Page 91 Acura TL 2006 Owner's Guide

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 any of these situations, we
strongly recommend that you install
the child seat directly behind the
f ront passenger’s seat, move the seat
as far forward as needed, and leave it
unoccupied. Or, you may wish to get
a smaller rear-f acing child seat.
Even with advanced front airbags,
which can automatically turn the
passenger’s front airbag off (see
page ), a back seat is the saf est
place f or a small child.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 also recommend that a small
child use the child seat until the child
reaches the weight or height limit
for the seat.
We strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat, not the f ront.
27
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Protecting 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
40
Placing a rear-facing child seat
in the front seat can result in
serious injury or death during a
collision.
Always place a rear-facing child
seat in the back seat, not the
front.

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.We also recommend selecting a
LATCH-compatible seat with a rigid,
rather than a f lexible, anchor (see
page ).
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. 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. 44
Selecting a Child Seat
T he child seat should meet U.S. or
Canadian Mot or Vehicle Saf et ySt andard 213. 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.
1. 2.
3.
42

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.
Installing a 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.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
43

Other LATCH-compatible seats have
a f lexible-type connector as shown
above.Whatever type you have, f ollow
the child seat maker’s instructions
f or adjusting or tightening the f it. Lif t 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.
Attach the tether strap hook to the
anchor, then tighten the strap as
instructed by the child seat maker. Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure.
4. 5.
6.7.
99
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
45
Flexible type TETHER STRAP
HOOK
ANCHOR

Af ter properly securing the child
seat (see page ), lif t the head
restraint, then route the tether
strap over the seat-back and
through the legs of the head
restraint.Af ter 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.
46 46
Installing a Child Seat
Using an Outer A nchorUsing t he Cent er A nchor
48
TETHER STRAP
HOOKCOVER
ANCHOR

CONT INUED
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.
Protecting L arger Children
Checking Seat Belt Fit
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
49
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.

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 f or 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 outgrown a f orward- f acing child seat should ride in a
back seat and use a booster seat
until the lap/shoulder belt f its 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
weight (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.
35
Using a Booster Seat
Protecting L arger Children
50

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
inf lates in a moderate to severe
f rontal 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 widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in f ront,
there are other important f actors you
should consider.
Physically, a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it (see page ). 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.
49
CONT INUED
Protecting L arger Children
When Can a L arger Child Sit in
Front
Physical Size
Maturity
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
51

The instrument panel has many
indicators to give you important
inf ormation about your vehicle. The engine can be severely damagedif this indicator f lashes or stays on
when the engine is running. For
more information, see page .
If this indicator comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged. For more inf ormation,
see page .
See page .This indicator has two f unctions:
If it stays on after you have fully
released the parking brake while
the engine is running, or if it
comes on while driving, it can
indicate a problem in the brake
system. For more inf ormation, see
page .
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. It reminds you and your
passengers to f asten your seat belts.
A beeper also sounds if you have not
f astened your seat belt.
If you continue driving without
f astening your seat belt, the beeper
sounds and the indicator f lashes
again at regular intervals, and you
will also see a ‘‘FASTEN SEAT
BELT’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
If you drive without releasing the
parking brake, a chime will sound,
and you will also see a ‘‘RELEASE
PARKING BRAKE’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page
).
If you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position bef ore f astening
your seat belt, the beeper sounds,
and the indicator f lashes. If you do
notfastenyourseatbeltbeforethe
beeper stops, the indicator stops
f lashing but remains on. Itcomesonwhenyouturnthe
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. It is a reminder to check
the parking brake. Driving with
the parking brake not f ully
released can damage the brakes
and tires.
1.
2.
69 256
256 257 258
70
Instrument Panel Indicators
Seat Belt Reminder
Indicator L ow Oil Pressure
Indicator
Charging System
Indicator
Malf unction Indicator
Lamp Parking Brake and
Brake System
Indicator
60
Canada
U.S.

This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II), and when
the ignition switch is turned to
START (III). If it comes on at any
other time, there is a problem in the
ABS. If this happens, take your
vehicle to a dealer to have it checked.
With this indicator on, your vehicle
still has normal braking ability but no
anti-lock. For more inf ormation, see
page .This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to ON (II). If
it comes on at any other time, it
indicates a potential problem with
your f ront airbags or automatic seat
belt tensioners. This indicator will
also alert you to a potential problem
with your side airbags, passenger’s
side airbag automatic cutoff system,
driver’s seat position sensor, f ront
passenger’s weight sensors, or side
curtain airbags. For complete
inf ormation, see page .This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. If it comes on at any
other time, it indicates that the
passenger’s side airbag has
automatically shut off. For more
inf ormation, see page .
30 31
201
Instrument Panel Indicators
Anti-lock Brake System
(A BS) Indicator Supplemental Restraint
System Indicator
Side A irbag Of f
Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
61
U. S. Canada