Acura TLX 2020 Service Manual
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40
uuSeat Belts uSeat Belt Inspection
Safe Driving
Seat Belt Inspection
Regularly check the condition of your seat belts as follows:
• Pull each belt out fully, and look for frays, cuts, burns, and wear.
• Check that the latch plates and buckles work smoothly and the belts retract 
easily.
u If a belt does not retract eas ily, cleaning the belt may correct the problem. Only 
use a mild soap and warm water. Do not  use bleach or cleaning solvents. Make 
sure the belt is completely dry  before allowing it to retract.
Any belt that is not in good condition or working properly will not provide proper 
protection and should be replaced as soon as possible.
A belt that has been worn during a crash may not provide the same level of 
protection in a subsequent crash. Have your seat belts inspected by a dealer after 
any collision.1 Seat Belt Inspection
3WARNING
Not checking or maintaining seat belts can 
result in serious injury  or death if the seat 
belts do not work properly when needed.
Check your seat belts regularly and have 
any problem corrected  as soon as possible.
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41Continued
Safe Driving
Airbags
Airbag System Components
9
13
7
9
9
91110986
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12
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42
uuAirbags uAirbag System Components
Safe Driving
The front, driver’s knee, 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.
bDriver’s knee airbag. The knee airbag is 
stored under the steering column. It is 
marked  SRS AIRBAG.
cTwo 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 .
dTwo 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.
eAn electronic control unit that, when the 
power mode is in 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.
fAutomatic 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.
gA driver’s seat position sensor. This 
sensor determines the optimal force at 
which the airbag will deploy in a crash.
hWeight sensors in the front passenger’s 
seat. The front passenger’s airbag will be 
turned off if the weight on the seat is 
approximately 65 lbs (29 kg) or less (the 
weight of an infant or small child).
iImpact sensors that can detect a 
moderate-to-severe front or side impact.
jAn indicator on the dashboard that alerts 
you that the front passenger’s front 
airbag has been turned off.
kAn indicator on the instrument panel that 
alerts you to a possibl e problem with your 
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.
lSafing Sensor
mA rollover sensor that can detect if your 
vehicle is about to roll over and signal the 
control unit to deploy both side curtain 
airbags.
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43
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, sometimes even fatal ones if occupants are not wearing 
their seat belts properl y 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 possi ble while allowing full control of the 
vehicle. A front passenger should move their 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 and driver’s knee airbag covers.  
Objects on the covers marked SRS AIRBAG  could interfere with the proper 
operation of the airbags or be propelled inside the vehicle and hurt someone if the 
airbags inflate.
■Important Facts About Your Airbags1 Important 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 front airbag by holding each 
side of the steering wheel.  Do not cross an arm over 
the airbag cover.
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44
uuAirbags uTypes of Airbags
Safe Driving
Types of Airbags
Your vehicle is equipped with four types of airbags:
• Front airbags:  Airbags in front of the driver ’s and front passenger’s seats.
• Driver’s knee airbag:  Airbag under the steering column.
• 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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Continued45
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe DrivingFront airbags are designed to inflate duri ng moderate-to-severe frontal collisions. 
When the vehicle decelerates suddenly, the sensors send information to the control 
unit which signals one or both front airbags to inflate.
A frontal collision can be either head-on or angled between two vehicles, or when a 
vehicle crashes into a stationary object, such as a concrete wall.
While your seat belt restrains your torso, the 
front airbag provides supplemental protection 
for your head and chest.
The front airbags deflate immediately so that 
they won’t interfere with the driver’s visibility 
or the ability to steer or operate other 
controls.
The total time for inflation and deflation  is so fast that most occupants are not 
aware that the airbags deployed until th ey see them lying in front of them.
■Operation
■How the Front Airbags Work1How the Front Airbags Work
Although the driver’s and fr ont passenger’s airbags 
normally inflate within a spli t second of each other, it 
is possible for only one airbag to deploy. This can 
happen if the severity of a  collision is at the margin, 
or threshold that determines whether or not the 
airbags will deploy. In such cases, the seat belt will 
provide sufficient protec tion, and the supplemental 
protection offered by the airbag would be minimal.
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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  toward 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 toward 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 significant protection and are not designed 
to deploy in such collisions.
Rollovers:  In a rollover, your best form of protection is a seat belt or, if your vehicle 
is equipped with a rollover sensor, both a se at belt and a side curtain airbag. Front 
airbags, however, are not designed to deploy in a rollover as they would provide 
little if any protection.
■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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47
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 airbag system includes a 
seat position sensor.
Based on information from this sensor and the 
severity of the impact, the advanced airbag 
system determines the optimal deployment of 
the driver’s airbag.
The front passenger’s ad vanced 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 in the 
event of a crash, the airbag  will deploy (regardless of 
the driver’s seating position) with a force 
corresponding to the se verity of the impact.
For the advanced 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 cover the passenger 's side dashboard with 
a cloth, towel, cover, etc. 2Passenger Front Airbag Off Indicator  
P. 54
Make sure the floor mat  behind the front passenger's 
seat is hooked to the floor  mat anchor. An improperly 
placed mat can interfere with the advanced airbag 
sensors. 2 Floor Mats  P. 510
Driver’s 
Seat 
Position 
Sensor
Passenger’s 
Seat 
Weight 
Sensors
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48
uuAirbags uDriver’s Knee Airbag
Safe Driving
Driver’s Knee Airbag
The driver’s knee SRS airbag inflates in a moderate-to-severe fronta l collision to help 
keep the driver in the proper position and to  help maximize the benefit provided by 
the vehicle’s other safety features.
SRS  (Supplemental Restraint System) indica tes that the airbag is designed to 
supplement seat belts, not replace them.  Seat belts are the occupant’s primary 
restraint system.
The driver’s knee airbag is housed under the 
steering column.
The airbag is marked SRS AIRBAG.
When the driver’s front airbag inflates, the 
driver’s knee airbag also inflates.
Even if the collision is  not severe enough to 
deploy the front airbag, the knee airbag may 
inflate alone.
■Housing Locations
1 Driver’s Knee Airbag
Do not attach accessories on  or near a knee airbag as 
they can interfere with the proper operation of the 
airbag, or even hurt someone if the airbag inflates.
The driver should not stor e any items under the seat 
or behind their feet. The  items can interfere with 
proper airbag deployment in  the event of a moderate 
to sever frontal collision a nd may result in inadequate 
protection.
Housing 
Location
■Operation
When 
inflated
Knee 
Airbag
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uuAirbags uDriver’s Knee Airbag
Safe Driving
■When driver’s knee airbag deploys  with little or no visible damage
Because the airbag system senses sudden  deceleration, a strong impact to the 
vehicle framework or suspension might cause  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 driver’s knee airbag 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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