warning light AUDI R8 SPYDER 2014 Repair Manual

The airbag system is monitored electronically
to make certain that it is functioning properly
at all times. Each time you turn on the igni­
tion, the airbag system indicator light will
come on for a few seconds (self diagnostics) .
The side airbag system supp lements the safe­
ty belts and can help to reduce the risk of in­
jury to the driver's and front passenger's up­
per torso and head injuries on the side of the
ve hicle that is st ruck in a side co llision . The
airbag deploys in s ide impacts and only when
the veh icle acce lerat ion registered by the con­
trol un it is high enough. If this rate is below
the refe rence va lue p rogrammed into the con­
trol un it, the s ide a irbags w ill not be trig­
gered, even though the car may be bad ly dam ­
aged as a result of the collision . It is not pos ­
sib le to define an airbag tr igger ing range that
will cover every poss ible angle of impact,
since the c ircumstances will vary considerab ly
between one collision and anothe r. Important
factors include, fo r example, the nature (hard
or soft) of the impacting object, the angle of i mpa ct, veh icle speed, e tc.¢
page 130, Im­
portant safety instru ctions on the side airbag
system .
Aside from the ir normal safety function, safe­
ty belts wor k to he lp keep t he d river or front
passenger in posi tion in the event of a side
coll is ion so that the side a irbags can provide
p rotection.
The airbag sys tem is
not a subs titute for your
safety be lt. R athe r, it is pa rt of the overall oc­
cupant res traint system in your veh icle . Al­
ways remember that the side airbag system
can only he lp to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wear ing it properly. Th is
is another reason w hy you sho uld always wear
your safety belts, not just because the law re­
qu ires you to do so¢
page 103, General
notes.
It is important to remember that while the
supp lemental s ide a irbag system is designed
to reduce the like lihood of serious injur ies,
other i njuries, for example, swell ing, b ruising,
and minor abras ions can also be assoc iated
with deployed s ide a irbags . Remem ber too,
A irbag system 129
side airbags wi ll dep loy only once and only in
certain kinds of accidents -your safety belts
are always the re to offer p rotection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even t he lack
of ve hicle damage are not necessarily an indi ­
cation of over-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
tion . In some coll is ions, both front and side
airbags may inflate. Remember too, that air­ bags will deploy only once a nd only in certain
k inds of col lisions -your safety be lts a re al­
ways the re to offe r protection in those acc i­
dents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have a lready deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ignit io n is turned off
- in side co llisions when the acceleration
meas ured by the sensor is too low
- in rear-end co llisions
- in rollove rs .
In some types of ac cidents the front airbags
and s ide a ir b ag s may be triggere d toge ther.
A_ WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system wi ll
only provide protection when occupants
are in the proper seating position
¢page 130.
-If the ai rbag indicator light comes on
when the vehicle is being used, have the
system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. The airbag may
not work properly when the vehicle ac­
c e leration in a side collis ion is high
e nough to activate t he a irbag. •
•

132 Child Safety
Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The physical principles of what happens when
your vehicle is in a crash apply also to children
c::> page 104, 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 greater risk of serious injury in crashes than
adults.
Because children's bodies are not fully devel­
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 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 appropriate child restraint properly used can reduce the risk of serious injury.
Child restraints, like adult safety belts, must
be used properly to be effective. Used improp­
erly, they can increase the risk of serious in­
jury in an accident.
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's instructions in order to be sure the seat is
right for your child's size
c::> page 135, Impor­
tant safety instructions for using child safety
seats.
Please be sure to read and heed all of
the important information 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 re­
straints are on the front passenger seat. Be­
cause of the large amount of important infor- mation, we cannot repeat it all 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 children.
A WARNING
-
All vehicle occupants and especially chil­
dren must be restrained properly whenev­
er riding in a vehicle. An unrestrained or
improperly restrained child could be in­
jured by striking the interior or by being
ejected from the vehicle during a sudden maneuver or impact. An unrestrained or
improperly restrained child is also at great­
er risk of injury or death through contact
with an inflating airbag.
_& WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even
with Advanced Airbags can be seriously in­
jured or even killed when an airbag in­
flates. A child in a rearward-facing child
safety seat installed on the front passen­
ger seat will be seriously injured and can
be killed if the front airbag inflates.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, door or roof.
- Never install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on. If the PAS·
SENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not
come on and stay on, have the airbag
system inspected immediately by your
Audi dealer.
.

A 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 an "Advanced
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 the
driver side. The low risk deployment criteria
are intended to reduce the risk of injury
through interaction with the airbag that can
occur, for example, by being too close to the
steering wheel and instrument panel when
the airbag inflates. In addition, the system
Child Safety 133
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, a child should al­
ways ride in the seat properly restrained for
its age and size . The airbag on the passenger
side makes the front seat a potentially dan­
gerous place for a child to ride. The front seat
is not the safest place for a child in a forward­
facing child safety seat .
It can be a very dan­
gerous 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
seat. The weight of a child restraint and its
"footprint" vary for different kinds of child re­
straints and for the different models of the
same kind of child restraint offered by child restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types,
makes and models of child restraints that the
NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typical in­
fants and typical 1 year-old child have been
stored in the control unit of the Advanced Air­
bag System. When a child restraint is being
used on the front passenger seat with a
ll-
•
•

Model Manufactured on or
after
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007
H igh Back Bo oste r
22-262
Co sco High Bac k Boos -September 2S, 2007
ter 22- 209
Evenfl o Tribut e V
379xxxx September 25, 2007
December 1, 1999
E
venflo Genera tions September 25, 2007
35 2xxxx
Grace ComfortSport September 2S, 2007
Grace Toddler Sa fety September 25, 200 7
Seat Step 2
Graco Platinum Cargo September 25, 2007
A WARNING
T o reduce the risk of serious injury, make
sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever a
child rest raint is installed on the front pas ­
senger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
- Never install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on. If the PAS­
SENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not
come on a nd stay on the inflating airbag
will hit the child safety seat o r infant ca r­
rie r wi th great fo rce and will smash the
c hild s afety seat and child agains t the
backrest, door or roof . Have the airbag
system inspected immedia tely by your
authorized Audi dealer.
(D Tips
The ch ild seats listed in catego ries A to C
have been sta tica lly tested by Au di only for
the Advanced Airbag function.
.
Child Sa fet y 135
Important safety instructions for us ing
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially
reduces the risk of injury in an accident!
As the dr iver, you are respons ible for the safe­
ty of everybody in the veh icle , especially ch il­
dren:
.. Always use the right ch ild safety seat for
each child and always use it properly
r=;, page 137.
.. Always carefully fo llow the child safe ty seat
manufac turer's inst ruct io ns on how to ro ute
the sa fe ty be lt properly through the c hild
safety seat .
.. When using the vehicle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you m ust first activate
the convertible locking retractor on the
safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from mov ing
¢ page 140 .
.. Push the ch ild safety seat down with yo ur
full weight to get the safety be lt really tight
so that the seat cannot
move fo rwa rd o r
sideways more th an one inch
(2.5 cm).
.. If a s trap or tet her 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 act ually on the seat.
A lways remember : Even tho ugh yo ur vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, a
c hi ld should always ride in the seat properly
restrained for its age and s ize.
A WARNING
N ot using a child safety seat, using the
wrong ch ild safety seat o r imprope rly in­
stalling a ch ild restraint increases the risk
of ser ious persona l inju ry and death.
- All vehicle occupants and especially chil­
dren must always be restrained p rope rly
wheneve r riding in a vehicle.
-
- An unrest rained or improper ly restrain­
ed ch ild can be injured or killed by be­
i ng t hrown against the ins ide of the
ve­
hicle or by being e jected from it dur ing
a sudden maneuve r o r i mpact .
•
•

136 Child Safety
-An unrestrained or improperly restrain­
ed child is at much greater risk of injury
or death by being struck by an inflating
airbag .
- Commercially available child safety seats
are required to comply with U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
213 (in Canada CMVSS 213).
- When buying a child restraint, select
one that fits your child and the vehicle.
- Only use child restraint systems that
fully contact the flat portion of the
seat cushion. The child restraint must
not tip or lean to either side. Audi does
not recommend using child safety
seats that rest on legs or tube-like
frames . They do not provide adequate
contact with the seat .
- Always heed all legal requirements per­
taining to the installation and use of
child safety seats and carefully follow
the instructions provided by the manu­
facturer of the seat you are using.
- Never let more than one child occupy a
child safety seat.
- Never let babies or older children ride in
a vehicle while sitting on the lap of an­
other passenger.
- Holding a child in your arms is never a
substitute for a child restraint system.
- The strongest person could not hold
the child with the forces that exist in
an accident. The child will strike the in­
terior of the vehicle and can also be
struck by the passenger .
- The child and the passenger can also
injure each another in an accident.
- Never install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on. If the PAS­
SENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not
come on and stay on the inflating airbag
will hit the child safety seat or infant car­
rier with great force and will smash the
child safety seat and child against the
backrest, door or roof. Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer.
- 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.
- If exceptional circumstances require the
use of a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat, the child's
safety and well -being require that the
following special precautions be taken :
- Make sure the forward-facing seat has
been designed and certified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
- Always carefully follow the manufac­
turer's instructions provided with the
child safety seat or carrier.
- Always move the front passenger seat
into the rearmost position of the pas­
senger seat 's fore and aft adjustment
range, and as far away from the airbag
as possible before installing the child
restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing pre ­
vents the front passenger's seat from
being moved to the rearmost position
in its fore and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure that the backrest is
in the upright position.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
¢ page 103, Safety
belts,
¢ page 111, Airbag system and
~ page 132, Child Safety .
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.

-Never install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
unless the
PAS SENGER AIR BA G OFF
light comes on and stays on . If the PA S­
SEN GER AI R BAG OFF
light does not
come on and stay on the inflating airbag
will hit the child safety seat o r infant car­
r ie r with great fo rce and will smash the
child safety seat and child against the
backrest, door or roof . Have the airbag
system inspected immediately by your authorized Audi dealer .
Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to abou t 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 . 125 Re arwar d-fa cing infan t sea t, pr operly instal ­
le d on t he p asseng er se at
"' When using the vehicle safety belt to in stall
a ch ild safety seat , you must first activate
the convertible locking retractor on the
safety belt to prevent the ch ild safety seat
from moving
r::!v page 140 .
"' Push the child sa fety seat dow n with your
full weight to get the safety bel t rea lly tight
so that the seat cannot move forward or
sideways more than one inch (2 .5 cm) .
I nfants up to about one year (20 lbs. or 9 kg)
are best prot ected in special infant carriers
and chi ld safety seats design ed for their age
group . Many experts believe that infants and
sm all ch ildren should ride only in spec ia l re­
straints in which the ch ild faces the back of
Child S afety 13 7
the vehicle. These infant seats support the ba­
by 's back, neck and head in a crash~
fig. 125.
A WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the
wrong child safety seat or improperly in­
stalling a child restraint increases the risk
of ser ious personal injury and death in a
crash.
- Never install a rear-fac ing ch ild restraint
in the forward -facing d irect ion . Such re ­
straints are designed for the special needs of infants and very small chi ld ren
and cannot protect them properly if the
seat is forward-facing.
- Never install a rearward facing child
safety sea t on the fron t passenger seat
un less t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on. If the PAS·
SENGER A IR BAG OFF
light does not
come on and stay on the inf lating a irbag
will hit the child safety seat or infant car­
rier w ith great f orce and w ill smash the
child safety seat and child against the backrest, door or roof . Have the a irbag
sys tem inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed al l WARNINGS
whenever us ing a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
r::!v page 103, Safety
belts, r::!vpage 111, Airbag system
and
r::!v page 132, Important things to know .

138 Child Safet y
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 . 126 Schematic overv iew: installat ion of the seat
usin g the vehicle's safety belt system
~ When using the vehicle safety belt to install
a ch ild safety seat, you must first activate
the convertible locking retractor on the safety belt to prevent the c hild safety seat
from movi ng
Q page 140.
~ 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)
Qpage 140.
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 ch ildren who are o lder than one
year up to about 4 years o ld and weigh more
than 20 lbs . (9 kg) up to 40 lbs. (18 kg) must
always be properly restrained in a child safety
seat certi fied for the ir size and weight
Qfig. 126.
&_ WARNING
Not using a ch ild safety seat, us ing the
w rong ch ild safety seat or improperly in­
stal ling a child restraint increases the risk
o f se rious persona l injury and death in a
co llision or othe r eme rgency s ituation.
- Children on t he front seat of a ny car,
even w ith Advanced A irbags, can be seri­
ous ly injured or even killed when an air- bag inflates. A chi
ld 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
flates -even with an Advanced Airbag
System .
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild
safety seat or infant carrie r with great
for ce and will smash the child safety seat
and child aga inst the ba ckrest, door or
roof .
- Neve r install a rearward facing child
safety sea t on the fron t passenger seat
un less the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on. If the PAS­
SENGER AIR BAG OF F
light does not
come on and stay on have the airbag sys­
tem inspected immediately by your au­
thorized Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever us ing a child restrained in ave­
h icle is being used
¢ page 103, Safety
belts,
Q page 111, Airbag system and
Q page 132, Important things to know .
&_ WARNING
--
If exceptional circumstances require the
use of a fo rward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger 's seat , the child's safe­
ty and well-bei ng req uire t hat the fo llow­
i ng spec ial precautions be taken:
- Make sure the forward- facing seat has
been designed and cert ified by its man u­
facturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer 's in ­
structions p rovided with the chi ld safety
seat or infant carrier.
- A lways move the front passenger seat in­
to the rearmost position of the passen­ ger seat's fore and aft adjustment range,
and as far away from the airbag as possi­
b le before installing the child restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger 's seat from being
moved to the rearmost position in its
fore and aft adjustment range .

140 Child Safety
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is
important that all vehicle occupants, especial­
ly any children, who must be in the front seat
because of exceptional circumstances, be
properly restrained and as far away from the
airbag as possible. By keeping room between
the child's body and the front of the passen­
ger compartment, the airbag can inflate com­
pletely and provide supplemental protection
in certain frontal collisions .
& WARNING
Not using a booster seat, using the boos­
ter seat improperly , incorrectly installing a
booster seat or using the vehicle safety
belt improperly increases the risk of seri­
ous personal injury and death in a collision
or other emergency situation. To help re­
duce the risk of serious personal injury
and/or death:
- The shoulder belt must lie as close to the
center of the child's collar bone as possi­
ble and must lie and snug on the upper
body .
It must never lie across the throat
or neck. The lap belt must lie across the
pelvis and never across the stomach or
abdomen. Make sure the belt lies flat
and snug. Pull on the belt to tighten if
necessary.
- Failure to properly route safety belts
over a child's body will cause severe inju­
ries in an accident or other emergency
situation
c::;,poge 103.
-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.
- Never let a child stand or kneel on the
seat.
- Never let a child ride in the cargo area of
your vehicle.
- Always remember that a child leaning
forward, sitting sideways or out of posi­
tion in any way during an accident can be
struck by a deploying airbag. This will re­
sult in serious personal injury or death.
- If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenger seat because of excep -
-
tional circumstances the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light must come on and
stay on, whenever the ignition is switch­
ed on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks described .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on the inflating
airbag will hit the child safety seat or in­
fant carrier with great force and will
smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, door or roof. Have
the airbag system inspected immediately
by your Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
¢page 103, Safety
belts,
c::;, page 111 , Airbag system and
c::;, page 132, Important things to know.
Installing a child safety
seat
Securing a child safety seat using a
safety belt
Safety belts for the front passenger con be
locked with the convertible locking retractor
to properly secure child safety sea ts.
The safety belts emergency locking retractors
for the front passenger's seat safety belt have
a convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints . The safety belt must be locked so
that belt webbing cannot unreel. The retrac­
tor can be activated to lock the safety belt and
prevent the safety belt webbing from loosen­
ing up during normal driving. A child safety
seat can only be properly installed when the
safety belt is locked so that the child and child
safety seat will stay in place.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, a
child should always ride in the seat properly
restrained for its age and size.
II>-

A WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in a collision.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat
in place during normal driving or in a
crash .
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it .
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision.
- 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, door or
roof.
- Forward-facing child safety seats or in­
fant carriers installed on the front pas­
senger's seat may interfere with the de­
ployment of the airbag and cause serious
injury to the child.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
Qpage 132. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
Q page 112, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
A WARNING
Always take special precautions if you
must install a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's
seat in exceptional situations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front
passenger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light must come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks described .
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on whenever
Child Safety 141
the ignition is switched on the inflating
airbag will hit the child safety seat or in­
fant carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, door or roof. Have
the airbag system inspected immediately
by your Audi dealer.
- Improper installation of child restraints
can reduce their effectiveness or even
prevent them from providing any protec­
tion.
-An improperly installed child restraint
can interfere with the airbag as it de­
ploys and seriously injure or even kill the
child.
-Always carefully follow the manufactur­
er's instructions provided with the child
safety seat or carrier.
- Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight regis­
tered by the weight-sensing mat and can
cause injury in a crash.
A WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Never put the forward-facing child re­
straint up, against or very near the in­
strument panel.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing the forward-facing child restraint. The
backrest must be adjusted to an upright
position.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on.
A WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints: •
•

142 Child Safety
-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 inflates -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, door or
roof.
-Always be especially careful if you must
install a rearward facing child safety seat
on the front passenger seat in exception­
al circumstances.
- A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing
child restraint attached to the front pas­
senger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and 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.
- Never install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on. If the PAS·
SENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not
come on and stay on have the airbag sys­
tem inspected immediately 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.
.. Slowly pull the belt
all the way out.
.. Route it around or through the child re­
straint belt path
c> ,A .
.. 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 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).
A 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. Otherwise, the seat­
back with the child safety seat attached
to it could fly forward in the event of an
accident or other emergency situation.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave-
hicle is being used
c> page 132. Special ..,.