2003 Acura MDX Owner's Manua

A small child in a f orward-f acing
child seat is also at risk. If the
vehicle seat is too f ar f orward,
or the child’s head is thrown
f orward during a collision, an
inf lating airbag can kill or
seriously injure the child.
If a small child must ride in the
f ront, f ollow the instructions
provided in this section.
This page brief ly summarizes Acura’s
recommendations on where to place
rear-f acing and f orward-f acing child
seats in your vehicle.
The passenger’s f ront airbag
inf lates with enough f orce to kill
or seriously injure an inf ant in a
rear-facing child seat. Recommended positions.
Properlysecurearear-facingchild
seat (see page ).
Recommended
positions. Properly secure a f ront-
f acing child seat (see page ). Never in the f ront seat, due
to the f ront airbag hazard.
Not recommended,
due to the f ront airbag hazard. If a
small child must ride in f ront,
move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position and secure a f ront-
f acing child seat with the seat belt
(see page ).
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Placing a Child Seat Front Passenger’s Seat
Back Seat sInf ant s:
Small children:
Inf ant s:
Small children:
Airbags Pose SeriousRisks to Children
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety29

Af ter selecting a proper child seat,
and a good position to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:Make sure the child is properly
strappedinthechildseat
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
canbethrownoutof theseatina
crash and be seriously injured.
However, a child seat does not need
to be ‘‘rock solid.’’ In some vehicles
or seating positions, it may be
dif f icult to install a child seat so that
it does not move at all. Some side-to-
side or back-and-f orth movement can
be expected and should not reduce
the child seat’s ef f ectiveness. When you are not using a child seat,
either remove it and store it in a saf e
place, or make sure it is properly
secured. An unsecured child seat can
be thrown around the vehicle during
a crash or sudden stop and injure
someone.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a dif f erent seating
position, or use a dif f erent style of
child seat that can be f irmly secured
in the desired seating position. To provide security during normal
driving maneuvers as well as during
a collision, we recommend that
parents secure a child seat as f irmly
as possible.
All child seats are
designed to be secured to the
vehicle with the lap part of a lap/
shoulder belt. Some child seats
can be secured to the vehicle’s
LATCH anchorage system instead.
A child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash. See pages , and f or instructions on
howtoproperlysecurechildseats
in this vehicle.
Af ter installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is secure. 443632
Inst alling a Child Seat
Secure t he child in t he child seat .
Storing a Child Seat
Properly secure t he child seat t o
the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured.
1.
2. 3.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety30

Only a rear-f acing child seat provides
proper support f or a baby’s head,
neck, and back.
Two types of seats may be used: a
seat designed exclusively f or inf ants,
or a convertible seat used in the rear-
f acing, reclining mode.We strongly recommend placing a
rear-facing child seat in a back seat,
not the front. Even with advanced
airbags, which can automatically
turn the passenger’s f ront airbag of f
(see page ), a back seat is the
saf est place f or an inf ant.
If an inf ant must be closely watched,
have another adult sit in a back seat
next to the baby.
If placed
f acing f orward, an inf ant could be
very seriously injured during a
f rontal collision.
We recommend that an inf ant be
restrained in a rear-f acing child seat
until the inf ant is at least one year
old, reaches the seat maker’s weight
or height limit, and is able to sit up
without support. 58
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Protecting Inf ants
Child Seat T ype Child Seat Placement
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat ina f orward-f acing position.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety31
Placing a rear-facing child seat
in the front seat can result in
serious injury or death during a
collision.
Always place a rear-facing child
seat in the back seat, not the
front.

The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to secure a rear-
facing child seat with this type of
seat belt.To activate the lockable retractor,
slowly pull the shoulder part of the
belt all the way out until it stops,
then let the belt f eed back into the
retractor (you might hear a
clicking noise as the belt retracts).
With the child seat in the desired
back seating position, route the
belt through the child seat
according to the seat maker’s
instructions, then insert the latch
plate into the buckle.
The lap/shoulder belts in the back
seats have a locking mechanism that
must be activated to secure a child
seat.
If you have a child seat designed
to attach to the vehicle’s LATCH
anchorage system, follow the
instructions on page .
Bef ore installing a child seat in the
center seat of the second row or
either of the third row seats, make
sure the seat belt detachable
anchor is latched (see page ).
1. 2.
3.
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109
Inst alling a Rear-Facing Child Seatwit h a L ap/Shoulder Belt
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety32

Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is secure enough to
stay upright during normal driving
maneuvers. If the child seat is not
secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to
retract f ully, then repeat these
steps.
Af ter conf irming that the belt is
locked, grab the shoulder part of
the belt near the buckle and pull
up to remove any slack from the
lap part of the belt. Remember, if
the lap part of the belt is not tight,
the child seat will not be secure.
To remove slack, it may help to
putweightonthechildseat,or
push on the back of the seat, while
pulling up on the belt.
Af ter the belt has retracted, tug on
it. If the belt is locked, you will not
be able to pull it out. If you can pull
the belt out, it is not locked and
you will need to repeat these steps.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism and remove a child seat,
unlatch the buckle, unroute the seat
belt, and let the belt f ully retract.
4.
5.6.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety33

Forproperprotection,aninfantmust
ride in a reclined, or semi-reclined
position. To determine the proper
reclining angle, check with the baby’s
doctor or f ollow the seat maker’s
recommendations.
To achieve the desired reclining
angle, it may help to put a rolled up
towel under the toe of the child seat,
as shown.When properly installed, a rear-
f acing child seat may prevent the
driver or a f ront-seat passenger f rom
moving the seat as far back as
recommended (see page ). Or it
may prevent them f rom locking the
seat-back in the desired upright
position (see page ).
In either case, we recommend that
you place the child seat in another
back seating position, or leave the
af f ected seat unoccupied. If the
problem cannot be solved, you may
wish to get a smaller rear-f acing
child seat.
12
13
Rear-Facing Child Seat Inst allat ion Tips
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety34

We also recommend that a small
child stay in the child seat as long as
possible, until the child reaches the
weight or height limit f or the seat. Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a f ive-
point harness system as shown.
A child at least one year old who can
sit up without support, and who f its
within the child seat maker’s weight
and height limits, should be
restrained in a f orward-f acing,
upright child seat. We strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat,notthefront.Evenwith
advanced airbags, which can
automatically turn the passenger’s
front airbag off (see page ), a
back seat is the safest place for a
small child.
If an child must be closely watched,
have another adult sit in a back seat
next to the child.
If it is necessary to put a f orward-
f acing child seat in the f ront, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, be sure the child seat is
f irmly secured to the vehicle, and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.
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CONT INUED
Protecting Small Children
Child Seat T ype Child Seat Placement
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety35

The lap/shoulder belts in the outer
back and f ront passenger seating
positions have a locking mechanism
that must be activated to secure a
child seat.
The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to secure a
f orward-f acing child seat with this
type of seat belt.With the child seat in the desired
seating position, route the belt
through the child seat according
to the seat maker’s instructions,
then insert the latch plate into the
buckle.
If you have a child seat designed
to attach to the vehicle’s
LATCH anchorage system,
f ollow the instructions on page
.
Bef ore installing a child seat in the
center seat of the second row or
either of the third row seats, make
sure the seat belt detachable
anchor is latched (see page ).
If it is necessary to put a f orward-
f acing child seat in the f ront, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, be sure the child seat is
f irmly secured to the vehicle, and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.
1.2.
44
109
Inst alling a Child Seat wit h a L ap/Shoulder Belt
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety36
Improperly placing a forward-
facing child seat in the front
seat can result in serious injury
or death if the front airbags
inflate.
Ifyoumustplaceaforward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible and properly restrain
the child.