side Acura RDX 2018 User Guide

uuFor Safe Driving uYour Vehicle’s Safety Features
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Safe DrivingFor the safety of you and your passenge rs, make a habit of checking these items
each time before you drive.
• After everyone has entered the vehicle, be sure all doors and the tailgate are
closed and locked. Locking the doors and the tailgate helps prevent an occupant
from being ejected and an outsider from unexpectedly opening a door or the
tailgate.
2 Locking/Unlocking the Doors from the Inside P. 130
•Adjust your seat to a position suitable for driving. Be sure the front seats are
adjusted as far to the rear as possible while allowing the driver to control the
vehicle. Sitting too close to a front airbag can result in serious or fatal injury in a
crash.
2 Adjusting the Seats P. 164
•Adjust head restraints to the proper posi tion. Head restraints are most effective
when the center of the head restraint alig ns with the center of your head. Taller
persons should adjust their head restraint to the highest position.
2 Adjusting the Head Restraints P. 166
•Always wear your seat belt, and make sure you wear it properly. Confirm that any
passengers are properly belted as well.
2 Fastening a Seat Belt P. 34
•Protect children by using seat belts or chil d seats according to a child’s age, height
and weight.
2 Child Safety P. 52
■Safety Checklist1Safety Checklist
If the door and tailgate open indicator
* is on and a
message appears on the multi-information display, a
door and/or the tailgate is not completely closed.
Close all doors and the ta ilgate tightly until the
message disappears. 2 Door and Tailgate Open Indicator
* P. 74
2 Multi-Information Display Warning and
Information Messages P. 89
Models with
full color displayModels without
full color display
*
* Not available on all models

31Continued
Safe Driving
Seat Belts
About Your Seat Belts
Seat belts are the single most effective safety device because they keep you
connected to the vehicle so that you can take advantage of many built-in safety
features. They also help keep you from be ing thrown against the inside of the
vehicle, against other passengers, or out of the vehicle. When worn properly, seat
belts also keep your body properly positioned in a crash so that you can take full
advantage of the additional protec tion provided by the airbags.
In addition, seat belts help protect you in almost every type of crash, including:
- frontal impacts
- side impacts
- rear impacts
- rollovers
■Lap/shoulder seat belts
All five seating positions are equipped with lap/shoulder seat belts with emergency
locking retractors. In normal driving the retractor lets you move freely while keeping
some tension on the belt. During a collision or sudden stop the retractor locks to
restrain your body. The front passenger’s a nd rear seat belts also have a lockable
retractor for use with child seats.
2 Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/Shoulder Seat Belt P. 59
1About Your Seat Belts
Seat belts cannot complete ly protect you in every
crash. But in most cases, seat belts can reduce your
risk of serious injury.
Most states and all Canadian provinces and territories
require you to wear seat belts.
If you extend the seat belt t oo quickly, it will lock in
place. If this happens, sli ghtly retract the seat belt,
then extend it slowly.
3WARNING
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.

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uuSeat Belts uAbout Your Seat Belts
Safe DrivingThe front seats are equipped with automatic seat belt tensioners to enhance safety.
The tensioners automatically tighten the front seat belts during a moderate-to-
severe frontal collision, sometimes even if the collision is not severe enough to
inflate the front airbags.
■Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners1 Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
The seat belt tensioners can only operate once.
If a tensioner is activated, the SRS indicator will come
on. Have a dealer repl ace the tensioner and
thoroughly inspect the seat belt system as it may not
offer protection in a subsequent crash.
During a moderate-to-severe side impact, the
tensioner on that side of the vehicle also activates.

uuSeat Belts uFastening a Seat Belt
36
Safe Driving1. Pull out the seat belt’s small latch plate and
the latch plate from each holding slot in the
ceiling.
2. Line up the triangle marks on the small
latch plate and anchor buckle. Make sure
the seat belt is not twisted. Attach the belt
to the anchor buckle.
3. Insert the latch plate into the buckle.
Properly fasten the seat belt the same way
you fasten the lap/shoulder seat belt.
■Seat Belt with Detachable Anchor1Seat Belt with Detachable Anchor
To unlatch the detachable anchor, insert the latch
plate into the slot on the side of the anchor buckle.
3WARNING
Using the seat belt with the detachable
anchor unlatched incr eases the chance of
serious injury or death in a crash.
Before using the seat belt, make sure the
detachable anchor is correctly latched.
Small Latch Plate Latch Plate
Small Latch Plate
Latch Plate
Small Latch Plate
Anchor Buckle
Latch
Plate
Buckle

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uuAirbags uAirbag System Components
Safe Driving
The front, front side, and side curtain
airbags are deployed according to the
direction and severity of impact. Both side
curtain airbags are deployed in a rollover.
The airbag system includes:
aTwo SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
front airbags. The driver’s airbag is stored
in the center of the steering wheel; the
front passenger’s airbag is stored in the
dashboard. Both are marked SRS
AIRBAG.
bTwo side airbags, one for the driver and
one for a front passenger. The airbags are
stored in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG .
cTwo side curtain airbags, one for each
side of the vehicle. The airbags are stored
in the ceiling, above the side windows.
The front and rear pillars are marked
SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG.
dAn electronic control unit that, when the
vehicle is on, continually monitors
information about the various impact
sensors, seat and buckle sensors, rollover
sensor, airbag activators, seat belt
tensioners, and other vehicle
information. During a crash event the
unit can record such information.
eAutomatic front seat belt tensioners. In
addition, the driver’s and front
passenger’s seat belt buckles incorporate
sensors that detect whether or not the
belts are fastened.
fA driver’s seat position sensor. If the seat
is too far forward, the airbag will inflate
with less force.
gWeight sensors in the front passenger’s
seat. The front passenger’s airbag will be
turned off if the weight on the seat is 65
lbs (29 kg) or less (the weight of an infant
or small child).
hImpact sensors that can detect a
moderate-to-severe front or side impact.
iAn indicator on the dashboard that alerts
you that the front passenger’s front
airbag has been turned off.
jAn indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you to a possible problem with your
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.
kA rollover sensor that detects whether
the vehicle is about to roll over.

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uuAirbags uAirbag System Components
Safe DrivingAirbags can pose serious hazards. To do their job, airbags must inflate with
tremendous force. So, while airbags help sa ve lives, they can cause burns, bruises,
and other minor injuries, and sometimes even fatal ones if occupants are not
wearing their seat belts properly and sitting correctly.
What you should do: Always wear your seat belt properly, and sit upright and as
far back from the steering wheel as possibl e while allowing full control of the
vehicle. A front passenger should move thei r seat as far back from the dashboard as
possible.
Remember, however, that no safety system ca n prevent all injuries or deaths that
can occur in a severe crash, even when s eat belts are properly worn and the airbags
deploy.
Do not place hard or sharp objects between yourself and a front airbag.
Carrying hard or sharp objects on your lap, or driving with a pipe or other sharp
object in your mouth, can result in in juries if your front airbag inflates.
Do not attach or place objects on the front airbag covers. Objects on the
covers marked SRS AIRBAG could interfere with the proper operation of the airbags
or be propelled inside the vehicle an d hurt someone if the airbags inflate.
■Important Facts About Your Airbags1Important Facts About Your Airbags
Do not attempt to deactivate your airbags. Together,
airbags and seat belts pr ovide the best protection.
When driving, keep hands and arms out of the
deployment path of the fro nt airbag by holding each
side of the steering wheel. Do not cross an arm over
the airbag cover.

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uuAirbags uTypes of Airbags
Safe Driving
Types of Airbags
Your vehicle is equipped with three types of airbags:
• Front airbags: Airbags in front of the driver ’s and front passenger’s seats.
• Side airbags: Airbags in the driver’s and front passenger’s seat-backs.
• Side curtain airbags: Airbags above the side windows.
Each is discussed in the following pages.
Front Airbags (SRS)
The front SRS airbags inflate in a moderate-to -severe frontal collision to help protect
the head and chest of the driver and/or front passenger.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) indica tes that the airbags are designed to
supplement seat belts, not replace them. Seat belts are the occupant’s primary
restraint system.
The front airbags are housed in the center of the steering wheel for the driver, and
in the dashboard for the front pass enger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG.
■Housing Locations
1Types of Airbags
The airbags can inflate whenever the power mode is
in ON.
After an airbag inflates in a crash, you may see a
small amount of smoke. This is from the combustion
process of the infl ator material and is not harmful.
People with respiratory pr oblems may experience
some temporary discomfort. If this occurs, get out of
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
1 Front Airbags (SRS)
During a frontal crash severe enough to cause one or
both front airbags to deploy, the airbags can inflate
at different rates, dependi ng on the severity of the
crash, whether or not the se at belts are latched, and/
or other factors. Frontal airbags are designed to
supplement the seat belts to help reduce the
likelihood of head and chest injuries in frontal
crashes.

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uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe Driving
■When front airbags should not deploy
Minor frontal crashes: Front airbags were designed to supplement seat belts and
help save lives, not to prevent minor scrapes, or even broken bones that might occur
during a less than moderate-to-severe frontal crash.
Side impacts: Front airbags can provide protection when a sudden deceleration
causes a driver or front passenger to move towards the front of the vehicle. Side
airbags and side curtain airb ags have been specifically designed to help reduce the
severity of injuries that can occur during a moderate-to-severe side impact which
can cause the driver or passenger to move towards the side of the vehicle.
Rear impacts: Head restraints and seat belts are your best protection during a rear
impact. Front airbags cannot provide any si gnificant protection and are not designed
to deploy in such collisions.
Rollovers: Seat belts and, in vehicl es equipped with a rollover sensor, side airbags
and side curtain airbags offer the best prot ection in a rollover. Because front airbags
could provide little if any protection, th ey are not designed to deploy during a
rollover.
■When front airbags deploy with little or no visible damage
Because the airbag system senses sudden deceleration, a strong impact to the
vehicle framework or suspension might caus e one or more of the airbags to deploy.
Examples include running into a curb, the edge of a hole, or other low fixed object
that causes a sudden deceleration in th e vehicle chassis. Since the impact is
underneath the vehicle, damage may not be readily apparent.
■When front airbags may not deploy, even though exterior damage
appears severe
Since crushable body parts absorb crash energy during an impact, the amount of
visible damage does not always indicate proper airbag operation. In fact, some
collisions can result in severe damage but no airbag deployment because the airbags
would not have been needed or would not have provided protection even if they
had deployed.

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uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe DrivingYour front airbags have advanced features to help reduce the likelihood of airbag
related injuries to smaller occupants.
The driver’s advanced front airbag system
includes a seat position sensor.
If the seat is too far forward, the airbag
inflates with less force, regardless of the
severity of the impact.
The passenger’s advanced front airbag system
has weight sensors.
We advise against allowi ng a child age 12 or
under to ride in the front passenger’s seat.
However, if you do allow a child age 12 or
under to ride in the front passenger’s
seat, note that the system will automatically
turn off the front passenger’s airbag if the
sensors detect that the child is approximately
65 lbs (29 kg) or less.
■Advanced Airbags1 Advanced Airbags
If there is a problem with the driver’s seat position
sensor, the SRS indicator wi ll come on and the airbag
will inflate with full (normal) force, regardless of the
driver’s seating position.
For both advanced front airbags to work properly:
•Do not spill any liquid on or under the seats.•Do not put any object under the passenger’s seat.
•Make sure any objects are positioned properly on
the floor. Improperly pos itioned objects can
interfere with the advanced airbag sensors.
•All occupants should sit upri ght and wear their seat
belts properly.
•Do not place any cover over the passenger side
dashboard.
Driver’s
Seat
Position
Sensor
Passenger’s
Seat
Weight
Sensors

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uuAirbags uSide Airbags
Safe Driving
Side Airbags
The side airbags help protect the upper to rso of the driver or a front passenger
during a moderate-to-severe side impact.
The side airbags are housed in the outside
edge of the driver’s and passenger’s seat-
backs.
Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG.
When the sensors detect a moderate-to-
severe side impact, the control unit signals the
side airbag on the impact side to immediately
inflate.
■Housing Locations
1 Side Airbags
Do not attach accessories on or near the side airbags.
They can interfere with the proper operation of the
airbags, or hurt someone if an airbag inflates.
Do not cover or replace the front seat-back covers
without consulting a dealer.
Improperly replac ing or covering front seat-back
covers can prevent your si de airbags from properly
deploying during a side impact.
Housing
Location
■Operation
When
inflated
Side
Airbag