seats Acura MDX 2005 Owner's Manual

µ
This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains how your
airbags work, and it tells you how to
properly restrain infants and
children in your vehicle.
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Important Safety Precautions . 8
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features . 9
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Protecting Adults and Teens . 13
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1. Close and Lock the Doors . 13
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2. Adjust the Front Seats . 13
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3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 14
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 15
5. Fasten and Position the Seat .....................................
Belts .16
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .18
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Advice f or Pregnant Women . 18
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Additional Safety Precautions . 19Additional Inf ormation About Your
.................................
Seat Belts .21
..
Seat Belt System Components . 21
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Lap/Shoulder Belt .21
........ 22
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Seat Belt Maintenance . 23
Additional Inf ormation About Your .....................................
Airbags .24
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Airbag System Components . 24
......... 26
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Advanced Airbag .28
...
How Your Side Airbags Work . 29
How Your Side Curtain Airbag .........................................
Work .31
How the SRS Indicator Light .......................................
Works .32
How The Side Airbag Of f ......................
Indicator Works .32
How the Passenger Airbag ...............
Of f Indicator Works . 33
.............................
Airbag Service .33
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Additional Safety Precautions . 34
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .35
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .35 All Children Should Sit in a Back
...........................................
Seat .36
The Passenger’s Front Airbag Can Pose Serious Risks to ...............................
Children .36
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .38
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .38
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 38
Protecting inf ants and .........................
Small Children .40
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .40
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Protecting Small Children . 41
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Selecting a Child Seat .43
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Installing a Child Seat .44
...............................
With LATCH .45
..........................
With a Seat Belt .47
..............................
With a Tether .48
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Protecting Larger Children . 50
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Checking Seat Belt Fit . 51
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Using a Booster Seat .51
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When Can a Child Sit in Front . 52
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Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 54
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Saf ety Labels .55
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
How Your Front Airbags Work
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
7

Your vehicle is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passengers
during a crash.
Some f eatures do not require any
action on your part. These include a
strong steel f ramework that f orms a
saf ety cage around the passenger
compartment; front and rear crush
zones; a collapsible steering column;
and tensioners that tighten the f ront
seat belts in a crash.
CONT INUED
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
9
(7)(10)(9) (3) (1)
(2)
(6)
(10)
(7) (8)
(5)
(2) (11)
(4)
(6) Seat Belts
(7) Front Airbags
(8) Front Seat Belt Tensioners
(9) Door Locks
(10) Side Airbags
(11) Side Curtain Airbags (1) Safety Cage
(2) Crush Zones
(3) Seats and Seat-Backs
(4) Head Restraints
(5) Collapsible Steering Column

Your vehicle is equipped with seat
belts in all seating positions.
However, you and your passengers
can’t take f ull advantage of these
f eatures unless you remain sitting in
a proper position and
. In f act, some saf ety
f eatures can contribute to injuries if
they are not used properly.
The f ollowing pages explain how you
cantakeanactiveroleinprotecting
yourself and your passengers. Your seat belt system also includes
an indicator on the instrument panel
to remind you and your passengers
to f asten your seat belts.
Seat belts are the single most
effectivesafetydeviceforadultsand
larger children. (Inf ants and smaller
children must be properly restrained
in child seats.)
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.When properly worn, seat belts:
Keep you connected to the vehicle
so you can take advantage of the
vehicle’s built-in saf ety f eatures.
Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including f rontal,
side, and rear impacts and
rollovers.
Seat Belts
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
always wear
your seat belt s
Why Wear Seat Belt s
10
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
Be sure you and your
passengers always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.

µLocking the doors reduces the
chance of someone being thrown out
of the vehicle during a crash, and it
helps prevent passengers f rom
accidentally opening a door and
f alling out.
Locking the doors also helps prevent
an outsider f rom unexpectedly
opening a door when you come to a
stop. Af ter everyone has entered the
vehicle, be sure the doors and
tailgate are closed and locked.
Adjust the driver’s seat as far to the
rear as possible while allowing you to
maintain f ull control of the vehicle.
Have a front passenger adjust their
seat as far to the rear as possible.
The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to properly
protect the driver, adult passengers,
and teenagers who are large enough
and mature enough to ride in the
front seat.
See pages f or important
guidelines on how to properly
protect inf ants, small children, and
larger children who ride in your
vehicle.
Your vehicle has a door
monitor indicator on the
instrument panel to indicate when a
specif ic door or the tailgate is not
tightly closed.
See page f or how to lock the
doors, and page f or how the door
monitor indicator works.
35 39
8262
Protecting A dults and Teens
Introduction Close and L ock the DoorsA djust the Front Seats
1. 2.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
13

If you sit too close to the steering
wheel or dashboard, you can be
seriously injured by an inf lating f ront
airbag, or by striking the steering
wheel or dashboard.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that drivers
allow at least 10 inches (25 cm)
between the center of the steering
wheel and the chest.Adjust the driver’s seat-back to a
comf ortable, upright position,
leaving ample space between your
chest and the airbag cover in the
center of the steering wheel.
Passengers with adjustable seat-
backs should also adjust their seat-
back to a comf ortable, upright
position.
If you cannot get f ar enough away
f rom the steering wheel and still
reach the controls, we recommend
that you investigate whether some
type of adaptive equipment may help.
If your seat is adjusted manually,
rock it back and f orth to make sure
the seat is locked in position. See
page f or more inf ormation on
how to adjust the f ront seats.
86
Protecting A dults and Teens
Adjust the Seat-Backs
3.
14
Sitting too close to a front
airbag can result in serious
injury or death if the front
airbags inflate.
Always sit as far back from the
front airbags as possible.

Position the lap part of the belt as
low as possible across your hips,
then pull up on the shoulder part of
the belt so the lap part f its snugly.
This lets your strong pelvic bones
take the force of a crash and reduces
the chance of internal injuries.
Insert the latch plate into the buckle,
then tug on the belt to make sure the
belt is securely latched. Check that
the belt is not twisted, because a
twisted belt can cause serious
injuries in a crash.
The second row center seat, and
both third row seats, have a
detachable shoulder belt that can be
unlatched and retracted, to allow the
seats to be f olded down. See page
for how to unlatch and relatch
the seat belts. If necessary, pull up on the shoulder
belt again to remove any slack, then
check that the belt rests across the
center of your chest and over your
shoulder.
This spreads the f orces of a crash
over the strongest bones in your
upper body.
88 Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts
5.
Protecting A dults and Teens
16
Improperly positioning the seat
belts can cause serious injury
or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are
properly positioned before
driving.

This could cause
very serious injuries in a crash.
If a seat belt does not seem to work
as it should, it may not protect the
occupant in a crash.
If the seat belt touches or crosses
your neck, or if it crosses your arm
instead of your shoulder, you need to
adjust the seat belt anchor height.
See page f or additional
inf ormation about your seat belts
and how to take care of them.
The front seats have adjustable seat
belt anchors.
To adjust the height of an belt
anchor, squeeze the two release
buttons and slide the anchor up or
down as needed (it has f our
positions).
Using a seat
belt that is not working properly can
result in serious injury or death.
Have your dealer check the belt as
soon as possible.
21
Protecting A dults and Teens
Never place t he shoulder port ion of alap/shoulder belt under your arm orbehind your back.
No one should sit in a seat wit h aninoperat ive seat belt .
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
17
RELEASE
BUTTONS

After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and put on seat belts, it is
very important that they continue to
sit upright, well back in their seats,
with their feet on the floor, until the
vehicle is parked and the engine is
off.
Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches,
lies down, turns sideways, sits
forward, leans forward or sideways,
or puts one or both f eet up, the
chance of injury during a crash is
greatly increased.In addition, an occupant who is out of
position in the f ront seat can be
seriously or f atally injured in a crash
by striking interior parts of the
vehicle or being struck by an
inflating front airbag.
If you are pregnant, the best way to
protect yourself and your unborn
child when driving or riding in a
vehicle is to always wear a seat belt,
and keep the lap part of the belt as
low as possible across the hips.
Protecting A dults and Teens
Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position Advice f or Pregnant Women
6.
18
Sitting improperly or out of
position can result in serious
injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright, well back in
the seat, with your feet on the
floor.

CONT INUED
When driving, remember to sit
upright and adjust the seat as f ar
back as possible while allowing f ull
control of the vehicle. When riding
as a f ront passenger, adjust the seat
as far back as possible.
This will reduce the risk of injuries
to both you and your unborn child
that can be caused by a crash or an
inflating front airbag.
Each time you have a checkup, ask
your doctor if it’s okay f or you to
drive.If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.
A passenger who is not
wearing a seat belt during a crash
or emergency stop can be thrown
against the inside of the vehicle,
against other occupants, or out of
the vehicle. If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.
Devices intended to improve
occupant comf ort or reposition the
shoulder part of a seat belt can
reduce the protective capability of
the seat belt and increase the
chance of serious injury in a crash.
Carrying hard or sharp
objects on your lap, or driving with
a pipe or other sharp object in
your mouth, can result in injuries
if your f ront airbag inf lates.
Protecting A dults and Teens
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Never let passengers ride in t he
cargo area or on t op of a f olded-down back seat .
Passengers should not st and up orchange seats while the vehicle ismoving. T wo people should never use t he
same seat belt .
Do not put any accessories on seatbelts.
Do not place hard or sharp object sbet ween yourself and a f rontairbag.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
19

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
includes an indicator on the
instrument panel and a beeper to
remind you and your passengers to
f asten your belts. 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.To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched (see page f or how to
properly position the belt).
To unlock the belt, push the red
PRESSbuttononthebuckle.Guide
the belt across your body so that it
retracts completely. Af ter 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.
If you turn the ignition to ON (II)
bef ore f astening your seat belt, the
beeper will sound and the indicator
will f lash. If you do not f asten your
seat belt bef ore the beeper stops, the
indicator will stop f lashing but
remain on.
The lap and shoulder belt goes over
your shoulder, across your chest,
and across your hips.
If you continue driving without
f astening your seat belt, the beeper
sounds and the indicator will f lash
again at regular intervals. 16
CONT INUED
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Seat Belt System Components L ap/Shoulder Belt
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
21