seats HONDA ELEMENT 2004 1.G User Guide

When buying a child seat, you need
to choose between a conventional
child seat, or one designed f or use
with the Lower Anchors and Tethers
f or 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 rear seat.
Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style. 39
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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 theproper t ype and size t o f it t he child. T he child seat should f it the
vehicle seat ing posit ion (or
posit ions) where it will be used.
1. 2. 3.
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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.
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 f or 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
verif y that it is secure. 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 rear-
f acing child seats.Secure the child in the child seat.
Properly secure t he child seat t o the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured.
1.
2. 3.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety38
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CONT INUED
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or Children) at the rear
seats. The lower anchors are located
between the seat-back and seat
bottom, and are to be used only with
a child seat designed f or use with
LATCH.Make sure there are no objects
near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and
anchors.
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat:
Place the child seat on the vehicle
seat, and attach the seat to the
lower anchors according to the
child seat maker’s instructions.
Some LATCH-compatible seats
have a rigid-type connection as
shown above.
Remove both anchor covers by
pulling f orward.
The location of each lower anchor is
marked with a small button above
the point. 1. 2.
3.
Installing a Child Seat Using
LATCH
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety39
Rigid type
MARKS
ANCHOR COVER
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Other LATCH-compatible seats have
a f lexible-type connection as shown
above.Whatever type you have, f ollow
the child seat maker’s instructions
f or adjusting or tightening the f it. Remove the head restraint (see
page ). Make sure the removed
head restraints are secured in the
cargo area, and reinstalled when
the child seat is removed.
Slide the anchor cover open.
Route the tether strap over the top
of the seat-back, making sure the
strap is not twisted.
5.
4. 6.7.
75
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety40
Flexible type TETHER ANCHOR
ANCHOR COVER
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CONT INUED
With the child seat in the desired
seating position, route the belt
through the child seat according
to the seat maker’s instructions,
then insert the latch plate into the
buckle.
When not using the LATCH system,
all child seats must be secured to the
vehicle with the lap part of a lap/
shoulder belt.
In addition, the lap/shoulder belts in
the back seating positions, and in the
f ront passenger seat, have a locking
mechanism that must be activated to
secure a child seat.
Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether 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
verif y that it is secure. 1.
8. 9.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Installing a Child Seat with a L ap/
Shoulder Belt
41
TETHER ANCHOR
TETHER STRAP HOOK
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Some states also require children to
use a booster until they reach a
given age or weight (e.g., 6 years or
60lbs).Besuretocheckcurrent
laws in the state or states where you
intend to drive.Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in the
f ront, there are other important
f actors you should consider.
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 a ride.
Booster seats can be high-back or
low-back. Whichever style you select,
make sure the booster meets f ederal
saf ety standards and that you f ollow
the booster seat maker’s instructions.
If a child who uses a booster 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.
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. 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,
the child should not sit in the f ront.
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 f ront 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.
On models with side airbags, the
passenger’s 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.
45
Maturity
Physical Size
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
When Can a L arger Child Sit in
Front
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This section gives inf ormation about
the controls and displays that
contribute to the daily operation of
your Honda. All the essential
controls are within easy reach............................
Control Locations . 52
............................
Instrument Panel . 53
.............................................
Gauges . 58
...................................
Trip Meter . 58
.....................................
Odometer . 58
..................................
Fuel Gauge . 58
...................
Temperature Gauge . 59
Controls Near the Steering .......................................
Wheel . 60
......................
Wipers and Washers . 61
...........
Turn Signal and Headlights . 62
........
Instrument Panel Brightness . 63
.................
Hazard Warning Button . 63
.................
Rear Window Def ogger . 63
..........
Steering Wheel Adjustment . 64
...............................
Keys and Locks . 65
........................
Immobilizer System . 66
.......................
Remote Transmitter . 67
................................
Ignition Switch . 69
......................................
Door Locks . 70
......................
Power Door Locks . 70
..................................
Rear Doors . 70
............................................
Hatch . 71
........................................
Tailgate . 72
.................................................
Seats . 73
........................
Seat Adjustments . 73 Driver’s Seat Height
..............................
Adjustment . 74
...................
FrontSeatArmrests .74
..........................
Head Restraints . 75
........................
Rear Seat Access . 75
..........
Reclining the Front Seats . 76
...............
Folding the Rear Seats . 77
..........
Removing the Rear Seats . 79
..............................
Power Windows . 81
.............................................
Mirrors . 82
....
Adjusting the Power Mirrors . 82
.................................
Rear Windows . 83
.................................
Parking Brake . 83
............................................
Skylight . 83
...........
Interior Convenience Items . 86
.......................
Beverage Holders . 87
..........
Accessory Power Sockets . 87
....................................
Glove Box . 87
.................................
Interior Lights . 88
................................
Ceiling Light . 88
........................
Cargo Area Light . 88
.....................................
Spotlights . 88
..................
Ignition Switch Light . 88
Instruments and Controls
Inst rument s and Cont rols51
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µ
See pages f or important saf ety
inf ormation and warnings about how toproperly position the seats and seat-backs. 11 13
Make all seat adjustments bef ore
you start driving.
To adjust the front or rear seat
f orward and backward, pull up on the
bar under the seat cushion’s f ront
edge. Move the seat, and make sure
it is locked into position.To change the angle of the seat-back,
pull up on the lever on the outside of
the seat bottom. Adjust the seat-back
and make sure it locks into position.
Seats
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Seat A djustmentsFront Seat
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To adjust the height of the driver’s
seat, turn the dial on the outside of
the seat bottom.To change the angle of the rear seat-
back, pull the strap at the inside
edge of the seat cushion, make sure
the seat-back locks into position.
Each front seat has an armrest on
thesideof theseat-back.Touseit,
pivotitdown.On EX models
Seats
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Driver’s Seat Height Adjustment Front Seat ArmrestsRear Seat
74
SEAT-BACK ADJUSTMENT STRAP
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See page f or important saf etyinf ormation and a warning about how toproperly position the head restraints. 14
The head restraints help protect you
and your passengers f rom whiplash
and other injuries. They are most
ef f ective when you adjust them so
the back of the occupant’s head rests
against the center of the restraint.
Your vehicle is equipped with head
restraints in all seating positions. The head restraints adjust f or height.
To raise it, pull upward. To lower the
restraint, push the release button
sideways and push the restraint
down.
To remove a head restraint f or
cleaning or repair, pull it up as f ar as
it will go. Push the release button,
then pull the restraint out of the seat-
back.
The rear seat passengers can get out
through the passenger’s door. Push
down on the release lever at the base
of the f ront passenger’s seat-back,
and push the seat-back forward. The
seat-back will tilt f orward and the
entire seat will move forward.
Make sure the seat is upright and
f ully latched bef ore sitting in it.
Seats
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Head Restraints Rear Seat Access
75
RELEASE BUTTONRELEASE LEVER
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