2003 HONDA CIVIC COUPE ECU

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.
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
f orward-f acing child seat with this
type of seat belt.
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. If you have a child seat designed to
attach to the vehicle’s LATCH
anchorage system, follow the
instructions on page .
1.
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Child Seat Inst allat ion
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety35
Improperly placing a forward-
facing child seat in the front
seat can result in serious injury
or death if the front airbagsinflate.
Ifyoumustplaceaforward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible and properly restrain
the child.
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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. It
mayhelptoputweightonthe
child seat, or push on the back of
the seat, while pulling up on the
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).
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. 4.
5.
2. 3.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety36
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The back seat is the safest place for
a child of any age or size.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
ages 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat.
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.
Whichever style you select, f ollow
the booster seat maker’s instructions.
If a child needs a booster seat, we
recommend choosing a high or low-
back style that allows the child to be
directly secured with the lap/
shoulder belt. A child should continue using a
booster seat until the child exceeds
the booster seat manufacturer’s
requirements.
Even then, the child may still need to
use a booster seat. Note that some
states now require children to use
boosters until they reach a certain
ageand/orweight.Besuretocheck
current laws in the state or states
where you intend to drive.
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When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
Using a Boost er Seat
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety39
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Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to f asten the seat belts
or sit properly.
If you decide that a child can saf ely
ride up f ront, be sure to:
Caref ully read the owner’s manual
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all saf ety
inf ormation.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the f loor.
Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
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.
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.
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. Remind the child not to lean
toward the door.
16 38
Physical Size
Maturity
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety40
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Your car has three tether anchorage
points under the rear window f or
securing a tether-style child seat to
the car.
Since a tether can provide additional
security, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or
available.The tether anchorage points are
located under plastic covers. Pivot
the cover backward to access the
anchorage point.
Lift the head restraint, then route
the tether strap over the seat-back
between the legs of the head
restraint.
Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchorage point as shown in
the illustration, then tighten the
strap according to the child seat
maker’s instructions. Make sure the
strap is not twisted.
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Using Child Seats with T ethers
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety41
TETHER STRAP
HOOK
ANCHORAGE POINT
ANCHORAGE POINT COVER
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You can also remove the rear head
restraints (see page ). The
removedheadrestraintsshouldbe
securedsotheywillnotbethrown
while you are driving. Make sure to
replace the rear head restraints
when the child seats are not in use.To attach the tether to the child seat,
f ollow the child seat maker’s
instructions.
When the child seat is used, f ollow
the instructions that came with the
child seat.
The exact location of each lower
anchor is marked with a small circle
above the lower anchor point.
Your car is equipped with LATCH
(Lower Anchors and Tethers f or
Children) at the rear seats. The
lower anchors are located between
the seat-back and seat bottom and
aretobeusedonlywithachildseat
designed f or use with LATCH.
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Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Using L A T CH
42
MARKS
LOWER ANCHORS
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To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat:Put the child seat in the rear lef t
or right vehicle seat and attach the
child seat to the lower anchors
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions.
Move the seat belt buckle or seat
belt tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
Make sure there are no f oreign
objects around the anchors.
Foreign objects could get in the
way of a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors.
Follow the child seat maker’s
instructions f or any additional
advice on adjusting or tightening
the fit.
Lift the head restraint, then route
the tether strap over the seat-back
between the legs of the head
restraint.
1. 2.
3.4.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety43
Rigid type Flexible type
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This symbol on rear or f orward
f acing child seats or booster
cushions indicates the presence of
LATCH compatible hardware.
Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchorage point and tighten
the strap according to the child
seat marker’s instruction. Make
sure the strap is not twisted. You can also remove the rear head
restraints (see page ). The
removedheadrestraintsshouldbe
secured so they will not be thrown
while you are driving. Make sure to
replace the rear head restraints
when the child seats are not in use.
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.
5. 6.92
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
L ower Universal Anchorage
System Symbol
44
TETHER STRAP HOOK
ANCHORAGE POINT
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