seats Acura RSX 2006 Owner's Manual

µ
This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts. It
explains how your airbags work. And
it tells you how to properly restrain
inf ants and children in your vehicle.
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Important Safety Precautions .8
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Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features .9
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Protecting Adults and Teens .13
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1. Close and Lock the Doors .13
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2. Adjust the Front Seats .13
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs .14
4. Fasten and Position the
.............................
Seat Belts .155. Maintain a Proper Sitting
................................
Position .16
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Advice f or Pregnant Women . 17
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Additional Safety Precautions . 18
Additional Inf ormation About .......................
Your Seat Belts .19
..
Seat Belt System Components . 19
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Lap/Shoulder Belt .19
Automatic Seat Belt ...............................
Tensioners .20
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 21
Additional Inf ormation About ...........................
Your Airbags .22
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Airbag System Components . 22
How Your Front Airbags .........................................
Work .23
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How Your Side Airbags Work . 25
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How the SRS Indicator Works . 26
How the Side Airbag Of f ......................
Indicator Works .27
.............................
Airbag Service .27
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Additional Safety Precautions . 27
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .28
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .28 All Children Should Sit in a
.................................
Back Seat .29
The Passenger’s Front Airbag .........
Can Pose Serious Risks . 29
If You Must Drive with .....................
Several Children .30
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .31
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 31
Protecting Inf ants and Small ...................................
Children .32
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Protecting Inf ants .32
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Protecting Small Children . 33
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Selecting a Child Seat .34
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Installing a Child Seat .35
...............................
With LATCH .36
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With a Lap/Shoulder Belt . 38
..............................
With a Tether .39
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Protecting Larger Children . 41
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Checking Seat Belt Fit . 41
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Using a Booster Seat . 42
When Can a Larger Child Sit in .........................................
Front .43
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Additional Safety Precautions . 44
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Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 45
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Saf ety Labels .46
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
7

Your vehicle is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passengers
during a crash.
Some f eatures do not require any
action on your part. These include a
strong steel f ramework that f orms a
saf ety cage around the passenger
compartment; front and rear crush
zones; a collapsible steering column;
and tensioners that tighten the f ront
seat belts in a crash.
CONT INUED
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
9
(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)

Your vehicle is equipped with seat
belts in all seating positions.
However, you and your passengers
can’t take f ull advantage of these
f eatures unless you remain sitting in
a proper position and
. In f act, some saf ety
f eatures can contribute to injuries if
they are not used properly.
The f ollowing pages explain how you
cantakeanactiveroleinprotecting
yourself and your passengers. 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.When properly worn, seat belts:
Keep you connected to the vehicle
so you can take advantage of the
vehicle’s built-in saf ety f eatures.
Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including f rontal,
side, and rear impacts and
rollovers.
Your seat belt system also includes
an indicator on the instrument panel
and a beeper to remind you and your
passengers to f asten your seat belts.
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
Seat Belts
always wear
your seat belts
Why Wear Seat Belt s
10
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
Be sure you and your
passengers always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.

µAfter everyone has entered the
vehicle, be sure the doors are closed
and locked.
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 front 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.
See pages f or important
guidelines on how to properly
protect inf ants, small children, and
larger children who ride in your
vehicle. The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to properly
protect the driver, adult passengers
and teenage children who are large
enough and mature enough to drive
or ride in the f ront seat.
Your vehicle has a door
monitor indicator on the
instrument panel to indicate when
either door or the hatch is not tightly
closed.
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, and page f or how the door
monitor indicator works.
44
54
28
67
CONT INUED
Introduction Close and L ock the DoorsA djust the Front Seats
1. 2.
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
13

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 in position.
See page f or how to adjust the
f ront seats.Adjust the driver’s seat-back to a
comf ortable, upright position,
leaving ample space between your
chest and the airbag cover in the
center of the steering wheel.
Passengers with adjustable seat-
backs should also adjust their seat-
back to a comf ortable, upright
position.
71
Protecting A dults and Teens
Adjust the Seat-Backs
3.
14
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.

If a seat belt does not seem to work
properly, it may not protect the
occupant in a crash.This could cause
very serious injuries in a crash.
Using a seat
belt that is not working properly can
result in serious injury or death.
Have your dealer check the belt as
soon as possible.
See page f or additional
inf ormation about your seat belts
and how to take care of them.
If necessary, pull up on the belt again
to remove any slack, then check that
the belt rests across the center of
your chest and over your shoulder.
This spreads the f orces of a crash
over the strongest bones in your
upper body.
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
of f .
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.
19
Protecting A dults and Teens
Never place t he shoulder port ion of a
lap/shoulder belt under your arm orbehind your back.
No one should sit in a seat wit h aninoperat ive seat belt .Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
5.
16
Improperly positioning the seat
belts can cause serious injury
or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are
properly positioned before
driving.

If you ever have a moderate to
severe side impact, 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.
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.
Thesideairbagmayalsoshutoff if a
short adult leans sideways, or a
larger adult slouches and leans
sideways into the airbag’s
deployment path.
Objects placed on the f ront
passenger seat can also cause the
side airbag to be shut off. Your vehicle has a side airbag cutof f
system designed primarily to protect
a child riding in the f ront passenger’s
seat.
Although Acura does not encourage
children to ride in f ront, if sensors
detect a child has leaned into the
side airbag’s deployment path, the
airbag will shut off.
CONT INUED
How Your Side A irbags Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Side A irbag Cut of f Syst em
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
25

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.
Only a rear-f acing child seat provides
proper support f or a baby’s head,
neck, and back.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. A rear-f acing child seat can be placed
in any seating position in the back
seat, but not in the f ront.
If the passenger’s front airbag
inflates, it can hit the back of the
child seat with enough f orce to kill or
seriously injure an inf ant.
When properly installed, a rear-
f acing child seat may prevent the
driver or a f ront passenger f rom
moving their seat as far back as
recommended, or f rom locking their
seat-back in the desired position.
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Protecting Inf ants
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat in
a f orward-f acing position. Never put a
rear-f acing child seat in t he f ront seat .
Child Seat T ype Rear-f acing Child Seat Placement
32

A child who is at least 1 year old, and
who f its within the child seat maker’s
weight and height limits, should be
restrained in a f orward-f acing,
upright child seat.
Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a f ive-
point harness system as shown.
In either 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.
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, and be sure the child seat is
f irmly secured to the vehicle and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.If the vehicle seat is too
f ar f orward, or the child’s head is
thrown f orward during a collision, an
inf lating airbag can strike the child
with enough force to cause very
serious or fatal injuries. We strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat, not the f ront. We also recommend that a small
child use the child seat until the child
reaches the weight or height limit
for the seat.
Protecting Small Children
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Child Seat T ype Placing a f orward-f acing child seat in
the f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwith a passenger’s airbag can behazardous.
Child Seat Placement
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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.

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.Rear-facing for infants, forward-
f acing f or small children.
Look f or FMVSS
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.
Whatever type of seat you choose, to
provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements: In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt. We also recommend selecting a
LATCH-compatible seat with a rigid,
rather than a f lexible, anchor (see
page ). Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.
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. When buying a child seat, you need
to choose either a conventional child
seat, or one designed f or use with
the lower anchors and tethers for
children (LATCH) system. 1.
2.
3.
36
T he child seat should f it the
vehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used.
T he child seat should be of the
proper type and size to f it the child.
T he child seat should meet U.S. or
Canadian Mot or Vehicle Saf et ySt andard 213.
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children, Selecting a Child Seat
Selecting a Child Seat
34
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.