2001 HONDA INSIGHT Owners Manual

This seat belt has a single belt that
goes over your shoulder, across your
chest and across your hips.
Your seat belt system includes lap/
shoulder belts in both seating
positions.
The seat belts are also equipped with
automatic seat belt tensioners.
The system also includes a
light on the instrument
panel to remind you and your
passenger to f asten your belts. If the
driver’s seat belt is not f astened
before the ignition is turned ON (II),
the light will come on and a beeper
will also sound. The beeper will stop
af ter a f ew seconds, but the light will
stay on until the driver’s seat belt is
f astened. To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched.The passenger’s seat belt has an
additional locking mechanism that
must be activated to secure a child
seat. (See page for instructions on
how to secure a f orward-f acing child
seat with this type of belt.)
Both seat belts have an emergency
locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move f reely in
your seat while it keeps some
tensiononthebelt.
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 to the door
pillar. After exiting the car, be sure
the belt is out of the way and will not
getclosedinthedoor.
27
Seat Belt System Components L ap/Shoulder Belt
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
34

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
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.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 f or damage and replace
them if needed.
Honda provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts. Honda will repair or
replace any seat belt component that
f ails to f unction properly during
normal use. Please see your
booklet f or
details.
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.
See page f or instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly.
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.
For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page .209
15
Honda
Warranty Inf ormation
Seat Belt Maintenance
U.S. Models
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 35
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly whenneeded.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.

Your Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) includes:Two 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.’’
Automatic seat belt tensioners
that tighten the front seat belts
during a moderate to severe
f rontal collision. If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, the sensors
will detect rapid deceleration and
signal the control unit to instantly
inflate the airbags and activate the
automatic seat belt tensioners.
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal
collision.
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records inf ormation 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 ).
Emergency backup power in case
your car’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
38
SRS Components
How Your A irbags Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
36

Af ter inf lating, the 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 approximately 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.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
may experience some temporary
discomf ort. If this occurs, get out of
the car as soon as it is safe to do so.
For additional information on how
your airbags work, see the booklet
titled
that came with your
owner’s manual.
During a crash, your seat belt helps
restrain your lower body and torso,
while the tensioner tightens and
locks the seat belt to help keep you
in place. Your airbag provides a
cushion to help restrain and protect
your head and chest.
Since both airbags use the same
sensors, both airbags normally
inf late at the same time. However, it
is possible f or only one airbag to
inf late.
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
suf f icient protection, and the
supplemental protection of f ered by
the airbag would be minimal.
For additional information on how
your airbags work, ask your dealer
f or a copy of the booklet titled
SRS: What You Need to Know
About Airbags
SRS:
What You Need to Know About Airbags
.
U.S. Owners
Canadian Owners
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 37

If the light comes on or f lashes on
and off while you drive.
When you turn the ignition ON (II),
this indicator will light brief ly then
go out. This tells you that the system
is working properly. Thepurposeof theSRS
light is to alert you to a
potential problem with your
Supplemental Restraint System.
If the light 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 light does not
come on after you turn the ignition
ON (II).
If the light stays on after the
engine starts.
Your Honda has automatic seat belt
tensioners f or added protection
during a moderate to severe frontal
collision.
If your airbags inf late, the tensioners
immediately tighten the f ront seat
belts to help hold the occupants in
place. The belts will remain tight
until you unbuckle them in the
normal way. If you see any of these indications,
your airbags and seat belt tensioners
may not deploy when you need them.
See your Honda dealer as soon as
possible.
How the SRS Indicator L ight
Works
How the Automatic Seat Belt
T ensioners Work
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
38 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
theSRSlightalertsyoutoa
potential problem.

Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags. Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection in a moderate to severe
f rontal collision.
Do not tamper with SRS
components or wiring f or any
reason. Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
See page f or f urther inf ormation
and precautions relating to your SRS.
Your Supplemental Restraint System
is virtually maintenance-f ree, and
there are no parts you can saf ely
service. However, you must have
your car serviced if :
The
airbags, seat belt tensioners, and
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.
Take your car to an
authorized Honda dealer as soon
as possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inf late when you need them. 128
Additional Saf ety Precautions
SRS Service
Additional Inf ormation About Your SRS
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Your airbags ever inf late.
T he SRS indicat or light alert s yout o a problem.
39

Your car’s exhaust contains carbon
monoxide gas. You should have no
problem with carbon monoxide
entering the car in normal driving if
you maintain your car properly.
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:The car is raised f or an oil change.
You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust.
Thecarwasinanaccidentthat
may have damaged the underside. 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
car out of the garage. With the hatch open, air flow can
pull exhaust gas into your car’s
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
hatch open, open all the windows
and set the heating and cooling
system as shown below.
If you must sit in your parked car,
even in an unconf ined area, with the
engine running, adjust the heating
and cooling system as f ollows:
Push the button.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
1.2.3.4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
40 Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even killyou.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.

These labels are in the locations
shown. They warn you of potential
hazards that could cause serious
injury. Read these labels caref ully.
If a label comes of f or becomes hard
to read, contact your Honda dealer
f or a replacement.U.S. models Canadian models
U.S. models only
Saf ety L abels
Driver and Passenger Saf ety 41
BATTERY
SUN VISOR
GLOVE BOX
HOOD RADIATOR CAP