death
through contact w ith an inflating a irbag.
- Commerc ially availab le 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 restra int, select one
that fits your ch ild and the vehicle.
135

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-Have the airbag system inspecte d by y our
authorized Aud i dealer immediately .
Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
Fig. 129 Schematic overview: keep unused safety belts
away from c hildren in child safety seats.@-oute r rea r
safety belt, ® · center rear safety belt
If a chi ld safety seat is used o n the rear bench,
especially with LATCH universal lower anchorag­
es, the unused safety be lts
mu st be secured so
that the child in the child restraint cannot reach
them
c:> ,&. .
- Guide the safety belt webbings @and @ be­
hind the head restraint of the seat where the
child restraint is installed
c:> fig. 129. When do­
ing so, do not engage the convertib le locking
retractor! You should not hear a "clicking"
sound when w inding up the safety belt.
- Let the belt retractor wind up the safety belt
webbing .
A WARNING
A child in a child safety seat installed with the
LA TC H l owe r anchorages or w ith the standard
safety belt or a child in a booste r seat on the
rear sea t could play with u nused rear seat
safety belts and become enta ngled. This
co uld cause the chi ld ser io us personal i nju ry
and even death .
- Always secure unused rear seat safety belts
o ut of reach of chi ldren in child seats such
as by proper ly routing them around t he
head restraint of the seat where the child
restra int is installed .
- Never activate the convertible locking re­
tractor when routing the safety belts around
the head restra ints.
Ch ild sa fety
- Never let anyone sit at the center rear seat­
ing position if the center rear safety belt has
been routed around a rear head restraint.
Child seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old and
20 lbs . or
9 kg need special rearward-facing
child restraints that support the back, neck and
head in a crash.
F ig . 1 30 Sc hema tic overv iew : re arwa rd-facing in fan t seat,
p roperly installed on the rear seat
"'When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safe ty seat, yo u m ust first ac tivate the
convertib le locking retrac tor on the safety belt
to p revent the chi ld safety seat from moving
c:> page 141 or insta ll the seat using the LATCH
attachments.
"' 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) .
"' Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
r=;,page 137.
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs. or 9 kg) are
best protected in special infant carriers and child
safety seats designed for the ir age group. Ma ny
expe rts be lieve that infa nts and small ch ild ren
shou ld ride only in special restra ints in wh ich the
ch ild faces the back of the vehicle . These infant
seats support the baby's back , neck and head in a
crash
c:> fig . 130.
The airbag on the passenger side makes the fron t
seat a potent ially dangerous place for a child to
ride . The front seat is not the safest place for a
Ill>
137

Child safety
Booster seats and safety belts
Properly used booster seats can help protect
children weighing between about 40 lbs . and 80
lbs. (18 kg and 36 kg) who are less than 4
ft. 9
in. (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall .
Fig. 133 Rear seat: ch ild proper ly restrained in a booster
seat
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most
children until they are at least 4
ft . 9 in. (57 in­
ches/1.45 meters) tall and weigh about 80 lbs .
(36 kg). Booster seats raise these chi ld ren up so
that the safety belt will pass properly
over the
stronger parts of their bodies and the safety belt
can help protect them in a crash.
• Do not use the convertible locking retractor
when using the vehicle's safety belt to restrain
a chi ld on a booster seat.
• The shoulder be lt must lie as close to the cen­
ter of the child's collar bone as possible and
must lie flat and snug on the upper body. It
must never lie across the throat or neck. The
lap belt must lie across the pelv is and never
across the stomach or abdomen . Make sure the
belt lies flat and snug. Pull on the belt to tight­
en if necessary .
• If you must transport an older child in a boos­
te r seat on the front passenger seat , you can
use the safety belt height adjustment to help
adjust the shoulder portion properly .
• Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
c> page 137.
Children up to at least 8 years old (over 40 lbs. or
18 kg) are best protected in child safety seats de­
signed for their age and weight. Experts say that
the skeletal structure, particularly the pelvis, of
these children is not fully developed, and they
140
must not use the vehicle safety belts without a
suitable child restraint .
It is usually best to put these children in appro­
pr iat e booste r seats. Be sure the booster seat
meets all applicab le safety standards.
Booster seats raise the seating position of the
child and reposition both the lap and shoulder
parts of the safety belt so that they pass across
the child's body in the right places. The routing of
the be lt
over the chi ld's body is very important
for the child's protection, whether or not a boos­
ter seat is used. Children age 12 and under m ust
always ride in the rear seat.
Ch ildren who are at least 4
ft. 9 in. (57 inches/
1.45 meters) ta ll can generally use the vehicle 's
three point lap and shoulder belts . Never use the
lap belt portion of the vehicle's safety belt alone
to restrain any child, regard less of how big the
c hi ld is. Always remember that children do not
have the p ronounced pelvic structure required for
the proper function of lap belt portion of the
ve­
hicle's three point lap and shoulder belts. The
c hi ld's safety absolutely requ ires that a lap belt
portion of the safety belt be fastened snugly and
as low as possible around the pe lvis. Never let
the lap belt portion of the safety belt pass over
the child's stomach or abdomen.
In a crash, airbags must inflate within a blink of
an eye and with considerab le force . In order to do
i ts job, the airbag needs room to inflate so that it
will be there to protect the occupant as the occu­
pant
moves forward into the airbag.
A ve hicle occ upant who is out of position and too
close to the a irbag gets in the way of an inflating
airbag. When an occupant is too close, he or she
will be struck vio lently and will receive serious or
possibly even fatal injury .
In order for the a irbag to offer protection, it is
important that all vehicle occupants, especially
any ch ildren, who must be in the front seat be­
cause of exceptional c ircumstances, be properly
re stra ined and as far away from the a irbag as
possible. By keeping room between the child's .,..