Drive
r an d Passenge r Safet y
This section gives you important information 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 infants and children in your car.
Important Safety Precautions.......... 6
Your Car's Safety Features.............. 7
Seat Belts........................................ 8
Airbags............................................ 9
Seats &
Seat-Backs...................... 10
Head Restraints........................... 10
Door Locks................................... 11
Pre-Drive Safety Checklist......... 11
Protecting Adults.............................
12
1.
Close and Lock the Doors...... 12
2. Adjust the Front Seats............
12
3. Adjus
t the Seat-Backs............. 13
4. Adjust the Head Restraints.... 14 5. Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts...................................... 15
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel..... 18
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position................................. 18
Advice for Pregnant Women...... 19
Additional Safety Precautions....
19
Protecting Children........................
. 21
All Children Must Be
Restrained................................ 21
Children Should Sit in the Back
Seat............................................ 22
The Passenger's Airbag Poses Serious Risks to Children....... 22
If You Must Drive with Several
Children.................................... 23
If a Child Requires Close
Attention................................... 24
Additional Safety Precautions.... 24 General Guidelines for Using
Child Seats................................ 25
Protecting Infants........................ 29
Protecting Small Children.......... 33
Protecting Larger Children........ 37
Using Child Seats with Tethers...................................... 40
Additional Information About Your
Seat Belts.................................. 42
Seat Belt System Components... 42
Lap/Shoulder Belt....................... 42
Lap Belt......................................... 43Seat Belt Maintenance................ 44
Additional Information About Your
SRS............................................45
SRS Components......................... 45
How Your Airbags Work............ 45
How the SRS Indicator Light
Works........................................ 47
SRS Service................................... 47
Additional Safety Precautions.... 48
Carbon Monoxide Hazard.............. 49
Safety Labels.................................... 50
Driver an d Passenge r Safet y
You
r Car' s Safet y Feature s
Airbag s
Your car has a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) with frontalairbags to help protect the driver and
a front seat passenger.
This system also includesan indicator light on the
instrument panel to alert you to a
possible problem with the system. The. most important things you need
to know about your airbags are: Airbags do not replace seat belts.
The seat belts are the occupants' primary protection in all types of
collisions. The airbags supplementthe seat belts by providing extra
protection for the head and chest of each front seat occupant in a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.
Airbags offer
no protection in side
impacts, rear impacts, rollovers, or minor collisions. Airbags are
designed to deploy only during a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.
Airbags can pose serious hazards.
To do their job, airbags must inflate with tremendous force and
speed. So while airbags save lives,
they can cause serious injuries to
adults and larger children who are not wearing seat belts, are not
wearing them properly, are sitting too close to the airbag, or are notsitting in a proper position. Infants
and small children are at an even
greater risk of injury or death.
What you should do: Always wear
your seat belt properly, and sit upright and as far back as possible
from the steering wheel or
dashboard.
Driver an d Passenge r Safet y
S
R S
You
r Car' s Safet y Feature s
Doo r Lock s
Keeping your doors locked reduces
the chance of being thrown out of
the car during a crash. It also helps prevent occupants from accidentallyopening a door and falling out, and
outsiders from unexpectedly opening
your doors. Pre-Driv
e Safet y Checklis t
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 haveoutgrown child safety seats, are
wearing their seat belts and wearing them properly (see page 15).
Any infant or small child is properly restrained in a child seat
in the back seat (see page 21 ). Front seat occupants are sitting
upright and as far back as possible
from the steering wheel and dashboard (see page 12 ). Seat-backs are upright (see page
13). Head restraints are properly
adjusted (see page 14 ). All doors are closed and locked
(see page 12 ). All cargo is properly stored or
secured (see page 127 ).
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.
Driver an d Passenge r Safet y
Instrument
s an d Control s
This section gives information about the controls and displays that
contribute to the daily operation of
your Acura. All the essential controls
are within easy reach.
Control Locations............................ 52
Indicator Lights................................ 53
Gauges.............................................. 57
Speedometer................................ 57
Tachometer.................................. 57
Odometer...................................... 57
Trip Meter.................................... 57
Fuel Gauge................................... 58
Temperature Gauge....................
58
Maintenance Require
d
Indicator.................................... 59
Controls Near the Steering
Wheel........................................ 60
Headlights.................................... 61
Instrument Panel Brightness.....
62
Turn S
ignals.................................
62
Windshield Wipers.
..................... 63
Windshield Washers..................
. 63
Hazard Warning...........................
64
Rear Windo
w Defogger.............. 64
Steering Wheel Adjustment....... 65
Steering Wheel Controls................ 66
Cruise Control.............................. 66
Keys and Locks................................ 69
Keys............................................... 69
Immobilizer System..................... 69
Ignition Switch............................. 70
Power Door Locks....................... 72
Childproof Door Locks............... 73
Trunk............................................ 73
Glove Box..................................... 75
Seat Adjustments............................. 75
Driver's Seat Height
Adjustment............................... 76
Driver's Lumbar Support............ 76
Head Restraints........................... 77
Folding Rear Seat............................ 77
Power Windows............................... 79
Moonroof.......................................... 80
Mirrors.............................................. 81
Adjusting the Power Mirrors..... 81
Parking Brake.................................. 82
Digital Clock..................................... 83
Beverage Holder.............................. 84 Console Compartment.................... 85
Cigarette Lighter............................. 85
Ashtrays............................................ 86
Interior Lights.................................. 87
Instrument s an d Control s
Inde
x
Rear Window Defogger.................. 64
Reclining the Seat
Backs............... .
76
Recommended Shift Speeds........ 135
Reminder Lights.............................. 53
Replacement Information
Air Cleaner Element.................. 182
Coolant........................................ 174
Engine Oil and Filter................. 170
Fuses........................................... 237
Light Bulbs................................. 202
Schedule..................................... 156
Spark Plugs................................. 183
Timing Belt................................. 191
Tires............................................ 195
Wiper Blades.............................. 188
Replacing Seat Belts After a
Crash............................................. 44
Reserve Tank, Engine Coolant.... 123
Restraint, Child................................ 21
Reverse Gear Position................... 137
Rotation, Tire................................. 195
Safety Belts......................................... 8
Safety Defects, Reporting*.......... 258
Safety Features.................................. 7
Airbags............................................ 9
Door Locks................................... 11
Head Restraints........................... 10
Seat Belts........................................ 8
Seats & Seat-Backs...................... 10
Safety Labels, Location of.............. 50
Safety Messages................................ ii
Seat Belt, Additional Information.. 42 Lap Belt......................................... 43
Lap/Shoulder Belt....................... 42
Seat Belt Maintenance................ 44
Seat Belt System Components... 42
Seat Belts............................................ 8
Cleaning...................................... 214
Maintenance................................. 44
Reminder Light and Beeper....... 54
System Components.................... 42
Tether Attachment Points.......... 40 Use During Pregnancy................ 19
Seats, Adjusting the......................... 75
Serial Number................................ 244
Service Intervals............................ 158
Service Manual*............................ 259
Service Station Procedures .......... 119
Setting the Clock............................. 83 Shifting
The Automatic Transmission.. 136
The 5-speed Manual
Transmission.......................... 134
Shift Lever Position Indicator...... 136
Shift Lock Release......................... 139
Side Marker Lights, Bulb
Replacement in.......................... 203
Signaling Turns................................ 62
Snow Tires...................................... 197
Solvent-type Cleaners.................... 212
Sound System................................... 98
Spare Tire
Inflating....................................... 220
Specifications............................. 247
Spark Plugs, Replacing................. 183
Specifications Charts..................... 246
Speed Control................................... 66
Speedometer....................................
57
SRS, Additiona
l Information........... 45
Additional Safety Precautions.... 48 How the SRS Indicator
Works........................................ 47
How Your Airbags Work............ 45
CONTINUED