2000 Acura TL airbag

Additional Information About Your Side Airbags
Your car is equipped with sideairbags for the driver and a front
seat passenger. The airbags are
stored in the outer edges of the front
seat-backs, and both are marked
"SIDE AIRBAG." How Your Side Airbags Work
If you ever have a moderate to
severe side impact, the sensors will
detect rapid deceleration and signal
the control unit to instantly inflate either the driver's or the passenger'sside 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. To get the best protection from the
side airbags, front seat occupants
should wear their seat belts and sit
upright and well back in their seats.
Driver and Passenger Safety

Additional Information About Your Side Airbags
How The Side Airbag IndicatorLight Works The purpose of this light isto alert you if the
SIDEAIRBAG
passenger's side airbag has been
automatically shut off.
Although Acura does not encourage children to ride in the front, to help
prevent injury, your car has an automatic cutoff system for the
passenger's side airbag. This system is designed to shut off the airbag if a
child leans sideways and the child's
head is in the deployment path of theside airbag.
The side airbag may also shut off if a small adult leans sideways, or a
larger adult slouches and leans sideways, and the adult's head is in
the deployment path of the airbag. A front seat passenger should not
use a cushion or other object as a
backrest. It may prevent the cutoff system from working properly.
If this light comes on, you should
have the passenger sit upright. Once
the passenger is out of the deployment path of the side airbag,
the airbag will turn on and the light
will go out.
When you turn the ignition ON (II), the indicator light should light up
briefly and go out (see page 55). If it doesn't light, or it stays on or comes
on without a passenger in the front
seat, have the system checked.
SRSThe SRS indicator light will come on if there is a
problem with your side airbags or
the automatic cutoff system (see
page 45).
Driver and Passenger Safety

Additional Information About Your Airbags
Airbag ServiceYour front and side airbag systems are virtually maintenance-free, and
there are no parts you can safely service. However, you must have
your car serviced if:
• Your airbags ever inflate. Any airbag that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. Do
not try to remove or replace any airbag by yourself.
This must be done by an Acura dealer or a knowledgeable body
shop.
• The SRS indicator light alerts you
to a problem. Take your car to anauthorized Acura dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inflate when you need them. Additional Safety Precautions
• Do not attempt to deactivate your
airbags. Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
• Do not tamper with airbag components or wiring for anyreason. Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly causing very serious injury.
• Do not expose the front seat-backs
to water. If rain or spilled water soaks into a seat-back, it can
prevent the side airbag system
from working properly.
• Do not cover or replace front seat- back covers without consulting an
Acura dealer. Improperlyreplacing or covering front seat-
back covers can prevent your side airbags from inflating during a
collision.
See page 154 for further information
and precautions relating to your
airbags.
Driver and Passenger Safety

Indicator Lights
The instrument panel has manyindicators to give you important
information about your car.LOW OIL HIGH BEAM INDICATOR
PRESSURE
INDICATOR CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM INDICATOR
IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM
INDICATOR
ANTI-LOCKBRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATOR
CHARGING DOOR-OPEN LOW FUEL
SYSTEM INDICATOR INDICATOR INDICATOR
TRACTION CONTROL
SYSTEM INDICATOR BRAKE LAMP
INDICATOR SIDE AIRBAG
INDICATOR
PARKING BRAKE AND
BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATOR*
* The U.S. instrument panel is shown. Differences for Canadian models ar\
e
noted in the text.
Instruments and Controls
MALFUNCTION
INDICATOR
LAMP SEAT BELT
REMINDER
LIGHT

Indicator Lights
Supplemental Restraint
System Indicator
This indicator lights when you turn the ignition switch ON (II). If itcomes on at any other time, it
indicates a potential problem with
your front airbags. This light will also alert you to a potential problem
with your side airbags or passenger's side airbag automatic cutoff system.
For complete information, see page 45.
Side Airbag Indicator
This indicator lights when you turn the ignition switch ON (II). If itcomes on at any other time, it
indicates that the passenger's side
airbag has automatically shut off.
For complete information, see page 47. U.S. Anti-lock Brake System
(ABS) Indicator
Canada
This light normally comes on for a
few seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II), and when
the ignition switch is turned toSTART (III). If this light comes on at
any other time, there is a problem in
the ABS. If this happens, take the car to your dealer to have it checked.
With the light on, your car still has normal braking ability but no anti-
lock. For complete information, see page 174. Traction Control System
(TCS) Indicator
This indicator has three functions:
1. It comes on as a reminder that you have turned off the TractionControl System.
2. It flashes when the TCS is regulating wheelspin.
3. If it comes on and stays on when the Traction Control System is on,it indicates that there is a problem
in the TCS.
This light also comes on when you turn the ignition ON (II) and goes offafter the engine starts. See page 175 for more information on the
TCS.
Instruments and Controls

Seat Heaters
Both front seats are equipped withseat heaters. The ignition switch
must be ON (II) to use them. Push
the front of the switch, HI, to rapidly
heat up the seat. After the seat
reaches a comfortable temperature, select LO by pushing the back of the
switch. This will keep the seat warm. The HI or LO indicator lights and
remains lit until you turn it off by
pushing the opposite side of theswitch lightly. The indicator will turn
off.
In HI, the heater turns off when the
seat gets warm, and turns back on
after the seat's temperature drops. It
continues to cycle as long as you
leave it set on HI. The HI indicator
remains lit as a reminder that you
have the heater on.
In LO, the heater runs continuously.
It does not cycle with temperaturechanges. Follow these precautions whenever
you use the seat heaters:
• Use the HI setting only to heat the seats quickly. Select the LO
setting when the seats feel warm.
The HI setting draws large amounts of current from the
battery.
• Do not use the seat heaters, even on the LO setting, if the engine is
left idling for an extended period.
They can weaken the battery, causing hard starting.
Because of the sensors for the side
airbag system, there is no heater in
the passenger's seat-back.
Instruments and Controls

Accessories and Modifications
Modifying your car, or installing
some non-Acura accessories, can
make your car unsafe. Before you
make any modifications or add anyaccessories, be sure to read the
following information.
Accessories Your dealer has Genuine Acura accessories that allow you to
personalize your car. These accessories have been designed andapproved for your car, and are
covered by warranty.
Non-Acura accessories are usually
designed for universal applications.
Although aftermarket accessories may fit on your car, they may not
meet factory specifications, and
could adversely affect your car's
handling and stability. (See "Modifications" on the page 154 for
additional information.) Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
car's handling, stability and performance, and cause a
crash in which you can be hurt
or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner's manual regarding
accessories and modifications.
When properly installed, cellular phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems should not interfere with your car's
computer-controlled systems, such
as the SRS and anti-lock brakesystem.
However, if electronic accessories are improperly installed, or exceed
your car's electrical system capacity, they can interfere with the operation of your car, or even cause the
airbags to deploy.
Before installing any accessory:
• Make sure the accessory does not obscure any lights, or interfere
with proper car operation or performance.
• Be sure electronic accessories do not overload electrical circuits(see page 275).
• Have the installer contact your Acura dealer for assistance beforeinstalling any electronic accessory.
If possible, have your dealer inspect
the final installation.
Before Driving

Accessories and Modifications
Modifications
Do not remove any originalequipment or modify your car in any
way that would alter its design or operation. This could make your car
unsafe and illegal to drive.
For example, do not make any
modifications that would change the
ride height of your car, or install
wheels and tires with a different overall diameter.
Such modifications can adversely
affect handling, and interfere with
the operation of the car's anti-lock
brakes and other systems. In addition, any modifications that
decrease ground clearance increase
the chance of undercarriage parts striking a curb, speed bump, or other
raised object, which could cause
your airbags to deploy.
Do not modify your steering wheelor any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.
Modifications could make the system ineffective.
Additional Safety Precautions
• Do not attach or place objects on the airbag covers. Any object
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.
• Do not attach hard objects on or near a front door. If a side airbag
inflates, a cup holder or other hard object attached on or near the
door could be propelled inside the
car and hurt someone.
• Do not place any objects over the outside edge of a front seat-back.
Covering the outside edge of a
front seat-back, with a non-Acura seat cover for example, could
prevent the airbag from inflating
properly.
Before Driving