seats Acura RSX 2004 Owner's Manual

µµ
This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains how your
airbags work. And it tells you how to
properly restrain infants and
children in your vehicle.
.........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features . 7
.......................................
Seat Belts .8
.........................................
Airbags .10
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens . 11
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 11
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 11
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 13
4. Fasten and Position the ...
Lap/Shoulder Seat Belts . 14
....
5. Adjust the Steering Wheel . 156. Maintain a Proper Sitting
................................
Position .16
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 17
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 17
Additional Inf ormation About Your .................................
Seat Belts .19
..
Seat Belt System Components . 19
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .19
Automatic Seat Belt ...............................
Tensioners .20
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 21
Additional Inf ormation About ...........................
Your Airbags .22
......
Airbag System Components . 22
How Your Front Airbags .........................................
Work .22
...
How Your Side Airbags Work . 25
..
How the SRS Indicator Works . 26
How the Side Airbag Cutof f ......................
Indicator Works .27
.............................
Airbag Service .28
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 28
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .29
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .29 All Children Should Sit in the
.................................
Back Seat .30
The Passenger’s Front Airbag .........
Can Pose Serious Risks . 30
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .31
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .32
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 32
...........................
Protecting Inf ants .33
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Protecting Small Children . 34
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .35
....................
Installing a Child Seat .36
Installing a Child Seat Using .....................................
LATCH .37
Installing a Child Seat with a ..................
Lap/shoulder Belt . 39
Installing a Child Seat with a ......................................
Tether .40
...........
Protecting Larger Children . 41
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit . 42
..................
Using a Booster Seat . 42
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 44
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 45
...................................
Saf ety Labels .46
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety5

Your vehicle is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passengers
during a crash.
Some saf ety f eatures do not require
anyactiononyourpart.These
include a strong steel f ramework
that forms a safety cage around the
passenger compartment; f ront and
rear crash zones, a collapsible
steering column, and seat belt
tensioners that tighten the front seat
belts in the event of a crash.
CONT INUED
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
Driver and Passenger Saf ety7
(8) Side Airbags
(9) Seat Belt Tensioners
(10) Door Locks (1) Safety Cage
(2) Crush Zone
(3) Seats and Seat-Backs
(4) Head Restraints
(5) Collapsible Steering Column
(6) Seat Belts
(7) Front Airbags
(7)(10)
(1) (3) (4) (6)
(8)
(2)
(9)
(7)
(5)
(2)

However, you and your passengers
can’t take f ull advantage of these
saf ety f eatures unless you remain
sitting in a proper position and
always wear your seat belts properly.
Infact,somesafetyfeaturescan
contribute to injuries if they are not
used properly.
The f ollowing pages explain how you
cantakeanactiveroleinprotecting
yourself and your passengers.Your vehicle is equipped with seat
belts in all seating positions.
Your seat belt system also includes
an indicator on the instrument panel
to remind you and your passengers
to f asten your seat belts.
Seat belts are the single most
effectivesafetydeviceforadultsand
larger children (Inf ants and smaller
children must be properly restrained
in child seats).
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
Seat BeltsWhy Wear Seat Belt s
Driver and Passenger Saf ety8

µAf ter everyone has entered the
vehicle, be sure the doors are closed
and locked.
Locking the doors reduces the
chance of someone being thrown out
of the vehicle during a crash, and it
helps prevent passengers f rom
accidentally opening a door and
f alling out.
Locking the doors also helps prevent
an outsider f rom unexpectedly
opening a door when you come to a
stop.
See page f or how to lock the
doors.
Adjust the driver’s seat as far to the
rear as possible while allowing you to
maintain f ull control of the vehicle.
Have a f ront passenger adjust their
seat as far to the rear as possible.
If you sit too close to the steering
wheel or dashboard, you can be
seriously injured by an inf lating f ront
airbag, or by striking the steering
wheel or dashboard.
The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to properly
protect the driver, adult passengers,
and teenagers who are large enough
and mature enough to ride in the
front. See pages for
important guidelines on how to
properly protect inf ants, small
children, and larger children who
ride in your vehicle.
67
33 44
CONT INUED
Introduction
Close and L ock the DoorsA djust the Front Seats
1. 2.
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety11

The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that drivers
allow at least 10 inches (25 cm)
between the center of the steering
wheel and the chest.
If you cannot get f ar enough away
f rom the steering wheel and still
reach the controls, we recommend
that you investigate whether some
type of adaptive equipment may help.Once your seat is adjusted correctly,
rock it back and f orth to make sure it
is locked into position. See page
f or how to adjust the f ront seats.
72
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety12
Sitting too close to a front
airbag can result in serious
injury or death if the front
airbags inflate.
Always sit as far back from the
front airbags as possible.

After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and put on seat belts, it is
very important that they continue to
sit upright, well back in their seats,
with their feet on the floor, until the
vehicle is parked and the engine is
off.Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches,
lies down, turns sideways, sits
forward, leans forward or sideways,
or puts one or both f eet up, the
chance of injury during a crash is
greatly increased.
In addition, an occupant who is out of
position in the f ront seat can be
seriously or f atally injured in a crash
by striking interior parts of the
vehicle or being struck by an
inf lating f ront airbag. Being struck
by an inf lating side airbag can
possibly result in serious injuries.
Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
6.
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety16
Sitting improperly or out of
position can result in serious
injury or death.
Always sit upright, well back in
the seat, with your feet on the
floor.

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.If the side airbag cutof f indicator
comes on, have the passenger sit
upright. Once the passenger is out of
the deployment path of the side
airbag, the system will turn the
airbag back on and the indicator will
go out.
A f ront seat passenger should not
use a cushion or other object as a
backrest. It may prevent the cutof f
system f rom working properly.
When you turn the ignition switch to
ON (II), the indicator should come
on brief ly and go out (see page ).
If it doesn’t come on, stays on, or
comes on while driving without a
passenger in the f ront seat, have the
system checked.
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.
27
How Your Side A irbags Work
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
25

This indicator alerts you
that the passenger’s side
airbag has been automatically shut
of f . It does mean there is a
problem with your side airbags.
To reduce the risk of injury f rom an
inf lating side airbag, your vehicle has
an automatic cutoff system for the
passenger’s side airbag.
Although Acura does not encourage
children to ride in f ront, this system
is designed to shut of f the side
airbag if a child leans sideways and
the child’s head is in the side airbag
deployment path. If a short adult leans sideways, or a
larger adult slouches and leans
sideways into the side airbag
deployment path, the system may
also shut of f the side airbag.
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.
How the Side Airbag Cutof f
Indicator Works
not
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
27

µ
Keep vehicle keys and remote
transmitters out of reach of
children. Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition,
and open the hatch, which can
lead to accidental injury or death.Two types of seats may be used: a
seat designed exclusively f or inf ants,
or a convertible seat used in the rear-
f acing, reclining mode.If placed
f acing f orward, an inf ant could be
very seriously injured during a
f rontal collision.
Only a rear-f acing child seat provides
proper support f or a baby’s head,
neck, and back.
An inf ant must be properly
restrained in a rear-f acing, reclining
child seat until the child reaches the
seat maker’s weight or height limit
for the seat, and the child is at least
one year old.
CONT INUED
Child Seat Type
Protecting Children General Guidelines, Protecting Inf ants
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting Inf ants
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat in
a f orward-f acing position.
33
Placing a rear-facing child seat
in the front seat can result in
serious injury or death if the
passenger’s front airbag inflates.
Always place a rear-facing child
seat in the back seat, not the
front.

In this vehicle, a rear-f acing child
seatcanbeplacedineitherseating
position in the back seat, but not in
the front seat.If the passenger’s
f ront airbag inf lates, it can hit the
back of the child seat with enough
forcetokillorseriouslyinjurean
inf ant.
When properly installed, a rear-
f acing child seat may prevent the
driver or a f ront passenger f rom
moving the seat as far back as
recommended, or f rom locking the
seat-back in the desired position.
In either of these situations, we
strongly recommend that you install
the child seat directly behind the
f ront passenger seat, move the f ront
seat as far forward as needed, and
leave it unoccupied. Or you may wish
to get a smaller child seat that allows
you to saf ely carry a f ront passenger. A child who is at least one year old,
and who fits within the child seat
maker’s weight and height limits,
should be restrained in a f orward-
f acing, upright child seat.We also recommend that a small
child stay in the child seat as long as
possible, until the child reaches the
weight or height limit f or the seat.
Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a f ive-
point harness system as shown. We strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat,notthefront.Evenwith
advanced airbags, which can
automatically turn the passenger’s
f ront airbag of f (see page ), a
back seat is the safest place for a
small child.
27
Child Seat Type
Child Seat Placement
Never put a rear-f acing child seat inthe front seat. Child Seat Placement
Protecting Small Children
Protecting Inf ants, Protecting Small Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety34