Acura Integra 2000 Sedan Service Manual

Protectin
g Childre n

If the shoulder part of the belt rests
over the child's collarbone and
against the center of the chest, as
shown, the child is large enough to
wear the seat belt. However, if the belt touches or
crosses the child's neck, the child
needs to use a booster seat.
Do not let a child wear a seat belt
across the neck. This could result in
serious neck injuries during a crash.
Do not let a child put the shoulder
part of a seat belt behind the back or
under the arm. This could cause
very serious injuries during a crash.
It also increases the chance that the
child will slide under the belt in a
crash and be injured.
Do not put any accessories on a seat

belt. Devices intended to improve
occupant comfort or reposition the
shoulder part of a seat belt, severely
compromise the protective capability
of the seat belt and increase the
chance of serious injury in a crash.

Two children should never use the

same seat belt. If they do, they could
be very seriously injured in a crash.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Protectin
g Childre n

Using a Booster Seat
If a child needs a booster seat, we
recommend choosing a style that allows the child to use the lap/shoulder belt directly, without a

shield, as shown.

Whichever style you select, follow
the booster seat maker's instructions. A child may continue using a booster
seat until the tops of the ears are
even with the top of the seat-back. A
child of this height should be tall
enough to use the lap/shoulder belt
without a booster. When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
ages 12 and under be properly restrained in a back seat.
The back seat is the safest place for a child of any age or size.
In addition, the passenger's airbag
poses serious risks to children. If the
seat is too far forward, or the child's
head is thrown forward during a collision, or the child is unrestrained
or out of position, an inflating airbag
can kill or seriously injure the child.
Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can safely ride in the
front, there are other important factors you should consider.

CONTINUED

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Protectin
g Childre n
Physical Size
Physically, a child must be large
enough for the lap/shoulder belt to
properly fit over the hips, chest, and shoulder (see pages 15 and 37). If
the seat belt does not fit properly,
the child should not sit in the front.

Maturity

To safely ride in front, a child must
be able to follow the rules, including sitting properly and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride. If you decide that a child can safely
ride up front, be sure to: Carefully read the owner's manual
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all safety
information.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position. Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the floor. Check that the child's seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to fasten the seat belts
or sit properly. Usin
g Chil d Seat s wit h Tether s
Your car has three tether anchorage
points on the rear shelf for securing a tether-style child seat to the car.
Since a tether can provide additional
security, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or

available.

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Protectin
g Childre n

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchorage point and tighten
the strap according to the child seat
maker's instructions.

Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r Sea t Belt s
Sea t Bel t Syste m Component s
Your seat belt system includes lap/ shoulder belts in the front seats and
the outer back seats, and a lap belt in the center back seat.
The seat belt system alsoincludes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and your passengers to fasten your belts.
If the driver's seat belt is not
fastened before the ignition is turned
ON (II), the light will come on and a
beeper will also sound. The beeper
will stop after a few seconds, but the
light will stay on until the driver's seat belt is fastened.
Lap/Shoulde
r Bel t

This seat belt has a single belt that
goes over your shoulder, across your
chest and across your hips.
To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the belt to make sure the buckle is

latched.

To unlock the belt, push the red
PRESS button on the buckle.
Guide the belt across your body to the door pillar. After exiting the car,
be sure the belt is out of the way and
will not get closed in the door.
All lap/shoulder belts have an emergency locking retractor.
In normal driving, the retractor lets
you move freely in your seat while it
keeps some tension on the belt. During a collision or sudden stop,
the retractor automatically locks the
belt to help restrain your body.
All the lap/shoulder belts except the
driver's have an additional locking
mechanism that must be activated to secure a child seat. (See pages 30 and 34 for instructions on how to
secure child seats with this type of
seat belt.)
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r Sea t Belt s
If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the locking mechanism will activate. The belt
will retract, but it will not allow the
passenger to move freely.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt fully retract. To
refasten the belt, pull it out only as
far as needed.
See page 15 for instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly. La
p Bel t
The lap belt has one manually- adjusted belt that fits across the hips. To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle marked
CENTER, then tug on the belt to
make sure the buckle is latched.
To unlock the belt, push the red
PRESS button.

See page 16 for how to lengthen the
lap belt, and how to properly position
the belt.

Driver an d Passenge r Safet y

Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r Sea t Belt s
Sea t Bel t Maintenanc e
For safety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out fully and look for
frays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retract
easily. Any belt not in good condition
or no
t working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.
Acura provides a lifetime warranty
on seat belts. Acura will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
fails to function properly during

normal use.

Please see your Acura Warranty
Information booklet for details. If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
you should have your dealer inspect the belt, and replace it if necessary.
A belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same levelof protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the
anchors for damage and replace
them if needed.
For information on how to clean your
seat belts, see page 214.
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly when
needed.

Check your seat belts regularly

and have any problem

corrected as soon as possible.

Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r SR S

SR S Component s
Your Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) includes: Two front airbags. The driver's
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the front
passenger's airbag is stored in the dashboard. Both are marked "SRS
AIRBAG."
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal

collision.
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors thesensors, control unit, the airbag
activators, and all related wiring
when the ignition is ON (II). An indicator light on the
instrument panel that alerts you toa possible problem with the
system (see page 47 ). Emergency backup power in case
your car's electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
Ho
w You r Airbag s Wor k
If you ever have a moderate to
severe frontal collision, the sensors
will detect rapid deceleration and
signal the control unit to instantly
inflate the airbags.
During a crash, your seat belt helps
restrain your lower body and torso.
Your airbag provides a cushion to
help restrain and protect your head and chest.

Driver an d Passenge r Safet y

CONTINUED

Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r SR S
Since both airbags use the same
sensors, both airbags normally
inflate at the same time. However, it
is possible for only one airbag to inflate.
This can occur when the severity of
a collision is at the margin, or
threshold, that determines whether
or not the airbags will deploy. In
such cases, the seat belt will provide
sufficient protection, and the supplemental protection offered by
the airbag would be minimal.
After inflating, the airbags
immediately deflate, so they won't
interfere with the driver's visibility,or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
The total time for inflation and
deflation is approximately one-tenth
of a second, so fast that most
occupants are not aware that the
airbags deployed until they see them lying in their laps. After a crash, you may see what
looks like smoke. This is actually
powder from the airbag's surface.
Although the powder is not harmful,
people with respiratory problems
may experience some temporary
discomfort. If this occurs, get out of
the car as soon as it is safe to do so.
For additional information on how
your airbags work, see the booklet
titled SRS: What You Need to Know

About Airbags that came with yourowner's manual.

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r SR S

Ho w th e SR S Indicato r Ligh t
Work s
The purpose of the SRSlight is to alert you to a
potential problem with your Supplemental Restraint System.
When you turn the ignition ON (II),
this indicator will light up briefly
then go out. This tells you that the system is working properly.
However, if the light comes on at any other time, you should have thesystem checked by your dealer. For

example:
If the SRS indicator light does not
come on after you turn the ignition
ON (II).

If the light stays on after the

engine starts. If the light comes on or flashes on
and off while you drive.
If you see any of these indications,
your airbags may not deploy when
you need them. See your Acura dealer as soon as possible. SR
S Servic e
Your Supplemental Restraint System is virtually maintenance-free, and
there are no parts you can safely
service. However, you must have
your car serviced if:
Your airbags ever inflate. The

airbags and the control unit must
be replaced. Do not try to remove or replace the airbags yourself.
This must be done by an Acura
dealer or a knowledgeable body

shop.

The SRS indicator light alerts you

to a problem. Take your car to an
authorized Acura dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inflate when you need them.

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y
S R S

Ignoring the SRS indicator light
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags do not inflate when needed.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if

the SRS light alerts you to a

potential problem.