light HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK 2003 7.G Owners Manual

ÎÎ
: To use the horn, press the center pad of the steering wheel.
Your Car at a Glance
3
WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS
(P. 68/69)
HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS
(P. 70)
REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER
(P. 70)
(P. 124)
HORN
TILT ADJUSTMENT
(P. 71)
HEADLIGHTS/
TURN SIGNALS
(P. 66/68)
CRUISE CONTROL
MASTER SWITCH
(P. 124)
MIRROR CONTROLS
(P. 88)
CRUISE CONTROL BUTTONS

This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains your Supple-
mental Restraint System. And it tells
you how to properly restrain inf ants
andchildreninyourcar..........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.............
Your Car’s Saf ety Features . 7
.......................................
Seat Belts . 8
...........................................
Airbags . 9
..................
Seats and Seat-Backs . 10
..........................
Head Restraints . 10
..................................
Door Locks . 11
........
Pre-Drive Saf ety Checklist . 11
............................
Protecting Adults . 12
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 12 ...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 12
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 13
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 14
5. Fasten and Position the Seat
.....................................
Belts . 15
....
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel . 17
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting
................................
Position . 17
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 18
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 18
........................
Protecting Children . 20
All Children Must Be
...............................
Restrained . 20
Children Should Sit in the Back ...........................................
Seat . 21
The Passenger’s Airbag Poses
......
Serious Risks to Children . 21
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children . 24
If a Child Requires Close
..................................
Attention . 24
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 24
General Guidelines f or Using
...............................
Child Seats . 25
.......................
Protecting Inf ants . 29
.........
Protecting Small Children . 32 .......
Protecting Larger Children . 35
Using Child Seats with
.....................................
Tethers . 39
Additional Inf ormation About Your .................................
Seat Belts . 43
..
Seat Belt System Components . 43
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt . 43
Automatic Seat Belt
...............................
Tensioners . 44
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 45
Additional Inf ormation About Your .....................................
Airbags . 46
....................
Airbag Components . 46
How Your Front Airbags
.........................................
Work . 46
...
How Your Side Airbags Work . 48
How the SRS Indicator Light
.......................................
Works . 48
How the Passenger Airbag Cutoff Indicator Light
...................................
Works . 49
.............................
Airbag Service . 50
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 51
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 52
...................................
Saf ety Labels . 53
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 5

Your seat belt system also
includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passengers to f asten your seat
belts.
Seat belts are the single most
effectivesafetydeviceforadultsand
larger children. (Inf ants and smaller
children must be properly restrained
in child seats.) In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.
When properly worn, seat belts:
Foryoursafety,andthesafetyof
your passengers, your car is
equipped with seat belts in all seating
positions.
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your car has airbags.
Keep you connected to the vehicle
so you can take advantage of the
vehicle’s built-in saf ety f eatures.
Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including f rontal,
side, and rear impacts and
rollovers.Help keep you f rom being thrown
against the inside of the vehicle
and against other occupants.
Keep you f rom being thrown out
of the vehicle.
Help keep you in a good position
should the airbags ever deploy. A
good position reduces the risk of
injury f rom an inf lating airbag, and
allows you to get the best
advantage f rom the airbag.
Of course, seat belts cannot
completely protect you in every
crash.Butinmostcases,seatbelts
can reduce your risk of serious
injury. Always wear
your seat belt, and make sure you
wear it properly.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Seat Belts
Why Wear Seat Belt s
What you should do:
Your Car’s Saf ety Features
8Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
if you have airbags.
Be sure you and your
passengers always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.

This seat belt has a single belt that
goes over your shoulder, across your
chest and across your hips.To unlock the belt, push the red
PRESSbuttononthebuckle.
To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched.
Your seat belt system includes lap/
shoulder belts in all f ive seating
positions.
The seat belt system also
includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passengers to f asten your belts.
If the driver’s seat belt is not
fastened before the ignition is turned
ON (II), the light will come on. The
light will stay on until the driver’s
seat belt is f astened. Guide the belt across your body to
the door pillar. Af ter exiting the
vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the
way and will not get closed in the
door.
The seat belts in all seating positions
except the driver’s have an additional
locking mechanism that must be
activated to secure a child seat. (See
pages and f or instructions on
how to secure child seats with this
type of seat belt.)
All seat belts have an emergency
locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move f reely 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.
33
30
CONT INUED
Seat Belt System Components L ap/Shoulder Belt
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
43

See page f or instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt f ully retract. To
ref asten the belt, pull it out only as
f ar as needed.
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 the
passenger to move f reely.
For added protection, the f ront seat
belts are equipped with automatic
seat belt tensioners. When activated,
the tensioners immediately tighten
the belts to help hold the driver and
a f ront passenger in place.The tensioners are designed to
activate primarily in f rontal collisions.
The tensioners are independent of
the airbag system, so they can be
activated during a collision that
might not cause the airbags to
deploy. In this case, the airbags
would not be needed but the
additional seat belt tension can be
helpf ul.
The tensioners will be activated in a
collision severe enough to cause the
f ront airbags to inf late.
When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled in the normal
way.
The SRS indicator light will
come on if there is a
problem with your automatic seat
belt tensioners (see page ).
15
48
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
44

Your Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) includes:Two f ront airbags. The driver’s
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the f ront
passenger’sairbagisstoredinthe
dashboard. Both are marked ‘‘SRS
AIRBAG.’’ A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records inf ormation about the
sensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, and driver and
passenger seat belt use when the
ignition is ON (II).
An indicator light on the
instrument panel that alerts you to
a possible problem with the
system (see page ).
Emergency backup power in case
your car’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
Automatic seat belt tensioners
(see page ).
If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, the sensors
will detect the vehicle’s rapid
deceleration. If the rate of
deceleration is high enough, the
control unit will instantly inf late the
f ront airbags.
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.
48
44 How Your Front Airbags Work
Airbag Components
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
46

When you turn the ignition ON (II),
this indicator will light brief ly then
go out. This tells you that the system
is working properly.
Your car is equipped with side
airbags f or the driver and a f ront
seat passenger. The airbags are
stored in the outer edges of the f ront
seat-backs, and both are marked
‘‘SIDE AIRBAG.’’ If you ever have a moderate to
severe side impact, the sensors will
detect rapid deceleration and signal
the control unit to instantly inf late
either the driver’s or the passenger’s
side airbag.
Only one airbag will deploy during a
side impact. If the impact is on the
passenger’s side, the passenger’s
side airbag will deploy even if there
is no passenger.
To get the best protection f rom the
side airbags, front seat occupants
should wear their seat belts and sit
upright and well back in their seats.
Thepurposeof theSRS
indicator light is to alert
you to a potential problem with your
f ront airbags. On vehicles with side
airbags, this light will also alert you
to a potential problem with your
automatic seat belt tensioners (page
); or your side airbags or
passenger’s side airbag automatic
cutof f system (page ). 44
49
Optional
How Your Side A irbags Work How the SRS Indicator L ight
Works
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
48

If the light comes on at any other
time, or does not come on at all, you
should have the system checked by
your dealer. For example:If the SRS indicator light does not
come on after you turn the ignition
switch to ON (II).
If the light stays on after the
engine starts.
If the light comes on or f lashes on
andoff whileyoudrive. If you see any of these indications,
your f ront or side airbags may not
deploy, your passenger’s side airbag
automatic cutoff system may not
work properly, or your seat belt
tensioners may not work when you
need them. See your Honda dealer
as soon as possible.
This light alerts you that
the passenger’s side airbag
has been automatically shut off.
It does not mean there is a problem
with your side airbags. It means that
thesideairbagcutoff systemhas
activated to prevent the side airbag
f rom deploying.
To reduce the risk of injury f rom an
inf lating side airbag, your car has an
automatic cutoff system for the
passenger’s side airbag.
Although Honda does not encourage
children to ride in the f ront, this
system is designed to shut of f the
side airbag if a child leans sideways
and the child’s head is in the side
airbag deployment path.
Only when equipped with side airbags
CONT INUED
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
How the Passenger Airbag Cutof f
Indicator L ight Works
49
Ignoring the SRS indicator light
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags, cutoff
system, or tensioners do not
work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS light alerts you to a
potential problem.

A f ront seat passenger should not
use a cushion or other object as a
backrest. It may prevent the cutof f
system f rom working properly.
If a small-statured adult leans
sideways, or larger adult slouches
and leans sideways into the
deployment path of the side airbag,
the system may also shut of f the side
airbag.
Your f ront airbag system and side
airbag system (if equipped) are
virtually maintenance-f ree, and there
are no parts you can safely service.
However, you must have your car
serviced if :
Any
airbag that has deployed must be
replaced along with the seat belt
tensioners, control unit and other
related parts. Do not try to remove
or replace any airbag by yourself.
This must be done by a Honda
dealer or a knowledgeable body
shop.
When you turn the ignition switch to
ON (II), the indicator should light
brief ly and go out (see page ). If it
doesn’t light, stays on, or comes on
while driving without a passenger in
the front seat, have the system
checked.
If the passenger airbag cutof f
indicator light comes on, you should
have the passenger sit upright. Once
the passenger is out of the
deployment path of the side airbag,
the system will turn the airbag back
on and the light will go out. 58
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Airbag Service
Your airbags ever inf late.
50

Improperly
replacing or covering f ront seat-
back covers can prevent your side
airbags f rom inf lating during a
collision.
See page f or f urther inf ormation
and precautions relating to your
airbags.
If rain or spilled water
soaks into a seat-back, it can
prevent the side airbag system
f rom working properly. Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury. Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Take your car to an
authorized Honda dealer as soon
as possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inf late when you need them.
136
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Do not cover or replace f ront seat - back covers wit hout consult ing aHonda dealer.
Do not expose t he f ront seat -backs to water.
Do not t amper wit h airbag
component s or wiring f or anyreason.
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
T he SRS indicat or light alert s you
t o a problem.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Additional Saf ety Precautions
51