Acura RDX 2015 Service Manual

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uuAirbags uTypes of Airbags
Safe Driving
Types of Airbags
Your vehicle is equipped with three types of airbags:
• Front airbags: Airbags in front of the driver 's and front passenger's seats.
• 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) indica tes 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.

Continued41
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.

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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 towards the front of the vehicle. Side
airbags and side curtain airb ags have been specifically designed to help reduce the
severity of injuries that can occur during a moderate-to-severe side impact which
can cause the driver or passenger to move towards 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 significant protection and are not designed
to deploy in such collisions.
Rollovers: Seat belts and, in vehicl es 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.

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uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe DrivingYour front airbags have advanced features to help reduce the likelihood of airbag
related injuries to smaller occupants.
The driver's advanced front airbag system
includes a seat position sensor.
If the seat is too far forward, the airbag
inflates with less force, regardless of the
severity of the impact.
The passenger's advanced front airbag system
has weight sensors.
Although Acura recommends against carrying
an infant or small child in front, if the sensors
detect the weight of a child (up to about 65 lbs
or 29 kg), the system will automatically turn
off the passenger's front airbag.
■Advanced Airbags1 Advanced Airbags
If there is a problem with the driver's seat position
sensor, the SRS indicator wi ll come on and the airbag
will inflate with full (normal) force, regardless of the
driver's seating position.
For both advanced front airbags to work properly:
•Do not spill any liquid on or under the seats.•Do not put any object under the passenger’s seat.
•Make sure any objects are positioned properly on
the floor. Improperly pos itioned objects can
interfere with the advanced airbag sensors.
•All occupants should sit upri ght and wear their seat
belts properly.
•Do not place any cover over the passenger side
dashboard.
Driver’s
Seat
Position
Sensor
Passenger’s
Seat
Weight
Sensors

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uuAirbags uSide Airbags
Safe Driving
Side Airbags
The side airbags help protect the upper to rso 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.
If the impact is on the passenger's side, the airbag
may not deploy when there is no passenger in the
front passenger seat.
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

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uuAirbags uSide Airbags
Continued
Safe Driving
■When a side airbag deploys with little or no visible damage
Because the airbag system senses sudden acceleration, a strong impact to the side
of the vehicle's framework can cause a side airbag to deploy. In such cases, there
may be little or no damage, but the side impact sensors detected a severe enough
impact to deploy the airbag.
■When a side airbag may not deploy, even though visible damage appears
severe
It is possible for a side airbag to not deploy during an impact that results in
apparently severe damage. This can occu r when the point of impact was towards
the far front or rear of the vehicle, or when the vehicle's crushable body parts
absorbed most of the crash energy. In either case, the side airbag would not have
been needed nor provided protec tion even if it had deployed.

uuAirbags uSide Airbags
46
Safe DrivingTo reduce the likelihood that a front passeng er may be injured by an inflating side
airbag, the passenger side airbag is automatically turned off when:
• The height sensors detect a child or sho rt-statured adult is seated in the front
passenger seat.
• The position sensor detects that the front passenger is leaning into the
deployment path of the side airbag.
When the side airbag cutoff system is acti vated, the side airbag off indicator comes
on.
2 Side Airbag Off Indicator P. 50
If the side airbag off indicator comes on, have the passenger sit upright. A few
seconds after the passenger is sitting properly, the side airbag will automatically be
turned on, and the indicator will go off.
If the front passenger is a child, stop when it is safe to do so, and have the child sit
properly restrained in a rear seat.
■Side Airbag Cutoff System
■Side Airbag Off Indicator
1 Side Airbag Cutoff System
The sensors that monitor th e front passenger's height
and body position may not work if:
•The seat-back is wet•The passenger is touc hing a metal or other
electrical conductive object
•A seat cushion is on the seat•The passenger is wearing excessively thick clothing
Sensor that
monitor the
passenger’s height.
Sensor that monitor the
passenger’s position.

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uuAirbags uSide Curtain Airbags
Continued
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-severe 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 through 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
1 Side 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.
If the impact is on the passenger’s side, the
passenger’s side curtain airbag will inflate even if
there are no occupants 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

uuAirbags uAirbag System Indicators
48
Safe Driving
■When side curtain airbags deploy in a frontal collision
One or both side curtain airbags may inflat e in a moderate to severe angled frontal
collision.
In this case, the side curtain airbags will deploy slightly after the front airbags.
Airbag System Indicators
If a problem occurs in the airbag system, the SRS indicator will come on and a
message appears on the multi-information display.
■When the power mode is set to ON
The indicator comes on for a few seconds,
then goes off. This tells you the system is
working properly.
If the indicator comes on at any other time, or does not come on at all, have the
system checked by a dealer as soon as po ssible. If you don't, your airbags and seat
belt tensioners may not work properly when they are needed.
■SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) Indicator1 SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) Indicator
3WARNING
Ignoring the SRS indicator can result in
serious injury or death if the airbag systems
or tensioners do not work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a dealer as
soon as possible if th e SRS indicator alerts
you to a possible problem.

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uuAirbags uAirbag System Indicators
Safe Driving■When the passenger airbag off
indicator comes on
The indicator comes on to alert you that the
passenger's front airbag has been turned off.
This occurs when the front passenger’s weight
sensors detect 65 lbs (29 kg) or less, the
weight of an infant or small child, on the seat.
Infants and small children should always ri de properly restrained in a back seat.
2Child Safety P. 52
Objects placed on the seat can also cause the indicator to come on.
If the front passenger seat is empty, the pa ssenger's front airbag will not deploy and
the indicator will not come on.
■Passenger Airbag Off Indicator1 Passenger Airbag Off Indicator
If the indicator comes on wi th no front passenger and
no objects on the passenger’s seat, or with an adult
riding there, something may be interfering with the
weight sensors. Such as:
•An object hanging on the seat or in the seat-back
pocket.
•A child seat or other obj ect pressing against the
rear of the seat-back.
•A rear passenger pushing or pulling on the back of
the front passe nger's seat.
•The front seat or seat-back is forced back against
an object on the seat or floor behind it.
•An object placed under th e front passenger's seat.
If none of these conditions exist, have your vehicle
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The passenger airbag off indicator may come on and
goes off repeatedly if the to tal weight on the seat is
near the airbag cutoff threshold.
U.S. Canada