2003 Acura TL airbag

Only a rear-f acing child seat provides
proper support f or a baby’s head,
neck, and back. Inf ants up to about
one year of age must be restrained in
a rear-f acing child seat.In this car, a rear-f acing child seat
can be placed in any seating position
in the back seat, but not in the front
seat.
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. If the passenger’s
f ront airbag inf lates, it can hit the
back of the child seat with enough
f orce to kill or seriously injure an
inf ant. If an inf ant must be closely
watched, we recommend that
another adult sit in the back seat
with 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.
Protecting Inf ants
Child Seat T ype
Rear-Facing Child Seat Placement
Never put a rear-f acing child seat inthe front seat.
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat ina f orward-f acing position.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety30
Placing a rear-facing child seat
in the front seat can result in
serious injury or death if the
passenger’s front airbag inflates.
Always place a rear-facing child
seat in the back seat, not the
front.

In this car, the best place to install a
f orward-f acing child seat is in one of
the seating positions in the back seat.If the vehicle seat is
too far forward, or the child’s head is
thrown f orward during a collision, an
inflating front airbag can strike the
child with enough f orce to cause
very serious or f atal injuries. If a
small child must be closely watched,
we recommend that another adult sit
in the back seat with 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 car, and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.The lap/shoulder belts in the 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
forward-facing child seat with this
type of seat belt.
If you have a child seat designed to
attach to the vehicle’s LATCH
anchorage system, follow the
instructions on page .
42
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Child Seat Placement
Placing a f orward-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag canbe hazardous. Child Seat Inst allat ion
34
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.

CONT INUED
When a child reaches the
recommended weight or height limit
for a forward-facing child seat, the
child should sit in the back seat on a
booster and wear a lap/shoulder belt.
We recommend that the child use a
booster seat until the child is tall
enough to use the seat belt without a
booster.
The f ollowing pages give
instructions on how to check proper
seat belt f it, what kind of booster
seat to use if one is needed, and
important precautions f or a child
who must sit in the f ront seat.To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly f its a child, have the child
sit in the rear seat, all the way back
against the seat and have them put
on the seat belt. Follow the
instructions on page . Then check
how the belt f its.
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Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Protecting L arger ChildrenChecking Seat Belt Fit
37
Allowing a larger child to sit
improperly in the front seat can
result in injury or death if the
passenger’s front airbag inflates.
If a larger child must sit in front,
make sure the child moves the
seat as far back as possible,
uses a booster if needed, and
wears the seat belt properly.

CONT INUED
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
ages 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat.
The back seat is the saf est place f or
a child of any age or size.
In addition, the passenger’s f ront
airbag poses serious risks to children.
If the seat is too f ar f orward, or the
child’s head is thrown f orward
during a collision, or the child is
unrestrained or out of position, an
inf lating f ront airbag can kill or
seriously injure the child.
The side airbag also poses risks. If
any part of a larger child’s body is in
the path of a deploying airbag, the
child could receive possibly serious
injuries.Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in the
f ront, there are other important
f actors you should consider.
A child should continue using a
booster seat until they exceed the
booster seat manuf acturer’s
requirements.
Even then, they may still need to use
a booster seat. Note that some states
now require children to use boosters
until they reach a certain age and/or
weight.Besuretocheckcurrent
laws in the state or states where you
intend to drive.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
39

Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the f loor. Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position. Caref ully read the owner’s manual
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all saf ety
inf ormation.
If you decide that a child can saf ely
ride up f ront, be sure to: To saf ely ride in f ront, a child must
be able to f ollow the rules, including
sitting properly and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
Physically, a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it over the hips, chest, and
shoulder (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
the child should not sit in the f ront.
Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to f asten the seat belts
or sit properly. Remind the child not to lean
toward the door because of the
side airbag.
3715
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Maturity
Physical Size
40

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.
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.
See page f or instructions on how
to wear the lap/shoulder belt
properly.The tensioners are designed to
activate primarily in f rontal collisions.
The tensioners are independent of
the airbag system, so they can be
activated during a collision thatmight not cause the airbags to
deploy. In this case, the airbags
would not be needed but the
additional seat belt tension can be
helpf ul.
For added protection, the f ront seat
belts are equipped with automatic
seat belt tensioners. When activated,
the tensioners immediately tighten
the belts to help hold the driver and
a f ront passenger in place. The tensioners will be activated in a
collision severe enough to cause the
f ront airbags to inf late.
When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled in the normal
way.
The SRS indicator light will
come on if there is a
problem with your automatic seat
belt tensioners (see page ).
15
50
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners
45

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

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
mayexperiencesometemporary
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