seats Acura RSX 2004 User Guide

If it is necessary to put a f orward-
f acing child seat in the f ront, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, be sure the child seat is
f irmly secured to the vehicle, and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.When buying a child seat, you need
to choose between a conventional
child seat, or one designed f or use
with the Lower Anchors and Tethers
f or Children (LATCH) system.
Conventional child seats must be
secured to a vehicle with a seat belt,
whereas LATCH-compatible seats
are secured by attaching the seat to
hardware built into the rear seats.
Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.
We also recommend selecting a
LATCH-compatible seat with a rigid,
rather than a f lexible, anchor (see
page ).In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt.
38
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Protecting Small Children, Selecting a Child Seat
Selecting a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety35
Placing a forward-facing child
seat in the front seat can result
in serious injury or death if the
front airbag inflates.
Ifyoumustplaceaforward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible, and properly restrain
the child.

Whatever type of seat you choose, to
provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:Look f or FMVSS
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.
Rear-facing for infants, forward-
f acing f or small children.
Bef ore purchasing a conventional
child seat, or using a previously
purchased one, we recommend that
you test the seat in the specif ic
vehicle seating position, or positions,
where the seat will be used. Af ter selecting a proper child seat,
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:
All child seats must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of a lap/shoulder belt or with
the LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or Children) system. A
child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash.
Af ter installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is secure. A child seat secured with a seat belt
should be installed as f irmly as
possible. However, it does not need
to be ‘‘rock solid’’. Some side-to-side
movement can be expected and
should not reduce the child seat’s
ef f ectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a dif f erent seating
position, or use a dif f erent style of
child seat that can be f irmly secured.
Make sure the child is properly
strappedinthechildseat
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
canbeseriouslyinjuredinacrash.
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child Seat
T he child seat should meet U.S. or
Canadian Mot or Vehicle Saf et ySt andard 213.
T he child seat should be of theproper t ype and size t o f it t he child.
T he child seat should f it thevehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used. Properly secure t he child seat t o
the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured. Secure the child in the child seat.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety36

Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or Children) at the rear
seats. The lower anchors are located
between the seat-back and seat
bottom, and are to be used only with
a child seat designed f or use with
LATCH.
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat: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
anchors.
The f ollowing pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A f orward-f acing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same f or a rear-
f acing child seat.
Small marks are positioned to
indicate the locations of each anchor
point. 1.
2.
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Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat Using
LATCH
Driver and Passenger Saf ety37
LOWER ANCHORS LOWER ANCHOR
MARKS

Place the child seat on the vehicle
seat, and attach the seat to the
lower anchors according to the
child seat maker’s instructions.
Some LATCH-compatible seats
have a rigid-type connection as
shown above.Other LATCH-compatible seats have
a f lexible-type connection as shown
above.
Whatever type you have, f ollow
the child seat maker’s instructions
f or adjusting or tightening the f it. Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchor, then tighten the
strap as instructed by the child
seat maker. Route the tether strap over the
seat-back, making sure the strap is
not twisted.
Pushandpullthechildseat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verif y that it is secure.
3.
4.5.
6.
7.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety38
Rigid type
Flexible type

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
the back seating positions, and in the
f ront passenger seat, have a locking
mechanism that must be activated to
secure a child seat.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 feed 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.
1.
2.
3.
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Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat with a L ap/
Shoulder Belt
Driver and Passenger Saf ety39

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If a child who uses a booster must
ride in f ront, move the vehicle seat
as far to the rear as possible, and be
sure the child is wearing the seat
belt properly.
Booster seats can be high-back or
low-back. Whichever style you select,
make sure the booster meets f ederal
saf ety standards and that you f ollow
the booster seat maker’s instructions.
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.The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
ages 12 and under be properly
restrained in the back seat.
If the passenger’s f ront airbag
inf lates in a moderate to severe
f rontal 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.
The 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 saf ely ride in the
f ront. There are other important
f actors you should consider.
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.
Physically, a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it (see page ). If the seat
belt does not f it properly, with or
without the child sitting on a booster,
the child should not sit in the f ront.
41
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
MaturityPhysical Size
43

...........................
Control Locations .48
............................
Instrument Panel .49
..........
Instrument Panel Indicators . 50
Maintenance Required ...................................
Indicator .54
.........
Security System Indicator . 55
.............................................
Gauges .56
.....................................
Odometer .56
...................................
Trip Meter .56
..................................
Fuel Gauge .57
...................
Temperature Gauge . 57
Controls Near the Steering ...........................................
Wheel .58 ......................
Wipers and Washers .59
...........
Turn Signal and Headlights . 60
........
Instrument Panel Brightness . 61
.................
Hazard Warning Button . 61
.................
Rear Window Def ogger . 61
..........
Steering Wheel Adjustment . 62
...............................
Keys and Locks .63
........................
Immobilizer System .64
................................
Ignition Switch .65
......................................
Door Locks .67
.........
Power Door/Hatch Locks . 67
............................................
Hatch .68
.......................
Remote Transmitter .69
........................................
Glove Box .71
.................................................
Seats .72
....................................
Seat Heaters .75
...........................
Cargo Area Cover .76
..............................
Power Windows .78
.........................................
Moonroof .80
.............................................
Mirrors .80
.................................
Parking Brake .82
.................................
Interior Lights .83
...........
Interior Convenience Items . 84
.......................
Beverage Holders .85
..........
Accessory Power Sockets . 85
...............
Console Compartment . 86
This section gives inf ormation about
the controls and displays that
contribute to the daily operation of
your Acura. All the essential controls
are within easy reach.
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Instruments and Controls
47

µ
See pages f or important saf ety
inf ormation and warnings about how toproperly position seats and seat-backs. 11 13
Make all seat adjustments bef ore
you start driving.
To adjust the seat forward and
backward, pull up on the bar under
the seat cushion’s f ront edge. Then
trytomovetheseattomakesureit
is locked in position.To change the seat-back angle, pull
up on the lever on the outside of the
seat bottom.
Seats
Inst rument s and Cont rols
FrontSeatAdjustments
72

The height of your driver’s seat is
adjustable. Turn the dial on the
outside of the seat cushion to change
the height of the seat bottom.To change the lumbar support, move
the lever on the right side of the
seat-back forward or backward.
Keep moving the lever f orward or
backward until you f ind a suitable
position.To get into the back seat on the
driver’s side, pull up on the seat-back
adjustment lever.
CONT INUED
U.S.:
Canada: All models
U.S.:
Canada: All models
Premium and Type-S models only Premium and Type-S models
only
Seats
Driver’s Seat Height A djustment Driver’s L umbar Support Rear Seat A ccess
Inst rument s and Cont rols73

To get into the rear seat on the
passenger’s side, push down on the
release lever at the base of the seat-
back. The seat-back will tilt f orward,
and the seat will slide f orward to
allow easier access to the rear seat.The back of the rear seat folds down
to give you more cargo space. Each
side f olds down separately. With only
half the seat f olded, you can still
carry a passenger in the back seat.
To unlatch either side of the seat-
back, pull up on the release tab.
Move the seat belt out of the way
and fold the seat-back down.To lock the seat-back upright, push
the seat-back firmly against its latch.
Tug on the seat-back to make sure it
is latched.
Do not put any heavy items on the
seat-back when it is folded.
Make sure all items in the cargo area
are secured. Loose items can f ly
f orward and cause injury if you have
to brake hard. See
on page .
129 Carrying Cargo
Folding Rear Seat
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Seats
74
RELEASE TAB
RELEASE LEVER