AUDI S3 2009 Owners Manual
Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2009, Model line: S3, Model: AUDI S3 2009Pages: 324, PDF Size: 76.02 MB
Page 171 of 324

_______________________________________________ C_h _ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t..,:c y __ ffllll
Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safes t place in a collision.
The p hysica l pr inciples of what happens when you r veh ic le is in a
crash apply also to children=> page 139, "What happens to occu Â
p a nts not wearing safety bel ts?" . Bu t un like adults and teenagers,
their musc les and bones are not fu lly developed. In many respects
children a re a t greater ris k of serious inj ury in cras hes than a dults .
B ecause chi ldren 's bodies a re no t fully deve loped, they require
restraint systems especial ly designed for their size, weight, and
body structu re. Ma ny countries and al l sta tes of the U nited States
and provinces of Canada have laws requiring the use of approved
chil d restraint sys te m s for infa nts and smal l children .
I n a frontal crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph (30 -56 km/h) the forces
ac ting on a 13-pou nd (6 kg) infant wi ll be mo re 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 condi Â
t ions, only an appropriate child restraint proper ly used can reduce
the risk of serious in jury. Child restraints, like adult safety belts,
must be use d properly t o be eff ective. Use d impro perly, they can
increase the risk of serious injury in an accident .
Co nsul t the c hild safety seat man ufacture r's ins truc tions to be su re
the seat is right for your child's size=> page 172, "Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats" . Please be sure to read and
heed a ll of the important information and WARNI NGS about child
safety, Advanced Airbags, and the insta llation of child restraints in
this chapter.
T here is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
veh ic le and how they work whe n inf an ts and ch ild ren in c hild
restraints are on the front passenger seat. Because of the large
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation amoun
t of important informat ion, we cannot repeat it all here. We
urge you to read the detai led information in this owner's manua l
about a irbags and the Advanced Airbag Sys tem in your ve hic le and
the very important information about transporting children on the
fr ont passenger sea t. Please b e sure to hee d th e WAR NINGS -th ey
are extreme ly important for your safety and the safety of your
p asse ngers, es pecia lly inf ant s and s mall ch ildren .
& 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 o ccupants and especially children must be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle . An unrestrained
or improperly restrained child could be injured by striking the inteÂ
rior or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden
maneuver o r impact . An unrestrained or improperly restrained
c hild is also at greater risk of injury or death through conta ct with
an inflating a irbag .
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seating positions provides the highest degree of protecÂ
tion for infants and small children in most accident situations .
& WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with Advanced Airb ags
c an be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates . A
child in a rearward -fa cing child safety seat installed on the front
pas senger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates.
• The inflating airbag will hit the ch ild safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest , center arm rest , or door. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Page 172 of 324

-Child Safety ------=---------------------------------
& WARNING (continued )
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats on the rear seat .
• If you must install a rearw ard fa cing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat in exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating posit ion and have the airbag system inspected immedi Â
ately by your authorized Audi dealer .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install a forward -facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat :
• Always make sure the forward -facing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions 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
a irbag as possible before installing the child restraint . The backÂ
rest 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 . •
Advanced front airbag system and children
Y our vehicle is equipped with an " Advanced Airbag Syste m" in
co mplia n ce wi th Unit ed States F edera l Moto r Veh icle Saf ety S tanÂ
dard ( FMVSS) 208 as appl icable at the time your vehicle was manu Â
f actu re d . T
he Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has been certified to
m eet the " lo w -ris k" req uiremen ts for 3 and 6 year -ol d c hildren on
the passenger side a nd smal l adults on the driver side . The low risk
de ploymen t criteria a re i ntended to reduce the risk of i nju ry t hroug h
interaction with the airbag that can occur, for example, by bei ng too
close to the s tee rin g w heel and instrume nt panel whe n the ai rbag
i n fl ates. In add it ion, t he sys tem has been cer tified to co mply wi th
the "suppre ssion" req uirement s of the Safety Standa rd, to turn off
the front a irbag f or infants up to 12 month s who ar e restrai ned on
the front passenger seat in child restraints that are listed in the
S tan dard.
E ven though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
sy stem , a ll ch ildr en, especia lly those 12 yea rs and yo unge r, should
a lways ride i n the back seat prop erly re stra ined for t heir a ge and
s ize . The ai rbag on the pas se nger side make s th e fr on t sea t a potenÂ
t ia lly dangero us p lace for a c hild to r ide. The front seat is no t the
safest p lace for a child in a forward -facing child safety seat. It can be
a ve ry da nger ous place for a n inf ant or a la rg er c hild i n a rea rward Â
facing seat. •
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
Th e Ad vanced Ai rbag Sys te m in your vehic le de tec ts the prese nce
o f an inf ant or c hild in a chi ld rest raint on the front pass eng er s eat
us ing the weight -sensing mat in the seat cushion and the senso r
b elow t he safety be lt latch on t he front pass enger s eat that
measures the tension on the safety belt.
T he weig ht-se nsin g m at m easu res total weig ht of th e chi ld an d th e
c h ild safety s eat and a ch ild bl anket on the front passen ger seat . T he
w eig ht on th e front p assenge r seat is re la te d to th e des ig n of t he
c h ild re straint and its "footpr int", t he size and shap e of the bottom
of t he child restraint a s it sits on the seat . Th e w eight of a child
r e stra int and its "footprint" vary for diff ere nt k inds of c hild ..,.
Page 173 of 324

-------------------------------------------~C::._! h~ i~ ld ~ S~ a~ f~e :_!t tY ~--
restraints 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 typ ical infants and typical 1 yearÂ
old child have been stored in the control unit of the Advanced
Airbag System. When a child restraint is being used on the front
passenger seat with a typical 1 year -old child, the Advanced Airbag
System compares the weight measured by the weight sensing mat
with the information stored in the electronic control unit.
The electronic control unit also registers the tension on the front
passenger safety belt. The tension on the safety belt for the front
passenger seat will be different for an adult who is properly using
the safety belt as compared to the tension on the belt when it is
used to attach a child restraint to the seat. The sensor below the
latch for the safety belt for the front seat passenger measures the
tension on the belt . The input from this sensor is then used with the
weight to "decide" , whether there is a child restraint with a typical 1
year-old child on the front passenger seat and whether or not the airbag must be turned off.•
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the child restraint that you use, make sure that it has
been certified to meet United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been certified by its manufacturer for use with
an airbag. Always be sure that the chi ld restraint is properly
installed at one of the rear seating positions. If in exceptiona l
circumstances you must use it on the front passenger seat, carefully
read all of the information on child safety and Advanced Airbags
and heed a ll of the applicable WARNINGS. Make certain that the
child restraint is correctly recognized by the weight -sensing mat
inside the front passenger seat, that the front passenger airbag is
turned off and that the airbag status is always correctly signaled by
th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light .
Controls and equipÂ
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Many
types and models of child restraints have been available over
the years, new mode ls are introduced regularly incorporating new
and improved designs and older mode ls are taken out of producÂ
tion. Child restraints are not standardized . Child restraints of the
same type typically have different weights and sizes and different
'footprints,' the size and shape of the bottom of the chi ld restraint
that sits on the seat, when they are installed on a vehicle sea t. These
differences make it virtual ly impossible to certify comp liance with
the requirements for advanced airbags with each and every child
restraint that has ever been sold in the past or will be sold over the
course of the usefu l life of your vehic le.
For this reason, the United States National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration has pub lished a list of specific type, makes and
models of child restraints that must be used to certify compliance
of the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle with the suppression
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. These
child restraints are:
A. Car beds, manufactured on or after September 1,
2004:
• Cosco Dream Ride 02-719
B. Rear facing child restraint systems, manufactured
on or after September 1, 2004:
(When the restraint system comes equipped with a removable base,
compliance has to be certified with or without the base) .
• Britax Handle with Care 191
• Century Assura 4553
• Century Smart Fit 4543
• Cosco Arriva 02727
• Evenflo Discovery Adjust Right 212
• Evenflo First Choice 204
• Graco lnfant8457
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Page 174 of 324

-Child Safety ----------------
C
. Forward-facing convertible child restraint systems,
manufactured on or after September 1, 2004:
• Britax Roundabout 161
• Britax Expressway
• Century Encore 4612
• Century STE 1000 4416
• Cosco Olympian 02803
• Cosco Touriva 02519
• Evenflo Horizon V 425
• Evenflo Medallion 254
• Safety First Comfort Ride 22-400
& 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 passenger seat and the ignition
is switched on.
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer immediately.
[ i] Tips
The child safety seats listed in categories A to C have been 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 responsible for the safety of every Â
body in the vehicle, especially children:
- Always use the right child safety seat for each child and
always use it properly ::::>
page 174.
- Always carefully follow the child safety seat manufacÂ
turer's instructions on how to route the safety belt propÂ
erly 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 179.
- 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).
- 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.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all children, especially those 12 years and
younger, should always ride in the back seat properly restrained for
their age and size. _,,
Page 175 of 324

Child Safety -
--------------------''---
& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong child safety seat or
improperly installing a child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death .
• All vehicle occupants and especially children must always be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle .
- An unrestrained or improperly restrained child can be injured or killed by being thrown against the inside of the vehicle or by
being ejected from it during a sudden maneuver or impact.
- An unrestrained or improperly restrained 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 l
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 pertaining to the installa Â
tion and use of child safety seats and carefully follow the
instructions provided by the manufacturer of the seat you are
us ing .
• Never allow children under 57 inches {1 .5 meters) to wear a
normal safety belt . They must always be restrained by a proper
child restraint system . Otherwise , they could sustain injuries to
the abdomen and neck areas dur ing sudden braking maneuvers or
accidents.
• Never let more than one child occupy a child safety seat .
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued )
• Never let babies or older children ride in a vehicle while sitting
on the lap of another 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 ac cident. The child will strike the interior 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 rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat . A child will be seriously injured and can
be killed when the passenger 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 , center arm rest , door or roof .
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the rear seat .
• Forward -facing child safety seats installed on the front
passenger 's seat can interfere with the airbag when it inflates and
cause serious injury to the child. Always install forward -facing
child safety seats on the rear seat .
• If exceptional circumstances require the use of a forwardÂ
facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat , the child's
safety and well-being require that the following special precau Â
tions be taken :
- Make sure the forward -facing seat has been designed and
c ertified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
- Always carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Page 176 of 324

___ C_h_ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t-= y'------------------------------------------------
& WARNING (continued)
-Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost
position of the passenger 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 prevents 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 posiÂ
tion.
• 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 a vehicle is being used=>
page 137, "Safety belts",
=> page 147, "Airbag system" and=> page 169, "Child Safety".
& 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 passenger seat and the ignition
is switched on.
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer immediately. •
Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old and 22 lbs or
10 kg need special rearward-facing child restraints that
support the back, neck and head in a crash.
Fig . 151 RearwardÂ
facing infant seat,
properly installed on
the rear 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 179 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).
Infants up to about one year (22 lbs. or 10 kg) are best protected in
special infant carriers and child safety seats designed for their age
group. Many experts believe that infants and small children should
ride only in special restraints in which the child faces the back of the
vehicle. These infant seats support the baby's back, neck and head
in a crash . These child safety seats must never be used in the front
seat because of the risk of serious injury or death should the airbag
deploy in a crash=> fig. 151. ..
Page 177 of 324

& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong child safety seat or
improperly installing a child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a crash.
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
A child will be seriously injured and can be killed when the
inflating airbag hits the child safety seat or infant carrier with
great force and smashes the child safety seat and child against the
backrest, center arm rest, or door=>
page 149, "Child restraints on
the front seat -some important things to know".
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the rear seat.
• Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the forward-facing
direction. Such restraints are designed for the special needs of
infants and very small children and cannot protect them properly
if the seat is forward-facing.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=> page 137, "Safety belts",
=> page 147, "Airbag system" and=> page 169, "Important things
to know". •
Safety first
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. (10 and 20 kg) in a crash.
Fig. 152 Rear seat:
smalle r child in a prop Â
erly installed forwardÂ
facing convertible child
safety seat
- When using the vehicle safety belt to install a child safety
seat, you must first activate the convertible locking
feature on the safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving :::;,
page 179 or install the seat using the
LATCH attachment .
- 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)
:::;, page 179 .
-If the child safety seat is equipped with a tether strap,
attach it to the tether anchors :::;,
page 186.
A toddler or child is usually too large for an infant restraint if it is
more than one year old and weighs more than 22 lbs . (10 kgl.
Toddlers and children who are older than one year up to about 4
years old and weigh more than 22 lbs (10 kg) up to 40 lbs . (18 kg)
should be properly restrained in a child safety seat certified for their
size and weight=> fig. 152. .,
Vehicle care I I Technical data
Page 178 of 324

___ C_h_ i_ ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_y ____________________________________________ _
The airbag on th e passenger sid e makes the front seat a potent ial ly
d an ger ous plac e for a c hild to ride. The front seat is not the s afest
place for a c hild in a forward -f a cin g ch ild safet y se at. It is a v ery
d ange ro us p lace f or an infa nt or a la rge r ch ild in a rea rward -f aci ng
s e at.
& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong child safety seat or
improperly installing a child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a collision or other emergency situa Â
tion.
• 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 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 , center arm rest, 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 because of exceptional c ircumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on, immediately install the rear -facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=:>
page 137, "Safety belts ",
=> page 147, "Airbag system" and=:> page 169, "Important things
to know ".
& WARNING
If exceptional c ircumstances 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 certiÂ
fied by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a passenger
front and side airbag .
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions provided with
the child safety seat or carrier.
• Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost posiÂ
tion of the passenger seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and as
far away from the airbag as poss ible 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.
• Always make sure the backrest is in 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.
• If the light does not stay on , perform the checks
=> page 158,
" Monitoring the Advanced Airbag System" .
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition is switched
on .a
Page 179 of 324

Booster seats
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. tall.
Fig. 153 Rear seat:
child properly
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. tall and weigh about 80 lbs.
(36 kgl. Booster seats raise these children 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 child on a booster
seat.
- Always position the shoulder portion of the safety belt
midway over the child's shoulder.
- Always make sure that the shoulder portion of the safety
belt never rests against or across the child's neck.
- Always make sure that the child can properly wear the
lap port ion of the belt low across the thighs or pelvis and
never over the stomach or abdomen.
Safety first
Child Safety
Children up to about 40 lbs (18 kg) are best protected in child safety
seats designed for their age and weight. Experts say that the skel Â
etal structure, particularly the pelvis, of these children is not fully
developed, and they should not use the vehicle safety belts
=> page 177, fig. 153.
Children who weigh more than 40 lbs. (18 kg) may generally use the
available three point combination lap and shoulder belts when they
sit on an appropriate booster seat. Be sure the booster seat meets
all applicable 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 belt
over the child's body is very important for the child's protection.
This applies whenever a child uses the vehicle's safety belts, even
when the child is big enough to use them without a booster seat.
Children age 12 and under should
always ride in the rear seat .
Children should not ride in the front seat unless no other seating
position is available because crash statistics show that children are
better protected in the rear seat.
In a crash, airbags must inflate within a blink of an eye and with
considerable force . In order to do its job, the airbag needs room to
inflate so that it will be there to protect the occupant as the occu Â
pant moves forward into the airbag.
A vehicle occupant including a child who is out of position and too
close to the airbag gets in the way of an inflating airbag. When an
occupant is too close, he or she will be struck violently and will
receive serious or possibly even fatal injury.
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is important that all
vehicle occupants, especially any children, who must be in the front
seat in exceptional circumstances, be properly restrained and as far
away from the airbag as possible. By keeping room between the
child's or other occupant's body and the front of the passenger
compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and completely and
provide supplemental protection in certain frontal crashes. _.,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data
Page 180 of 324

___ C_h _i_ld _ S_a_ f_e _t .:..y ____________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Not using a booster seat, using the booster seat improperly, incorÂ
rectly installing a booster seat or using the vehicle safety belt
improperly increases the risk of serious personal injury and death
in a collision or other emergency situation. To help reduce the risk
of serious personal injury and/or death:
• Always make sure to position the shoulder portion of the threeÂ
point belt over the middle of child's shoulder .
• Never let the shoulder portion of the belt rest against or across
the neck, face, chin, or throat of the child.
• Always make sure the lap belt portion of the three-point belt is
worn snug and passes as low as possible across the child's pelvis.
Never let the belt pass over the soft abdomen.
• Failure to properly route safety belts over a child's body will
cause severe injuries in an accident or other emergency situation
=> page 137.
• 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 child safety seat installed on
the front passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed
if the front airbag inflates.
• Never let a child stand or kneel on any seat, for example the
front seat.
• Never let a child ride in the cargo area of your vehicle .
• Always remember that a child leaning forward, sitting side Â
ways or out of position in any way during an accident can be
struck by a deploying airbag . This will result in serious personal
injury or death.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come on and stay on, when Â
ever the ignition is switched on .
& WARNING (continued)
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, perform the checks described ::>
page 158, "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System" .
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER 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 a vehicle is being used ::>
page 137, "Safety belts",
=> page 147, "Airbag system" and::> page 169, "Important things
to know". •
Safety belts and older chi ldren
Properly worn three point lap and shoulder belt can help
protect children weighing more than 80 lbs. (36 kg) and
who ore at least 4
ft. 9 in. tall.
Fig . 154 Child taller
than 4
ft . 9 in. properly
restrained on the rear
seat
Children who weigh more than about 80 lbs (36 kg) and are at least
4 ft. 9 in. tall can generally use the vehicle's three point lap and
shoulder belts. Children should use a lap belt only in
very excepÂ
tional situations and only if no child restraint system for the child's
size and weight or safer alternative means of transportation of the ...