airbag off Acura MDX 2011 Owner's Manual

ꭧ1: To use the horn, press the center pad of the steering wheel.
ꭧ 2: If equipped
ꭧ 3: Refer to the navigation system manual. For how to operate
Bluetooth
®HandsFreeLink by voice, see page 379.
BLIND SPOT INFORMATION
SYSTEM (BSI) OFF BUTTON
ꭧ2
(P. 476)VEHICLE STABILITY
ASSIST SYSTEM
OFF SWITCH
(P. 468)
MIRROR CONTROLS
(P. 164)BSI ALERT INDICATOR
ꭧ
2
(P. 473)
COLLISION MITIGATION
BRAKING SYSTEM ™(CMBS ™)
OFF BUTTON
ꭧ 2
(P.461)
HEADLIGHT WASHER
SWITCH
ꭧ 2
(P. 126)
HORN
ꭧ1
STEERING WHEEL
ADJUSTMENTS
(P. 133) HEADLIGHT/TURN SIGNAL/
FRONT FOG LIGHTS
(P. 127)
STEERING WHEEL
AUDIO CONTROLS
(P. 302) WINDSHIELD
WIPERS/WASHERS
(P. 125)
INSTRUMENT PANEL
BRIGHTNESS
(P. 132)
PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF INDICATOR
(P. 36)HAZARD WARNING
BUTTON
(P. 131)
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER
(P. 131) ACCESSORY POWER
SOCKETS
(P. 175)
SEAT HEATER SWITCHES
(P. 156) /
SEAT HEATER AND SEAT
VENTILATION BUTTONS
ꭧ 2
(P. 157)
ACTIVE DAMPER
SYSTEM SWITCH
ꭧ 2
(P. 478)
CRUISE CONTROL BUTTONS (P. 342) /
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC)
BUTTONS
ꭧ
2
(P. 350)
PADDLE SHIFTERS
(P. 441)
DISTANCE
BUTTONꭧ2
(P. 354)
BLUETOOTH
HANDSFREELINK
BUTTONS (P. 363) VOICE CONTROL
BUTTONS
ꭧ
3
Your Vehicle at a Glance410/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

This section gives you important
information about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It shows
you how to use seat belts. It explains
how your airbags work. And it tells you
how to properly restrain infants and
children in your vehicle.
Important Safety Precautions
..............
6
Your Vehicle's Safety Features
............
8
Seat Belts
.....................................
9
Airbags
.......................................
10
Protecting Adults and Teens
.............
12
1. Close and Lock the Doors
..........
12
2. Adjust the Front Seats
...............
14
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs
................
15
4. Adjust the Head Restraints
.........
15
5. Fasten and Position the Seat Belts
...................................
16
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting Position
...............................
18
Advice for Pregnant Women
..........
19
Additional Safety Precautions
........
20
Additional Information About Your Seat Belts
...............................
21
Seat Belt System Components
.......
21 Lap/Shoulder Belt
........................
22
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
.....
23
Seat Belt e-pretensioners
...............
24
Seat Belt Maintenance
..................
25
Additional Information About Your
Airbags
...................................
26
Airbag System Components
..........
26
How Your Front Airbags Work
......
29
How Your Side Airbags Work
........
32
How Your Side Curtain Airbags Work
......................................
34
How the SRS Indicator Works
.......
35
How the Side Airbag Off Indicator Works
.....................................
35
How the Passenger Airbag Off Indicator Works
.......................
36
Airbag Service
.............................
37
Additional Safety Precautions
........
38
Protecting Children －General
Guidelines
..............................
39
All Children Must Be Restrained
...............................
39
All Children Should Sit in a Back Seat
........................................
40
The Passenger's Front Airbag Can Pose Serious Risks
...................
40 If You Must Drive with Several
Children
..................................
42
If a Child Requires Close Attention
.................................
42
Additional Safety Precautions
........
43
Protecting Infants and Small Children
.................................
44
Protecting Infants
.........................
44
Protecting Small Children
.............
45
Selecting a Child Seat
......................
47
Installing a Child Seat
......................
48
Installing a Child Seat with LATCH
...................................
49
Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/
Shoulder Belt
...........................
52
Installing a Child Seat with a Tether
.....................................
53
Protecting Larger Children
...............
56
Checking Seat Belt Fit
..................
56
Using a Booster Seat
....................
57
When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
.......................................
58
Additional Safety Precautions
........
59
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
................
60
Safety Labels
..................................
61
Driver and Passenger Safety
5
Driver and Passenger Safety
10/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

The most important things you need
to know about your airbags are:●
Airbags do not replace seat belts.They are designed to supplement
the seat belts.
●
Airbags offer no protection in rearimpacts, or minor frontal or sidecollisions.
●
Airbags can pose serious hazards.To do their job, airbags must
inflate with tremendous force. So
while airbags help save lives, they
can cause minor injuries or more
serious or even fatal injuries if
occupants are not properly
restrained or sitting properly.
What you should do:
Always wear
your seat belt properly, and sit
upright and as far back from the
steering wheel as possible while
allowing full control of the vehicle. A
front passenger should move their
seat as far back from the dashboard
as possible. The rest of this section gives more
detailed information about how you
can maximize your safety.
Remember, however, that no safety
system can prevent all injuries or
deaths that can occur in a severe
crash, even when seat belts are
properly worn and the airbags
deploy.
Your Vehicle's Safety Features
11
Driver and Passenger Safety
10/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

6. Maintain a Proper SittingPosition
After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and head restraints, and
put on their 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 safely 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 feet up, the chance of
injury during a crash is greatly
increased. In addition, an occupant who is out of
position in the front seat can be
seriously or fatally injured in a crash
by striking interior parts of the
vehicle or being struck by an
inflating front airbag.
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.
Protecting Adults and Teens1810/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

Seat Belt e-pretensionersOn models with Collision MitigationBraking System ™(CMBS ™)For added safety, the front seat belts
are equipped with e-pretensioners
that work in combination with the
collision mitigation braking system ™
(CMBS ™) (see page 457) and the
brake pedal assist function (see page
454). If your vehicle gets too close to the
vehicle ahead of it in your lane, the
driver's e-pretensioner slightly
retracts the seat belt to alert the
driver of the approaching vehicle. If a
collision with the vehicle in front of
you is likely, the e-pretensioners on
both front seats retract the seat belts
with enough force to properly
restrain you and your front
passenger. After they activate, the e-
pretensioners release the retracted
seat belts.
To get the full benefit of the e-
pretensioners, you and your front
passenger must sit normally in your
seats and wear your seat belts
properly (see page 16).
The e-pretensioners do not activate
when the vehicle stability assist
(VSA) off indicator on the instrument
panel is on.If the automatic seat belt tensioners
are activated by a collision, both front
seat belts and all related components
must be replaced (see page 25). If
only the e-pretensioners were
activated, no components need to be
replaced.
In addition, the front passenger's e-
pretensioner does not activate when
the passenger's airbag is
automatically turned off because the
weight sensor detects a child in the
front passenger's seat.Additional Information About Your Seat Belts2410/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

Airbag System Componentsꭧ: On models with CMBS(5) Side Airbags
(6) Driver's Seat Position Sensor
(7) Front Passenger's Weight Sensors
(8) Passenger Airbag Off Indicator
(9) Occupant Position Detection System
(OPDS) Sensors
(10) Front Passenger's Weight Sensors/OPDS
Sensors Control Unit
(11) SRS Indicator
(1) (11)
(8)
(6) (2)
(3)
(5)
(10)
(9)
(7)
(4)
(5)
(4)
(1) Driver's Front Airbag
(2) Passenger's Front Airbag
(3) Control Unit
(4) Front Seat Belt Tensioners/Seat Belte-pretensioners
ꭧ
(12) e-pretensioner Control Unit
ꭧ
(13) Front Impact Sensors
(14) Side Curtain Airbags
(15) Side Impact Sensors (First)
(16) Side Impact Sensors (Second)
(17) Safing Sensor
(13) (13)
(14)
(15) (16) (16)
(17)
(12)
(14)
Additional Information About Your Airbags2610/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

Your Airbag System (SRS) includes:●
Two SRS (Supplemental Restraint
System) 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 ’’(see page 29).
●
Two side airbags, one for the
driver and one for a front
passenger. The airbags are stored
in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked ‘‘SIDE
AIRBAG ’’(see page 32).
●
Two side curtain airbags, one for
each side of the vehicle. The
airbags are stored in the ceiling
above the side windows. The front
and rear pillars are marked ‘‘SIDE
CURTAIN AIRBAG ’’(see page 34).
●
On models with CMBS, front seat
belt e-pretensioners (see page 24).
●
Automatic front seat belt
tensioners (see page 23).
●
Sensors that can detect a moderate
to severe front impact, side impact,
or if your vehicle is about to
rollover.
●
Sensors that can detect whether a
child is in the passenger's side
airbag path and signal the control
unit to turn the airbag off (see
page 33).
●
Sensors that can detect whether
the driver's seat belt and the front
passenger's seat belt are latched or
unlatched (see page 21).
●
A driver's seat position sensor that
monitors the distance of the seat
from the front airbag. If the seat is
too far forward, the airbag will
inflate with less force (see page
30).
CONTINUED
Additional Information About Your Airbags
27
Driver and Passenger Safety
10/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

●
Weight sensors that monitor the
weight on the front passenger's
seat. If the weight is about 65 lbs
(29 kg) or less (the weight of an
infant or small child), the
passenger's front airbag will be
turned off (see page 30).
●
A rollover sensor that can detect if
your vehicle is about to roll over
and signal the control unit to
deploy both side curtain airbags
(see page 34).
●
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records information about the
sensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, the seat belt
tensioners, and driver and front
passenger seat belt use when the
ignition switch is in the ON (II)
position.
●
An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you to a possible
problem with your airbag system
components (see page 35).
●
An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you that the
passenger's side airbag has been
turned off (see page 35).
●
An indicator on the dashboard that
alerts you that the passenger's
front airbag has been turned off
(see page 36).
●
Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle's electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
Additional Information About Your Airbags2810/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

How Your Front Airbags WorkIf you ever have a moderate to severe
frontal collision, sensors will detect
the vehicle's rapid deceleration.
If the rate of deceleration is high
enough, the control unit will inflate
the driver's and front passenger's
airbags, at the time and with the
force needed.During a frontal crash, your seat belt
restrains your lower body and torso,
and the front airbag helps protect
your head and chest.
Although both airbags normally
inflate within a split second of each
other, it is possible for only one
airbag to deploy.
This can happen if 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.
Only the driver's airbag will deploy if
there is no passenger in the front
seat, or if the advanced airbag
system has turned the passenger's
airbag off (see page 36).
After inflating, the front airbags
immediately deflate, so they won't
interfere with the driver's visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate other
controls.
CONTINUED
Additional Information About Your Airbags
29
Driver and Passenger Safety
10/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

The driver's advanced front airbag
system includes a seat position
sensor under the seat. If the seat is
too far forward, the airbag will inflate
with less force, regardless of the
severity of the impact.
If there is a problem with the sensor,
the SRS indicator will come on, and
the airbag will inflate in the normal
manner regardless of the driver's
seating position.
The passenger's advanced front
airbag system has weight sensors
under the seat. Although Acura does
not encourage carrying an infant or
small child in front, if the sensors
detect the weight of an infant or
small child (up to about 65 lbs or 29
kg), the system will automatically
turn the passenger's front airbag off.Be aware that objects placed on the
passenger's seat can also cause the
airbag to be turned off.
When the passenger airbag gets
turned off by the weight sensors, a
‘‘
passenger airbag off ’’indicator in
the center of the dashboard comes
on (see page 36).
If the weight sensors detect there is
no passenger in the front seat, the
airbag is automatically turned off.
However, the passenger airbag off
indicator in this situation will not
come on.
DRIVER'S
SEAT
POSITION
SENSOR
PASSENGER'S
SEAT
WEIGHT
SENSOR
CONTINUED
Additional Information About Your Airbags
31
Driver and Passenger Safety
10/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu