belt Acura MDX 2003 Owner's Manua

We strongly recommend that a child
whousedaboosterrideinaback
seat,notthefront.Evenif the
passenger’s f ront airbag is of f , a
back seat is the safest place for the
child.
Whichever style you select, f ollow
the booster seat maker’s instructions.If a child who uses a booster must
ride in f ront, move the vehicle seat
as far to the rear as possible, and be
sure the child is wearing the seat
belt properly.
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 side airbag also poses risks. If
any part of a larger child’s body is in
the path of a deploying airbag, the
child could receive possibly serious
injuries. If the passenger’s f ront airbag is on,
and it inflates in a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, the airbag
can cause serious injuries to a child
who is unrestrained, improperly
restrained, sitting too close to the
airbag, or out of position. Even with advanced front airbags,
the back seat is the safest place for a
child of any age or size.
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.
Even then, the child may still need to
use a booster seat. Note that some
states now require children to use
boosters until they reach a certain
ageand/orweight.Besuretocheck
current laws in the state or states
where you intend to drive.
Using a Booster Seat
When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety40

If you decide that a child can saf ely
ride up f ront, be sure to:Caref ully read the owner’s manual
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all saf ety
inf ormation.
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 f loor.
Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
Remind the child not to lean
toward the door because of the
side airbag.
Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to f asten the seat belts
or sit properly.
Physically, a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it over the hips, chest, and
shoulder (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
the child should not sit in the f ront.
To saf ely ride in f ront, a child must
be able to f ollow the rules, including
sitting properly and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in the
f ront, there are other important
f actors you should consider.
15 39
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Physical Size
Maturity
41

Put the child seat in a second row
vehicle seat and attach the child
seat to the lower anchors
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions.
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or Children) at the second
row seats. The lower anchors are
located between the seat-back and
seat bottom and are to be used only
with a child seat designed f or use
with LATCH. Move the seat belt buckle or seat
belt tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat:
Make sure there are no f oreign
objects around the anchors.
Foreign objects could get in the
way of a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors.
The exact location of each lower
anchorage is marked with a small
button above the lower anchorage
point.
1.
2.
3.
Using L A T CH
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety44
RIGID TYPE
MARKS
LOWER
ANCHORS

Your seat belt system includes lap/
shoulder belts in all seven seating
positions. The f ront seat belts are
also equipped with automatic seat
belt tensioners.The seat belt system also
includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passengers to f asten 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 af ter a f ew seconds, but the
light will stay on until the driver’s
seat belt is f astened. The lap/shoulder belts in the center
seat of the second row and both of
the third row seats are equipped with
a detachable anchor that has two
parts: a small latch plate and a
buckle.
The detachable anchor should
normally be latched whenever the
seats-backs are in an upright position.
For more inf ormation about the
detachable anchors, see page .The lap/shoulder belts goes over
your shoulder, across your chest,
and across your hips.
109
Seat Belt System Components L ap/Shoulder Belt
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety46

The seat belts in all seating positions
except the driver’s have an additional
locking mechanism that must be
activated to secure a child seat. (See
pages and f or instructions on
how to secure child seats with this
type of seat belt.)
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 f reely.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt f ully retract. To
ref asten the belt, pull it out only as
f ar as needed.
See page f or instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly.
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
PRESSbuttononthebuckle.
Guide the belt across your body so
that it retracts completely. After
exiting the vehicle, be sure the belt
is out of the way and will not get
closed in the door.
All seat belts have an emergency
locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move f reely 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.
153632
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety47

If your airbags inf late, the tensioners
immediately tighten the f ront seat
belts to help hold the occupants in
place. The belts will remain tight
until you unbuckle them in the
normal way.The SRS indicator light will
come on if there is a
problem with your automatic seat
belt tensioners (see page ).
Your Acura has automatic seat belt
tensioners f or added protection
during a moderate to severe frontal
collision. 56
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
48

For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out f ully and look f or
f rays, 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 not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page . Automatic seat belt tensioners that
deployed during a crash must be
replaced. If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by the dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed.
Acura provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts. Acura will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
f ails to f unction properly during
normal use. Please see your
booklet f or
details.
355
Acura
Warranty Inf ormation
Seat Belt Maintenance
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
U.S. Models
49
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.

Your Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) includes:Automatic seat belt tensioners
(see page ). Two f ront airbags. The driver’s
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the f ront
passenger’sairbagisstoredinthe
dashboard. Both are marked ‘‘SRS
AIRBAG.’’
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records inf ormation about the
sensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, and driver and
passenger seat belt use when the
ignition is ON (II). 48
SRS Components
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety50
(5)
(8)
(3)
(7)
(4)
(4) (6)
(5)(7)(2)
(9)
(9) (10)
(8)(1)
(1) Driver’s Airbag
(2) Front Passenger’s Airbag
(3) Control Unit
(4) Seat Belt Tensioners
(5) Side Airbags
(6) Driver’s Seat Position Sensor
(7) Front Passenger’s Weight Sensors
(8) Front Sensor
(9) Side Impact Sensors
(10) Passenger Airbag Cutoff Indicator

Af ter inf lating, the f ront airbags
immediately def late, so they won’t
interf ere with the driver’s visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
The total time for inflation and
def lation is approximately one-tenth
of a second, so f ast that most
occupants are not aware that the
airbags deployed until they see them
lying in their laps.
Since both airbags use the same
sensors, both airbags normally
inf late at the same time. However, it
is possible f or only one airbag to
inf late.
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
suf f icient protection, and the
supplemental protection of f ered by
the airbag would be minimal.
During a f rontal crash, your seat
belts help restrain your lower body
and torso. Your airbag provides a
cushion to help restrain and protect
your head and chest. If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, the sensors
will detect the vehicle’s rapid
deceleration. If the rate of
deceleration is high enough, the
control unit will instantly inf late the
f ront airbags.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety52

Your vehicle has front passenger’s
weightsensorsaspartof the
advanced airbag system. They are
located under both of the f ront
passenger’s seat rails. These sensors
monitor the weight on the seat at the
seat cushion, seat-back, seat-back
pocket, and seat rails.
If the total weight on the seat is
about65lbs(30kg)orless,the
system shuts of f the f ront passenger’s
airbag and the passenger airbag
cutof f indicator comes on. It reminds
you that the f ront passenger’s airbag
will not inf late during a crash.
If there is no passenger in the f ront
passenger’s seat, the passenger
airbag cutoff indicator does not
come on, however the system shuts
of f the f ront passenger’s airbag.The driver’s and f ront passenger’s
seat sensors may not work properly
if :
For additional information on how
your airbags work, see the booklet
titled
that came with your
owner’s manual.
For additional information on how
your airbags work, ask your dealer
f or a copy of the booklet titled
You do not wear your seat belt
properly.
You do not sit upright and as f ar
back as possible f rom the steering
wheel or the dashboard (see page
).
You do not secure the child seat
properly, and move the f ront seat
as far back as possible.
Be caref ul not to spill any liquids.
Spilled liquids could damage the
sensors under the f ront seats.
If your vehicle sustains a severe
impact, have the driver’s seat
position sensor and the f ront
passenger’s weight sensors
inspected by your Honda dealer. 18
SRS: What You Need to Know
About Airbags
SRS:
What You Need to Know About Airbags
.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Front Passenger’s Weight Sensors
Canadian Owners
U.S. Owners
54