child restraint AUDI S3 2009 Owner's Manual
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Page 158 of 324

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;:::;_ s--:.. y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
belt is not being used, the first stage deploys, followed by the
second stage after a much la ter time in the crash sequence.
If the electronic control unit registers a crash of medium severity,
the first stage of the airbag deploys followed by the second stage at a much later time in the crash sequence -regardless of whether the
safety belt is being used or not . In higher severity crashes as regis Â
tered by the e lectronic contro l unit, both the first and second stages
deploy almost at the same time.
On the passenger side, regardless of safety belt use, the airbag will
be turned off if the weight on the passenger seat is less than the
amount programmed in the electronic control unit . The front airbag
on the passenger side will also be turned off if one of the ch ild
safety seats that has been certified under Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 208 has been recognized on the seat. The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on to tel l you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger s ide has been
turned off=>
page 149, "Child restraints on the front seat - some
i m portant things to know".
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates, always wear
safety belts properly .
• 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=>
page 147 . •
More important things to knovv about front
airbags
Fig . 145 Inflated front
airbags
Safety belts are important to help keep front seat occupants in the
proper seated position so that airbags can unfold properly and
provide supp lemental protection in a fronta l collision.
The front airbags are designed to provide additional protection for
the chest and face of the driver and the front seat passenger when:
• safety be lts are worn properly,
• the seats have been positioned so that the occupant is properly
seated as far as possible from the airbag,
• and the head restraints have been properly adjusted.
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye with great force, things
you have on your lap or have placed on the seat cou ld become
dangerous projectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag inflates .
When an airbag deploys, fine dust is released. This is normal and is
not caused by a fire in the vehic le. This dust is made up most ly of a
powder used to lubricate the airbags as they deploy. It could irritate
skin.
It is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example swelling, bruising and minor abrasions, can
also happen when airbags inflate . Airbags do not protect the arms ._,
Page 161 of 324

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m __ lffl!III
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
I, Q
--
&I Ii u ,, , u
I I J' J
Fig. 1 46 Sectio n from
t h e ce nte r co nso le :
PA SS ENGER AIR B AG
OFF light
The PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center console
=>fig.146 .
The
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light wil l come on and stay on to te ll
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off by the electron ic control unit. Each time you turn on
the ign it ion, the
PA SS ENGER AIR BA G OFF light will flash for a few
seconds and:
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied,
• will stay on if there is a small child or chi ld restraint on the front
passenge r seat,
• will go out if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the we ight-sensing mat .
T he
PA SS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light mu st co me on and sta y on if the
ign ition is on and
• a car bed has been insta lled on the front seat, or
• a rearward -facing chi ld restraint has been installed on the front
passenger seat, or
• a forwa rd -facing child restra int has been installed on the front
passenger seat, or
• t he we ight registered on the front passenger seat is equa l to or
less than the combined weight of a typica l 1 year -old restrained in
Controls and equipÂ
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
one of the rear-facing or forward -facing infant restraints listed in
Federa l Motor Veh icle Safe ty S tandard 208 with which the Advanced
Airbag System in your vehicle was certified.
I f the front passenger seat is not occupied, the front airbag will not
deploy, and the
PA SS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light will stay on . Never
insta ll a rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger seat,
the sa fest place for a child in any kind of child restraint is at one of
the seating posi tions on the r ear seat =>
page 149, "Child restraints
on the front seat -so me important things to know" and=>
page 169,
"Chi ld Safety ".
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light com es on when one of the
conditions listed above is met, be sure to check the light regu lar ly
to make certa in that the
PA SS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light stays on
continuously whenever the ignition is on . If the
PA SSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not appear on and does not stay on all the tim e,
stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
• reactivate the system by turning the ignition off and then turning
it on aga in;
• remove and reinstall the child restraint. Make sure that the child
restrain t is proper ly installed and t hat the safety be lt for the front
passenger seat has been correctly routed through the child restraint
as described in the chi ld restraint manufacturer's instructions;
• make sure that the convertible locking feature on the safety belt
for the front passenger sea t has been activated a nd that the safety
belt has been pulled tight . The belt must not be loose or have loops
of slack so that the sensor be low the safety belt latch on the sea t can
do its job =>
page 179.
• make sure that things that may inc rease the we ight of the child
and child safety seat are not being transported on the front
passenger seat;
• make sure that the safety belt tension sensor is not blocked.
Shake the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat back and
forth;
• I f a strap or te ther is being used to tie the child sa fety seat to the
front passenger seat , make sure that it is not so tight that it causes .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
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the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is actual ly on
th e seat .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does not come on and does
not stay on continuous ly (when the ignition is switched on),
• t ake the c hild res traint off t he front passe ng er seat a nd ins tall it
properly at one of the rear seat pos it ions. Have the a irbag system
ins pect ed by y our aut horize d Au di d eale r im me dia te ly.
• move the chi ld to a rear seat position and make sure that the
c h ild is pro pe rly restrai ned in a c hild restraint that is app ropriat e for
its size and age.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l igh t sho uld NOT come on when the
ignition is on and an adult is sitt ing in a proper seating position on
the front passenge r seat . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on a nd s tays o n or fl ashes for about 5 seco nds whi le d riving,
under these ci rcumstances, make sure that:
• the adu lt on the fron t pass enger sea t is pro perly seate d on the
cent er of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the back Â
rest an d the back res t is n ot recline d=> page 128, "Proper seati ng
position for the driver",
• t he ad ult is not ta king w eig ht o ff the sea t by hol ding o n to the
passenger assist hand le above the front passenger door or
su ppo rting their w eigh t on the arm res t,
• the safety be lt is being proper ly worn and that there is not a lot
o f sla c k in the sa fe ty b elt webbi ng,
• accessory seat covers or cushions or other things that may cause
an incorrect read ing o r impression on t he w eight -s e nsin g mat
under the upho lstery of the seat have been removed from the front
pass enger seat,
• a safety be lt extender has not been left in the safety be lt latc h for
th e fro nt passenger sea t.
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight in the center of the
instrument pane l, the mes sage
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF o r
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON will br iefly appear in the instrument cluster display. This is to inform the driver of the curren
t front passenger
air bag status .•
Important safety instructions on monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protect ion in a frontal crash .
• If the airbag indicator l ight comes on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System . It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should .
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your authoÂ
rized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a child restraint , or in a
rearward-facing child safety seat , or in a forward-facing child
restraint that has not been properly installed will be seriously
injured and can be killed .
• Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System , make certain that all children , espec ially 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat properly restrained for their
age and si ze .
• Always install forward or rear -facing child safety seats on the
rear seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• If you must install a rearward -facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat be cause of exceptional cir cumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG O FF light does not appear and stay on ,
immediately install the rear -facing child safety seat in a rear
~
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When the system is triggered , the airbag is f ill ed with propel lant gas
and br eaks t hroug h a seam in the seat surface area marked
" AIRBAG ". It expands between the side trim panel and the
passenger . In order to he lp provide this additional protection, the
side airbag must inflate within a frac tion of a second at very high
speed and w ith great force . The supplemental side airbag could
injure you i f your seating position is not proper or upright or i f items
are located in the area where the supplemental side airbag expands .
This app lies especia lly to children ~ page 169 , "Child Safety".
Suppl em ental sid e airbags inflate betw een the occupant and the
door panel on the s ide of the veh ic le that is struck in certain side
collision
~ fig . 148.
A lthough they are not a soft pi llow, they can "cus hion" the impact
and in this way they can he lp to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys. This is normal and does not m ean there is a fire in the vehicle . •
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Always prop Â
erly wear safety belts and ride in a proper seating posi Â
tion .
There is a lo t t ha t you and you r passengers mus t know a nd act
according ly to he lp th e sa fety belts and airbags do th eir job to
prov ide supp lemental pro tec tion .
& WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause seriou s or fatal injury. Improp Â
erly wearing safety belts and improper seating posit ions increa se
the ri sk of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is
being u sed .
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WAR N ING (continued )
• In order to redu ce the risk of injury when the supplement al s ide
airbag infl ates :
- Alway s sit in an upright position and never lean against the
a rea where the supplement al s ide airbag is lo cated .
- Never let a child or anyone else rest their head against the
side t rim panel i n the area where the supplemental side airb ag
inflates.
- Always make sure that safety belts are worn corre ctly ,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat put their hand or
any other parts of their bod y out of the window.
• Alway s m ake sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter Â
ference .
- Ne ver in stall se at cover s or repla cement upholste ry o ver the
front seat back s that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use additional seat cushion s that cover the areas
where the side airbag s deploy .
- Dama ge to the original seat covers or to the seam in the a rea
of the side airb ag module must always be repaired immedi Â
ately by an authori zed Audi dealer .
• Obje cts bet ween you and the airbag can in crease the ri sk of
injury in an accident by interfering wi th the way the a irbag unfolds
or by be ing pu shed int o yo u as the airb ag inflat es.
- Never place or atta ch acce ssorie s or other object s (such as
c up holder s, telephone b rac ket s, or e ven l arge , bulky ob je cts)
on the doors , over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the
se at backre sts .
- Su ch ob ject s and acces sories can be come dangerou s projec Â
tile s and cau se injury when the supplemental side airbag
deploys. _.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
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. ..