belt HONDA CIVIC 1991 User Guide

Seat Belts (cont'd)
Driver's Belt Unlatched
The warning lights in the ceiling and in the instrument panel will come on and stay on if the driver's belt is not latched. The beeper
will sound for approximately six seconds when the ignition is turned
on. Relatch the belt; the light should go off.
Front Passenger's Belt Unlatched
The warning light in the ceiling will come on and stay on if the front passenger's seat belt is not securely latched, the beeper sound for
approximately six seconds. Relatch the belt; the light should go off.
If the lights and beeper do not function at all or if they come on
even with the belts latched and doors fully closed, it indicates a malfunction in the seat belt system. In the event of a collission,
severe personal injury could result. The system should be checked
immediately by an authorized Honda dealer.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Buckling the Rear Seat Belts
In the rear seat, there are two one-piece combination lap/shoulder
belts and a center lap belt.
The seat-backs and seat belts provide best restraint when the
occupant is sitting well back and straight up in the seat.
The right and left rear seat belts are one-piece combination lap/ shoulder belts with an emergency locking retractor designed to lock
only during a sudden stop or impact. Otherwise, they allow you
some freedom of movement in the seat.

NOTE:

The emergency locking system of the rear seat belts will also be activated if you pull the belt too fast. If this happens, release the
belt slightly then pull it out more slowly.
1.Take hold of the tongue plate and pull the belt across your lap. Be sure the belt is not twisted or caught on anything.
2. Push the tongue plate into the buckle until it clicks locked. The seat belt should fit snugly against your body. The shoulderportion of the belt should go over your shoulder and across your
body to evenly distribute the belt's restraining force.
Check that the lap portion of the belt is positioned low on your
hipbone and below your abdomen. This way, if the car is involved in an accident, you will be less likely to slide under the seat belts.
If the belt is too near your neck and throat, move toward the
center of the seat.
Avoid placing the lap belt across your abdomen. In the event of a
collision, the pressure of the belt on the abdomen may increase
the extent of injury.
(cont'd)

Pull the belt across your lap
TONGUE PLATE
Too high

Take up slack
Keep below hip bone
ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Seat Belts (cont'd)
3. To release the seat belt, push the "PRESS" button in the buckle;
the belt
should retract automatically when released. If the belt
does not fully retract, pull it out and check for kinks or twists.

CAUTION:

Make sure both rear shoulder belts are positioned in front of the rear seat-backs whenever the seat-backs are in their upright
position.

Rear Center Seat Belt
Adjust the center lap belt length to fit snugly but comfortably when
buckled.
A slack belt will greatly reduce the protection afforded to the wearer. Hold the tongue plate perpendicular to the belt as shown. * To shorten, pull the end of the belt away from the tongue plate.
* To lengthen, pull the tongue plate.
Push the tongue plate into the buckle until it clicks locked. Position
the belt across your lap, not your abdomen, as low on your hips as possible.
Avoid placing the lap belt across your abdomen. In the event of a
collision, the pressure of the belt on the abdomen may increase
the extent of injury.
BUCKLE

To lengthen
To shorten
TONGUE PLATEProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Child Restraint

Children riding in the car should be restrained to minimize the risk of
injury in an accident, sudden stop or sudden maneuver.
According to accident statistics provided to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front

seat.

For smaller children, we strongly recommend the use of a
commercially available child restraint system that meets the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) because it offers the most
protection against injury. All states now have laws which require
that small children must be seated in a child passenger seat restraint
system. Check local laws.
Before buying a particular child restraint system, make sure it fits
your car seat and seat belts, and fits your child. Follow the child seat manufacturer's instructions when installing the seat.
Children who have outgrown the child restraint system should useone of the seat belts.
Make sure the belt is snug against the child's body with the
shoulder portion going over the shoulder and across the body to
evenly distribute the belt's restraining force.
Check that the lap portion of the belt is positioned low on the
child's hipbone and below the abdomen.
This way if the car is involved in an accident, the child would be less likely to slide under the seat belts. If the belt is too close to the child's neck or throat, you may want
to consider putting the child in an automobile booster seat that meets the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS).
Children should never ride unrestrained in an automobile.
Never use an infant carrier or child safety seat that "hooks"
over a seat-back; it may not provide adequate security in an
accident. Never allow a child to be held in a person's arms while they are
in a moving vehicle. Holding a child in a moving vehicle does not
provide the child with any means of protection during an
accident, even if the person holding the child is wearing a seat
belt.

(cont'd)ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Seat Belts (cont'd)

[Hatchback]
Installation of Child Seat

All child restraint systems are designed to be secured by lap belts or
the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt. Children could be endangered in a crash, if their child restraints are not properlysecured. Follow the child seat manufacturer's instructions when
installing the seat.
Your Honda automobile is equipped with attachment points
specifically for a rear seat mounted child restraint system which
uses a top tether.

The tether attachment points are located on the rear panel beside
the taillight bulb inspection cover.
The automatic lap/shoulder restraint system at the front passengerseat cannot be used to secure a child restraint system. Instead, an
optional lap belt must be installed specifically for securing a child restraint system. Two anchor points have been provided behind the
front passenger seat for installation. The optional lap belt is available
from your Honda dealer.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

To Install A Child Seat
1. Remove the anchor point plugs with a coin or a screwdriver and
install the optional lap belt with
the fasteners that came with the
belt.

2. Once the optional lap belt is installed, follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint system for proper attachment.
Do not use the automatic lap/shoulder belt to secure the child
seat. It will not give enough protection to the child seat and the
child on it. The optional lap belt is for a child seat only. Do not use it for any
other purpose. When the child restraint system is not in use, remove it from
the car or secure it with the seat belt to keep it from becoming a
projectile in the event of an accident.
NOTE: See your Honda dealer for installation of the optional lap belt orthe child restraint system. When not in use, make sure the optional lap belt does not get
caught in the passenger's door or seat mechanism.

(cont'd)

ANCHOR POINTS

PLUGSProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Seat Belts (cont'd)

[Sedan]

Installation of Child Seat
All child restraint systems are designed to be secured by lap belts or
the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt. The automatic shoulder belt system at the front passenger seat should not be used to
secure the child restraint system. If a child seat must be installed on
the front seat, place the shoulder portion of the belt behind the child seat and secure the child seat with the lap belt only.
Children could be endangered in a crash, if their child restraints are
not properly secured. Follow the child seat manufacturer's
instructions when installing the seat.
Your Honda automobile is equipped with attachment pointsspecifically for a rear seat mounted child restraint system which

uses a top tether.

The tether attachment points are located on the rear tray, just behind the rear seat-back.
When the child restraint system is not in use, remove it from the
car or secure it with the seat belt to keep it from becoming aprojectile in the event of an accident.
NOTE:
See your Honda dealer for installation of the child restraint system.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Pregnant Women
A pregnant woman should use the shoulder and lap belts to help lessen the chance of injury and/or the amount of injury in anaccident.
It is desirable that a pregnant woman ask her doctor at each
medical check-up if she can drive, and also ask about the most
appropriate way of wearing the lap/shoulder belt.Lap belts should be worn as low and snugly as possible over the

hips.

Inspection
All parts of the seat belts, including the belt fabric, should beregularly inspected for fraying, loosening, wear and other damage.Keep the belts in good condition at all times to reduce the chance of
being injured in an accident, and to minimize any injuries that dooccur. Make sure the buckles, retractors, tongue plates, guides and
anchors all work properly.
Don't let anything get inside the buckle or the retractor; it could
cause latch or retractor failure.

Cleaning

The belts should always be kept clean and dry; wet or damp belts can cause rewinding problems. To clean the belts, pull them all the
way out of their retractors and use warm water and a mild soap;
then let them air-dry fully extended, in the shade, with the carwindows open.
Never bleach, dye or clean the belts with chemical solvents; itwill weaken the fabric. Do not remove the seat belts from the car to wash them.

Replacement
Replace the seat belt if:
1. The belting is cut, punctured, burned, etc.
2.The buckle or retractor does not work properly.
3. It was being worn at the time of a collision (also check for deformation damage at all seat belt anchor points).
4. Its condition is questionable.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

Warning and Indicator Lights (cont'd)
DX Sedan STD/DX Hatchback
Oil Pressure Warning Light
The oil pressure warning light will come on, and remain on, if there is
insufficient oil pressure or when the ignition switch is turned on
with the engine not running. If the light should come on while driving,
get the car off the road as soon as you can, turn the engine off and check the engine oil level (see page 75 ).
Even if the oil level is correct, the engine should be checked by aHonda dealer before the car is driven again.
NOTE:
The oil pressure warning light will only light as a result of low oil
pressure. It is not directly an oil level indicator.
CAUTION:
Running the engine while the oil pressure warning light is on
constantly may cause immediate and severe engine damage.

Charging System Warning Light

The charging system warning light comes on when there is a problemwith the electrical charging system
or when the ignition switch is turn-
ed on with the engine not running. If
the light comes on while driving, get off the road, stop the car and turn
off the ignition. Then check the
alternator belt for proper tension.
To check the belt tension, push with about 98 N (22 Ib) of force on
the middle of the belt as shown. The belt should deflect about: 9.0 — 11.0 mm (0.35 — 0.43 in)
If the engine has been running, some engine components may be
hot enough to burn you.
NOTE: If necessary, have the charging system checked by an authorized

Honda dealer.ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t

LX/EX Sedan

Si Hatchback

Check Engine Warning Light
This light comes on for a couple of seconds each time the ignition is
turned on. It will also come on, and remain on, if there is a malfunction in the emission control system. If the light comes on
while driving, avoid driving at high speed, and have the system
checked by a Honda dealer as soon as possible.
Parking Brake/Brake Failure Warning Light
Check the brake warning light every time you start the car.
With the parking brake set, the warning light should go on when the ignition switch is turned to II or III. With the parking brake released,
the light should go on when the ignition switch is turned to III. If the light goes on at any other time, it means the brake fluid level in themaster cylinder reservoir is too low; add fluid and have your dealer
check for leaks and brake pad wear immediately. (See page 84 )

(Hatchback) /
Seat Belt Reminder Light
The seat belt reminder light comes on when the ignition switch is

turned on (see pages 14 and 17 ).

Hatch/Trunk-open Indicator Light

This light will go on when you turn on the ignition switch if the hatch/trunk is not fully closed.
When the cruise control system is on, this indicator light is on (see
page 39 ).

If a door is open when the ignition is switched on, this light will go
on and stay on until the door is closed.
BRAKE

CRUISE

CONTROL

DOOR
Cruise Control Indicator Light (LX/EX Sedan)
Door Warning Light (Sedan)ProCarManuals.comMain Menu s t