1998 HONDA PRELUDE Owners Manual

Additional Information About Your Seat Belts

Seat Belt System Components
Your seat belt system includes lap/ shoulder belts in all four seating

positions.

The system also includes alight on the instrument
panel to remind you and your
passengers to fasten your belts. If
the driver's seat belt is not fastened
before the ignition is turned ON (II),
the light will come on and a beeper
will also sound. The beeper will stop after a few seconds, but the light will
stay on until the driver's seat belt is

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

latched.

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

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Additional Information About Your Seat Belts

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 28 and 32 for instructions on
how to secure child seats with this
type of seat belt.)
If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the locking
mechanism will activate. The belt
will retract, but it will not allow a passenger to move freely. To deactivate the locking
mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt fully retract. To
refasten the belt, pull it out only as
far as needed.
See page 14 for instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly.

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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 th

e 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.
Honda provides a lifetime warranty
on seat belts. Honda will repair or
replace
any seat belt component that
fails t

o function properly during
normal use.

Please see your Honda Warranty Information booklet for details.
If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
yo

u should have your dealer inspect
the belt, and
replace it if necessary.
A belt that has been worn during a crash may not
provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The
dealer should also inspect the
anchors for damage and replace
the

m if needed.
For information on how to clean your sea

t belts, see page 223.

Driver an

d Passenger Safety
Not checking or maintaining
seat belt
s 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 a

s soon as possible.
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Additional Information About Your SRS
SRS Components

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

"SRS".
Sensors that can detect a severe

frontal collision. A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors thesensors, control unit, the airbag
activators, and all related wiring
when the ignition is ON (II). An indicator light on the
instrument panel to alert you to a
possible problem with the system (see page 45). Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle's electrical system is disconnected in a crash. How Your Airbags Work
If you ever have a severe frontal
collision, the sensors will detect
rapid deceleration and signal the
control unit to instantly inflate the
airbags.
During a crash, your seat belt helps
restrain your lower body and torso.
Your airbag provides a cushion to help restrain and protect your headand chest.

Driver and Passenger Safety
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Additional Information About Your SRS

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.
After inflating, the airbagsimmediately deflate, so they won't
interfere with the driver's visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
The total time for inflation and deflation is approximately one-tenth
of a second, so fast that most
occupants are not aware that the
airbags deployed until they see them
lying in their laps. After a crash, you may see what
looks like smoke. This is actually
powder from the airbag's surface.
Although the powder is not harmful, people with respiratory problems
may experience some temporarydiscomfort. If this occurs, get out of
the car as soon as it is safe to do so.
U.S. Owners
For additional information on how
your airbags work, see the booklet
titled SRS: What You Need to Know

About Airbags that came with your
owner's manual.

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Additional Information About Your SRS

How Your SRS Indicator Light
Works The purpose of the SRSindicator light is to alert
you to a potential problem with your Supplemental Restraint System.
When you turn the ignition ON (II), this indicator will light up briefly
then go out. This tells you that the system is working properly.
However, if the light comes on at any other time, you should have your
system checked by your dealer. For

example:
If the SRS indicator light does not
come on after you turn the ignition
ON (II). If the light stays on after the

engine starts.
If the light comes on or flashes on

and off while you drive.

If you see any of these indications,
your airbags may not deploy when

you need them. See your Honda
dealer as soon as possible.
SRS Service

Your Supplemental Restraint System is virtually maintenance-free, and
there are no parts you can safely service. However, you must have
your vehicle serviced if:

Your airbags ever inflate. The

airbags and the control unit must
be replaced. Do not try to remove or replace the airbags yourself.
This must be done by a Honda dealer or a knowledgeable body

shop.
The SRS indicator light alerts you

to a problem. Take your vehicle to
an authorized Honda dealer as soon as possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inflate when you need them.
Driver and Passenger Safety

Ignoring the SRS indicator light
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags do not inflate when needed.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS light alerts you to a potential problem.
SRS
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Additional Information About Your SRS

Additional Safety Precautions Do not attempt to deactivate yourairbags. Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection in a severe frontal
collision.
Do not tamper with SRS
components or wiring for any
reason. Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly causing very serious injury.
See page 127 for further information
and precautions relating to your SRS.

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Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Your vehicle's exhaust contains carbon monoxide gas. You should
have no problem with carbon monoxide entering the vehicle in
normal driving if you maintain your
vehicle properly.
Have the exhaust system inspected
for leaks whenever:
The vehicle is raised for an oilchange.
You notice a change in the sound of the exhaust. The vehicle was in an accident
that may have damaged the under-
side.
High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage. With the trunk lid open, air flow can
pull exhaust gas into your vehicle'sinterior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
trunk lid open, open all the windows and set the heating and coolingsystem as shown below.
If you must sit in your parked vehicle, even in an unconfined area, with the
engine running, adjust the heating
and cooling system as follows:
1. Select the Fresh Air mode. 2. Select the mode.
3. Turn the fan on high speed.
4. Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or activities that expose you to
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