2004 Acura RL ECU

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.
Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a f ive-
point harness system as shown.In this vehicle, 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 vehicle, and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.
Protecting Small Children
Child Seat T ype
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.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety32
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.

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.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
be attached to the vehicle’s LATCH
anchorage system, follow the
instructions on page .
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.
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.
1.
2.
3.
40
CONT INUED
Child Seat Inst allat ion
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety33

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.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.To deactivate the locking
mechanism in order to remove a
child seat, unlatch the buckle,
unroute the seat belt, and let the belt
fully retract.
4. 5.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety34

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 safest place for
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.
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.
CONT INUED
When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
Using a Boost er Seat
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety37

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.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.
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.
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.
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. Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
15 35
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Physical Size
Maturity
38

CONT INUED
Your car has three tether anchorage
points f or securing a tether-style
child seat to the vehicle. One tether
anchorage point f or each of the outer
rear seats and center rear seat is
located under the rear window.Since a tether can provide additional
security, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or
available. (Tethers are required in
Canada.)
To use either outside anchorage
point, lif t the rear head restraint,
then route the tether strap over the
seat-back between the legs of the
head restraint.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Using Child Seats with T ethers
39

Pull up the seat-back trim cover.
Make sure there are no f oreign
obj ects around the anchors.
Fo reign objects could get in the
wa yof a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors. Put the child seat in the rear lef t
or right vehicle seat and attach the
child se
at to the lower anchors
accordi ng to the child seat maker’s
instructions.
Small marks are positioned to
indicate the locations of each anchor
point.
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat:
Move the seat belt buckle or seat
belt tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
1.
2.
3.4.
CONT INUED
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety41
SEAT-BACK TRIM COVER
Rigid type

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.
8.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety43