ECU Acura MDX 2017 Owner's Guide

| 3
S
AFETY
Your safety—and the safety of others—is very important, and operating this vehicle
safely is an important responsibility. While we strive to help you make informed
decisions about safety, it is not practical or possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or maintaining your vehicle. Therefore, you must
use your own good judgment.
Important Safety Information
This guide explains many of your vehicle’s safety features and how to use them.
Please read this information carefully. Following the instructions below will also
help to keep you and your passengers safe.
Important Safety Precautions
•
Always wear
your seat belt.
•
Secure all children in

the proper restraint system.
•
Be aware of airbag hazar

ds.
•
Don’t drink and drive.
•
Pay appr

opriate attention to the task of driving safely.
•
Control y

our speed.
•
Keep y

our vehicle in safe condition.
Engaging in cell phone conversation or other activities that keep you from paying
close attention to the road, other vehicles, and pedestrians could lead to a crash.
Remember, situations can change quickly, and only you can decide when it is safe
to divert some attention away from driving.
Important Handling Information Your vehicle has a higher ground clearance than a passenger vehicle designed for
use only on pavement. Higher ground clearance has many advantages for off-
highway driving. It allows you to travel over bumps, obstacles, and rough terrain.
It also provides good visibility so you can anticipate problems earlier.
These advantages come at some cost. Because your vehicle is taller and rides
higher off the ground, it has a higher center of gravity, making it more susceptible
to tipping or rollover if you make abrupt turns. Utility vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. In a rollover crash, an unbelted
person is significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. As a
reminder, make sure you and your passengers always wear seat belts.
SAFETY INFORMATION

| 7
S
AFETY
Fastening a Seat Belt
Adjust your seat to the proper position (see page 43), and then follow the
below steps.
1.
Pull the seat belt out slowl

y.
2.
Insert the latch plate

into the buckle, then tug
on the belt to make sure the buckle is secure.
Make sure that the belt is not twisted or
caught on anything. The front seat belts retract
automatically.
3.
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 fits
snugly. This lets your strong pelvic bones take
the force of a crash and reduces the chance of
internal injuries.
4.
If necessary, pull up on

the belt again to remove
any slack, then make sure that the belt rests
across the center of your chest and over your
shoulder. This spreads the forces of a crash over
the strongest bones in your upper body.
To release

the belt, push the red PRESS button


then guide the belt by hand until it has

retracted completely

.
Adjusting the Shoulder Anchor
The front seats have adjustable shoulder anchors to accommodate taller and
shorter occupants.
1.
Move

the anchor up and down while holding the
release button.
2.
Position the anchor so

that the belt rests across
the center of your chest and over your shoulder.
Pull out
slowl y.
Lap belt
as low as
possible
Latch
plate
Buckle
Pull out
slowly.
Lap belt
as low as
possible
Latch
plate
Buckle
Pull out
slowly.
Lap belt
as low as
possible
Latch
plate
Buckle
Push
Improperly positioning the seat belts can cause serious injury or death in a
crash.
Make sure all seat belts are properly positioned before driving.
WARNING

| 15
S
AFETY
Child Safety
Each year, many children are injured or killed in vehicle crashes because they are
either unrestrained or not properly restrained. In fact, vehicle collisions are the
number one cause of death of children ages 12 and under.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada
recommend that all children ages 12 and under be properly restrained in a rear seat.
Some states or provinces/territories have laws restricting where children may ride.
To reduce the number of child deaths and injuries, every state, Canadian province,
and territory requires that infants and children be properly restrained when they
ride in a vehicle.
Protecting Child Passengers—Important Considerations
•
An inflating front
or side airbag can injure or kill a child sitting in the front
passenger’s seat.
•
A child in the fr

ont passenger’s seat is more likely to interfere with the driver’s
ability to safely control the vehicle.
•
Statistics show that children

of all sizes and ages are safer when they are
properly restrained in a rear seat.
•
Any child who is

too small to wear a seat belt correctly must be restrained in an
approved child seat that is properly secured to the vehicle using either the lap
belt portion of the lap/shoulder belt or the lower anchors of the LATCH system.
•
Never hold a child on

your lap because it is impossible to protect them in the
event of a collision.
•
Never put a seat belt o

ver yourself and a child. During a crash, the belt would
likely press deep into the child and cause serious or fatal injuries.
•
Never let two childr

en use the same seat belt. Both children could be very
seriously injured in a crash.
•
Do not allow

children to operate the doors, windows, or seat adjustments.
•
Do not leave children in

the vehicle unattended, especially in hot weather
when the inside of the vehicle can get hot enough to kill them. They could also
activate vehicle controls, causing it to move unexpectedly.
Children who are unrestrained or improperly restrained can be seriously
injured or killed in a crash.
Any child too small for a seat belt should be properly restrained in a child
seat. A larger child should be properly restrained with a seat belt, using a
booster seat if necessary.
WARNING

16 |
S
AFETY
Protecting Infants
An infant must be properly restrained in a rear-facing, reclining child seat until
the infant reaches the seat manufacturer’s weight or height limit for the seat, and
the infant is at least one year old. Many experts recommend use of a rear-facing
seat for a child up to two years old if the child’s height and weight are appropriate
for a rear-facing seat.
Child seats must be placed and secured in a rear
seating position. Rear-facing child seats should never
be installed in a forward-facing position.
When properly installed, a rear-facing child seat may
prevent the driver or a front passenger from moving
their seat all the way back, or from locking their
seat-back in the desired position. If this occurs, we
recommend that you install the child seat directly behind the front passenger’s
seat, move the seat as far forward as needed, and leave it unoccupied. Or, you
may wish to get a smaller rear-facing child seat.
Allowing a child to play with a seat belt or wrap one around their neck can
result in serious injury or death.
Instruct children not to play with any seat belt and make sure any unused
seat belt a child can reach is buckled, fully retracted, and locked.
WARNING
Placing a rear-facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious injury or
death during a crash.
Always place a rear-facing child seat in the rear seat, not the front.
WARNING

| 17
S
AFETY
Protecting Smaller Children
If a child is at least one year old and within the weight range indicated by the
child seat manufacturer, the child should be properly restrained in a firmly
secured forward-facing child seat until they exceed the weight and height
limitations for the forward-facing child seat.
We strongly recommend placing a forward-facing
child seat in a rear seating position.
Placing a forward-facing child seat in the front seat
can be hazardous, even with advanced front airbags
that automatically turn the passenger’s front airbag
off. A rear seat is the safest place for a child.
Selecting a Child Seat
Most child seats are LATCH-compatible (Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren). Some have a rigid-type connector, while others have a flexible-type
connector. Both are equally easy to use. Some existing and previously owned
child seats can only be installed using the seat belt. Whichever type you choose,
follow the child seat manufacturer’s use and care instructions as well as the
instructions in this manual. Proper installation is key to maximizing your child’s
safety.
In seating positions and vehicles not equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-compatible
child seat can be installed using the seat belt and a top tether for added security.
This is because all child seats are required to be designed so that they can be
secured with a lap belt or the lap part of a lap/shoulder belt. In addition, the
child seat manufacturer may advise that a seat belt be used to attach a LATCH-
compatible seat once a child reaches a specified weight. Please read the child
seat owner’s manual for proper installation instructions.
Important considerations when selecting a child seat
Make sure the child seat meets the following three requirements:
•
The child seat is the correct

type and size for the child.
•
The child seat is the correct

type for the seating position.
•
The child seat is compliant with Federal Motor

Vehicle Safety Standard 213 or
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213. Placing a forward-facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious
injury or death if the front airbag inflates.
If you must place a forward-facing child seat in front, move the vehicle seat
as far back as possible, and properly restrain the child.
WARNING

| 19
S
AFETY
Outer seats: Raise the head r
estraint to its

highest position, then route
the tether strap


between the head restraint legs, and secur

e the


tether strap hook onto the anchor

.
Center seat:

Lower the center head restraint to


its lowest position, then route

the tether strap


over the top of the

head restraint and secure the


tether strap hook onto the anchor

.
3.
Make sure

the strap is not twisted. Tighten
the tether strap as instructed by the child seat
manufacturer.
4.
Make sure

the child seat is firmly secured by
rocking it forward and back and side to side;
little movement should be felt.
5.
Make sure an

y unused seat belt that a child
can reach is buckled, the lockable retractor is
activated, and the belt is fully retracted and
locked.
Anchor
Tether Strap Hook
With second-row captain seats
With second-row bench seat
Anchor
Tether strap hook

20 |
S
AFETY
Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/Shoulder Seat Belt
1.
Place the child seat on the
vehicle seat.
2.
Route the seat

belt through the child
seat according to the seat manufacturer’s
instructions, and insert the latch plate into the
buckle. Insert the latch plate fully until it clicks.
3.
Slowly pull the shoulder part

of the belt all the
way out until it stops. This activates the lockable
retractor.
4.
Let the seat belt completely

wind up into the
retractor, then try to pull it out to make sure
the retractor is locked. If you are able to pull the
shoulder belt out, the lockable retractor is not
activated. Pull the seat belt all the way out, and
repeat steps 3 – 4.
5.
Grab the shoulder part of

the seat belt near the
buckle, and pull up to remove any slack from the
lap part of the belt. When doing this, place your
weight on the child seat and push it into the
vehicle seat.
6.
Make sure

the child seat is firmly secured by
rocking it forward and back and side to side;
little movement should be felt.
7.
Make sure an

y unused seat belt that a child
can reach is buckled, the lockable retractor is
activated, and the belt is fully retracted and
locked.
To deactivate a lockable retractor, release the buckle and allow the seat belt to
wind up all the way.

| 21
S
AFETY

Adding Security with a Tether
A tether anchorage point is provided behind each second- and third-row seating
position. A child seat that is installed with a seat belt and comes with a tether
can use the tether for additional security.
Second-row seats
1.
Outer seats: Raise the head r

estraint to its
highest position, then route the tether strap
through the head restraint legs.
1.
Center seat:

Lower the head restraint to its
lowest position, then route the tether strap over
the top of the head restraint.
2.
Make sure

the strap is not twisted, and secure
the tether strap hook onto the anchor.
3.
Tighten the tether strap as instructed b

y the
child seat manufacturer.
Second row seatTether anchorage points
Second row seat
Anchor Tether strap hook
Tether Anchorage Points
With second-row bench seat
With second-row captain seats
Anchor
Tether Strap Hook
With second-row bench seat
With second-row captain seats

22 |
S
AFETY
Third-row seats
1.
Pull up the head restraint and push r

earward
until it latches, then route the tether strap
through the head restraint legs.
2.
Open the anchor cov

er.
3.
Make sure

the strap is not twisted, and secure
the tether strap hook onto the anchor.
4.
Tighten the tether strap as instructed b

y the
child seat manufacturer.
Third row seatTether anchorage points
Third row seat
Tether strap hook Anchor

| 23
S
AFETY
Allowing a child age 12 or under to sit in the front can result in injury or
death if the passenger’s front airbag inflates.
If a larger child must ride in front, move the vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, have the child sit up properly and wear the seat belt properly, using
a booster seat if needed.
WARNING
Protecting Larger Children
When a child is too big for a child seat, secure the child in a rear seat using the
lap/shoulder seat belt.
Have the child sit upright and all the way back, then ensure the following:
•
The child’s knees bend comfortably

over the edge
of the seat.
•
The shoulder belt crosses between the child’

s
neck and arm.
•
The lap part of the seat belt is as low as possible,
touching the

child’s thighs.
•
The child can stay seated for the

whole trip.
If a lap/shoulder belt cannot be used properly, position the child in a booster seat
in a rear seating position. For the child’s safety, check that the child meets the
booster seat manufacturer’s recommendations.
Some U.S. states and Canadian provinces/territories require children to use a
booster seat until they reach a given age or weight (e.g., 6 years or 60 lbs). Be
sure to check current laws in the state or province/territory where you intend to
drive.