HONDA PILOT 2004 1.G Owner's Manual

The seat belts in all positions except
the driver’s have an additional
locking mechanism that must be
activated to secure a child seat (see
page ). 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. To unlock the belt, push the red
PRESSbuttononthebuckle.Guide
the belt across your body so that it
retracts completely. Af ter exiting the
vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the
way and will not get closed in the
door.
Your seat belt system includes lap/
shoulder belts in all eight seating
positions. The f ront seat belts are
also equipped with automatic seat
belt tensioners.
The lap/shoulder belt in the center
seat of the second and third row
seats is equipped with a detachable
anchor that has two parts: a small
latch plate and a buckle.
The seat belt system
includes an indicator on the
instrument panel and a beeper to
remind you and your passengers to
f asten your seat belts.
If you continue driving without
f astening your seat belt, the beeper
sounds and the indicator f lashes
again at regular intervals. The detachable anchor should
normally be latched whenever the
seats-backs are in an upright position.
For more inf ormation about the
detachable anchor (see page ).
The lap and shoulder belt goes over
your shoulder, across your chest,
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 (see page f or how to
properly position the belt).
If you turn the ignition switch to ON
(II) bef ore f astening your seat belt,
the beeper sounds and the indicator
f lashes. If you do not f asten your
seat belt bef ore the beeper stops, the
indicator stops f lashing but remains
on.
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Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
L ap/Shoulder Belt
Seat Belt System Components
17

When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled in the normal
manner. However, the tensioners can be
activated during a collision in which
the f ront airbags do not deploy. In
this case, the airbags would not be
needed, but the additional restraint
could be helpf ul.
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,
andtheyshouldactivateinany
collision severe enough to cause
front-airbag inflation.
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.
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.
To unlatch the belt, push the red
PRESSbuttononthebuckle.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners
18

Your airbag system includes:Two SRS (Supplemental Restraint
System) 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.’’
Two side airbags, one f or the
driver and one f or a f ront
passenger. The airbags are stored
in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked ‘‘SIDE
AIRBAG’’ (see page ).
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal or side
collision. Automatic front seat belt
tensioners (see page ).
The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed. If the automatic seat
belt tensioners activate during a
crash, they must be replaced.
For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page .
For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out f ully and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
the belts retract easily. Any belt that
is not in good condition or not
working properly will not provide
good protection and should be
replaced as soon as possible.
Honda provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts f or U.S. models. See
your
booklet f or details.
If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by the dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash. 22
18
184
Honda Warranty Inf ormation
A irbag System Components
Seat Belt Maintenance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts, Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
19
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.

A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records inf ormation about the
sensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, and driver and
frontpassengerseatbeltusewhen
the ignition is in the ON (II)
position.
An indicator on the dashboard that
alerts you that the passenger’s
f ront airbag has been turned of f
(see page ).
Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, sensors will
detect the vehicle’s rapid
deceleration. If the rate of
deceleration is high enough, the
control unit will instantly inf late the
driver’s and f ront passenger’s f ront
airbags, at the time and with the
f orce needed. During a frontal crash, your seat belt
restrains your lower body and torso,
and the airbag helps protect your
head and chest.
Although both airbags normally
inf late within a split second of each
other, it is possible f or 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
suf f icient protection, and the
supplemental protection of f ered by
the airbag would be minimal.
An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you to a possible
problem with your airbags (see
page ).
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23
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
How Your Front A irbags Work
Driver and Passenger Saf ety20

Your f ront airbags are also dual-
threshold airbags. Airbags with this
f eature have two deployment
thresholds that depend on whether
or not the occupant is wearing a seat
belt.
If the occupant’s belt , the
airbag will inf late at a slightly higher
threshold, when the airbag would be
needed to supplement the protection
provided by the seat belt. If the occupant’s belt is,
the airbag will deploy at the same
threshold as a conventional airbag,
because the occupant would need
extra protection.
In a crash, one stage will
ignite first, then the second stage
will ignite a split second later. This
provides longer airbag inf lation time
with a little less force. In a crash, both stages
will ignite simultaneously to provide
the quickest and greatest protection. Your f ront airbags are dual-stage
airbags. This means they have two
inf lation stages that can be ignited
sequentially or simultaneously,
depending on crash severity. After a crash, you may see what
looks like smoke. This is actually
powder f rom the airbag’s surf ace.
Although the powder is not harmf ul,
people with respiratory problems
mayexperiencesometemporary
discomf ort. If this occurs, get out of
the vehicle as soon as it is saf e to do
so.
Af ter inf lating, the f ront airbags
immediately def late, so they won’t
interf ere with the driver’s visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
The total time for inflation and
def lation is one-tenth of a second, so
f ast that most occupants are not
aware that the airbags deployed until
they see them lying in their laps.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
is latched
Dual-T hreshold A irbags
not lat ched
less severe
more severe
Dual-Stage A irbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety21

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.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.
When you turn the ignition ON (II),
the indicator should light brief ly and
goout(seepage ).Ifitdoesn’t
light, stays on, or comes on while
driving without a passenger in the
f ront seat, have the system checked.
The passenger’s side airbag has a
cutof f system designed to turn of f
the passenger’s side airbag if a child’s
head is in the airbag’s deployment
path (see page ).
There will be some delay between
the moment the passenger moves
into or out of the airbag deployment
pathandwhentheindicatorcomes
on or goes of f .
If the side airbag cutof f indicator
comes on, 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 indicator will
go out. 23
23
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
How Your Side A irbags Work
22

This indicator alerts you
that the passenger’s side
airbag has been automatically shut
of f . It does mean there is a
problem with your side airbags.
To reduce the risk of injury f rom an
inf lating side airbag, your vehicle has
an automatic cutoff system for the
passenger’s side airbag.
Although Honda does not encourage
children to ride in 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.
If a short adult leans sideways, or a
larger adult slouches and leans
sideways into the side airbag
deployment path, the system may
also shut off the side airbag.
The SRS indicator alerts
you to a potential problem
with your f ront airbags, side airbags,
or f ront seat belt tensioners (see
page ).
When you turn the ignition to ON
(II), this indicator will light brief ly
then go out. This tells you that the
system is working properly.
If the indicator 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 does not come
on after you turn the ignition
switch to ON (II).
If the indicator stays on after the
engine starts.
If the indicator comes on or
flashesonandoff whileyoudrive. If you see any of these indications,
the airbags and seat belt tensioners
may not work properly when you
need them.
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Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
How the Side Airbag Of f
Indicator Works
How the SRS Indicator Works
not
23
Ignoring the SRS indicator light
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbag systems, or
tensioners do not work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS indicator alerts you to
a possible problem.

Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
If water or another liquid
soaks into a seat-back, it can
prevent the side airbag cutof f
system f rom working properly.
Improperly
replacing or covering f ront seat-
back covers can prevent your side
airbags f rom inf lating during a
side impact.
Your airbag systems are virtually
maintenance-f ree, and there are no
parts you can saf ely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:
Any airbag
that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. If a
f ront airbag inf lates the seat belt
tensioners must also be replaced.
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by a Honda dealer or a
knowledgeable body shop.
Take your vehicle to
an authorized Honda dealer as
soon as possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly.
Objects placed on the f ront
passenger seat can also cause the
side airbag to shut off.
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.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Airbag Service
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason.
Do not expose t he f ront seat -backsto liquid.
Do not cover or replace f ront seat -back covers wit hout consult ing aHonda dealer.
An airbag ever inf lates.
T he SRS indicat or light alert s yout o a problem.
24

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Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions many adults do not know
how to properly protect child
passengers.If you have children, or if you ever
need to drive with a child in your
vehicle, be sure to read this section.
It begins with important general
guidelines, then presents special
inf ormation f or inf ants, small
children, and larger children.
Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In f act, vehicle
accidents are the number one cause
of death of children ages 12 and
under.
To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian province requires that
inf ants and children be properly
restrained when they ride in a
vehicle.
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
All Children Must Be Restrained
25
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in a
crash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt and
use a booster if necessary.

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(see pages ).
(see pages ).
According to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
saf er when they are restrained in the
back seat. The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration and
Transport Canada recommend that
all children age 12 and under be
properly restrained in the back seat.
Children who ride in back are less
likely to be injured by striking
interior vehicle parts during a
collision or hard braking. Also,
children cannot be injured by an inf lating airbag when they ride in the
back.
Front airbags have been designed to
help protect adults in a moderate to
severe f rontal collision. To do this
the passenger’s f ront airbag is quite
large and it can inf late with enough
f orce to cause very serious injuries.
If
the airbag inf lates, it can hit the back
of the child seat with enough force
to kill or very seriously injure an
inf ant. If the vehicle seat is too
f ar f orward, or the child’s head is
thrown f orward during a collision, an
inflating front airbag can strike the
child with enough f orce to kill or
very seriously injure a small child.
Whenever possible,
larger children should sit in the back
seat, in a booster seat if needed, and
be properly restrained with a seat
belt (see page f or important
inf ormation about protecting larger
children).
29 31
38 41
38
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Inf ant s and small children must berest rained in an approved child seatt hat is properly secured t o t hevehicle
Larger children must be restrainedwit h a lap/shoulder belt and ride ona boost er unt il t he seat belt f it s t hemproperly
Never put a rear-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag. Placing a f orward-f acing child seat in
t he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwith passenger’s f ront airbag can behazardous.
Children who have outgrown childseat s are also at risk of being injuredor killed by an inf lat ing passenger’sfront airbag.
Inf ant s Small Children
Larger Children
All Children Should Sit in the
Back Seat The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Can Pose Serious Risks
26