child seat AUDI S3 2009 User Guide

Driving Safely ---------------=------------'-
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an important part
of your vehicle's occupant restraint system and can help
to reduce the risk of injuries in accident situations.
Fig. 130 Correctly
adjusted head restraint
viewed from the side
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to achieve
the best protection.
-Adjust the head restraint so that the upper edge of the
restraint is level with the top of your head, but no lower
than eye level and so it is as close to the back of your
head as possible ~ fig. 130.
Adjusting head restraints=> page 79.
& WARNING
Driving without head restraints or with improperly adjusted head
restraints increases the risk of serious injuries in a collision . To
help reduce the risk of injury :
• Always drive with the head restraints in place and properly
adjusted.
• Every person in the vehicle must have a properly adjusted head
restraint.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
•
Always make sure each person in the vehicle properly adjusts
their head restraint. Each head restraint must be adjusted
according to occupants' size so that the upper edge is as even
with the top of the person's head, but no lower than eye level and
so it is as close to the back of to the head as possible .
• Never attempt to adjust head restraint while driving. If you
have driven off and must adjust the driver headrest for any reason,
first stop the vehicle safely before attempting to adjust the head
restraint.
• Children must always be properly restrained in a child restraint
that is appropriate for their age and size=>
page 169 . •
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce the risk of
injury if vehicle occupants ore properly seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious injury or
death . Safety belts can only work when they are properly
positioned on the body. Improper seating positions reduce
the effectiveness of safety belts and will even increase the
risk of injury and death by moving the safety belt to critical
areas of the body. Improper seating positions also increase
the risk of serious injury and death when an airbag deploys
and strikes an occupant who is not in the proper seating
position. A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle
occupants and especially for children. Therefore:
- Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect seating posi­
tion when the vehicle is being used~& .
The following bulletins list only some sample positions that will
increase the risk of serious injury and death. Our hope is that these .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

........ _o_ r_iv _i_ n""' g::;._ S_ a_f _e _ly =---------------------------------------------------
& WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can fly through the
vehicle causing serious personal injury in the event of hard braking or an accident. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
• Always put objects, for example, luggage or other heavy items
in the luggage compartment.
• Always secure objects in the luggage compartment using the
tie-down eyelets and suitable straps.
& WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehicle handles. To help
reduce the risk of a loss of control leading to serious personal
injury :
• Always keep in mind when transporting heavy objects, that a
change in the center of gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
-Always distribute the load as evenly as possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the luggage compart-
ment as possible.
• Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating specified on the safety compliance sticker on the left door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight standards
can cause the vehicle to slide and handle differently.
• Please observe information on safe driving~
page 126.
& WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from being drawn into the
vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving.
• Never transport objects larger than those fitting completely
into the luggage area because the rear lid cannot be fully closed.
& WARNING (continued)
• If you absolutely must drive with the rear lid open, observe the
following notes to reduce the risk of poisoning :
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed.
& WARNING
Always make sure that the doors , all windows, the power roof*
and the read lid are securely closed and locked to reduce the risk
of injury when the vehicle is not being used.
• After closing the rear lid, always make sure that it is properly
closed and locked .
• Never leave your vehicle unattended especially with the rear lid
left open. A child could crawl into the vehicle through the luggage
compartment and close the rear lid becoming trapped and unable
to get out . Being trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious personal
injury.
• Never let children play in or around the vehicle.
• Never let passengers ride in the luggage compartment. Vehicle
occupants must always be properly restrained in one of the
vehicle's seating positions.
[ i] Tips
The tire pressure must correspond to the load -see the tire pressure
sticker on the fuel filler door. •

Driving Safely -
----------------
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four tie­
downs to secure luggage and other items.
Use the tie -downs to secure your cargo properly~ page 133,
"Loading the luggage compartment".
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even smaller items that
are loose in the vehicle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess energy which vary with
vehicle speed and the weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed of 30 mph (48 km/h),
the forces acting on a 10-lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that the weight of the item
would suddenly be about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the inju­
ries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying freely through the passenger
compartment could cause in a collision like this.
& WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to secure items to tie ­
downs can fail during hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
• Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure
items to the tie-downs in the luggage compartment to help
prevent items from shifting or flying forward as dangerous
missiles.
• When the rear seat backrest is folded down, always use suit­
able mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs
in the luggage compartment to help prevent items from flying
forward as dangerous missiles into the passenger compartment.
• Never attach a child safety seat tether strap to a tie-down. •
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A. If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immediately inform
the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis­
tration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a
safety defects exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign.
However, NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you, your dealer,
or Audi of America, Inc.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hot
Ii ne to I I-free at:
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or write to:
Administrator NHTSA 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Safety belts -----------------=-------
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are necessary, how
they work and how to adjust and wear them correctly.
- Read all the information that follows and heed all of the
instruct ions and WARNINGS.
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death.
• Safety belts are the single most effective means available to
reduce the risk of serious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents . For your protection and that of your passengers , always
correctly wear safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
• Pregnant women, injured, or physically impaired persons must
also use safety belts . Like all vehicle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts . The
best way to protect a fetus is to protect the mother -throughout
the entire pregnancy. •
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions: two in the front and
three in the rear. Each seating position has a safety belt.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death .
• Never strap more than one person, including small children,
into any belt. It is especially dangerous to place a safety belt over
a child sitting on your lap.
• Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there are safety
belts available.
• Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is properly restrained
with a separate safety belt or child restraint. •
Safety belt warning light ~
Your vehicle has a warning system for the driver and front
seat passenger (on USA models only) to remind you about
t he importance of buckling-up.
Before driving off, always:
Fig. 132 Safety belt
warning light in the
instrument cluster -
enlarged
- Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are wearing it
properly.
1J,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ S_a_ f_ e_ t-= y_ b_e_ l_ t _s _______________________________________________ _
- Make sure that your passengers also b uckle up and prop­
erly wea r th eir sa fety belts.
Protect children wit h a child restraint system appropriate
for the size and age.
The warning light i in the instrument cluster lights up when the
ignition is switched on as a reminder to fasten the safety belts. In
addition , you will hear a warning tone.
After the ignition is switched on, the warning light in the instrument cluster will a lways come on for about 6 seconds and if the driver has
not fastened the safety belt, a warning tone will also sound for
about 6 seconds . As soon as the driver has fastened the safety belt,
the warning tone will stop and the warning light will go out .
If the driver or front seat passenger have not buckled -up within
about 10 seconds after the warning tone has stopped and the
vehicle is moving faster than about 15 mph, the warning tone will
sound again for about 6 seconds and then stop for 24 seconds and
then repeat this reminder sequence for a maximum of 2 minutes. At
speeds be low 5 mph, the warning tone will not sound.
Fa sten your safe ty belt and m ake su re that your p assengers also
properl y put on th eir s afet y belts .
& WARNING
• Safety belt s are the single mo st effective mean s available to
reduce th e risk of ser ious injur y and death in a utomobile acci­
dent s. For your prote ction and th at of your pas senger s, alwa ys
c orre ctl y we ar safety belt s when t he vehicle is moving .
• Failure t o pay att ention to th e warning light that co me on,
c ould lead to per sonal injury .•
Why safety belts?
Frontal co11isions and the law of physics
Front al crashes create very strong forces for pe ople riding
in vehicles.
F ig. 13 3 Unbel ted
o cc up ants i n a ve hicle
he ading for a wa ll
Fi g. 13 4 The vehi cle
c ras hes in to t he wa ll
The physical principles are simple. Both the vehicle and the passen­
gers possess energy which varies with vehicle speed and body
we ight . Engineers cal l this energy "kinetic energy ."
T he higher the speed of the vehicle and the greater the vehic le's
we ight, the more energy that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most significan t factor. If the speed doubles
from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times! .,

__ ....:::S~a ~f ~e ~t ~y _: b~ e~lt ~s!._ _____________________________________________ _
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to brace the
body in a minor collision. It's simply not true!
Fi g. 137 Driver is
co rrec tly res trai ned in
a sudden braking
m an euver
Safety belts used properly can make a big difference . Safety belts
help to keep passengers in their seats, gradually reduce energy
levels applied to the body in an accident , and help prevent the
uncontrolled
movement that can cause serious injuries. In addition,
safety be lts reduce the danger of being thrown out of the vehic le.
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and g ive them the benefit
of being s lowed down more gently or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety features engineered
into today's vehicles . By "absorbing" the kinetic energy
over a
longer period of time, the safety belts make the forces on the body
more "tolerable" and less like ly to cause injury.
Although these examples are based on a frontal collision , safety
belts can also substantially reduce the risk of injury in othe r kinds
of crashes. So, whether you're on a long trip or just going to the
corner store, always buckle up and make sure others do, too. Acci ­
dent statistics show that vehicle occupants proper ly wearing safety
bel ts have a lower risk of being injured and a much better chance o f
surviving an accident . Proper ly using safety belts also greatly
increases the abi lity of the supplementa l airbags to do their job in a
collision. For this reason, wearing a safety be lt is legally required in
most countries including much of the United States and Canada . Although your Audi is equipped with airbags, you sti
ll have to wear
the safety belts provided . Fron t airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions . T he front airbags are not activated in
all frontal col lisions, in side and rear collisions, in roll overs or in
cases where there is not enough dece leration through impact to the
front of the vehicle . The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi . So, always wear your safety belt and make sure
every ­
body in your vehic le is properly restrained! •
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be correctly positioned across
t he strongest bones of your body.
Always wear safety belts as illustrated and described in
this chapter.
Make sure tha t your safe ty belts are a lways ready for use
and are not damaged .
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or w earing them improperl y increas es
the ri sk of s eriou s pers onal inj ury an d death . S afe ty belt s can work
onl y w hen used corre ctl y.
• Alway s fas te n yo ur sa fe ty belt s corre ctl y befo re dri ving off and
mak e sure all p assenger s ar e correctly re strain ed.
• For m aximum protect ion , safet y belt s mu st alway s be p osi­
ti oned properly on the body .
• Never strap more th an one person , includi ng sm all child ren ,
into any belt.
• Never pla ce a sa fety belt ove r a child sitting on your l ap .
• Alway s keep feet in t he foot well
in front of the seat while t he
vehicle is being driven .
~

& WARNING !continued)
• Never let any person ride with their feet on the instrument
panel or sticking out the window or on the seat.
• Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle is moving. Doing
so will increase your risk of being injured or killed.
• Never wear belts twisted.
• Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects in or on your
clothing, such as eye glasses, pens, keys, etc. , as these may cause
injury .
• Never allow safety belts to become damaged by being caught
in door or seat hardware.
• Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt under your arm or
otherwise out of position.
• Several layers of heavy clothing may interfere with correct posi­
tioning of belts and reduce the overall effectiveness of the system.
• Always keep belt buckles free of anything that may prevent the
buckle from latching securely.
• Never use comfort clips or devices that create slack in the
shoulder belt. However, special clips may be required for the
proper use of some child restraint systems.
• Torn or frayed safety belts can tear , and damaged belt hard­
ware can break in an accident . Inspect belts regularly . If webbing,
bindings, buckles, or retractors are damaged, have belts replaced
by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
• Safety belts that have been worn and loaded in an accident
must be replaced with the correct replacement safety belt by an
authorized Audi dealer. Replacement may be necessary even if
damage cannot be clearly seen. Anchorages that were loaded
must also be inspected.
• Never remove, modify, disassemble, or try to repair the safety
belts yourself.
Safety first
Safety belts
& WARNING !continued)
• Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not work properly
and can impair the function of the inertia reel
~ page 217, "Safety
belts" .•
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Seat first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 138 Belt buckle
and tongue on the
driver's seat
To provide maximum protection, safety belts must always
be positioned correctly on the wearer's body.
Adjust the front seat and head restraint properly
=> page 74, "General recommendations" .
Make sure the seat back of the rear seat bench is in an
upright position and securely latched in place before
using the belt
=> & .
Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it evenly across the
chest and pelvis
=> &. _,.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

_________________________________________________ S_ a_f _e _t .:..y _ b_ e_lt_ s __ llll
• With the front seats, the height adjustment of the seat can also
be used to adjust the position of the safety belts. •
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause severe inju­
ries.
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause serious injury or
death. Safety belts can only work when they are correctly positioned on the body. Improper seating posit ions reduce
the effectiveness of safety belts and w ill even increase the
risk of injury and death by moving the safety belt to critical
areas of the body . Improper seating positions also increase
the r isk of serious injury and death when an airbag deploys
and strikes an occupant who is not in the correct seating position. A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle
occupants and especially for children. Therefore:
-Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect sitting posi -
tion in the vehicle while traveling~& .
The following lists only some examples of improperly worn safety
bel ts that will increase the risk of serious injury and death. Our hope
is that these examples will make you more aware of seating posi­
tions that are dangerous.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:
• never wear the shoulder belt under your arm
• never let the shoulder belt pass over your neck
• never wear the safety belt loosely
• never place the lap belt portion of the safety belt across your
abdomen ~& -
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
Improperly worn
safety belts increase the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used.
• Always make sure that all vehicle occupants are correctly
restrained and stay in a correct seating position whenever the
vehicle is being used.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important infor­
mation ~
page 140. •
Safety belt pretensioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear end collisions above a particular
severity, safety belts are tensioned automatically.
The safety belts are equipped with safety belt pretensioners . The
system is activated by sensors in front, side and rear -end collisions
of great severity . This tightens the belt and takes up belt slack~ &
in "Service and disposal of safety belt pretensioner " on
page 146.
Taking up the slack helps to reduce forward occupant movement
during a collision.
0 Note
Never let the belt remain over a rear seat back that has been folded
forward.
[ i] Tips
The safety belt pretensioners can only be activated once.
• In minor frontal and side collisions, in rear -end collisions, in a
rollover and in accidents involving very little impact force , the safety
belt pretensioner are not activated . .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m __ !II
Airbag system
Important things to know
Importance of wearing safety belts and
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. For airbags to
do their job, occupants must always properly wear their
safety belts and be in a proper seating position.
For your safety and the safety of your passengers, before
driving off, always:
- Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel properly
=>
page 128,
-Adjust the front passenger's seat properly=> page 75,
-Wear safety belts properly=> page 140,
- Always properly use the proper child restraint to protect
children=>
page 169.
In a collision, airbags must inflate within the blink of an eye and with
considerable force . The supplemental airbags can cause injuries if
the driver or the front seat passenger is not seated properly. There ­
fore in order to help the airbag to do its job, it is important, both as
a driver and as a passenger to sit properly at all times.
By keeping room between your body and the steering wheel and the
front of the passenger compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and
completely and provide supplemental protection in certain frontal
collisions =>
page 128. For details on the operation of the seat
adjustment controls =>
page 76.
It's especially important that children are properly restrained
=>
page 169.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
There is a lot that the driver and the passengers can and must do to
help the individual safety features installed in your Audi work
together as a system .
Proper seating position is important so that the front airbag on the
driver side can do its job. If you have a physical impairment or
condition that prevents you from sitting properly on the driver seat
with the safety belt properly fastened and reaching the pedals, or if
you have concerns with regard to the function or operation of the
Advanced Airbag System, please contact your authorized Audi dealer or other qualified workshop, or call Audi Customer CARE at 1-
800 -822 -2834 for possible modifications to your vehicle.
When the airbag system deploys, a gas generator will fill the
airbags, break open the padded covers, and inflate between the
steering wheel and the driver and between the instrument panel
and the front passenger. The airbags will deflate immediately after
deployment so that the front occupants can see through the wind ­
shield again without interruption .
All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so fast that many people don't even realize that the airbags have deployed. The airbags also
inflate with a great deal of force and nothing should be in their way
when they deploy. Front airbags in combination with properly worn
safety belts slow down and limit the occupant's forward movement .
Together they help to prevent the driver and front seat passenger
from hitting parts of the inside of the vehicle while reducing the
forces acting on the occupant during the crash. In this way they help
to reduce the risk of injury to the head and upper body in the crash.
Airbags do not protect the arms or the lower parts of the body.
Both front airbags will not inflate in all frontal collisions. The trig­
gering of the airbag system depends on the vehicle deceleration
rate caused by the collision and registered by the electronic control
unit. If this rate is below the reference value programmed into the
control unit, the airbags will not be triggered, even though the car
may be badly damaged as a result of the collision. Vehicle damage,
9J),
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
repair costs or even the lack of vehicle dama ge is not necessa rily an
in dic ati on of wh ether a n airb ag s hould infl ate or not.
S inc e th e circumsta nces w ill vary considerably b etw een one colli ­
s ion and anothe r, it is not po ssib le to define a range of vehic le
speeds t hat w ill cover eve ry po ssib le kin d a nd a ngle of im pact tha t
wi ll a lwa ys trigger the airbags . Impo rtant facto rs include, fo r
e xa mpl e, the natu re (ha rd o r sof t) o f th e object whic h th e car h its,
the ang le of impact, vehic le speed, etc. The front airbags will also
n o t in flate in s id e or rear co ll is ions, o r in ro ll-ov ers.
Always remember : Airba gs will d ep loy only once, and on ly in c ertain
k inds o f co llision s. Yo ur s afe ty bel ts are a lways the re t o offe r protec ­
ti on i n th ose si tuat io n s in whic h airba gs a re not suppose d to deploy,
or when they have a lready dep loyed; f or examp le, when yo ur veh ic le
str ikes o r is struc k by anot her ve hicle a fte r th e fir st coll isio n.
T his is just one of the reasons why an airbag is a supplementary
res train t an d is not a su bstit u te fo r a sa fe ty belt. T he ai rbag system
works most effectively when used with the safety be lts . T herefore,
a lw ays pro per ly wea r your safe ty be lts ~
page 137.
& WARNING
Sitting too close to the steering wheel or instrument panel will
decrease the effectiveness of the airbags and will increase the risk
of personal injury in a collision.
• Never sit closer than 10 inches (25 cm) to the steering wheel or
instrument panel .
• If you cannot sit more than 10 inches (25 cm ) from the steering
wheel , investigate whether adaptive equipment may be available
to help you reach the pedals and increase your seating distance
from the steering wheel.
• If you are unrestrained , leaning forward, sitting sideways or out
of position in any way, your risk of injury is much higher.
• You will also receive serious injuries and could even be killed if
you are up against the airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag .
& WARNING (continued)
• To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates , always
wear safety belts properly=:>
page 141, "Safety belts".
• Always make certain that children age 12 or younger always
ride in the rear seat. If children are not properly restrained , they
may be severely injured or killed when an airbag inflates.
• Never let children ride unrestrained or improperly restrained in
the vehicle. Adjust the front seats properly .
• Never ride with the backrest reclined.
• Always sit as far as possible from the steering wheel or the
instrument panel=:>
page 128.
• Always sit upright with your back against the backrest of your
seat .
• Never place your feet on the instrument panel or on the seat.
Always keep both feet on the floor in front of the seat to help
prevent serious injuries to the legs and hips if the airbag inflates.
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects.
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front
airbag during braking or in a sudden maneuver. Objects near the
airbags can become projectiles and cause injury when an airbag
i nflates .
& WARNING
Airbags that have deployed in a crash must be replaced .
• Use only original equipment airbags approved by Audi and
installed by a trained technician who has the necessary tools and
diagnostic equipment to properly repla ce any ai rbag in your
vehicle and assure system effectiveness in a crash .
• Never permit salvaged or recycled airbags to be installed in
your vehicle. •