2002 Acura TL 3.2 Owner's Manual

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.
Acura provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts. Acura 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 a seat belt is worn during a crash,
you should have your dealer replace
the seat belt. 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.
Automatic seat belt tensioners that
deployed during a crash must be
replaced.
For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page .
273
Acura Warranty Inf ormation
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Seat Belt Maintenance
U.S. Models
46
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.
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Your Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) includes:An indicator light on the
instrument panel that alerts you to
a possible problem with the
system (see page ).
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.’’ Emergency backup power in case
your car’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, the sensors
will detect the vehicle’s rapid
deceleration. If the rate of
deceleration is high enough, the
control unit will instantly inf late the
f ront airbags.
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). Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal
collision. Automatic seat belt tensioners
(see page ).
45 50
CONT INUED
SRS Components
How Your Front A irbags Work
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
47
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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.
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.
Af ter inf lating, the f ront airbags
immediately def late, so they won’t
interf ere with the driver’s visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
For additional information on how
your airbags work, ask your dealer
f or a copy of the booklet titled
During a f rontal 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.
SRS: What You Need to Know
About Airbags
SRS:
What You Need to Know About Airbags
.
U.S. Owners
Canadian Owners
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
48
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To get the best protection f rom the
side airbags, front seat occupants
should wear their seat belts and sit
upright and well back in their seats.
Your car is equipped with side
airbags f or the driver and a f ront
seat passenger. The airbags are
stored in the outer edges of the f ront
seat-backs, and both are marked
‘‘SIDE AIRBAG.’’
If you ever have a moderate to
severe side impact, the sensors will
detect rapid deceleration and signal
the control unit to instantly inf late
either the driver’s or the passenger’s
side 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.
How Your Side A irbags Work
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
49
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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 f lashes on
andoff whileyoudrive.
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:
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
indicator light is to alert
you to a potential problem with your
f ront airbags. This light will also
alert you to a potential problem with
your automatic seat belt tensioners
(page );oryoursideairbagsor
passenger’s side airbag automatic
cutof f system (page ).
If you see any of these indications,
your f ront or side airbags may not
deploy, your passenger’s side airbag
automatic cutoff system may not
work properly, or your seat belt
tensioners may not work when you
need them. See your Acura dealer as
soon as possible.
49
45
How the SRS Indicator L ight
Works
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety50
Ignoring the SRS indicator light
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags, cutoff
system, or tensioners do not
work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
theSRSlightalertsyoutoa
potential problem.
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This light alerts you that
the passenger’s side airbag
has been automatically shut off.
To reduce the risk of injury f rom an
inf lating side airbag, your car has an
automatic cutoff system for the
passenger’s side airbag.
Although Acura does not encourage
children to ride in the f ront seat, this
system is designed to shut of f the
side airbag if a child leans sideways
and the child’s head is in the side
airbag deployment path. If a small-statured adult leans
sideways, or larger adult slouches
and leans sideways into the
deployment path of the side airbag,
the system may also shut of f the side
airbag.
A f ront seat passenger should not
use a cushion or other object as a
backrest. It may prevent the cutof f
system f rom working properly.
When you turn the ignition ON (II),
the indicator should light brief ly and
goout(seepage ).Ifitdoesn’t
light, stays on, or comes on while
driving without a passenger in the
f ront seat, have the system checked.
If the side airbag of f indicator light
comes on, you should have the
passenger sit upright. Once the
passenger is out of the deployment
path of the side airbag, the system
will turn the airbag back on and the
light will go out. 60
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
How T he Side Airbag Of f
Indicator L ight Works
51
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Your f ront and side airbag systems
are virtually maintenance-f ree, and
there are no parts you can saf ely
service. However, you must have
your car serviced if :Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
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
airbags.Improperly
replacing or covering f ront seat-
back covers can prevent your side
airbags f rom inf lating during a
collision.
If rain or spilled water
soaks into a seat-back, it can
prevent the side airbag system
f rom working properly.
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.
Take your car to an
authorized Acura dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, the airbags might not
inf late when you need them. 172
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Airbag Service
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason. Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ing anAcura dealer.
Do not expose t he f ront seat -backs to water.
Your airbags ever inf late.
T he SRS indicat or light alert s yout o a problem.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety52
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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.
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:
With the trunk lid open, air f low can
pull exhaust gas into your car’s
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
trunk lid open, open all the windows
and set the climate control system as
shown below.
If you must sit in your parked car,
even in an unconf ined area, with the
engine running, adjust the climate
control system as f ollows:
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.
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. Select the Fresh Air mode. Select the mode.
Set the f an speed to high.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Driver and Passenger Saf ety53
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.
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