steering wheel Acura TL 2004 Owner's Manual

Your Vehicle at a Glance
3
INSTRUMENT PANEL
BRIGHTNESSHORN
WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS HAZARD WARNING
BUTTON
VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST
SYSTEM ON/OFF SWITCH REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER
SEAT HEATERS CRUISE
CONTROL
HEADLIGHTS/TURN SIGNALS/
FOG LIGHTS
(P.74)
(P.75)
(P.191)
(P.91) STEERING WHEEL ADJUSTMENT
(P.78) (P.96)(P.142)
(P.77)
(P.76)
(P.73)
MIRROR CONTROLS

µ
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 .9
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens . 11
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 11
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 11
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 12
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 13
5. Fasten and Position the ...
Lap/Shoulder Seat Belts . 14
....
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel . 16
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .16 .....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 17
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 18
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 .23
...
How Your Side Airbags Work . 25
How Your Side Curtain Airbags .........................................
Work .26
..
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 ................
Poses Serious Risks . 30
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .32
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .32
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 33
...........................
Protecting Inf ants .34
.............
Protecting Small Children . 35
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .36
....................
Installing a Child Seat .37
Installing a Child Seat Using .....................................
LATCH .38
Installing a Child Seat with a ..................
Lap/Shoulder Belt . 40
Installing a Child Seat with a ......................................
Tether .41
...........
Protecting Larger Children . 42
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit . 43
..................
Using a Booster Seat . 43
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 45
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 46
...................................
Saf ety Labels .47
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety5

They are designed to supplement
the seat belts.
The most important things you need
to know about your airbags are:
Always wear
your seat belt properly, and sit
upright, and as f ar back f rom the
steering wheel while allowing f ull
control of the vehicle. A f ront
passenger should move their seat as
f ar back f rom the dashboard as
possible.
The rest of this section gives more
detailed inf ormation about how you
can maximize your saf ety.
Remember however, that no saf ety
system can prevent all injures or
deaths that can occur in severe
crashes, even where seat belts are
properly worn and the airbags deploy.
Your vehicle also has side curtain
airbags to help protect the heads of
the driver, f ront passenger, and
passengers in the outer rear seating
positions. (See page f or more
inf ormation on how your side curtain
airbags work.) To do their job, airbags must
inf late with tremendous f orce. So
while airbags help save lives, they
can cause minor injuries or more
serious or even fatal injuries if
occupants are not properly
restrained or sitting properly.
26
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
A irbags of f er no prot ect ion in rear
impact s, rollovers, or minorcollisions.
Airbags do not replace seat belts.
What you should do:
Airbags can pose serious hazards.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety10

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 ride in
the front seat.
See page f or important guidelines
on how to properly protect inf ants,
small children, and larger children
who ride in your vehicle.Af 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.
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. Adjust the driver’s seat as far to the
rear as possible while allowing you to
maintain control of the vehicle. Have
your f ront passenger adjust their
seat as far to the rear as possible.
29
82
CONT INUED
Protecting A dults and Teens
Adjust the Front Seats
Close and L ock the Doors 2.
1.
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 pagef 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.
88
Protecting A dults and Teens
Adjust the Seat-Backs
3.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety12
Sitting too close to an airbag
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags inflate.
Always sit as far back from the
airbags as possible while
allowing full control of the
vehicle.

If a seat belt does not seem to work
as it should, it may not protect the
occupant in a crash.Using a seat
belt that is not working properly can
result in serious injury or death.
Have your Acura 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.
Adjust the steering wheel, if needed,
so that the wheel points toward your
chest, not toward your f ace. This
provides optimal protection f rom the
f ront airbag.
See page f or how to adjust the
steering wheel.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
78
Protecting A dults and Teens
No one should sit in a seat wit h aninoperat ive seat belt .
Adjust the Steering Wheel Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
6.
7.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety16

Your Airbag System includes:Two SRS (Supplemental Restraint
System) 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.’’
Two side airbags, one f or the
driver and one f or a f ront
passenger. The airbags are stored
in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked ‘‘Side
Airbag’’ (see page ). Two side curtain airbags, one f or
each side of the vehicle. The
airbags are stored in the f ront,
center, and rear pillars. The f ront
and center pillars on both sides are
marked ‘‘SIDE CURTAIN
AIRBAG’’ (see page ).
Automatic front seat belt
tensioners (see page ).
An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you to a possible
problem with your airbags (see
page ).
Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe front impact or
side impact.
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records inf ormation about the
sensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, and driver and
frontpassengerseatbeltusewhen
the ignition is in the ON (II)
position.
25 26
26 20
A irbag System Components
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety22

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............................
Control Locations .50
............................
Instrument Panel .51
..........
Instrument Panel Indicators . 52
.............................................
Gauges .57
...................
Temperature Gauge . 57
..................................
Fuel Gauge .57
.............
Multi-Inf ormation Display . 58
......
Controls Near Steering Wheel . 72
.
Windshield Wipers and Washers . 73
...........
Turn Signal and Headlights . 74
........................................
Fog Lights .75
........
Instrument Panel Brightness . 75
..................
Automatic Lighting Off . 76
.................
Hazard Warning Button . 76
.................
Rear Window Def ogger . 77
..........
Steering Wheel Adjustment . 78
..................................................
Keys .79
................................
Ignition Switch .80
........................
Immobilizer System .81
......................................
Door Locks .82
................................................
Trunk .83
............
Emergency Trunk Opener . 84
..................
Childproof Door Locks . 84
.......................
Remote Transmitter .85
.................................................
Seats .90
............
Trunk Pass-through Cover . 90.............................................
Mirrors .91
Driving Position Memory ..........................................
System .93
....................................
Seat Heaters .96
..............................
Power Windows .97
.......................................
Moonroof .100
..............................................
Clock .103
...............................
Parking Brake .103
...............................
Interior Lights .104
.........
Interior Convenience Items . 105
.......................
Beverage Holder .106
.........
Accessory Power Socket . 106
..................................
Glove Box .107
.............
Console Compartment . 107
....................
Front Door Pocket . 108
Instruments and Controls
Inst rument s and Cont rols49

Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Inst rument s and Cont rols72
WINDSHIELD
WIPERS/WASHERSREAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER
INSTRUMENT PANEL
BRIGHTNESS HAZARD WARNING BUTTON
HEADLIGHTS/TURN SIGNALS/
FOG LIGHTS
STEERING WHEEL
ADJUSTMENT SEAT HEATERS
(P.74)
(P.75)
(P.191) (P.91)(P.78) (P.96)
(P.142)
CRUISE CONTROL
(P.76)
(P.76)
(P.73)
VEHICLE STABILITY
ASSIST SYSTEM
ON/OFF SWITCH HORN
MIRROR
CONTROLS

See page f or important saf etyinf ormation about how to properlyposition the steering wheel. 16
Make any steering wheel adjustment
bef ore you start driving. Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position.
To adjust the steering wheel: Push the lever under the steering
column all the way down.
Move the steering wheel up or
down, and in or out to the desired
position, making sure the wheel
points toward your chest, not
toward your f ace. Make sure you
can see the instrument panel
gauges and the indicators. Make sure you have securely
locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up, down, in,
and out.
1.
2. 3.
4.
Steering Wheel A djustment
Inst rument s and Cont rols78
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle and be seriously injured
inacrash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the vehicle is stopped.