ACURA RDX 2010 Workshop Manual

3. Place the child seat on the vehicleseat, 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.
Other LATCH-compatible seats have
a flexible-type connector as shown
above.
4. Whatever type you have, follow the
child seat maker's instructions for
adjusting or tightening the fit.
5. Remove the cargo area cover, and place it on the cargo area floor (see
page 160).
6. Lift the head restraint (see page
135), then route the tether strap
through the legs of the head
restraint and over the seat-back,
making sure the strap is not
twisted.
Rigid type
Flexible type
TETHER STRAP
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Installing a Child Seat
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7. Attach the tether strap hook to thetether anchor, then tighten the
strap as instructed by the child
seat maker.
8. Push and pull the child seat forward and from side-to-side to
verify that it is secure.
Using the Center LATCHTo install a LATCH-compatible child
seat in the rear center seating
position, use the center lower
anchors as shown above.
Remove the head restraint (see page
136). Make sure the removed head
restraint is secured in the cargo area.
Reinstall the head restraint when the
child seat is removed.
Follow step 1 through 8 as described
previously to secure the child seat.
When you install the child seat in the
rear center seating position, you
cannot use the seat belt behind the
driver's seat.
TETHER STRAP HOOK ANCHOR
CENTER LOWER ANCHORS
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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
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Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/
Shoulder Belt
When not using the LATCH system,
all child seats must be secured to the
vehicle with the lap part of a lap/
shoulder belt.
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.
1. With the child seat in the desiredseating position, route the belt
through the child seat according to
the seat maker's instructions, then
insert the latch plate into the
buckle and remove any slack from
the lap portion of the belt.
2. To activate the lockable retractor,slowly pull the shoulder part of the
belt all the way out until it stops,
then let the belt feed back into the
retractor.
3. After 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
the belt out, it is not locked, and
you will need to repeat these steps.
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4. After confirming that the belt islocked, 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.
To remove slack, it may help to put
weight on the child seat, or push
on the back of the seat while
pulling up on the belt.
5. Push and pull the child seatforward and from 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 fully, then repeat these
steps.
To deactivate the lockable retractor
and remove a child seat, unlatch the
buckle, unroute the seat belt, and let
the belt fully retract. Installing a Child Seat with a
Tether
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.
TETHER ANCHORAGE POINT
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Installing a Child Seat
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1. Remove the cargo area cover, andplace it on the cargo area floor (see
page 160). 2. (Outer seating position)
After properly securing the child
seat (see page 50), lift the head
restraint, then route the tether
strap over the seat-back and
through the head restraint legs.
(Rear center seating position)
Remove the head restraint (see
page 136). Make sure the removed
head 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 50), 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.
3. Attach the tether strap hook to the anchor, making sure the tether
strap is not twisted.
4. Tighten the strap according to the seat maker's instructions.
If the tether strap is too long and
cannot be tightened firmly, find a
route where the strap can be
tightened securely.
TETHER STRAP
TETHER STRAP HOOK 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 following pages give instructions
on how to check proper seat belt fit,
what kind of booster seat to use if
one is needed, and important
precautions for a child who must sit
in front.
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.Checking Seat Belt Fit
To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly fits a child, have the child
put on the seat belt, then ask
yourself:
1. Does the child sit all the way back
against the seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably over the edge of the
seat?
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Protecting Larger Children
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3. Does the shoulder belt crossbetween the child's neck and arm?
4. Is the lap part of the belt as low as possible, touching the child's
thighs?
5. 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. Using a Booster Seat
A child who has outgrown 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.Some states, Canadian provinces and
territories 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, provinces and
territories where you intend to drive.
Booster seats can be high-back or
low-back. Whichever style you select,
make sure the booster seat meets
federal safety standards (see page
44) and that you follow the booster
seat maker's instructions.
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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.When Can a Larger Child Sit in
Front
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
aged 12 and under be properly
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 risks. If any
part of a larger child's body is in the
path of a deploying side airbag, the
child could receive possibly serious
injuries.Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can safely ride in front,
there are other important factors you
should consider.
Physical SizePhysically, a child must be large
enough for the lap/shoulder belt to
properly fit (see pages
15and 53). If
the seat belt does not fit properly,
with or without the child sitting on a
booster seat, the child should not sit
in front.MaturityTo safely ride in front, a child must
be able to follow the rules, including
sitting properly, and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
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Protecting Larger Children
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If you decide that a child can safely
ride up front, be sure to:●Carefully read the owner's manual,
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all safety
information.●Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.●Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the floor.●Check that the child's seat belt is
properly and securely positioned.●Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to fasten the seat belts
or sit properly.Additional Safety Precautions
●Do not let a child wear a seat belt
across the neck.
This could result
in serious neck injuries during a
crash.
●Do not let a child put the shoulder part of a seat belt behind the back
or under the arm.
This could cause
very serious injuries during a
crash. It also increases the chance
that the child will slide under the
belt in a crash and be injured.
●Two children 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 a
seat belt.
Devices intended to
improve a child's comfort or
reposition the shoulder part of a
seat belt can make the belt less
effective and increase the chance
of serious injury in a crash.
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