Audi A4: Safety belts

General information

Each seat is equipped with a three-point safety belt. Safety belts that are worn correctly are the most effective way to reduce the risk of serious or fatal injuries in a collision. Therefore, wear your safety belt correctly and make sure that all vehicle passengers are also wearing their safety belts correctly when the vehicle is moving.

Even though your vehicle is equipped with an airbag system, every vehicle passenger must still always wear the appropriate safety belt. In addition to their normal protective function, safety belts also hold vehicle occupants in the correct seating position in the event of a collision so that the airbags can deploy correctly and provide additional protection. Safety belts provide protection during collisions when the airbags do not deploy or if they have already deployed.

WARNING

The risk of serious or fatal injury increases if the safety belt is not fastened, if it is worn incorrectly, or if it is damaged.

• All vehicle occupants, including the driver, must fasten their safety belts correctly before every trip and must always keep their safety belts fastened during the trip, regardless of whether the seat is equipped with an airbag or not. This also applies to children that are seated in a child safety seat that is appropriate for their weight and age and that is secured with a safety belt.
• In the event of a collision, vehicle occupants that are not wearing safety belts could be propelled through the vehicle interior and collide with vehicle components, such as the steering wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or doors. In some situations, vehicle occupants could also be ejected from the vehicle.
• Vehicle occupants in the rear seats who do not wear safety belts not only endanger themselves, but also other people in the vehicle.
• Only one person may be fastened with a safety belt at a time. Never secure more than one person, including children, with a single safety belt.
• Never allow children or infants to ride on another person's lap and be belted into the safety belt with them.
• Insert the belt buckle only in the belt latch belonging to the corresponding seat, so that the protective function is not impaired.
• To ensure the maximum protective function of the safety belts, all vehicle passengers must sit in the correct seating position.
• Check the condition of your vehicle's safety belts regularly. If you find damage to the belt webbing, the belt connections, the retractor, or the buckle, have the damaged safety belt replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.
• The safety belts must not be removed or modified in any way. Do not attempt to repair the safety belts yourself.
• Safety belts that are strained during an accident must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.

Correct safety belt positioning

Fig. 64 Lap/shoulder belt positioning

Fig. 65 Safety belt positioning for pregnant women

Fastened safety belts only offer optimal protection during an accident and reduce the risk of serious injury or death when they are positioned correctly. Furthermore, the correct safety belt position holds the vehicle occupant in place so that a deployed airbag can provide maximum protection. Therefore, always fasten the safety belt and make sure it is positioned correctly > fig. 64.

To ensure the safety belt is positioned correctly, make sure of the following points:

• The lap portion of the safety belt must be located across the lap.
• The shoulder portion of the safety belt must rest over the center of the shoulder.
• The safety belt must always rest flat and securely on the body.

For pregnant women, the safety belt must rest evenly across the chest and as low and flat as possible on the lap, so that no pressure is applied to the lower abdomen. This should be done throughout the entire pregnancy > fig. 65.

WARNING

Incorrect safety belt positioning can cause serious injury in the event of an accident or during sudden braking or driving maneuvers.

• Never drive with the backrest reclined extremely far. The more the backrest is tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due to the safety belt being routed incorrectly.
• The safety belt itself or a loose safety belt can cause serious injuries if it shifts onto soft areas of the body, such as the stomach.
• The shoulder portion of the safety belt must lie over the center of the shoulder and chest, and never under the arm, behind the back, or across the neck or face.
• The lap portion of the safety belt must lie across the lap and never over the stomach.
• The safety belt must lie flat and securely on the upper part of the body and the lap.
• The belt webbing must not be pinched or twisted, or rub against sharp edges.
• If the safety belt height is set incorrectly and/or the safety belt is routed incorrectly, then the safety belt's protective function will be impaired in the event of an accident.

  Make sure the safety belt is at the right height and is routed correctly for the passenger using it.

• A safety belt that is too loose may lead to injuries during an accident, because your body will move farther forward due to kinetic energy and will be stopped abruptly by the belt.
• Heavily bulky, loose clothing (for example, a coat over a sports jacket) may prevent the seat and safety belts from functioning correctly.
• Do not position the safety belt over hard or breakable objects (such as glasses, pens, etc.).
• The lap belt portion of the safety belt must sit as low as possible on the lap of pregnant women and lie flat under the belly.

Note

Make sure that there are no hook-and-loop fasteners or sharp objects such as zippers or rivets on clothing in the area where the safety belt is worn. Otherwise, the safety belt could be damaged.

Fastening and unfastening safety belts

Fig. 66 Belt buckle and belt latch

Fig. 67 Releasing the belt buckle from the belt latch

Observe the safety precautions.

Fastening the safety belt

• Pull the safety belt by the belt buckle evenly across your chest and lap.
• Insert the belt buckle in the belt latch belonging to the seat until it audibly engages > fig. 66.
• Pull on the belt to make sure that the belt is securely locked in the latch.

Unfastening the safety belt

• Press the red button on the belt latch > fig. 67.

  The belt buckle will pop out.

• Guide the belt back by hand so that the safety belt can roll up more easily.

Safety belt monitoring system

- If the indicator light turns on or flashes, a front safety belt is not fastened or it has been unfastened while driving. There may be additional audible warning signals.

Adjusting the height of the safety belt

Fig. 68 Belt height adjustment for the front seats - safety belt relay

• To move the belt higher, slide the safety belt relay (2) upward.
• To move the belt lower, press the release button (1) and slide the safety belt relay (2) downward.
• To check if the safety belt relay is securely locked in place, pull firmly on the belt.

Tips

You can also adjust the height of the front seats to change the position of the safety belts.

Additional safety belt functions

Belt retractor lock

The safety belts on the rear seats and on the front passenger seat are equipped with a belt retractor lock.

• If you secure a child safety seat with a safety belt, the belt retractor lock on the safety belt may need to be activated. Follow the instructions from the child safety seat manufacturer.
• When a vehicle passenger has fastened a safety belt, the belt retractor lock should not be activated.

  If the belt retractor lock has been activated unexpectedly, deactivate it.

Deactivating or activating the belt retractor lock.

Safety belt retractor

The safety belts are equipped with an automatic belt retractor. This automatic retractor allows the safety belt to be pulled all the way out when the belt is pulled slowly. However, the automatic retractor locks during sudden braking maneuvers.

It also locks the belts when accelerating, driving uphill, and driving around curves.

Belt force limiter

Safety belts with belt force limiters reduce the force placed on the body by the safety belts during a collision.

Safety belt pretensioners

In certain driving situations, safety belts may be tightened with reversible belt tensioners when you start driving. If the safety belt is too loose, it will be tightened so that the belt will rest closer to the body.

In some collisions, pyrotechnic belt tensioners may secure the safety belts so that they cannot loosen. This reduces forward movement by the vehicle passengers.

WARNING

The pyrotechnic system can only provide protection during one collision. If the pyrotechnic belt tensioners deploy, the pretensioning system must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.

Tips

Smoke may be released when pyrotechnic belt tensioners deploy. This is not a sign of a vehicle fire.

Memory function

General information

Applies to: vehicles with memory function

With the memory function, you can save and call up seat profiles using the memory buttons in the door trim panel.

Depending on vehicle equipment, some settings such as the driver's seat and exterior mirror position can be stored.

Storing and recalling a seat profile

Applies to: vehicles with memory function

The memory function buttons are located in the door trim panel.

Storing a seat profile

• Press the [SET] button. If the LED in the button turns on, a seat profile can be stored.
• Push one of the numbered memory buttons. A tone confirms that the settings were stored.

Recalling a seat profile

• When the a door is open and the ignition is switched off, press the memory button once briefly. The seat will be fully adjusted to the settings in the seat profile.
• If the door is closed or the ignition is switched on, press and hold the memory button until the seat is fully adjusted to the settings in the seat profile.

WARNING

• To reduce the risk of an accident, the seat setting can only be recalled when the vehicle is stationary.
• In an emergency, the recall process can be canceled by pressing the seat adjustment button on that seat.

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