ESP AUDI S3 2015 Service Manual

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on the front passenger seat that might cause the capa citive passenger detecti on
system to miscalcu late electrical capac i­
tance.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
- If the status of the Adv a need Airb ag Sys­
tem has changed while the vehicle is
moving, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light b links for about S seconds to catch
the driver's attent ion. If this happens, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the steps described above .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not go off when an adult who is not
very small is sitting on the front passen­ ger seat after taking the steps descr ibed
above, make sure the adult is properly
seated and restrained at one of the rear seating pos it ions. Have the a irbag sys­
tem inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer before transporting anyone on the
front passenger seat .
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ioning
properly cannot provide supplemental pro­
tection in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicator light
c> page 21
comes when the vehicle is be ing used,
have the system inspected immediately
by you r autho rized Aud i dea le r. It is pos­
sible that the a irbag will inf late when it
is not s upposed to, or w ill not inflate
when it sho uld.
A WARNING
If the front airbag infla tes, a ch ild witho ut
a child restraint, or in a rearward -facing
child safety seat, or in a forward-facing
child rest raint that has not been properly
installed will be serio usly injured and can
be killed.
-
A irbag system 159
-Even tho ugh you r vehicle is equipped
with an Advanced A irbag System, make
certa in that all children, espec ia lly 12
yea rs and younger, always ride on the
back seat prope rly rest rained for their
age and size .
- Always install forward o r rear-facing
child seats on the rear seat -even with
an Advan ced A irbag System.
- I f you must install a rearwa rd fac ing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does no t come on an d stay on, im­
mediately insta ll the rearward -fac ing
child safety seat in a rear seating posi­
tion and have the airbag system inspect­
ed by your authorized Audi dealer .
- If, in exceptiona l circumstances, you
m ust install a forward-fac ing ch ild re­
straint on the front passenger seat, al­
ways move the seat into its rearmost po­
sition in the seat's fore and aft adjust­
ment rang e, as fa r away from the a irbag
as poss ible. The backrest must be ad just­
ed to an upright pos ition. Make su re that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on all the time when ­
eve r the ignit ion is switched on .
A\_ WARNING
-
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not go out when an a dult is sitting
on the front passenger seat after taking
the steps described above, make sure the adu lt is properly seated and restra ined at
one of the rea r seat ing pos itions .
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your Aud i dea le r before transporting
a nyone on the front passenger sea t.
(D Tips
If the capacitive passenger detection sys ­
tem determ ines that the front passenger
seat is empty, the fronta l airbag on the
passenger side will be t urned off, and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t will s tay
on. •
•
•

160 Airbag system
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at
many different places on your Audi. Installing,
removing, servicing or repairing a part in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an
airbag system and prevent that system from
working properly in a collision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of
the system will not be impaired and that dis­
carded components do not cause injury or pol­ lute the environment.
A WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal in­
jury and death by preventing an airbag from deploying when needed or deploying
an airbag unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the
steering wheel horn pad or airbag cover
or the instrument panel or modify them
in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup
holders or telephone mountings to the
surfaces covering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one
moistened with plain water. Solvents or
cleaners could damage the airbag cover
or change the stiffness or strength of the material so that the airbag cannot de­
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, front seats or electrical sys­
tem (including the installation of audio
equipment, cellular telephones and CB
radios, etc .) must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training
and special equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop. -
Never modify the front bumper or parts
of the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag
can inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replace­
ment upholstery over the front seat­
backs that have not been specifically
approved by Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags
inflate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or
to the seam in the area of the side air­
bag module must always be repaired
immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer.
- The airbag system can deploy only once.
After an airbag has been deployed, it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved especially
for your Audi model version. Replace­
ment of complete airbag systems or air­
bag components must be performed by
qualified workshops only . Make sure that
any airbag service action is entered in
your Audi Warranty
& Maintenance book­
let under
AIRBAG REPLACEMENT RE­
CORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents,
the alternator and starter are separated
from the vehicle battery with a pyrotech­ nic circuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit inter­
rupter must only be performed by a
qualified technicians who have the ex­ perience, information and special tools
necessary to perform the work safely.
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter
is scrapped, all applicable safety pre­
cautions must be followed.
@) For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate
Material -special handling may apply, see

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Fully inflated airbags in combination with
properly worn safety belts slow down and lim­
it the occupant's forward movement and help
to reduce the risk of injury.
Important safety instructions on the
knee airbag system
A ppl ies to vehicles: with Knee airbags
Airbags are only supplemen tal restraints. Al­
ways wear safety belts correctly and ride in a
proper seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and do to help the safety belts and
airbags to provide supplemental protection .
A WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious
injury. Wearing safety belts incorrectly and
improper seating positions increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect
you properly if you are seated too close
to any of the airbag locations. When ad­
justing their seat positions, it is impor­
tant that both the driver and the front passenger keep their upper bodies and
knees at the following minimum safe
distances:
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instru­
ment panel.
- 4 inches (10 cm) between the knees
and the lower part of the instrument
panel.
- The risk of personal injury increases if
you lean forward or to the side, or if the
seat is improperly positioned and you are
not wearing your safety belt. The risk in­
creases even more should the airbag de­ ploy.
- Always make sure that the knee airbag can inflate without interference. Objects
between you and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an accident by inter­
fering with the way the airbag deploys or
Airbag system 163
by being pushed into you as the airbag
deploys.
- Never let anybody, especially children
or animals ride in the footwell in front
of the passenger seat.
If the airbag de­
ploys, this can result in serious or fatal
injuries.
- Never carry objects of any kind in the
footwell area in front of the driver's or
passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shop­
ping bags, for example) can interfere
with or prevent proper deployment of
the airbag. Small objects can be
thrown through the vehicle if the air­ bag deploys and injure you or your pas­
sengers .
- Make sure there are no cracks, deep scratches or other damage in the area of
the instrument panel where the knee air­
bags are located.
- If children are incorrectly seated, their
risk of injury increases in a collision
~ page 170, Child Safety .
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 135 S ide a irbag locatio n in the driver's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests~
fig. 135 and the rear
backrest facing the doors.
The side airbags installed for the front seating
positions have been designed and certified to
help reduce the risk of injury that can be
IJJJ,

_& WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will
only provide protection when occupants
are in the proper seating position
¢page 165.
-If the airbag indicator light¢ page 21
turns on when the vehicle is being used,
have the system inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer.
It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it should.
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained.
Fig. 136 Side impac t protectio n: in flated side a irbags
When the system is triggered, the airbag is
filled with propellant gas and breaks through
a seam in the seat surface area marked "AIR­
BAG" . It expands between the side trim panel
and the passenger. In order to help provide
th is additional protection, the side airbag
must inflate within a fraction of a second at
very high speed and with great force. The sup­
plemental side airbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the sup­
plemental side a irbag expands . This applies
especially to children ¢
page 170, Child Safe­
ty .
Supplemental side airbags inflate between
the occupant and the door panel on the side
~ of the vehicle that is struck in certain side col-o
iii lision ¢fig . 136.
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Airbag system 165
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de­ ploys . T his is normal and does not mean there
is a fire in the vehicle.
Important safety instructions on the
side airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Al­
ways properly wear safety belts and ride in a
proper seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and act accordingly to help the
safety belts and airbags do their job to pro­
vide supplemental protection .
_& WARNING
-An inflating side airbag can cause serious
or fatal injury. Improperly wearing safety
belts and improper seating positions in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death whenever a vehicle is being used.
- In order to reduce the risk of injury when
the supplemental side airbag inflates:
- Always sit in an upright position and
never lean against the area where the
supplemental side airbag is located.
- Never let a child or anyone else rest
their head against the side trim panel in the area where the supplemental
side airbag inflates.
- Always make sure that safety belts are
worn correctly,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front
seat put their hand or any other parts
of their body out of the window .
-Always make sure that the side airbag
can inflate without interference.
- Never install seat covers or replace­
ment upholstery over the front seat­
backs that have not been specifically
approved by Audi.

168 Airbag system
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with
side airbags to help reduce the risk of head
and upper torso injuries for occupants who
are properly restrained.
Fig. 138 Illustration of p rincipl e: In flated s ide curt ain
airbags on th e Left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the
occupant and the windows on the side of the
vehicle that is struck in a side collision
c::> fig. 138.
When the system is triggered , the side curtain
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In or­
der to help provide this additional pro tection,
the side curtain airbag must inflate within the
blink of an eye at very high speed and with
great force . The side curtain airbag could in­
jure you if your seating position is not proper or upright or if items are located in the area
where the supplemental side curtain airbag
inflates . This applies especially to children
<=:> page 170.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side cur­
tain airbags can "cushion" the impact and in
this way they can he lp to reduce the risk of in­
jury to the head and the upper part of the
body .
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de­ ploys. This is quite norma l and does not mean
there is a fire in the vehicle. Important safety instructions on the
side curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints
. Al­
ways properly wear safety belts and ride in o
proper seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and do to he lp the safety belts and
airbags do their job to provide supp lemental
protection.
A WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and im­
proper seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a vehicle is being used.
- Never let occupants place any parts of
their bodies in the area from which the
side curtain airbag inflate.
- Always make sure that the side curtain
airbags can inflate without interference.
- Use the built-in coat hooks only for light­
weight clothing. Never leave any heavy or
sharp-edged objects in the pockets that
may interfere with airbag deployment
and can cause personal injury in a colli­
sion.
- Never use hangers to hang clothes on
the hooks .
- Only use factory-installed sun shades or,
if shades installed after the vehicle
leaves the factory, use only genuine Aud i
sun shades.
- Never swing the sun visors over to the
side windows if things such as pens, ga­ rage door openers , hands-free speakers,
etc. are attached to the sun visors. They
could come loose and cause serious in­
jury if the side curtain airbag inflates .
- A deploying airbag inflates in a fraction
of a second and with great force .
- Never attach objects to the cover or in
the deployment zone of a side curtain
airbag.
- The airbag deployment zones must be
kept clear at all times. Make sure there
are no objects, pets, or other persons in
-

1 70 Child Saf ety
Child Safety
Important things to
know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a
collision.
The physical principles of what happens when
your veh icle is in a crash app ly also to chi ldren
¢ page 136, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts?.
But unlike adults and
teenagers, their muscles and bones are not
fu lly developed. In many respects children are
at greater risk of serious injury in crashes than
adults.
Because children's bodies are not fully deve l­
oped, they require restraint systems especial­
ly designed for their size, weight, and body
structure. Many countries and all states of the
United States and provinces of Canada have
laws requiring the use of approved child re­
straint systems for infants and small ch ildren.
In a fronta l crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13-pound
(6 kg) infant w ill be more than 20 t imes the
weight of the child. This means the weight of
the child would suddenly be more than 260 pounds (120 kg). Under these conditions,
only an appropriate ch ild restraint properly
used can reduce the risk of ser ious injury.
Child restraints, like adult safety belts, must
be used properly to be effective. Used improp­
erly, they can increase the risk of serious in­
jury in an accident.
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's instructions to be sure the seat is right for
your child's size¢
page 174, Important safe­
ty instructions for using child safety seats.
Please be sure to read and heed all of the im­
portant information and WARNINGS about
ch ild safety, Advanced Airbags, and the instal­
l ation of chi ld restraints in this chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad­
vanced Airbags in your vehicle and how they
work when infants and children in child re- straints are on the front passenger seat
. Be­
cause of the large amount of important infor­
mation, we cannot repeat it all here . We urge
you to read the detailed information in this
owner's manual about airbags and the Ad­
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle and the
very important information about transport­
ing children on the front passenger seat.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS - they
are extremely important for your safety and
the safety of your passengers, especially in­
fants and small children.
A WARNING
-Accident statistics have shown that chil­
dren are generally safer in the rear seat
area than in the front seating position.
Always restrain any child age 12 and un­
der in the rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially chil­
dren must be restrained properly when­
ever riding in a vehicle. An unrestrained
or improperly restrained chi ld could be
injured by str iking the i nterior or by be­
ing ejected from the vehicle during a
sudden maneuver or impact. An unre­
strained or improperly restrained chi ld is
also at greater risk of injury or death
through contact with an inflating airbag.
- A suitable chi ld restraint properly instal ­
led and used at one of the rear seating positions provides the highest degree of
protection for infants and small children
in most accident situations.
A WARNING ,_
Children on the front seat of any car even
with Advanced Airbags can be ser iously in­
jured or even killed when an airbag in­
flates. A child in a rearward-facing child
safety seat installed on the front passen­
ger seat will be seriously injured and can
be killed if the front airbag inflates.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat and child against the backrest, center
armrest, or door.
II>-

172 Child Saf ety
c::> page 144, Airbag system and
c::> page 170 , Important things to
know.
Always rep lace child restraints that were
installed in a vehicle during a crash . Dam ­
age to a child restraint that is not visible
could cause it to fail in another collision
situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your veh icle is eq uipped with a front "Ad­
vanced Airbag System" in compliance with
United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard ( FMVSS) 208 as applicab le at the
time your vehicle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has been certified to meet the " low -risk" re­
quirements for 3 and 6 year-o ld children on
the passenger side and small adults on the
driver side. The low risk deployment criter ia
are intended to reduce the risk of injury
through interaction with the a irbag that can
occur, for example, by be ing too close to the
steering wheel and instrument panel when
the airbag inflates. In addi tion, the system
h as been certified to comply w ith the "sup­
pression" requirements of the Sa fety Stand­
ard, to turn
off the front airbag for infants up
to 12 months who a re restrained on the front
passenger seat in chi ld restraints that are list­
ed in the Standard.
Even though yo ur vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all chi ldren, espe­
cially those 12 years and younger, shou ld al­
ways ride in the back seat properly restrained
for the ir age and s ize . The a irbag on the pas­
senger side makes the front seat a potentially
dangerous place for a child to ride. The front
seat is not the safest place fo r a ch ild in a fo r­
ward-facing child safety seat. It can be a ve ry
dangerous place for an infan t or a large r ch ild
in a rearward- facing seat. The vehicle's Advanced Airbag System has a
capacitive passenger detection system i n the
front passenger seat cush ion that can detect
the presence of a baby or a ch ild in a child re­
stra int system on this seat.
The capacitive passenger detection system registers the changes that result in an electri ­
ca l fie ld when a chi ld, a child restra int, and a
baby blanket are on the front passenger seat.
The change in the measured capac itance due
to the p resence of a child, a ch ild restraint,
and a baby blanket on the front passenge r
seat is related to the chi ld restraint system
rest ing o n the seat. The meas ured capa cit an ce
of a child restrain t system varies depend ing
on the type of system and specific make and
model.
T he electrical c apa citan ce of the various
types, makes, and models of child restraints
specified by the U .S . Nationa l Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NH TSA) in the re levant
safety standard are stored in the Advanced
Airbag System contro l unit together with the
capacitances typical of infants and a 1-year
o ld child . When a child restraint is used on the
front passenger seat with a typical 1 year-old
infa nt, the Advanced Airbag System compa res
the capacitance measu red by the capacitive
passenge r de tection system wi th the data
stored in the electron ic cont ro l unit . Child restraints and Advanced front
airbag system
Regardless of the c hild restra int that you use,
make sure that it has been cert ified to meet
U nited States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been ce rtified by its manu­
factu rer for use with an airbag. A lways be sure
t h at the c hild restr aint is properly installed at
one of the rear seating posi tions. If in excep­
t iona l circumstances yo u must use it on the
front passenger seat, carefully read a ll of the
information on child sa fety and Advanced Air­
bags and heed all of the applicable WARN­
INGS . Make certain that the c hild and chi ld re­
stra int are correctly recognized by the capac i­
t ive passenger detection system in the front .,.

174 Child Safety
-Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Audi dealer immediate­
ly.
The child seats listed in categories A to C have been statically tested by Audi only for
the Advanced Airbag function.
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correc t use of child safety seats substantially
reduces the risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safe­
ty of everybody in the vehicle, especially chil­
dren :
• Always use the right child safety seat for
each child and always use it properly
c:> page 176.
• Always carefully follow the child safety seat
manufacturer's instructions on how to route
the safety belt properly 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
c:> page 181.
• 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) .
• Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
cc> page 176.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
children , especially those 12 years and young­
er, should always ride in the back seat proper­
ly restrained for their age and size.
.&_ WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the
wrong child safety seat or improperly in­ stalling a child restraint increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death . -
-All vehicle occupants and especially chil­
dren must be restrained properly when­
ever riding in a vehicle. An unrestrained
or improperly restrained child could be
injured by striking the interior or by be­
ing ejected from the vehicle during a
sudden maneuver or impact. An unre­
strained or improperly restrained child is
also at greater risk of injury or death
through contact with an inflating airbag.
- Commercially available child safety seats
are required to comply with U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
213 (in Canada CMVSS 213).
- When buying a child restraint, select one that fits your child and the vehicle.
- Only use child restraint systems that fully contact the flat portion of the seat cushion . The child restraint must
not tip or lean to either side . Audi does
not recommend using child safety
seats that rest on legs or tube-like
frames. They do not provide adequate
contact with the seat.
- Always heed all legal requirements per­
taining to the installation and use of
child safety seats and carefully follow
the instructions provided by the manu­
facturer of the seat you are using.
- Never allow children under 57 inches
(1.45 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 abdo­ men and neck areas during sudden brak­
ing maneuvers or accidents.
- Never let more than one child occupy a
child safety seat.
- Never let babies or older children ride in
a vehicle while sitting on the lap of an­
other passenger .
- Holding a child in your arms is never a
substitute for a child restraint system .
- The strongest person could not hold
the child with the forces that exist in
an accident. The child will strike the in­
terior of the vehicle and can also be struck by the passenger.

1 7 6 Child S afet y
Secure unused safety belts on the rear
seat
F ig. 139 Schematic overview: keep unused safety belts
away from children in child safety seats.@-outer rear
safety belt,
® -center rear safety belr
If a child safety seat is used on the rear bench,
espec ially w ith LATCH unive rsal lower ancho­
rages, the unused safety belts
mu st be se­
cured so that the ch ild in the child restra in t
cannot reach them¢,&..
- Gui de the safety belt webbings @and
®*
behind the head restraint of the seat whe re
the chi ld restrai nt is installed ¢
fig. 139.
When doing so, do not engage the converti­
ble locking retractor! You should not hear a
"clicking" sound when winding up the safety
belt .
- Let the belt re tractor wind up the safety be lt
webbing.
A WARNING
A child in a child safety seat installed with
the LATCH lower anchorages or w ith the
standard safety belt or a child in a booster
seat on the rear seat could play with un­
used rear seat safety belts and become en­
tangled. This could cause the child serious personal i nju ry an d even deat h.
- Always secu re un used rear seat safety
belts out of r each of ch ildren in ch ild
seats such as by properly routi ng them
around the head restraint of the seat
where the child restraint is installed.
- Never ac tivate the convertib le lo cking re­
t ractor when rou ting the s afety belts
around the head restraints .
- Never le t anyone sit at the center re ar
sea ting posit io n if the center rear safety be
lt has been ro uted around a rear head
restraint.
Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old
and 20 lbs . or 9 kg need special rearward-fac­
ing child restraints that support the back,
neck and head in a crash.
F ig . 14 0 Schem atic overview: rearward -facing infant
seat, properly installed o n the rear seat
.,. When usi ng the vehicle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you must first activate
the convertib le locking retr actor on the
safety belt to p revent the child safe ty seat
from mov ing¢
page 181 or ins tall the seat
using the LATCH attachmen ts.
.,.. Push the chi ld safety seat down with you r
full weight to get the safety belt really tight
so that the seat cannot move forward or
sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
.,. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢page 176.
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs. or 9 kg)
are best protected in spec ial infant carriers
and ch ild safety seats designed for their age
group. Many experts believe that infants and
small ch ild ren shou ld r ide o nly in special re­
stra ints in wh ich the child faces the back of
the ve hicl e. These infa nt sea ts suppor t the ba­
by's back, nec k and head in a crash
¢ fig. 140 .
The airbag on the passenger side makes the
fron t seat a pote ntia lly dange ro us place for a
chil d to ride. The front se at is not the s afest
place for a child in a forward-facing child seat . ..,.

180 Child Saf ety
you can use the safety belt he ight ad just­
ment to help adjust the shoulder portion
properly .
• Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢ page 176.
Children up to at least 8 years old (over 40 lbs
or 18 kg) are best protected in chi ld safety
seats designed for their age and weight. Ex­
perts say that the skeletal structure, particu­
larly the pelvis, of these ch ildren is not fully
developed, and they must not use the vehicle
safety belts without a su itab le child restraint .
It is usually best to put these children in ap­ propriate booster seats. 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 t he ch ild's body is very
important for the ch ild's protection, whet he r
or not a booster sea t is used . Children age 12
and under must always ride in the rear seat.
C hil dren who are at least 4
ft. 9 in. (57 in­
ches/ 1.45 meters) ta ll can generally use the
vehicle's th ree po int lap and shoulder be lts.
Never use the lap belt portion o f the veh icle's
safety belt a lone to restrain any child, regard­
less of how b ig the child is . Always remember
that ch ildren do not have the pronounced pe l­
vic structure required for the proper function of lap belt portion of the vehicle's three po int
lap and shoulder belts. The child's safety ab­
solutely requires that a lap belt portion of the
safety belt be fastened snugly and as low as possib le around the pelvis. Never le t the lap
be lt portion of the safety belt pass over the
chi ld's stomach or abdomen.
I n a crash, airbags must inflate within a b link
of an eye and with cons iderab le force. In orde r
to do i ts job , the airbag needs room to inflate
so that it will be there to protect the occupant
as the occupant moves forward into the air­ bag.
A vehicle occupant who is o ut of position and
too close to the airbag ge ts i n the way o f an inflating airbag. When an occ
upant is too
close, he or she will be st ruck violently and
will rece ive serious or possib ly even fatal in­
j ury.
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is
important that a ll vehicle occupants, especial­
l y any children, who m ust be in the front seat
because of exceptiona l circumstances, be
properly restrained and as far away from the
airbag as possible . By keeping room between
the ch ild's body and the front of the passen­
ger compa rtment, the a irbag can inflate com­
pletely and p rov ide supplementa l prote ction
i n cer tain frontal collisions.
A WARNING
N ot using a booste r seat, using the boos­
ter seat improperly, incorrectly installing a booster seat or using the vehicle safety
belt improperly increases the risk of seri­
ous persona l injury and death in a collision
or other emergency situat ion. To he lp re­
duce the risk of serious personal injury
and/or death:
- The shou lder belt must lie as close to the
center of the ch ild's collar bone as possi­
b le and must lie flat and snug on the up­
pe r body.
It must neve r lie across the
throat or ne ck. The lap belt mus t lie
across the pe lvis and neve r ac ross the
stomach o r abdomen . Make sure that the
be lt lies flat and snug. P ull on the belt to
tighten if necessary .
- Fai lure to p roperly ro ute safety belts
over a child's body will ca use seve re in ju­
ries in an accident or other emergency
situation ¢
page 135.
-The rear side o f the child safety seat
should be pos itioned as close as possib le
to the backrest on the vehicle seat.
- For ad justab le head restraints: adjust or
remove the rear seat head restra int if it
is difficult to install the child seat w ith
the head restraint in place¢
page 59. In­
stall the head restraint again immed iate-
ly o nce the child seat is removed. Dr iv ing
Ii),