Acura RDX 2007 Workshop Manual

Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (lower anchors and tethers
for children) at the rear seats to
secure a child seat in any seating
position: one in each outer seating
position, or one in the center.
Thefiveloweranchorsarelocated
between the seat-back and seat
bottom, and are to be used only with
a child seat designed f or use with
LATCH.The location of each lower anchor is
indicated by a small button above the
anchor point.
When you install a child seat in the
rear center seating position, use the
center LATCH as shown in the
illustration. To install a child seat in
the outer seating position, use either
LATCH. You can install up to two
child seat at a time with outer
LATCH. To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat in either of the rear outer seats:
Move the seat belt buckle or
tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
Make sure there are no objects
near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors.
1.
2.
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat with
LATCHUsing t he Out er L A T CH
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
47
LOWER ANCHORS
FOR OUTER LATCH BUTTON LOWER ANCHORS
FOR CENTER LATCH
OUTER LOWER ANCHORS
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Whatever type you have, follow
the child seat maker’s instructions
for adjusting or tightening the fit.
Remove the cargo area cover, and
place it on the cargo area floor
(see page ). Lift
the head restraint (see page
), then route the tether strap
through the legs of the head
restraint and over the seat-back,
making sure the strap is not
twisted.
Other LATCH-compatible seats have
a f lexible-type connector as shown
above.
Place the child seat on the vehicle
seat, then attach the seat to the
lower anchors according to the
child seat maker’s instructions.
Some LATCH-compatible seats
have a rigid-type connector as
shown above.
5. 6.
4.
3.
146
167
Installing a Child Seat
48
Flexible type
Rigid type TETHER STRAP
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Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchor, then tighten the
strap as instructed by the child
seat maker.
Push and pull the child seat
forward and from side-to-side to
verify that it is secure. To
install a LATCH-compatible child
seat in the rear center seating
position, use the center lower
anchorsasshownabove. Follow
step 1 through 8 as described
previously to secu re the child seat.
When you install the child seat in the
rear center seating position, you
cannotusetheseatbeltbehindthe
driver’s seat.
Remove the head restraint (see page
). Make sure the removed head
restraint is secured in the cargo area.
Reinstall the head restraint when the
child seat is removed.
7.
8.
146
CONT INUED
Using t he Cent er L A T CH
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
49
CENTER LOWER ANCHORS
TETHER STRAP HOOK ANCHOR
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If you want to install two child seats
in the back seats, place each child
seat in the outer seat, as shown in
the above illustration.Do not attach two child seat
connectors to a single lower anchor
at a time.
The LATCH system or the child
seats might be damaged if you try to
install three child seats in the rear
seats.
Installing a Child Seat
50
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When not using the LATCH system,
all child seats must be secured to the
vehicle with the lap part of a lap/
shoulder belt.With the child seat in the desired
seating position, route the belt
through the child seat according
to the seat maker’s instructions,
then insert the latch plate into the
buckle.To activate the lockable retractor,
slowly pull the shoulder part of the
belt all the way out until it stops,
then let the belt f eed back into the
retractor.
Af ter the belt has retracted, tug on
it. If the belt is locked, you will not
be able to pull it out. If you can pull
thebeltout,itisnotlocked,and
you will need to repeat these steps.
In addition, the lap/shoulder belts in
all seating positions except the
driver’s have a lockable retractor
that must be activated to secure a
child seat.
2.
1.
3.
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat with a L ap/
Shoulder Belt
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
51
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Af ter conf irming that the belt is
locked, grab the shoulder part of
the belt near the buckle, and pull
up to remove any slack from the
lap part of the belt. Remember, if
the lap part of the belt is not tight,
the child seat will not be secure.Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure enough to
stay upright during normal driving
maneuvers. If the child seat is not
secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to
retract f ully, then repeat these
steps.
To remove slack, it may help to
putweightonthechildseat,or
push on the back of the seat while
pulling up on the belt. To deactivate the lockable retractor
and remove a child seat, unlatch the
buckle, unroute the seat belt, and let
the belt fully retract. A child seat with a tether can be
installed in any seating position in
the back seat.
Since a tether can provide additional
security to the lap/shoulder belt
installation, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or
available.
4.
5.
Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat with a
Tether
52
TETHER ANCHORAGE POINT
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Tighten the strap according to the
seat maker’s instructions.
Attach
the tether strap hook to the
anchor, making sure the tether
strap is not twisted.
Remove
the cargo area cover, and
place it on the cargo area floor
(see page ). After
properly securing the child
seat (see page ), lift the head
restraint, then route the tether
strap over the seat-back and
th rough the head restraint legs.
Remove the head restraint (see
page ). Make sure the removed
he ad restraint is secured in the
cargo area. Reinstall the head
restraint when the child seat is
removed.
After properly securing the child
seat (see page ), route the
tether strap over the top of the
seat-back.
When you install the child seat in
the rear center seating position,
you cannot use the seat belt
behind the driver’s seat.
1.
4.
2.
3.
(Outer seating position)
(Rear center seating position)
51
146 51
167
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
53
TETHER STRAP HOOK
TETHER STRAP ANCHOR
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When a child reaches the
recommended weight or height limit
for a forward-facing child seat, the
child should sit in a back seat on a
booster seat and wear a lap/shoulder
belt.
The f ollowing pages give
instructions on how to check proper
seat belt f it, what kind of booster
seat to use if one is needed, and
important precautions f or a child
who must sit in f ront.To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly f its a child, have the child
put on the seat belt, then ask
yourself :Does the child sit all the way back
against the seat?
Do the child’s knees bend
comf ortably over the edge of the
seat?
1.
2. Checking Seat Belt Fit
Protecting L arger Children
54
Allowing a child age 12 or under
to sit in front can result in injury
or death if the passenger’s front
airbag inflates.
If a child must ride in front,
move the vehicle seat as far
back as possible, use a booster
seat if needed, have the child
sit up properly and wear the
seat belt properly.
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CONTINUED
Does the shoulder belt cross
between the child’s neck and arm?
Is the lap part of the belt as low as
possible, touching the child’s
thighs?
Will the child be able to stay
seated like this for the whole trip?
If you answer yes to all these
questions, the child is ready to wear
the lap/shoulder belt correctly. If
you answer no to any question, the
child needs to ride on a booster seat. A child who has outg rown a forward-
facing child seat should ride in a
back seat and use a booster seat
until the lap/shoulder belt fits them
properly without the booster. Booster
seats can be high-back or
low-back. Whichever style you select,
make sure the booster seat meets
f ederal saf ety standards (see page ) and that you f ollow the booster
seat maker’s instructions. Some states and Canadian provinces
also 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
states or provinces where you intend
to drive.
3.
4.
5.
45
Protecting L arger Children
Using a Booster Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
55
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If a child who uses a booster seat
must ride in front, move the vehicle
seat as far back as possible and be
sure the child is wearing the seat
belt properly.
A child may continue using a booster
seat until the tops of their ears are
even with the top of the vehicle’s or
booster’s seat-back. A child of this
height should be tall enough to use
the lap/shoulder belt without a
booster seat. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
ag
ed 12 and under be p roperly
restrained in a back seat.
If the passenger’s front airbag
inflates in a moderate to severe
frontal 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.
A side airbag also poses ri sks. If any
part of a larger child’s body is in the
path of a deploying side ai rbag, the
child could receive possibly serious
injuries. Of course, children vary widel
y. And
while age m ay be one indicator of
when a child can safely ride in front,
there are other important factors you
should consider.
Physically, a child must be large
enough for the lap/shoulder belt to
properly fit (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
with or without the child sitting on a
booster seat, the child should not sit
in 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. 16 54
When Can a L arger Child Sit in
Front
Physical Size
Maturity
Protecting L arger Children
56
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