belt HONDA CIVIC COUPE 1998 Owner's Guide

Protecting Children

Using a Booster Seat
If a child needs a booster seat, we
recommend choosing a style that
allows the child to use the lap/
shoulder belt directly, without a shield, as shown above.
Whichever style you select, follow the booster seat maker's instructions. A child may continue using a booster
until the top of their ears are even
with the top of the seat-back. When a child reaches this height, theyshould be tall enough to use the lap/
shoulder belt without a booster.
When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front

The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport Canada recommends that all
children age 12 and under ride in the
back seat, properly restrained.
The back seat is the safest place for a child of any age or size.
In addition, the passenger's airbag
poses serious risks to children. If theseat is too far forward, or the child's
head is thrown forward during a collision, or the child is unrestrainedor out of position, an inflating airbag
can kill or seriously injure the child.
Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can safely ride in the
front, there are other important
factors you should consider.

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Protecting Children

Physical Size
Physically, a child must be large
enough for the lap/shoulder belt to
properly fit over their hips, chest, and shoulder (see page 13). If theseat belt does not fit properly, the
child should not sit in the front.

Maturity

To safely ride in front, a child must be able to follow the rules, includingsitting properly and wearing their
seat belt properly throughout a ride. If you decide that a child can safely
ride up front, be sure to: Read the owner's manual, and
make sure you both understand all seat belt instructions and all safety
information. Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight with
their back against the seat and
their feet on or near the floor.
Check that the child's seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
Closely supervise the child. Even
mature children sometimes need
to be reminded to fasten their seat
belt or sit properly. Using Child Seats with Tethers
Your car has three attachment points on the rear shelf for securing a
tether-style child seat to the car.
Since a tether can provide additionalsecurity, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or available. (Tethers are required in
Canada. U.S. owners may check with
the child seat maker to determine
whether a tether is available for a
particular child seat.)
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Additional Information About Your Seat Belts
Seat Belt System Components

Your seat belt system includes lap/ shoulder belts in the front seats and
the outer back seats, and a lap belt in
the center back seat.
The system also includes alight on the instrument
panel to remind you and your passengers to fasten your belts. If
the driver's seat belt is not fastened
before the ignition is turned ON (II),
the light will come on and a beeper
will also sound. The beeper will stop after a few seconds, but the light willstay on until the driver's seat belt is

fastened.
Lap/Shoulder Belt
This seat belt has a single belt that goes over your shoulder, across yourchest and across your hips.
To fasten the belt, insert the latch plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched.

To unlock the belt, push the red PRESS button on the buckle.Guide the belt across your body to
the door pillar. After exiting the
vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the way and will not get closed in the

door.

All lap/shoulder belts have an emergency locking retractor.
In normal driving, the retractor lets
you move freely in your seat while it keeps some tension on the belt.
During a collision or sudden stop,
the retractor automatically locks the
belt to help restrain your body.
The lap/shoulder belts in all seating positions except the driver's have anadditional locking mechanism that
can be activated to secure a child seat. (See pages 28 and 32 for
instructions on how to secure childseats with this type of seat belt.)
If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the locking
mechanism will activate. The belt
will retract, but it will not allow a passenger to move freely.
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Additional Information About Your Seat Belts

To deactivate the locking mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt fully retract. To
refasten the belt, pull it out only as
far as needed.
See page 13 for instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly. Lap Belt
The lap belt has one manually- adjusted belt that fits across the hips.
To fasten the belt, insert the latchplate into the buckle markedCENTER, then tug on the belt to
make sure the buckle is latched.
To unlock the belt, push the red PRESS button on the buckle.
See page 14 for how to lengthen the
lap belt, and how to properly position
the belt.
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Additional Information About Your Seat Belts
Seat Belt Maintenance
For safety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out fully and look for
frays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check that the latches work smoothly and
that the lap/shoulder belts retract
easily. Any belt not in good condition or not working properly will not
provide good protection and should
be replaced as soon as possible.
U.S. Owners
Honda provides a lifetime warranty
on seat belts. Honda will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
fails to function properly during normal use.
Pleas
e
see your Honda Warranty

Information booklet fo
r details.If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
you should have your dealer inspect
the belt, and replace it if necessary.
A belt that has been worn during a crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the anchors for damage and replace
them if needed.
For information on how to clean your

sea
t
belts, see page 202.

Driver and
Passenger Safety
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.Main Menu Table of Contents s t

Additional Information About Your SRS
SRS Components

Your Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) includes:
Two frontal airbags. The driver'sairbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the front
passenger's airbag is stored in thedashboard. Both are marked

"SRS".

Sensors that can detect a severe

frontal collision. A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors thesensors, control unit, the airbag
activators, and all related wiring
when the ignition is ON (II). An indicator light on the
instrument panel to alert you to a
possible problem with the system (see page 45). Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle's electrical system is disconnected in a crash.
How Your Airbags Work

If you ever have a severe frontal
collision, the sensors will detect
rapid deceleration and signal the
control unit to instantly inflate the
airbags.

During a crash, your seat belt helps
restrain your lower body and torso.
Your airbag provides a cushion to help restrain and protect your head
and chest.
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Additional Information About Your SRS

Since both airbags use the samesensors, both airbags normally
inflate at the same time. However, it
is possible for only one airbag to
inflate.
This can occur when the severity of a collision is at the margin, or
threshold, that determines whetheror not the airbags will deploy. In
such cases, the seat belt will provide
sufficient protection, and the
supplemental protection offered by
the airbag would be minimal.
After inflating, the airbagsimmediately deflate, so 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 approximately one-tenth
of a second, so fast that most
occupants are not aware that the
airbags deployed until they see them
lying in their laps. After a crash, you may see what
looks like smoke. This is actually
powder from the airbag's surface.
Although the powder is not harmful, people with respiratory problems
may experience some temporarydiscomfort. If this occurs, get out of
the car as soon as it is safe to do so.

U.S. Owners

For additional information on how
your airbags work, see the booklet
titled SRS: What You Need to Know

About Airbags, that came with your
owner's manual.

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Additional Information About Your SRS

Additional Safety Precautions
Do not attempt to deactivate your
airbags. Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection in a severe frontal
collision. Do not tamper with SRS
components or wiring for any
reason. Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
See page 115 for further information
and precautions relating to your SRS.

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Indicator Lights

The instrument panel has many indicators to give you important
information about your vehicle.
Lamp Check

These indicator lights come on when
you turn the ignition switch ON (II), allowing you to see that they are

working:
SRS Indicator
Malfunction Indicator LampCharging System Indicator
Low Oil Pressure Indicator

Anti-lock Brake System Indicator
Seat Belt Reminder Light
D4 Lamp
If an indicator does not light during
this test, it cannot alert you if that system develops a problem. Have the
dealer check your vehicle for
burned-out bulbs or other problems.
* The U.S. instrument panel is
shown. Differences for the Canadian
model are noted in the text.

Instruments and Controls

U.S.: EX Instrument panel
CHARGING SYSTEM
INDICATOR

MALFUNCTION
INDICATOR LAMP

LOW OIL
PRESSURE
INDICATOR
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM INDICATOR CRUISE CONTROL
INDICATOR HIGH BEAM
INDICATOR
ANTI-LOCK BRAKESYSTEM INDICATOR* SEAT BELT
REMINDER LIGHT
LOW FUEL INDICATOR
PARKING BRAKE AND
BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR*
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Indicator Lights

* Differences in the indicators for Canadian models are noted in the text.
Seat Belt Reminder Light
This indicator lights when you turn the ignition switch ON (II). It is areminder to you and your passengers
to protect yourselves by fastening
the seat belts. A beeper also sounds if you have not fastened your seat
belt.
If you do not fasten your seat belt,
the beeper will stop after a few seconds but the light stays on until
you do. Both the light and the beeper stay off if you fasten your seat belt
before turning on the ignition.

Supplemental Restraint

System Indicator

This indicator lights when you turn the ignition switch ON (II). If it
comes on at any other time, it
indicates a problem in the
supplemental restraint system. For

complete information, see page 45.

Instruments and Controls
SRS

U.S.: EX Instrument panel
PARKING BRAKE AND BRAKE

SYSTEM INDICATOR*

HIGH BEAM INDICATOR

CHARGING SYSTEM

INDICATOR

TRUNK-OPEN
INDICATOR

LOW FUEL INDICATOR

LOW OIL

PRESSURE

INDICATOR

SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM INDICATOR
MALFUNCTION
INDICATOR LAMP

ANTI-LOCK BRAKE
SYSTEM INDICATOR

(Canadian indicator shown)
SEAT BELT
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