Ds mode Acura MDX 2016 Owner's Guide

uuSeat Belts uAbout Your Seat Belts
34
Safe Driving
■Proper use of seat belts
Follow these guidelines for proper use:
• All occupants should sit upright, well back in the seat, and remain in that position
for the duration of the trip. Slouching and leaning reduce the effectiveness of the
belt and can increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.
• Never place the shoulder part of a lap/shoulder seat belt under your arm or
behind your back. This could cause very serious injuries in a crash.
• Two people should never use the same seat belt. If they do, they could be very
seriously injured in a crash.
• Do not put any accessories on the seat be lts. Devices intended to improve comfort
or reposition the shoulder part of a seat be lt can reduce the protective capability
and increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.
Your vehicle monitors front seat belt use. If
the power mode is set to ON before the
driver’s seat belt is fastened, the beeper will
sound and the indicator will blink. If the driver
does not fasten the belt before the beeper
stops, the indicator will remain on.
The beeper will also periodically sound and
the indicator will blink while driving until the
driver’s and front passenger’s seat belts are
fastened.
■Seat Belt Reminder
1 About Your Seat Belts
If a rear seat passenger moves around and extends
the seat belt, the lockable retractor may activate. If
this happens, release the retractor by unfastening the
seat belt and allow the belt to retract completely.
Then refasten the belt.
1Seat Belt Reminder
The indicator will also come on if a front passenger
does not fasten their seat belt within six seconds after
the power mode is set to ON.
When no one is sitting in th e front passenger’s seat,
the indicator will not come on and the beeper will not
sound.
The indicator also may no t come on and the beeper
may not sound when the occupant is not heavy
enough to trigger the weight sensor. Such occupants
(e.g., infants and smaller children) should be moved
to the rear seat as a deploying front airbag likely will
injure or kill them.
2 Protecting Child Passengers P. 56
16 ACURA MDX-31TZ56200.book 34 ページ ２０１５年３月４日　水曜日　午後２時５９分

35
uuSeat Belts uAbout Your Seat Belts
Safe DrivingThe front seats are equi pped with automatic
seat belt tensioners to enhance safety.
The tensioners automatically tighten the front
seat belts during a moderate-to-severe frontal
collision, sometimes even if the collision is not
severe enough to inflate the front airbags or
the driver’s knee airbag.
Are the motor-powered pretensioners that
start to retract the front seat belts when the
CMBS
TM, brake assist system, or VSA ® system
is in operation. They may also activate when
you steer the vehicle hard, or the vehicle is
impacted. After retracted, the seat belts are
slackened to their original positions.
As convenient features, the e-pretensioners
slightly retract the seat belts when you latch
the seat belt buckle, depress the brake pedal
more aggressively than you normally do, or
make a sharp turn, and fu lly retract when you
release the seat belt buckle.
■Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners1 Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
The seat belt tensioners can only operate once.
If a tensioner is activated, the SRS indicator will come
on. Have a dealer replace the tensioner and
thoroughly inspect the seat belt system as it may not
offer protection in a subsequent crash.
During a moderate-to-severe side impact, the
tensioner on that side of the vehicle also activates.
■Seat Belt e-pretensioners*1Seat Belt e-pretensioners*
If only the e-pretensione rs were activated, no
components need to be replaced.
The e-pretensioners may not work if:
•A warning message for e- pretensioners appears on
multi-information display.
•Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA® ) System Indicator is
on.
* Not available on all models
16 ACURA MDX-31TZ56200.book 35 ページ ２０１５年３月４日　水曜日　午後２時５９分

36
uuSeat Belts uFastening a Seat Belt
Safe Driving
Fastening a Seat Belt
After adjusting a front seat to the proper position, and while sitting upright and well
back in the seat:
2 Adjusting the Seats P. 175
1.Pull the seat belt out slowly.
2. Insert the latch plate into the buckle, then
tug on the belt to make sure the buckle is
secure.
u Make sure that the belt is not twisted or
caught on anything.
When you or the front passenger insert the
latch plate into the buckle, the front seat
belt retracts automatically.
2 Seat Belt e-pretensioners* P. 35
1Fastening a Seat Belt
No one should sit in a seat with an inoperative seat
belt or one that does not appear to be working
correctly. Using a seat be lt that is not working
properly may not protect the occupant in a crash.
Have a dealer check the belt as soon as possible.
Never insert any foreign obj ects into the buckle or
retractor mechanism.
Pull out slowly.
Correct
Seated
Posture.
Latch
Plate
BuckleModels with CMBSTM
* Not available on all models
16 ACURA MDX-31TZ56200.book 36 ページ ２０１５年３月４日　水曜日　午後２時５９分

42
uuAirbags uAirbag System Components
Safe Driving
The front, driver’s knee, front side, and side
curtain airbags are deployed according to
the direction and severity of impact. Both
side curtain airbags are deployed in a
rollover. The airbag system includes:
aTwo 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.
bDriver’s knee airbag. The knee airbag is
stored under the steering column. It is
marked SRS AIRBAG.
cTwo 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 .
dTwo 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.
eAn electronic control unit that continually
monitors and can re cord information
about the sensors, the airbag activators,
the seat belt tensioners, and driver and
front passenger seat belt use when the
power mode is in ON.
fAutomatic front seat belt tensioners. The
driver’s and front passenger’s seat belts
incorporate sensors that detect whether
or not they are fastened.
The front seat belt tensioners also include
the e-pretensioners.
gA driver’s seat position sensor. If the seat
is too far forward, the airbag will inflate
with less force.
hWeight sensors in the front passenger’s
seat. The front passenger’s airbag will be
turned off if the weight on the seat is 65
lbs (29 kg) or less (the weight of an infant
or small child).
Models with CMBSTM
iImpact sensors that can detect a
moderate-to-severe front or side impact.
jAn indicator on the dashboard that alerts
you that the front passenger’s front
airbag has been turned off.
kAn indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you to a possible problem with your
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.
lSafing Sensor
mA rollover sensor that detects whether
the vehicle is about to roll over.
16 ACURA MDX-31TZ56200.book 42 ページ ２０１５年３月４日　水曜日　午後２時５９分

44
uuAirbags uTypes of Airbags
Safe Driving
Types of Airbags
Your vehicle is equipped with four types of airbags:
• Front airbags: Airbags in front of the driver ’s and front passenger’s seats.
• Driver’s knee airbag: Airbag under the steering column.
• Side airbags: Airbags in the driver’s and front passenger’s seat-backs.
• Side curtain airbags: Airbags above the side windows.
Each is discussed in the following pages.
Front Airbags (SRS)
The front SRS airbags inflate in a moderate-to -severe frontal collision to help protect
the head and chest of the driver and/or front passenger.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) indicates that the airbags are designed to
supplement seat belts, not replace them. Seat belts are the occupant’s primary
restraint system.
The front airbags are housed in the center of the steering wheel for the driver, and
in the dashboard for the front pass enger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG.
■Housing Locations
1Types of Airbags
The airbags can inflate whenever the power mode is
in ON.
After an airbag inflates in a crash, you may see a
small amount of smoke. This is from the combustion
process of the infl ator material and is not harmful.
People with respiratory pr oblems may experience
some temporary discomfort. If this occurs, get out of
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
1 Front Airbags (SRS)
Dual-Stage, Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags
(SRS)
Your vehicle is equipped wi th dual-stage, multiple-
threshold front airbags (SRS).
During a frontal crash severe enough to cause one or
both front airbags to deploy, the airbags can inflate
at different rates, dependi ng on the severity of the
crash, whether or not the se at belts are latched, and/
or other factors. Frontal airbags are designed to
supplement the seat belts to help reduce the
likelihood of head and chest injuries in frontal
crashes.
16 ACURA MDX-31TZ56200.book 44 ページ ２０１５年３月４日　水曜日　午後２時５９分

Continued45
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe DrivingFront airbags are designed to inflate duri ng moderate-to-severe frontal collisions.
When the vehicle decelerates suddenly, the sensors send information to the control
unit which signals one or both front airbags to inflate.
A frontal collision can be either head-on or angled between two vehicles, or when a
vehicle crashes into a stationary object, such as a concrete wall.
While your seat belt restrains your torso, the
front airbag provides supplemental protection
for your head and chest.
The front airbags deflate immediately so that
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 so fast that most occupants are not
aware that the airbags deployed until th ey see them lying in front of them.
■Operation
■How the Front Airbags Work1How the Front Airbags Work
Although the driver’s and fr ont passenger’s airbags
normally inflate within a spli t 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 protec tion, and the supplemental
protection offered by the airbag would be minimal.
16 ACURA MDX-31TZ56200.book 45 ページ ２０１５年３月４日　水曜日　午後２時５９分

46
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe Driving
■When front airbags should not deploy
Minor frontal crashes: Front airbags were designed to supplement seat belts and
help save lives, not to prevent minor scrapes, or even broken bones that might occur
during a less than moderate-to-severe frontal crash.
Side impacts: Front airbags can provide protection when a sudden deceleration
causes a driver or front passenger to move toward the front of the vehicle. Side
airbags and side curtain airbag s have been specifically designed to help reduce the
severity of injuries that can occur durin g a moderate-to-severe side impact which
can cause the driver or passenger to move toward the side of the vehicle.
Rear impacts: Head restraints and seat belts are your best protection during a rear
impact. Front airbags cannot provide any si gnificant protection and are not designed
to deploy in such collisions.
Rollovers: Seat belts, and in vehicles equipped with a rollover sensor, side airbags,
and side curtain airbags offer the best prot ection in a rollover. Because front airbags
could provide little if any protection, they are not designed to deploy during a
rollover.
■When front airbags deploy with little or no visible damage
Because the airbag system senses sudden deceleration, a strong impact to the
vehicle framework or suspension might caus e one or more of the airbags to deploy.
Examples include running into a curb, the edge of a hole, or other low fixed object
that causes a sudden deceleration in th e vehicle chassis. Since the impact is
underneath the vehicle, damage may not be readily apparent.
■When front airbags may not deploy, even though exterior damage
appears severe
Since crushable body parts absorb crash energy during an impact, the amount of
visible damage does not always indicate proper airbag operation. In fact, some
collisions can result in severe damage but no airbag deployment because the airbags
would not have been needed or would not have provided protection even if they
had deployed.
16 ACURA MDX-31TZ56200.book 46 ページ ２０１５年３月４日　水曜日　午後２時５９分

48
uuAirbags uDriver’s Knee Airbag
Safe Driving
Driver’s Knee Airbag
The driver’s knee SRS airbag inflates in a moderate-to-severe frontal collision to help
keep the driver in the proper position and to help maximize the benefit provided by
the vehicles other safety features.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) indica tes that the airbag is designed to
supplement seat belts, not replace them. Seat belts are the occupant’s primary
restraint system.
The driver’s knee airbag is housed under the
steering column for the driver.
The airbag is marked SRS AIRBAG.
When the driver’s front airbag inflates, the
driver’s knee airbag also inflates.
■Housing Locations
1 Driver’s Knee Airbag
Do not attach accessories on or near the driver’s knee
airbag. They can interfere with the proper operation
of the airbag, or hurt someone if an airbag inflates.
Housing
Location
■Operation
When
inflated
Knee
Airbag
16 ACURA MDX-31TZ56200.book 48 ページ ２０１５年３月４日　水曜日　午後２時５９分

50
uuAirbags uSide Airbags
Safe Driving
Side Airbags
The side airbags help protect the torso and pelvis of the driver or a front passenger
during a moderate-to-severe side impact.
The side airbags are housed in the outside
edge of the driver’s and passenger’s seat-
backs.
Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG.
When the sensors detect a moderate-to-
severe side impact, the control unit signals the
side airbag on the impact side to immediately
inflate.
■Housing Locations
1 Side Airbags
Do not attach accessories on or near the side airbags.
They can interfere with the proper operation of the
airbags, or hurt someone if an airbag inflates.
Do not cover or replace the front seat-back covers
without consulting a dealer.
Improperly replac ing or covering front seat-back
covers can prevent your si de airbags from properly
deploying during a side impact.
Housing
Location
■Operation
When
inflated
Side
Airbag
16 ACURA MDX-31TZ56200.book 50 ページ ２０１５年３月４日　水曜日　午後２時５９分

52
uuAirbags uSide Curtain Airbags
Safe Driving
Side Curtain Airbags
Side curtain airbags help protect the head s of the driver and passengers in outer
seating positions during a moderate-to-sever e side impact. The side curtain airbags
equipped in this vehicle are also designed to help reduce the likelihood of partial and
complete ejection of vehicle occupants thro ugh side windows in crashes, particularly
rollover crashes.
The side curtain airbags are located in the
ceiling above the side windows on both sides
of the vehicle.
The side curtain airbag is designed to deploy
in a rollover or a moderate-to-severe side
impact.
■Housing Locations
1Side Curtain Airbags
If the SRS control unit sens es that your vehicle is
about to rollover, it imme diately deploys both side
curtain airbags and activates both front seat belt
tensioners.
The airbag on the passenger’s side will deploy, even
if there are no passengers on that side of the vehicle.
To get the best protecti on from the side curtain
airbags, occupants should wear their seat belts
properly and sit upr ight and well back in their seats.
Do not attach any objects to the side windows or roof
pillars as they can interfere with the proper operation
of the side curtain airbags.
Side Curtain Airbag Storage
■Operation
Deployed Side Curtain Airbag
16 ACURA MDX-31TZ56200.book 52 ページ ２０１５年３月４日　水曜日　午後２時５９分