belt Acura RL 2004 3.5 Owner's Guide

Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in the
f ront, there are other important
f actors you should consider.If you decide that a child can saf ely
ride up f ront, be sure to:
Caref ully read the owner’s manual
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all saf ety
inf ormation.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the f loor.
Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
Physically, a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it over the hips, chest, and
shoulder (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
the child should not sit in the 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.
Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to f asten the seat belts
or sit properly. Remind the child not to lean
toward the door. Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
15 35
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Physical Size
Maturity
38

Pull up the seat-back trim cover.
Make sure there are no f oreign
obj ects around the anchors.
Fo reign objects could get in the
wa yof a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors. Put the child seat in the rear lef t
or right vehicle seat and attach the
child se
at to the lower anchors
accordi ng to the child seat maker’s
instructions.
Small marks are positioned to
indicate the locations of each anchor
point.
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat:
Move the seat belt buckle or seat
belt tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
1.
2.
3.4.
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Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety41
SEAT-BACK TRIM COVER
Rigid type

This seat belt has a single belt that
goes over your shoulder, across your
chest and across your hips.
Your seat belt system includes lap/
shoulder belts in all f ive seating
positions. The f ront seat belts are
also equipped with automatic seat
belt tensioners.
To unlock the belt, push the red
PRESSbuttononthebuckle.
To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched.
The seat belt system also
includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passengers to f asten your belts.
If the driver’s seat belt is not
fastened before the ignition is turned
ON (II), the light will come on and a
beeper will also sound. The beeper
will stop af ter a f ew seconds, but the
light will stay on until the driver’s
seat belt is f astened. Guide the belt across your body to
the door pillar. Af ter exiting the
vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the
way and will not get closed in the
door.
All seat belts have an emergency
locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move f reely in
your seat while it keeps some
tension on the belt. During a collision
or sudden stop, the retractor
automatically locks the belt to help
restrain your body.
The seat belts in all seating positions
except the driver’s have an additional
locking mechanism that must be
activated to secure a child seat. (See
pages and f or instructions on
how to secure child seats with this
type of seat belt.)
29 33
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Seat Belt System Components L ap/Shoulder Belt
44

If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the locking
mechanism will activate. The belt
will retract, but it will not allow the
passenger to move f reely.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt f ully retract. To
ref asten the belt, pull it out only as
f ar as needed.
See page f or instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly.For added protection, the f ront seat
belts are equipped with automatic
seat belt tensioners. When activated,
the tensioners immediately tighten
the belts to help hold the driver and
a f ront passenger in place.
The tensioners are designed to
activate primarily in f rontal collisions.
The tensioners are independent of
the airbag system, so they can be
activated during a collision that might not cause the airbags to
deploy. In this case, the airbags
would not be needed but the
additional seat belt tension can be
helpf ul.
The tensioners will be activated in a
collision severe enough to cause the
f ront airbags to inf late.
The SRS indicator light will
come on if there is a
problem with your automatic seat
belt tensioners (see page ). When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled in the normal
way.
15
50
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners
45

For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out f ully and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retract
easily. Any belt not in good condition
or not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.
Acura provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts. Acura will repair or
replace any seat belt component
that f ails to f unction properly
during normal use. Please see
your
booklet f or details.If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by the dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed.
Automatic seat belt tensioners that
deployed during a crash must be
replaced.
For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page .
303
Acura Warranty Inf ormation
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Seat Belt Maintenance
U.S. Models
46
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly when
needed.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.

Your Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) includes:An indicator light on the
instrument panel that alerts you to
a possible problem with the
system (see page ).
Two f ront airbags. The driver’s
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the f ront
passenger’sairbagisstoredinthe
dashboard. Both are marked ‘‘SRS
AIRBAG.’’
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal
collision. Automatic seat belt tensioners
(see page ). Emergency backup power in case
your car’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records inf ormation about the
sensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, and driver and
passenger seat belt use when the
ignition is ON (II). If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, the sensors
will detect the vehicle’s rapid
deceleration. If the rate of
deceleration is high enough, the
control unit will instantly inf late the
f ront airbags.
51
45
CONT INUED
SRS Components How Your Front A irbags Work
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
47

The total time for inflation and
def lation is approximately one-tenth
of a second, so f ast that most
occupants are not aware that the
airbags deployed until they see them
lying in their laps.
Since both airbags use the same
sensors, both airbags normally
inf late at the same time. However, it
is possible f or only one airbag to
inf late.
This can occur when 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
suf f icient protection, and the
supplemental protection of f ered by
the airbag would be minimal.
Af ter inf lating, the f ront airbags
immediately def late, so they won’t
interf ere with the driver’s visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
During a f rontal crash, your seat
belts help restrain your lower body
and torso. Your airbag provides a
cushion to help restrain and protect
your head and chest.
After a crash, you may see what
looks like smoke. This is actually
powder f rom the airbag’s surf ace.
Although the powder is not harmf ul,
people with respiratory problems
mayexperiencesometemporary
discomf ort. If this occurs, get out of
the vehicle as soon as it is saf e to do
so.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
48

To get the best protection f rom the
side airbags, front seat occupants
should wear their seat belts and sit
upright and well back in their seats.
Your car is equipped with side
airbags f or the driver and a f ront
seat passenger. The airbags are
stored in the outer edges of the f ront
seat-backs, and both are marked
‘‘SIDE AIRBAG.’’
If you ever have a moderate to
severe side impact, the sensors will
detect rapid deceleration and signal
the control unit to instantly inf late
either the driver’s or the passenger’s
side airbag.
Only one airbag will deploy during a
side impact. If the impact is on the
passenger’s side, the passenger’s
side airbag will deploy even if there
is no passenger.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
How Your Side A irbags Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
49

If the light comes on at any other
time, or does not come on at all, you
should have the system checked by
your dealer. For example:If the SRS indicator light does not
come on after you turn the ignition
switch to ON (II).
If the light stays on after the
engine starts.
If the light comes on or f lashes on
andoff whileyoudrive.
Thepurposeof theSRS
indicator light is to alert
you to a potential problem with your
f ront airbags. This light will also
alert you to a potential problem with
your automatic seat belt tensioners
(page );oryoursideairbagsor
passenger’s side airbag automatic
cutof f system (page ).
When you turn the ignition ON (II),
this indicator will light brief ly then
go out. This tells you that the system
is working properly. If you see any of these indications,
your f ront or side airbags may not
deploy, your passenger’s side airbag
automatic cutoff system may not
work properly, or your seat belt
tensioners may not work when you
need them. See your Acura dealer as
soon as possible.
45
49
How the SRS Indicator L ight
Works
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
50
Ignoring the SRS indicator light
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags, cutoff
system, or tensioners do not
work properly.
Have your car checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS light alerts you to a
potential problem.

Your f ront and side airbag systems
are virtually maintenance-f ree, and
there are no parts you can saf ely
service. However, you must have
your car serviced if :Any
airbag that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. Do
not try to remove or replace any
airbag by yourself . This must be
done by an Acura dealer or a
knowledgeable body shop. Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury. See page f or f urther inf ormation
and precautions relating to your
airbags.Improperly
replacing or covering f ront seat-
back covers can prevent your side
airbags f rom inf lating during a
collision.
If rain or spilled water
soaks into a seat-back, it can
prevent the side airbag system
f rom working properly.
Take your car to an
authorized Acura dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inf late when you need them. 211
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Airbag Service
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Your airbags ever inf late.Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason. Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ing anAcura dealer.
Do not expose t he f ront seat -backs to water.
T he SRS indicat or light alert s you t o a problem.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety52