2003 Honda Accord Coupe Owners Manual

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If equipped

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Your Car’s Safety Features

Your car is equipped with many features that work together to protect you and your passengers during a crash.

Some safety features do not require any action on your part. These include a strong steel framework that forms a safety cage around the passenger compartment; front and rear crush zones that are designed to crumple and absorb energy during a crash; a collapsible steering column; and seat belt tensioners that automatically tighten the front seat belts in the event of a crash.

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Your Car’s Safety Features

These safety features are designed to reduce the severity of injuries in a crash. However, you and your passengers can’t take full advantage of these safety features unless you remain sitting in a proper position and properly. features can contribute to injuries if they are not used properly.

alwayswearyourseatbelts

In fact, some safety

Driver and Passenger Safety

Seat Belts For your safety, and the safety of your passengers, your car is equipped with seat belts in all seating positions.

Your seat belt system also includes a light on the

instrument panel to remind you and your passengers to fasten your seat belts.

WhyWearSeatBelts Seat belts are the single most effective safety device for adults and larger children. (Infants and smaller children must be properly restrained in child seats.)

Not wearing a seat belt properly increases the chance of serious injury or death in a crash, even though your car has airbags.

In addition, most states and all Canadian provinces require you to wear seat belts.

Not 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.

When properly worn, seat belts:

Keep you connected to the vehicle so you can take advantage of the vehicle’s built-in safety features.

Help protect you in almost every type of crash, including frontal, side, and rear impacts and rollovers.

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Help keep you from being thrown against the inside of the car and against other occupants.

Keep you from being thrown out of the car.

Help keep you in a good position should the airbags ever deploy. A good position reduces the risk of injury from an inflating airbag, and allows you to get the best advantage from the airbag.

Of course, seat belts cannot completely protect you in every crash. But in most cases, seat belts can reduce your risk of serious injury.

Always wear Whatyoushoulddo: your seat belt, and make sure you wear it properly.

Your Car’s Safety Features

Airbags

Your car has a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) with dual- stage, dual-threshold front airbags to help protect the heads and chests of the driver and a front seat passenger during a moderate to severe frontal collision.

StandardonEXandallV6models OptionalonLXmodel Your car also has side airbags to help protect the upper torso of the driver or a front seat passenger during a moderate to severe side impact.

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Your Car’s Safety Features

Always wear

Whatyoushoulddo: your seat belt properly, and sit upright and as far back as possible from the steering wheel or dashboard.

The most important things you need to know about your airbags are:

Airbagsdonotreplaceseatbelts. They are designed to supplement the seat belts.

Airbagsoffernoprotectioninrear impacts,rollovers,orminor frontalorsidecollisions.

Airbagscanposeserioushazards. To do their job, airbags must inflate with tremendous force and speed. So while airbags help save lives, they can cause minor injuries, or more serious or even fatal injuries if occupants are not properly restrained or sitting properly.

StandardonU.S.EX-V6model Your car also has side curtain airbags. During a moderate to severe side impact, side curtain airbags help to protect the heads of the driver, front seat passenger, and passengers sitting in the outer rear seating positions.

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Driver and Passenger Safety

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Move the front

Whatyoushoulddo: seats as far back as possible, and keep adjustable seat-backs in an upright position whenever the car is moving.

Seats & Seat-Backs Your car’s seats are designed to keep you in a comfortable, upright position so you can take full advantage of the protection offered by seat belts and the energy absorbing materials in the seats.

How you adjust your seats and seat- backs can also affect your safety. For example, sitting too close to the steering wheel or dashboard increases the risk of you or your passenger being injured by striking the inside of the car, or by an inflating airbag.

Reclining a seat-back too far reduces the seat belt’s effectiveness and increases the chance that the seat’s occupant will slide under the seat belt in a crash and be seriously injured.

Your Car’s Safety Features

Head Restraints Head restraints can help protect you from whiplash and other injuries. For maximum protection, the back of your head should rest against the center of the head restraint.

Door Locks Keeping your doors locked reduces the chance of being thrown out of the car during a crash. It also helps prevent occupants from accidentally opening a door and falling out, and outsiders from unexpectedly opening your doors.

Driver and Passenger Safety

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The rest of this section gives more detailed information about how you can maximize your safety.

Remember, however, that no safety system can prevent all injuries or deaths that can occur in severe crashes, even when seat belts are properly worn and the airbags deploy.

Frontseatoccupantsaresitting upright and as far back as possible from the steering wheel and dashboard (see page

14

).

Seat-backs are upright (see page 15

).

Head restraints are properly adjusted (see page

16

).

Both doors are closed and locked (see page

13

).

All cargo is properly stored or secured (see page

234

).

Your Car’s Safety Features

Pre-Drive Safety Checklist To make sure you and your passengers get the maximum protection from your car’s safety features, check the following each time before you drive away:

All adults, and children who have outgrown child safety seats, are wearing their seat belts and wearingthemproperly(seepage 16

).

Any infant or small child is properly restrained in a child seat inthebackseat(seepage

21

).

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Introduction The following pages provide instructions on how to properly protect the driver and other adult occupants.

These instructions also apply to children who have outgrown child seats and are large enough to wear lap/shoulder belts. (See page for important additional guidelines on how to properly protect larger children.)

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Protecting Adults

Close and Lock the Doors

1. After everyone has entered the car, be sure the doors are closed and locked.

For security, locked doors can prevent an outsider from unexpectedly opening a door when you come to a stop.

See page doors.

86

for how to lock the

Your car has a door monitor light on the instrument panel to indicate when a specific door is not tightly closed.

For safety, locking the doors reduces the chance that a passenger, especially a child, will open a door while the car is moving and accidentally fall out. It also reduces the chance of someone being thrown out of the car during a crash.

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Protecting Adults

2.

Adjust the Front Seats

Any driver who sits too close to the steering wheel is at risk of being seriously injured or killed by striking the steering wheel or from being struck by an inflating front airbag during a crash.

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Driver and Passenger Safety

To reduce the chance of injury, wear your seat belt properly, sit upright with your back against the seat, and movetheseatawayfromthe steering wheel to the farthest distance that allows you to maintain full control of the car.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada recommend that drivers adjust the seat so the center of the chest is at least 10 inches (25cm) away from the center of the steering wheel. In addition to adjusting the seat, you can adjust the steering ). wheel in and out (see page

80

Also make sure your front seat passenger moves the seat as far to the rear as possible.

Sitting too close to a front airbag can result in serious injury or death if the front airbags inflate.

Always sit as far back from the front airbags as possible.

Most shorter drivers can get far enough away from the steering wheel and still reach the pedals. However, if you are concerned about sitting too close, we recommend that you investigate whether some type of adaptive equipment may help.

Once your seat is adjusted correctly, rock it back and forth to make sure the seat is locked in position.

See page 94
front seats.

for how to adjust the

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Protecting Adults

Reclining the seat-back too far can result in serious injury or death in a crash.

Adjust the seat-back to an upright position and sit well back in the seat.

See page backs.

94

for how to adjust seat-

A front passenger should also adjust the seat-back to an upright position, but as far from the dashboard as possible. A passenger who sits too close to the dashboard could be injured if the front airbag inflates.

Reclining a seat-back so that the shoulder part of the belt no longer rests against the occupant’s chest reduces the protective capability of the belt. It also increases the chance of sliding under the belt in a crash and being seriously injured. The farther a seat-back is reclined, the greater the risk of injury.

3.

Adjust the Seat-Backs

Adjust the driver’s seat-back to a comfortable, upright position, leaving ample space between your chest and the airbag cover in the center of the steering wheel. If you sit too close to the steering wheel, you could be injured if the front airbag inflates.

Driver and Passenger Safety

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Main MenuTable of ContentsstFasten and Position the Seat Belts

Insert the latch plate into the buckle, then tug on the belt to make sure the belt is securely latched. Also check that the belt is not twisted, because a twisted belt can cause serious injuries in a crash.

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Protecting Adults

4.

Adjust the Head Restraints

5.

Improperly positioning head restraints reduces their effectiveness and you can be seriously injured in a crash.

Make sure head restraints are in place and positioned properly before driving.

Properly adjusted head restraints will help protect occupants from whiplash and other crash injuries.

See page head restraints.

99

for how to adjust the

Before driving, make sure everyone with an adjustable head restraint has properly positioned the head restraint. The restraint should be positioned so the back of the occupant’s head rests against the center of the restraint. A taller person should adjust the restraint as high as possible.

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If necessary, pull up on the belt again to remove any slack from the shoulder part, then check that the belt rests across the center of your chest and over your shoulder. This spreads the forces of a crash over the strongest bones in your upper body.

Improperly positioning the seat belts can cause serious injury or death in a crash.

Make sure all seat belts are properly positioned before driving.

Position the lap part of the belt as low as possible across your hips, then pull up on the shoulder part of the belt so the lap part fits snugly. This lets your strong pelvic bones take the force of a crash and reduces the chance of internal injuries.

Protecting Adults

Neverplacetheshoulderportionofa lap/shoulderbeltunderyourarmor behindyourback. very serious injuries in a crash.

This could cause

If a seat belt does not seem to work as it should, it may not protect the occupant in a crash. Nooneshould sitinaseatwithaninoperativeseat Anyone using a seat belt that is belt. not working properly can be seriously injured or killed. Have your Honda dealer check the belt as soon as possible.

46

for additional

See page information about your seat belt system and how to take care of your belts.

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Protecting Adults

6.

Adjust the Steering Wheel

7.

Maintain a Proper Sitting Position

After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on seat belts, it is very important that they continue to sit upright, well back in their seats, with their feet on the floor, until the car is parked and the engine is off.

Sitting improperly can increase the chance of injury during a crash. For example, if an occupant slouches, lies down, turns sideways, sits forward, leans forward or sideways, or puts one or both feet up, the chance of injury during a crash is greatly increased.

Adjust the steering wheel, if needed, so that the wheel points toward your chest, not toward your face.

Pointing the steering wheel toward your chest provides optimal protection from the airbag.

See page steering wheel.

80

for how to adjust the

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Driver and Passenger Safety

In addition, an occupant who is out of position in the front seat can be seriously or fatally injured by striking interior parts of the car, or by being struck by an inflating front airbag. Being struck by an inflating side airbag can result in possibly serious injuries.

Sitting improperly or out of position can result in serious injury or death in a crash.

Always sit upright, well back in the seat, with your feet on the floor.

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Remember, to get the best protection from your car’s airbags and other safety features, you must sit properly and wear your seat belt properly.

Advice for Pregnant Women

Because protecting the mother is the best way to protect her unborn child, a pregnant woman should always wear a seat belt whenever she drives or rides in a car.

Remember to keep the lap portion of the belt as low as possible across your hips.

Protecting Adults

Pregnant women should also sit upright and as far back as possible from the steering wheel or dashboard. This will reduce the risk of injuries to both the mother and her unborn child that can be caused by a crash or an inflating airbag.

Each time you have a check-up, ask your doctor if it’s okay for you to drive.

Driver and Passenger Safety

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Protecting Adults

Donotplacehardorsharpobjects betweenyourselfandafront Carrying hard or sharp airbag. objects on your lap, or driving with a pipe or other sharp objects in your mouth, can result in injuries if your front airbag inflates.

Donotattachorplaceobjectson Any object thefrontairbagcovers. attached to or placed on the covers marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG’’ in the center of the steering wheel and on top of the dashboard could interfere with the proper operation of the airbags. Or, if the airbags inflate, the objects could be propelled inside the car and hurt someone.

Onmodelswithsideairbagsor sidecurtainairbags,donotattach If a hardobjectsonornearadoor. side airbag or a side curtain airbag inflates, a cup holder or other hard object attached on or near the door could be propelled inside the car and hurt someone.

Keepyourhandsandarmsaway If your fromtheairbagcovers. hands or arms are close to the airbag cover in the center of the steering wheel or on top of the dashboard, they could be injured if the front airbag inflates.

Additional Safety Precautions

Twopeopleshouldneverusethe sameseatbelt. could be very seriously injured in a crash.

If they do, they

Donotputanyaccessoriesonseat Devices intended to improve belts. occupant comfort or reposition the shoulder part of a seat belt can severely compromise the protective capability of the seat belt and increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.

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Driver and Passenger Safety

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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.

Protecting Children

All Children Must Be Restrained Each year, many children are injured or killed in vehicle crashes because they are either unrestrained or not properly restrained. In fact, 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 infants and children be restrained whenever they ride in a vehicle.

Anychildwhoistoosmalltoweara seatbeltshouldbeproperly restrainedinachildseat. 26

(See page

.)

Alargerchildshouldalwaysbe restrainedwithaseatbelt,andusea booster,ifneeded.

(See page

38

.)

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Children depend on adults to protect them. However, despite their best intentions, many parents and other adults may not know how to protect young passengers.

properly

So if you have children, or if you ever need to drive with a grandchild or other children in your car, be sure to read this section.

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Children Should Sit in the Back Seat According to accident statistics, children of all ages and sizes are safer when they are restrained in the back seat, not the front seat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada recommend that all children ages 12 and under be properly restrained in the back seat.

In the back seat, children are less likely to be injured by striking hard interior parts during a collision or hard braking. Also, children cannot be injured by an inflating airbag when they ride in the back.

The Passenger’s Front Airbag Poses Serious Risks to Children Front airbags have been designed to help protect adults in a moderate to severe frontal collision. To do this, the passenger’s front airbag is quite large, and it inflates with tremendous speed.

Infants Neverputarear-facingchildseatin thefrontseatofavehicleequipped If withapassenger’sfrontairbag. the airbag inflates, it can hit the back of the child seat with enough force to kill or very seriously injure an infant.

Protecting Children

AdditionalPrecautionstoParents Neverholdaninfantorchildon If you are not wearing a yourlap. seat belt in a crash, you could be thrown forward into the dashboard and crush the child.

If you are wearing a seat belt, the child can be torn from your arms during a crash. For example, if your car crashes into a parked vehicle at 30 mph (48 km/h), a 20-lb (9 kg) infant will become a 600-lb (275 kg) force, and you will not be able to hold on.

Neverputaseatbeltoveryourself During a andaninfantorchild. crash, the belt could press deep into the child and cause very serious injuries.

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Driver and Passenger Safety

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Protecting Children

SmallChildren Placingaforward-facingchildseatin thefrontseatofavehicleequipped withapassenger’sfrontairbagcan If the vehicle seat is behazardous. too far forward, or the child’s head is thrown forward during a collision, an inflating front airbag can strike the child with enough force to kill or very seriously injure a small child.

U.S.Models To remind you of the passenger’s front airbag hazards, and that children must be properly restrained in the back seat, your car has warninglabelsonthedashboardand on the driver’s and front passenger’s visors. Please read and follow the instructions on these labels.

Whenever possible,

LargerChildren Childrenwhohaveoutgrownchild seatsarealsoatriskofbeinginjured orkilledbyaninflatingpassenger’s frontairbag. larger children should sit in the back seat, in a booster seat if needed, and be properly restrained with a seat belt. (See page information about protecting larger children.)

for important

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Protecting Children

CanadianModels To remind you of the front airbag hazards, your car has warning labels on the driver’s and front passenger’s visors. Please read and follow the instructions on these labels.

If You Must Drive with Several Children Your car has three seating positions in the back seat where children can be properly restrained.

If you ever have to carry more than three children in your car:

Place the largest child in the front seat, provided the child is large enough to wear a seat belt properly (see page

38

).

Move the vehicle seat as far to the rear as possible (see page

14

).

Have the child sit upright and well back in the seat (see page

18

).

Make sure the seat belt is properly positioned and secured (see page 16

).

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Driver and Passenger Safety

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Protecting Children

Additional Safety Precautions

Donotleavechildrenaloneinyour Leaving children without vehicle. adult supervision is illegal in most states and Canadian provinces, and can be very hazardous. For example, infants and small childrenleftinavehicleonahot day can die from heatstroke. And children left alone with the key in the ignition can accidentally set the vehicle in motion, possibly injuring themselves or others.

If a Child Requires Close Attention Many parents say they prefer to put an infant or small child in the front passenger seat so they can watch the child, or because the child requires attention.

Placing a child in the front seat exposes the child to hazards from the passenger’s front airbag, and paying close attention to a child distracts the driver from the important tasks of driving, placing both of you at risk.

If a child requires physical attention or frequent visual contact, we strongly recommend that another adult ride with the child in the back seat. The back seat is far safer for a child than the front.

Lockbothdoorsandthetrunk whenyourcarisnotinuse. Children who play in cars can accidentally get trapped inside the trunk and be seriously injured or could die. Teach your children not to play in or around cars. Know how to operate the emergency trunk opener and decide if your children should be shown how to use this feature (see page

93

).

Even very young

Keepcarkeys/remote transmittersoutofthereachof children. children learn how to unlock vehicle doors, turn on the ignition, and open the trunk, which can lead to accidental injury or death.

Driver and Passenger Safety

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Protecting Children

General Guidelines for Using Child Seats The following pages give general guidelines for selecting and installing child seats for infants and small children.

SelectingaChildSeat To provide proper protection, a child seat should meet three requirements:

1.

Thechildseatshouldmeetsafety The child seat should standards. meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 (FMVSS 213) or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 (CMVSS 213). Look for the manufacturer’s statement of compliance on the boxes.

2.

Thechildseatshouldbeofthe propertypeandsizetofitthechild.

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Driver and Passenger Safety

Children up to about one Infants: year old should be restrained in a rear-facing, reclining child seat. Only a rear-facing seat provides the proper support to protect an infant’s head, neck, and back. See page 30
for additional information on protecting infants.

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3.

Thechildseatshouldfitthe vehicleseatingposition(or positions)whereitwillbeused.

Due to variations in the design of child seats, vehicle seats, and seat belts, all child seats will not fit all vehicle seating positions.

However, Honda is confident that one or more child seat models can fit and be properly installed in all recommended seating positions in your car.

A child who is too

SmallChildren: large for a rear-facing child seat, and who can sit up without support, should be restrained in a forward- facing child seat. See page for additional information on protecting small children.

34

Protecting Children

Before purchasing a child seat, we recommend that parents test the child seat in the specific vehicle seating position (or positions) where they intend to use the seat. If a previously purchased child seat does not fit, you may need to buy a different one that will fit.

Your car has lower anchors installed for use with LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) - compatible child seats. For more information, see page

43

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Protecting Children

PlacingaChildSeat This page briefly summarizes Honda’s recommendations on where to place rear-facing and forward- facing child seats in your car.

Airbags Pose Serious

Risks to Children

The passenger’s front airbag inflates with enough force to kill or seriously injure an infant in a rear-facing child seat.

A small child in a forward-facing child seat is also at risk. If the vehicle seat is too far forward, or the child’s head is thrown forward during a collision, an inflating front airbag can kill or seriously injure the child.

If a small child must ride in the front, follow the instructions provided in this section.

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Driver and Passenger Safety

FrontPassenger’sSeat Infants:

Never in the front seat, due

to the front airbag hazard.

Smallchildren:

Not recommended,

due to the front airbag hazard. If a small child must ride in front, move the vehicle seat to the rear- most position and secure a front- facing child seat with the seat belt (see page

35

).

BackSeats Infants:

Recommended positions.

Properly secure a rear-facing child seat (see pages

and

43

31

).

Smallchildren:

Recommended

positions. Properly secure a front- facing child seat (see pages and 43

35

).

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InstallingaChildSeat After selecting a proper child seat, and a good position to install the seat, there are three main steps in installing the seat:

2.

After installing a child

Makesurethechildseatisfirmly secured. seat, push and pull the seat forward and from side to side to verify that it is secure.

1.

All child seats are

Properlysecurethechildseatto thecar. designed to be secured to the car with the lap part of a lap/shoulder belt. Some child seats can be secured to the vehicle’s LATCH anchorage system instead. A child whose seat is not properly secured to the car can be endangered in a crash. See pages for 43
instructions on how to properly secure child seats in this car.

31 35

and

To provide security during normal driving maneuvers as well as during a collision, we recommend that parents secure a child seat as firmly as possible.

However, a child seat does not need to be ‘‘rock solid.’’ In some vehicles or seating positions, it may be difficult to install a child seat so that it does not move at all. Some side-to- side or back-and-forth movement can be expected and should not reduce the child seat’s effectiveness.

Protecting Children

If the child seat is not secure, try installing it in a different seating position, or use a different style of child seat that can be firmly secured in the desired seating position.

3.

Securethechildinthechildseat. 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 canbethrownoutoftheseatin a crash and be seriously injured.

StoringaChildSeat When you are not using a child seat, either remove it and store it in a safe place, or make sure it is properly secured. An unsecured child seat can be thrown around the car during a crash or sudden stop and injure someone.

Driver and Passenger Safety

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Protecting Children

Protecting Infants

ChildSeatType Only a rear-facing child seat provides proper support for a baby’s head, neck, and back. Infants up to about one year of age must be restrained in a rear-facing child seat.

Two types of seats may be used: a seat designed exclusively for infants, or a convertible seat used in the rear- facing, reclining mode.

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Driver and Passenger Safety

Placing a rear-facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious injury or death if the passenger’s front airbag inflates.

Always place a rear-facing child seat in the back seat, not the front.

We recommend that an infant be restrained in a rear-facing child seat until the infant is at least one year old, reaches the seat maker’s weight or height limit, and is able to sit up without support.

Rear-FacingChildSeatPlacement In this car, a rear-facing child seat can be placed in any seating position in the back seat, but not in the front seat.

Neverputarear-facingchildseatin If the passenger’s thefrontseat. front airbag inflates, it can hit the back of the child seat with enough force to kill or seriously injure an infant. If an infant must be closely watched, we recommend that another adult sit in the back seat with the baby.

Donotputarear-facingchildseatin If placed aforward-facingposition. facing forward, an infant could be very seriously injured during a frontal collision.

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When properly installed, a rear- facing child seat may prevent the driver or a front-seat passenger from moving the seat as far back as recommended (see page ). Or it may prevent them from locking the seat-back in the desired upright position (see page

14

15

).

In either case, we recommend that you place the child seat directly behind the front passenger seat, move the front seat as far forward as needed, and leave it unoccupied. Or you may wish to get a smaller child seat that allows you to safely carry a front passenger.

Rear-FacingChildSeatInstallation The lap/shoulder belts in the back seats have a locking mechanism that must be activated to secure a child seat.

The following pages provide instructions and tips on how to secure a rear-facing child seat with this type of seat belt.

If you have a child seat designed to be attached to the vehicle’s LATCH anchorage system, follow the instructions on page

43

Protecting Children

1.

With the child seat in the desired back seating position, route the belt through the child seat according to the seat maker’s instructions, then insert the latch plate into the buckle.

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Protecting Children

3.

After the belt has retracted, tug on it. If the belt is locked, you will not be able to pull it out. If you can pull the belt out, it is not locked and you will need to repeat these steps.

2.

To activate the lockable retractor, slowly pull the shoulder part of the belt all the way out until it stops, then let the belt feed back into the retractor (you might hear a clicking noise as the belt retracts).

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4.

After confirming that the belt is locked, grab the shoulder part of the belt near the buckle and pull up to remove any slack from the lap part of the belt. Remember, if the lap part of the belt is not tight, the child seat will not be secure. To remove slack, it may help to put weight on the child seat, or push on the back of the seat, while pulling up on the belt.

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Protecting Children

To deactivate the locking mechanism and remove a child seat, unlatch the buckle, unroute the seat belt, and let the belt fully retract.

Rear-FacingChildSeatInstallation Tips

5.

Push and pull the child seat forward and from side to side to verify that it is secure enough to stay upright during normal driving maneuvers. If the child seat is not secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to retract fully, then repeat these steps.

For proper protection, an infant must ride in a reclined, or semi-reclined position. To determine the proper reclining angle, check with the baby’s doctor or follow the seat maker’s recommendations.

To achieve the desired reclining angle, it may help to put a rolled up towel under the toe of the child seat, as shown.

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Protecting Children

Protecting Small Children

We also recommend that a small child stay in the child seat as long as possible, until the child reaches the weight or height limit for the seat.

ChildSeatPlacement In this car, the best place to install a forward-facing child seat is in one of the seating positions in the back seat.

Placingaforward-facingchildseatin thefrontseatofavehicleequipped withapassenger’sfrontairbagcan If the vehicle seat is behazardous. too far forward, or the child’s head is thrown forward during a collision, an inflating front airbag can strike the child with enough force to cause very serious or fatal injuries. If a small child must be closely watched, we recommend that another adult sit in the back seat with the child.

ChildSeatType A child at least one year old who can sit up without support, and who fits within the child seat maker’s weight and height limits, should be restrained in a forward-facing, upright child seat.

Of the different seats available, we recommend those that have a five- point harness system as shown.

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ChildSeatInstallation The lap/shoulder belts in the back and front passenger seating positions have a locking mechanism that must be activated to secure a child seat.

The following pages provide instructions on how to secure a forward-facing child seat with this type of seat belt.

If you have a child seat designed to be attached to the vehicle’s LATCH anchorage system, follow the instructions on page

43

Improperly placing a forward- facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious injury or death if the front airbags inflate.

If you must place a forward- facing child seat in front, move the vehicle seat as far back as possible and properly restrain the child.

If it is necessary to put a forward- facing child seat in the front, move the vehicle seat as far to the rear as possible, be sure the child seat is firmly secured to the car, and the child is properly strapped in the seat.

Protecting Children

1.

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.

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Protecting Children

3.

After the belt has retracted, tug on it. If the belt is locked, you will not be able to pull it out. If you can pull the belt out, it is not locked and you will need to repeat these steps.

2.

To activate the lockable retractor, slowly pull the shoulder part of the belt all the way out until it stops, then let the belt feed back into the retractor (you might hear a clicking noise as the belt retracts).

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4.

After confirming that the belt is locked, grab the shoulder part of the belt near the buckle and pull up to remove any slack from the lap part of the belt. Remember, if the lap part of the belt is not tight, the child seat will not be secure. It may help to put weight on the child seat, or push on the back of the seat, while pulling up on the belt.

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Protecting Children

To deactivate the locking mechanism and remove a child seat, unlatch the buckle, unroute the seat belt, and let the belt fully retract.

5.

Push and pull the child seat forward and from side to side to verify that it is secure enough to stay upright during normal driving maneuvers. If the child seat is not secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to retract fully, then repeat these steps.

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Protecting Children

Protecting Larger Children When a child reaches the recommended weight or height limit for a forward-facing child seat, the child should sit in the back seat on a booster and wear a lap/shoulder belt.

We recommend that the child use a booster seat until the child is tall enough to use the seat belt without a booster.

The following pages give instructions on how to check proper seat belt fit, what kind of booster seat to use if one is needed, and important precautions for a child who must sit in the front seat.

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CheckingSeatBeltFit

Allowing a larger child to sit improperly in the front seat can result in injury or death if the passenger’s front airbag inflates.

If a larger child must sit in front, make sure the child moves the seat as far back as possible, uses a booster seat if needed, and wears the seat belt properly.

To determine if a lap/shoulder belt properly fits a child, have the child sit in the rear seat, all the way back against the seat, and put on the seat belt. Follow the instructions on page 16

. Then check how the belt fits.

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If the shoulder part of the belt rests over the child’s collarbone and against the center of the chest, and the lap belt rests over the child’s hipbones and touches the tops of the thighs as shown, the child is probably big enough to wear the seat belt.

However, if the shoulder belt touches or crosses the child’s neck, or if the lap belt crosses the child’s stomach, the child needs to use a booster seat.

Donotletachildwearaseatbelt acrosstheneckoroverthestomach. This could result in serious neck and internal injuries during a crash.

Donotletachildputtheshoulder partofaseatbeltbehindthebackor underthearm. very serious injuries during a crash. It also increases the chance that the child will slide under the belt in a crash and be injured.

This could cause

Donotputanyaccessoriesonaseat Devices intended to improve belt. occupant comfort or reposition the shoulder part of a seat belt, severely compromise the protective capability of the seat belt and increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.

Twochildrenshouldneverusethe If they do, they could sameseatbelt. be very seriously injured in a crash.

Protecting Children

UsingaBoosterSeat

If a child needs a booster seat, we recommend choosing a high or low- back style that allows the child to be directly secured with the lap/ shoulder belt.

Whichever style you select, follow the booster seat maker’s instructions.

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Main MenuTable of Contentsst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

A child should continue using a booster seat until the child exceeds the booster seat manufacturer’s requirements.

Even then, the child may still need to use a booster seat. Note that some states now require children to use boosters until they reach a certain age and/or weight. Be sure to check current laws in the state or states where you intend to drive.

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WhenCanaLargerChildSitinFront The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada recommend that all children ages 12 and under be properly restrained in the back seat.

The back seat is the safest place for a child of any age or size.

In addition, the passenger’s front airbag poses serious risks to children. If the seat is too far forward, or the child’s head is thrown forward during a collision, or the child is unrestrained or out of position, an inflating front airbag can kill or seriously injure the child.

The side airbag also poses risks. If any part of a larger child’s body is in the path of a deploying airbag, the child could receive possibly serious injuries.

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PhysicalSize Physically, a child must be large enough for the lap/shoulder belt to properly fit over the hips, chest, and shoulder (see pages ). If the seat belt does not fit properly, the child should not sit in the front.

and

16

38

Maturity To safely ride in front, a child must be able to follow the rules, including sitting properly and wearing the seat belt properly throughout a ride.

If you decide that a child can safely ride up front, be sure to:

Carefully read the owner’s manual and make sure you understand all seat belt instructions and all safety information.

Move the vehicle seat to the rear- most position.

Have the child sit up straight, back against the seat, and feet on or near the floor.

Check that the child’s seat belt is properly positioned and secured.

Remind the child not to lean toward the door because of the side airbag.

Protecting Children

Supervise the child. Even mature children sometimes need to be reminded to fasten the seat belts or sit properly.

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Protecting Children

Using Child Seats with Tethers

COVER

TETHER ANCHORAGE POINTS

Your car has three tether anchorage points under the rear window for securing a tether-style child seat to the car.

The tether anchorage points are located under plastic covers. Pivot the cover backward to access the anchorage point.

Since a tether can provide additional security, we recommend using a tether whenever one is required or available. (Tethers are required in Canada.)

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To use either outside anchorage point, lift the rear head restraint, then route the tether strap over the seat-back between the legs of the head restraint.

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TETHER STRAP HOOK

Using LATCH

TETHER ANCHORAGE POINT

LOWER ANCHORS

Attach the tether strap hook to the tether anchorage point as shown in the illustration, then tighten the strap according to the child seat maker’s instructions. Make sure the strap is not twisted.

Your car is equipped with LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) at the outer 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 for use with LATCH.

The exact location of each lower anchor is marked with a small button above the lower anchor point.

Protecting Children

To install a LATCH-compatible child seat:

1.

2.

Move the seat belt buckle or center seat belt away from the lower anchors.

Make sure there are no foreign objects around the anchors. Foreign objects could get in the way of a secure connection between the child seat and the anchors.

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Protecting Children

Rigid type

Flexible type

3.

Put the child seat in the rear left or right vehicle seat and attach the child seat to the lower anchors according to the child seat maker’s instructions.

4.

Follow the child seat maker’s instructions for any additional advice on adjusting or tightening the fit.

5.

Lift the rear head restraint, then route the tether strap over the seat-back between the legs of the head restraint.

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Protecting Children

LowerUniversalAnchorageSystem Symbol

7.

Push and pull the child seat forward and from side to side to verify that it is secure enough to stay upright during normal driving maneuvers.

6.

Attach the tether strap hook to the tether anchorage point, and tighten the strap according to the child seat maker’s instructions. Make sure the strap is not twisted.

Canadianmodelsonly This symbol on rear or forward facing child seats or booster cushions indicates the presence of LATCH compatible hardware.

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Additional Information About Your Seat Belts

Lap/Shoulder Belt

This seat belt has a single belt that 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.

Seat Belt System Components Your seat belt system includes lap/ shoulder belts in all five seating positions. The front seat belts are also equipped with automatic seat belt tensioners.

The seat belt system also includes a light 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 will stay on until the driver’s seat belt is fastened.

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To unlock the belt, push the red PRESSbuttononthebuckle.

Guide the belt across your body to the door pillar. After exiting the car, be sure the belt is out of the way and will not get closed in the door.

All seat 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 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 for instructions on how to secure child seats with this type of seat belt.)

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Additional Information About Your Seat Belts

Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners

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 freely.

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.

16

for instructions on how

See page to wear the lap/shoulder belt properly.

For added protection, the front seat belts are equipped with automatic seat belt tensioners. When activated, the tensioners immediately tighten the belts to help hold the driver and a front passenger in place.

The tensioners are designed to activate primarily in frontal 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 helpful.

The tensioners will be activated in a collision severe enough to cause the front airbags to inflate.

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

52

).

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Main MenuTable of ContentsstAutomatic seat belt tensioners that deployed during a crash must be replaced.

For information on how to clean your seat belts, see page

359

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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.Models 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. Please see your WarrantyInformation details.

booklet for

Honda

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.

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. The dealer should also inspect the anchors for damage and replace them if needed.

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SRS Components Your Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) includes:

Two front airbags. The driver’s airbag is stored in the center of the steering wheel; the front passenger’sairbagisstoredinthe dashboard. Both are marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG.’’

Automatic seat belt tensioners (see page

47

).

Sensors that can detect a moderate to severe frontal collision.

Additional Information About Your Airbags

How Your Front Airbags Work

A sophisticated electronic system that continually monitors and records information 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

52

).

Emergency backup power in case your car’s electrical system is disconnected in a crash.

Your car is equipped with dual-stage, dual-threshold airbags to help reduce the chance of airbag-caused injuries.

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Additional Information About Your Airbags

If you ever have a moderate to severe frontal collision, the sensors will detect the vehicle’s rapid deceleration. If the rate of deceleration is high enough, the control unit will instantly inflate the front airbags.

During a frontal crash, your seat belts help restrain your lower body and torso. Your airbag provides a cushion to help restrain and protect your head and chest.

Since both airbags use the same sensors, 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 whether or 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.

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After inflating, the front airbags immediately 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.

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Additional Information About Your Airbags

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 temporary discomfort. 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:WhatYouNeedtoKnow that came with your AboutAirbags owner’s manual.

Canadian Owners: For additional information on how your airbags work, ask your dealer for a copy of the booklet titled SRS: WhatYouNeedtoKnowAboutAirbags.

How Your Side Airbags Work

Onlyonmodelsequippedwithside airbags Some models are equipped with side airbags for the driver and a front seat passenger. The airbags are