child seat Acura TL 2007 Owner's Guide

Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style. 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.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.
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 two outer
rear seats. In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt.
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.
T he child seat should be of the
proper type and size to f it the child.
T he child seat should f it thevehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used.
T he child seat should meet U.S. or Canadian Mot or Vehicle Saf et ySt andard 213.
1. 2.
3.
Selecting a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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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 for 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
verify 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
can be seriously injured in a crash. 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.
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.
1.
2. 3.
Installing a Child Seat
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Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (lower anchors and tethers
for children) at the outer rear seats.To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat: Place the child seat on the vehicle
seat, then attach the seat to the
lower anchors according to the
child seat maker’s instructions.
Some LATCH-compatible seats
have a rigid-type connector as
shown above.
Make sure there are no objects
near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors. Move the seat belt buckle or
tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
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.
The location of each lower anchor is
indicated with a small button above
the anchor point.
1.
2.3.
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
43
MARKS
Ripid type
LOWER ANCHORS
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Other LATCH-compatible seats have
a flexible-type connector as shown
above.
Whatever type you have, follow
the child seat maker’s instructions
for adjusting or tightening the fit. Lift
the head restraint (see page
), then route the tether strap
through the legs of the head
restraint and over the seat-back,
making sure the strap is not
twisted. Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure.
Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchor, then tighten the
strap as instructed by the child
seat maker.
4.
5.
6.7.
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Installing a Child Seat
44
Flexible type TETHER STRAP
HOOK
ANCHOR
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When not using the LATCH system,
all child seats must be secured to the
vehicle with the lap part of a lap/
shoulder belt.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 f eed 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.
In addition, the lap/shoulder belts in
all seating positions except the
driver’s have a lockable retractor
that must be activated to secure a
child seat.
1.2.
3.
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat with a L ap/
Shoulder Belt
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure enough to
stay upright during normal driving
maneuvers. If the child seat is not
secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to
retract f ully, then repeat these
steps.A child seat with a tether can be
installed in any seating position in
the back seat, using one of the
anchorage points shown above.
Af ter conf irming that the belt is
locked, grab the shoulder part of
the belt near the buckle, and pull
up to remove any slack from the
lap part of the belt. Remember, if
the lap part of the belt is not tight,
the child seat will not be secure.
To remove slack, it may help to
putweightonthechildseat,or
push on the back of the seat while
pulling up on the belt.
To deactivate the lockable retractor
and remove a child seat, unlatch the
buckle, unroute the seat belt, and let
the belt fully retract. Since a tether can provide additional
security to the lap/shoulder belt
installation, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or
available.
4.
5. Installing a Child Seat with a
Tether
Installing a Child Seat
46
COVER
ANCHORAGE POINT
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After properly securing the child
seat (see page ), lift the head
restraint, then route the tether
strap over the seat-back and
through the legs of the head
restraint. After
properly securing the child
seat (see page ), route the
tether strap over the top of the
seat-back.
Followsteps2and3inthe
previous column.
Lift the anchor cover, then attach
the tether strap hook to the
anchor, making sure the strap is
not twisted.
Tighten the strap according to the
seat maker’s instructions.
1.
2.
3.
1. 2.
45 45
Using t he Cent er A nchor
Using an Out er A nchor
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
47
TETHER STRAP
HOOK COVER
ANCHOR
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To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly f its a child, have the child
put on the seat belt, then ask
yourself :Does the child sit all the way back
against the seat?
Do the child’s knees bend
comf ortably over the edge of the
seat?
When a child reaches the
recommended weight or height limit
for a forward-facing child seat, the
child should sit in a back seat on a
booster seat and wear a lap/shoulder
belt.
The f ollowing pages give
instructions on how to check proper
seat belt f it, what kind of booster
seat to use if one is needed, and
important precautions f or a child
who must sit in f ront.
1.
2. Checking Seat Belt Fit
Protecting L arger Children
48
Allowing a child age 12 or under
to sit in front can result in injury
or death if the passenger’s front
airbag inflates.
If a child must ride in front,
move the vehicle seat as far
back as possible, use a booster
seat if needed, have the child
sit up properly and wear the
seat belt properly.
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Does the shoulder belt cross
between the child’s neck and arm?
Is the lap part of the belt as low as
possible, touching the child’s
thighs?
Will the child be able to stay
seated like this for the whole trip?
If you answer yes to all these
questions, the child is ready to wear
the lap/shoulder belt correctly. If
you answer no to any question, the
child needs to ride on a booster seat. A child who has outg rown a forward-
facing child seat should ride in a
back seat and use a booster seat
until the lap/shoulder belt fits them
properly without the booster. Some
states and Canadian provinces
also require children to use a booster
seat until they reach a given age or
we ight (e.g., 6 years or 60 lbs). Be
sure to check current laws in the
states or provinces where you intend
to drive.
Booster seats can be high-back or
low-back. Whichever style you select,
make sure the booster seat meets
f ederal saf ety standards (see page ) and that you f ollow the booster
seat maker’s instructions.
If a child who uses a booster seat
must ride in f ront, move the vehicle
seat as far back as possible and be
sure the child is wearing the seat
belt properly.
3.
4.
5.
34
CONT INUED
Using a Booster Seat
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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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 seat. The
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
age 12 and under be properly
restrained in the back seat.
If the passenger’s front airbag
inflates in a moderate to severe
frontal 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.
A 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 widel y. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can safely ride in front,
there are other important factors you
should consider.
Physically, a child must be large
enough for the lap/shoulder belt to
properly fit (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
with or without the child sitting on a
booster seat, the child should not sit
in 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 the ride. 14 48
When Can a L arger Child Sit in
Front
Physical Size
Maturity
Protecting L arger Children
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