warning AUDI TT 2013 Owner´s Manual

134 Child Safety
&_ 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 always be restrained properly
whenever riding in a vehicle.
-
- An unrestrained or improperly restrain­
ed child can be injured or killed by be­
ing thrown against the inside of the ve­
hicle or by being ejected from it during
a sudden maneuver or impact .
- An unrestrained or improperly restrain­
ed child is at much greater risk of injury
or death by being struck by an inflating
airbag.
- Commercially available child safety seats
are required to comply with U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
213 (in Canada CMVSS 213).
- When buying a child restraint, select
one that fits your child and the vehicle.
- Only use child restraint systems that
fully contact the flat portion of the
seat cushion. The child restraint must not tip or lean to either side. Audi does
not recommend using child safety
seats that rest on legs or tube -like
frames . They do not provide adequate
contact with the seat.
-Always heed all legal requirements per­
taining to the installation and use of
child safety seats and carefully follow
the instructions provided by the manu­
facturer of the seat you are using.
- Never allow children under 4 ft. 9 in.
(1.4 m) to wear a normal safety belt.
However, the rear seat in the TT Coupe is
designed to permit children who are be­
tween 4 ft. 3 in. (1.3 m) and 4 ft. 11 in.
(1.5 m) tall to use the available three­
point lap and shoulder safety belts.
- Never let more than one child occupy a
child safety seat . -
Never let babies or older children ride in
a vehicle while sitting on the lap of an­
other passenger .
- Holding a child in your arms is never a
substitute for a child restraint system.
- The strongest person could not hold
the child with the forces that exist in
an accident. The child will strike the in­
terior of the vehicle and can also be
struck by the passenger.
- The child and the passenger can also
injure each another in an accident.
- Never install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the front pas­
senger seat. A child will be seriously in­
jured and can be killed when the passen­
ger airbag inflates -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System .
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, door or roof.
- Always install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the rear seat .
- Forward-facing child safety seats instal­
led on the front passenger's seat can in­
terfere with the airbag when it inflates
and cause serious injury to the child. Al­
ways install forward-facing child safety
seats on the rear seat.
- If exceptional circumstances require the
use of a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat, the child's
safety and well-being require that the
following special precautions be taken :
- Make sure the forward-facing seat has
been designed and certified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
-Always carefully follow the manufac­
turer's instructions provided with the child safety seat or carrier.
- Always move the front passenger seat
into the rearmost position of the pas­
senger seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and as far away from the airbag

as possible before installing the child
restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing pre­
vents the front passenger's seat from
be ing moved to the rearmost position
in its fore and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure that the backrest is
in the upr ight position.
- Always buck le the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose ch ild safety seat can fly around
dur ing a sudden stop or in a col lision .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
¢page 100, Safety
belts,¢ page 108, Airbag system
and
¢ page 130, Child Safety.
A WARNING
To reduce t he ris k of serious injury, make
sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever a
child rest raint is installed on the front pas ­
senger seat and the ignition is switc hed
on.
- Take the child restraint off t he fro nt pas­
senger seat and install it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN ·
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Aud i dealer immediate­
ly.
Secure unused safety belts on the rear
seat
F ig. 112 Schematic overv iew: keep un used safety belts
away from children in child safety seats. • outer rear
safety belt,
Child S afety 13 5
If a child safety seat is used on the rea r bench,
especially with LATCH universal lower ancho­
rages, the unused safety belts
must be se ­
cured so that the child in the child restraint
cannot reach them
¢ &.
-Fasten th e un used safety be lt behind the
child seat and let the be lt ret ractor wind up
the safety belt webbing.
A WARNING
A child in a chi ld safety seat installed with
the LATCH lower anchorages or with the
standard safety belt or a child in a booster
seat on the rea r seat co uld p lay w ith un­
used rear seat safety belts and become en­
tang led. This cou ld cause the chi ld ser ious
personal injury and even dea th.
- Always secure unused rear sea t safe ty
be lts ou t of re ach o f chi ldren in child
seats such as by fastening the un used
safety belt behind the ch ild seat and let­
ting the belt retracto r wind up the web­
bing.
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 .
Fig. 1 13 Schema tic overv iew: rea rward-facing infant
seat, properly installed on the rear seat
.,. When usi ng the vehicle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you must first activate
the convertib le locki ng retractor on the
safety bel t to p reven t the child safe ty seat
Ill>-

136 Child Safet y
from moving ¢ page 140 or install the seat
using the LATCH attachments .
• Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really t ight
so that the seat cannot move forward or
sideways more than one inch (2 .5 cm) .
• Secure unused safety be lts on the rear seat
¢ page 135.
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs . or 9 kg)
a re best protected in special infant carriers
a nd chi ld safety seats designed for their age
group. Many experts believe that i nfants a nd
small children should ride only in spec ial re­
strai nts in which the ch ild faces the back of
the vehicle . These infant seats support the ba­
by's back, neck and head in a cras h¢
fig . 113 .
The airbag on the passenger side makes the
front seat a po tentially dangerous place for a
chi ld to r ide. The front seat is not the safest
p lace for a child in a forward-facing child seat.
It is a very dangerous p lace for an infant or a
larger child in a rearward-facing seat .
A WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the
wrong ch ild safety seat or improperly in­
stall ing a child restraint inc reases the risk
of serious persona l injury and d eath in a
c rash .
- Never install rear-fac ing ch ild safety
seats or infant carriers on the front pas­ senger seat -even wi th an Advanced Air­
bag System. A child w ill be seri ously in­
jured an d can be k illed when the inflat­
ing airbag hits the child safety seat o r in­
fant ca rr ier with great force and smashes
the ch ild safety seat and ch ild aga inst
the backrest, doo r or roof ¢
page 110,
Child restraints on the front seat -some
important things to know.
- Always install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant car riers on the rear seat.
- Never install a rear-facing child restraint
in t he forward-facing direction. Such re­
straints are des igned for the spec ial
needs of infants and very small childre n and cannot protect them properly if the
seat is forward-facing.
-
If you must install a rearwa rd facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional c ircumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come o n and stay on, im­
mediately insta ll the rear-fac ing ch ild
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspe cted by your
Aud i dea le r.
- Always read a nd heed a ll WAR NINGS
whenever us ing a chi ld re strained in ave­
hicle is be ing used
¢ page 100, Safety
belts, ¢page 108, Airbag system
and
¢ page 130, Important things to know .
Convertible child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety sea ts
can help protect toddlers and childr en ov er
age one who weigh between 20 and 40 lbs . (9
and 18 kg) in a crash.
Fig . 1 14 Sc hema tic overview: instal lat ion of the at·
t ac hme nts applicab le to a LA TCH sea t
Fig. 115 Sc hemat ic overview: installa tion of t he sea t
us ing t he ve hicle 's safety be lt sys te m
• When using the vehicle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you must first activate
the convertible locking feature on the safety ..,_

belt to prevent the child safety seat from
moving
r::!> page 140 or insta ll th e seat using
the LA TCH attachments .
"' Push the child safety seat down w ith your
full weigh t to get the safety belt really t ight
so that the seat cannot move forward or s ideways more than one inch (2 .5 cm)
r::!> page 140 .
"' If the child safety seat is equ ipped with a
tether strap, attach it to the tether anchors
r::!> page 147 .
.. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
r::!> page 13 5 .
A toddler or child is usually too large for an in ­
fant restraint if it is more than one year o ld
and weighs more than 20 lbs . (9 kg) .
Todd le rs and c hildren who are older than one
year up to abo ut 4 years o ld and weigh more
than 20 lbs. (9 kg) up to 40 lbs . (18 kg) must
a lways be properly restrained in a chi ld safety
seat certified for their size and weight
r::!> fig. 114 and r:::>fig. 115.
The airbag on the passenge r side makes the
front seat a potentially dangerous place for a
chi ld to ride. The front seat is not the safest
p lace for a child in a forward-facing child safe­
ty seat.
It is a very dangerous place for an in­
fant or a larger child in a rearward-fac ing seat.
A WARNING
Not using a ch ild safety seat , using the
w rong chi ld safety seat or improperly in­
stalling a child restraint increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death in a
co llision or other emergency s ituation.
- Children on the front seat of any car,
even with Advanced A irbags, can be seri­
o usly injured or even killed when an air­
bag inf lates . A child in a rearward-facing
child safety seat insta lled on the front
passenger seat w ill be seriously injured
and can be killed if the front airbag in­
flates -even with a n Advanced Airbag
System.
- The inflating a irbag w ill hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
-
Child Sa fet y 137
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, door or
roof.
- Always install rear-facing ch ild safety
seats on the rear seat .
- If you must insta ll a rearwa rd facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptiona l circumstan­
ces and the
PA SS ENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im ­
mediately insta ll the rear-fac ing ch ild
safety seat i n a rea r seating position and
h ave the airbag system inspected by your
Aud i dea le r.
- Always read and heed al l WARNINGS
wheneve r using a child res trained in ave­
hicle is being used
r=:> page 100, Safety
belts,
c:> page 108, Airbag system and
r::!> page 130, Important things to know .
A WARNING
If exceptional circumstances require the
use of a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat, the child's safe ­
ty and well-being require that the follow­ ing spec ial precautions be taken:
- Make sure the forward-facing seat has
been designed and cert ified by its manu­
facturer for use on a front seat with a passenger front and side airbag .
- Always follow t he manufacturer's in ­
structions p rov ided with the ch ild safety
seat o r infant ca rr ier .
- Always move the front passenger seat in­
to the rearmost position of the passen­
ge r seat's fo re and aft adjustment range,
a nd as far away from the ai rbag as possi­
b le before installing the ch ild restraint.
- Always ma ke sure that no thing prevents
the front passenger 's seat from being
moved to the rearmost position in its
fore and aft adj ustment range.
- Always ma ke sure the backrest is in an
up right position .
- Ma ke sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
-
OFF li ght comes on and stays on all the ~
•
•

In o rder for the airbag to offer protection, it is
important t hat all vehicle occupants, especia l­
l y any children, who must be in the front seat
because of exceptional circumstances, be
pro perly restrained and as far away from the
airbag as poss ible. By keep ing room between
the child's body and the front of the passen­
ger c om partment, the airbag can inflate com­
p letely and provide supp lemental p rotection
in certa in frontal col lis ions.
A WARNING
Not using a booster seat, us ing the boos­
ter seat improperly, incorrect ly installing a
booster seat or using the vehicle safety
belt improperly increases the risk of seri­
ous personal injury and death in a collision
or other emergency s ituation. To help re­
duce the risk of ser ious personal injury
and/or death:
- The shoulder be lt must lie as close to the
center of the child's co llar bone as poss i­
ble and must lie and snug on the upper
body.
It must never lie across the throat
o r neck. The lap belt must l ie across the
pelvis and never across the s tomach o r
abdomen. Make sure the belt lies flat
and snug. Pull on the be lt to tighten if
necessary.
- Failure to properly route safety belts
over a child's body will cause severe inju­
ries in an acc ident or other emergency
situation
¢page 100.
-Children on the front seat of any car,
even with Advanced A irbags, can be seri­
ous ly injured or even killed when an a ir­
bag inflates.
- Never let a child stand or knee l on any
seat, for examp le the front seat.
- Never let a child ride in the ca rgo area of
your vehicle.
- Always remember that a ch ild lean ing
forward, sitt ing s ideways or out of posi­
t ion in any way during an acc ident can be
struck by a deploying airbag . This will re­
sult in se rious personal injury or death.
- If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenger seat because of excep-
-
Child Sa fet y 139
tional circ umstances the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
li ght m ust come on and
stay on, whenever the ignition is switch­
ed on .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks descr ibed
¢ page 119, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System .
-Take the chi ld restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it prope rly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN ­
GER AIR BAG OFF
lig ht does not stay on
wheneve r the ignit ion is swi tched on.
- Always read and heed all WAR NINGS
wheneve r us ing a child res trained in ave­
hicle is being used
¢page 100, Safety
belts,
¢ page 108, Airbag system and
¢ page 130, Important things to know .
Booster seats on the rear seat
Children who are about 7 years and older, who
weigh mo re than SS lbs . (25 kg) and are not
ta ller than 4'11" (1.5 m) are best protected
when properly rest rained on the rear seat.
D ue to limited rear seat head clearance c hil ­
dren 4'3" (1.3 m) and taller must not use
booster seats o n the rear seat of your Aud i TT
Coupe. The rear seat of your Audi TT Coupe
has been specially designed to permit ch ildren
who are betwee n 4'3" ( 1.3 m) and 4'11" ( 1.5
m) tall (about 7 to 12 years old) to use the
available th ree -point lap and s hou lde r safety
belts.
A WARNING
~ -
- T he rear sea t area is too sma ll to safely
transport passengers tal le r than 4 '11"
(1.5 m).
- Persons taller than 4'11" (1. 5 m) as well
as children in booster seats who are too
close to the rear window and roof can
suffer severe head and neck inju ries
when t he rear lid is closed or in a crash.
- The minimum clearance between the
passengers' heads and the rear w indow
•
•

140 Child Saf ety
must never -under any circumstances -
be less than 1 inch (2.5 cm.) when the
passengers sits fully upright .
- Always make sure that the rear seat pas­
sengers cannot be struck when the rear
lid is closed.
Booster seats on the front seat
Children aged about 7 years and older and
weigh ing more than 55 lbs (25 kg) who are
between 4'3" (1.3 m) and 4 '11 " (1.5 m) tall
may in exceptiona l circumstances ride on the
front passenger 's seat. Children less than 4'
9" (1.4 m) tall must sit on a certified booster
seat and properly wear the vehicle's three­ point lap and shou lder safety belt.
A lways securely latch the passenger seat at
the very rear of its fore and aft adjustment range . The backrest must be adjusted to an
upright position .
.&_ WARNING
If you must install a booster seat child re­
straint on the front passenger seat :
- Make sure the booster seat has been de­
signed and certified by its manufacturer
for use on a front seat with a passenger
front and s ide a irbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's in­
struct ions provided with the booster
seat .
- Always move the passenger seat to the
very rear of its fore and aft adjustment
range, as far away from the airbag as
poss ible .
- Always make sure that the passenger
seat is securely latched in place before
install ing the booster seat . The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position.
-If the passenge r seat cannot be securely
latched in the very rear of its fore and aft
adjustment range, then the passenger
front a irbag must be turned off with the
ON / OFF switch.
Installing a child safety
seat
Securing a child safety seat using a
safety belt
Safety belts for the rear seats and the front
passenger can be locked with the convertible
locking retractor to properly secure child
safe ty sea ts.
The safety belts emergency locking retractors
for the rear s eats safety belts and for the
front passenger's seat safety belt have a con­
ver tible locking retractor for child restraints.
The safety belt must be locked so that belt
webbing cannot unreel. The retractor can be
activated to lock the safety belt and prevent
the safety be lt webbing from loosening up
during norma l dr iving . A chi ld safety seat can
only be prope rly installed when the safety be lt
is locked so that the chi ld and child safety
seat wi ll stay in place .
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
children, especially those 12 years and young­
er, shou ld always ride in the back seat proper­
l y restrained for their age and size.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly installed chi ld safety seats in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in a collision .
- Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re ­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat
in place dur ing normal driving o r in a
crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a ch ild is not sitting in it.
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision
- If the backrest is not securely latched,
the child and the child restraint will be
thrown forward together with the back-
rest and will strike parts of the vehicle ..,_

interior. The child can be seriously in­
jured or killed.
- Never install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the front pas­
senger seat. A child will be seriously in­
jured and can be killed when the passen­ ger airbag inflates .
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, door or
roof.
- Always install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the rear seat.
- Forward -facing child safety seats or in ­
fant carriers installed on the front pas­
senger's seat may interfere with the de­
ployment of the airbag and cause serious
injury to the child.
-It is safer to install a forward-facing
child safety seat on the rear seat.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used~
page 130. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
~ page 110, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
_&. WARNING
Always take special precautions if you
must install a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's
seat in exceptional situations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front
passenger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light must come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks described
~page 119, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System.
- Take the child restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASS EN-
Child Safety 141
GER AIR BAG OFF light does not stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- Improper installation of child restraints
can reduce their effectiveness or even
prevent them from providing any protec­
tion.
-An improperly installed child restraint can interfere with the airbag as it de­ploys and seriously injure or even kill the
child.
- Always carefully follow the manufactur­
er's instructions provided with the child
safety seat or carrier.
- Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight regis­
tered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause injury in a crash.
_&. WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Never put the forward-facing child re­
straint up, against or very near the in­
strument panel.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing
the forward-facing child restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright
position.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on .
_&. WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
- A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger
seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the front airbag inflates - even
with an Advanced Airbag System .
•
•

142 Child Safety
-The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat and child against the backrest, door or
roof.
- Always be especially careful if you must
install a rearward facing child safety seat
on the front passenger seat in exception­
al circumstances.
-A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing child restraint attached to the front pas­
senger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and regis­
ter a heavier weight in the Advanced Air­
bag System. The heavier weight regis­
tered can make the system work as
though an adult were on the seat and de­
ploy the Advanced Airbag when it must
be suppressed causing serious or even
fatal injury to the child .
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install the rear-facing child safety
seat in a rear seating position and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dealer.
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to se­
cure a child restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufactur­
er's instructions when installing a child re­
straint in your vehicle. To activate the conver­
tible lock ing retractor :
"' Place the child restraint on a seat, prefera­
bly on the rear seat .
... Slowly pull the belt
all the way out.
... Route it around or through the child re­
straint belt path
c:> ,& .
... Push the child safety seat down with your
full weigh t to get the safety belt really tight. "'
Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for
that seating position .
"' Guide the safety belt back into the retractor
until the belt lies flat and snug on the child
safety seat.
... You should hear a "clicking" noise as the
belt winds back into the inertia reel. Test the
convertible locking retractor by pulling on
the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the belt out of the retractor. The con­
vertible locking retractor is now activated.
... Make sure that the red release button is fac­
ing away from the child restraint so that it
can be unbuckled quickly.
"' Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt
is properly tigh t and fas tened so tha t the
seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than one inch (2.5 cm) .
A WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an im­
properly installed child restraint can cause
serious personal injury or death in a crash.
-Always make sure that the safety belt re-
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat
in place during normal driving or in a
crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a crash.
- Always make sure the seat backrest to
which the child restraint is installed is in
an upright position and securely latched
into place and cannot fold forward . Oth ­
erwise, the seatback with the child safety
seat attached to it could fly forward in
the event of an accident or other emer­
gency situation.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
c:> page 130. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
c:> page 110, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
-

Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
The convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints will be deactivated automatically when the belt is wound all the way back into the retractor.
" Press the red button on the safety be lt
buck le. The belt tongue will pop out of the
buck le .
" Guide the safety belt all the way back into
its stowed pos ition .
A lways let the safety belt retract complete ly
into its stowed pos ition . The sa fety belt can
now be used as an ordinary safety belt with ­
out the convertib le locking retractor for child
rest raints .
If the convertible locking retractor shou ld be
activated inadvertently , the safety belt must
be unfastened and guided completely back in­
to its stowed position to deactivate this fea­
t ure. If the conver tible locking retractor is not
deactivated, the safety belt will gradually be­
come tighter and uncomfortable to wear .
A WARNING
Improperly insta lled child safety seats in­
crease the risk of ser ious personal injury
and death in a collision.
- Never unfasten the safety belt to deacti­
vate the convert ible lock ing ret ractor for
child restraints while the vehicle is mov­
ing. You would not be rest rained and
cou ld be seriously injured in an accident.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
¢page 130. Special
precautions apply when installing a chi ld
safety seat on the front passenger seat
¢ page 110, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know .
Child Safet y 143
LATCH Lower
anchorages and tethers
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To prov ide a simpler and more practicable way
to attach the child restraint on the vehicle
seat, Federal regulat ions requ ire spec ial lower
anchorages in vehicles and devices on new
child restraints to attach to the vehicle ancho­
rages.
T he combination of the tether anchorages and
the lower anchorages is now generally ca lled
the
LATCH system for " Lower Anchorages and
T ethers for Chil dren." In Canada, the terms
"top tether" with "lower universal anchorag­
es" (or "lower universal anchorage bars") are
used to describe the system.
Forward-facing chi ld restraints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are required by U.S.
federal regulations to comply with new child
head movement performance requirements .
These new performance requirements make a
tether necessary on most new child seats.
Installing a child restraint that requires a top
tether wi thout one can seriously impair the
performance of the child restraint and its abil ­
ity to protect the child in a coll is ion. Installing
a child restraint that requires a top tether
without the top tether may be a violat ion of
state law.
Child restraint manufacturers offer LATCH
lower anchorages on their child seats w ith
hook-on or push-on connectors attached to
adjustable straps.
In add ition to the LATCH lower anchorages,
these child restraint systems usua lly require
the use of tether straps to help keep the chi ld
restraint firmly in place.
A WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints
will increase the risk of injury and death in
a crash.
-
•
•

restraints that are not equipped with the low ­
er anchorage attachments can still be instal­
led in compliance with the child restra int
manufacturer's instructions on using vehicle
safety belts.
A WARNING
Improper use of LATCH lower anchorages
can cause serious personal injury in an ac­
cident.
-Always carefully follow the ch ild re­
straints manufacturer's inst ruct ions for
proper installation of the child restraint
and proper use of the lowe r anchorages
or safety belts in your vehicle.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or
other items to the
LATCH lower ancho­
rages.
- Always read and heed the important in­
formation about child restraints in this
chapter and WARNINGS
c;, page 130,
Child Safety.
Guidance fixtures for lower anchorages
Special guidance fixtures increase the conven­
ience of the lower anchorages and are availa­
ble from your authorized Audi dealer.
F ig. 120 Rear seats : install ing the guidance fixtures
Child Safety 145
Fig. 121 Close -up: fitt ing the guidance fixture over the
l ower anchorage bracket
The lower anchorage attachment points are
located on the rear seats between the seat­
back and the seat cushion. Special guidance
fixtures increase the convenience of the lower
anchorages and help protect the seat material
from possible damage when installing child restraints .
Installing the guidance fixtures
... Push down on the seat cushion so that the
lower anchorages are visible.
.,. Hold the guidance fixture with the part
number facing downward and push it in the
direction of the arrow onto the anchorage
c;,fig. 121.
.,. Make sure that each of the two guidance fix­
tures per seat snaps into place.
Removing the guidance fixtures
... Remove the ch ild restraint according the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions .
.,. Push down on the seat cushion so that the
lower anchorages are visible .
.,. Pull off the guidance fixtures from the low­
er anchorages .
... Always remove the guidance fixt ures and
keep them in a safe p lace when not in use.
You may find it easier to install chi ld re­
straints equipped with hooks attached to
straps without the g uidance fixtures in place.
If this is the case, remove the guidance fix­
tures by pulling them off the anchorages. However, the guidance fixtures can help you
to locate the
LATCH anchorages . ..,.