2004 HONDA ACCORD Owners Manual

If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.
Devices intended to improve
occupant comf ort or reposition the
shoulder part of a seat belt can
reduce the protective capability of
the seat belt and increase the
chance of serious injury in a crash.
Carrying hard or sharp
objects on your lap, or driving with
a pipe or other sharp objects in
your mouth, can result in injuries
if your f ront airbag inf lates. If your
hands or arms are close to an
airbag cover, they could be injured
if the front airbag inflates.
Objects on
the covers marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG’’
could interf ere with the proper
operation of the airbags or be
propelled inside the vehicle and
hurt someone if the airbags inf late.
If a side airbag or a
side curtain airbag inf lates, a cup
holder or other hard object
attached on or near the door could
be propelled inside the vehicle and
hurt someone. This could make the driver’s seat
position sensor or the f ront
passenger’s seat weight sensors
inef f ective.
This could cause
problems with the driver’s seat
position sensor or the f ront
passenger’s seat weight sensors.
This could make the front
passenger’s weight sensors
inef f ective. Make sure the right
rear f loor mat is hooked over the
f loor mat anchor (see page ). 235
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Additional Saf ety Precautions
T wo people should never use t he
same seat belt .
Do not put any accessories on seatbelts.
Do not place hard or sharp object sbet ween yourself and a f rontairbag. K eep your hands and arms away
f rom t he airbag covers.
Do not at t ach or place object s onthe f ront airbag covers.
On models wit h side airbags, donot at t ach hard object s on or neara f ront door. Do not modif y t he f ront seat s.
Do not place any it ems under t hefront seats.
Do not place t he right rear f loormat under t he f ront passenger’sseat .
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Your seat belt system includes lap/
shoulder belts in all f ive seating
positions. The f ront seat belts are
also equipped with automatic seat
belt tensioners.All seat belts have an emergency
locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move f reely in
your seat while it keeps some
tension on the belt. During a collision
or sudden stop, the retractor
automatically locks the belt to help
restrain your body.
The seat belt system
includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and
your passengers to f asten your seat
belts.
If you turn the ignition switch to ON
(II) without f astening your seat belt,
a beeper will sound and the light will
blink. The beeper will stop af ter
several seconds.
If you do not f asten your seat belt
bef ore the beeper stops, the
indicator light will stop blinking but
remain lit. If you continue driving
without f astening your seat belt, the
indicator will come on and the
beeper will sound at regular intervals. The lap and shoulder belt goes over
your shoulder, across your chest,
and across your hips.
To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched (see page f or how to
properly position the belt).
To unlock the belt, push the red
PRESSbuttononthebuckle.Guide
the belt across your body so that it
retracts completely. Af ter exiting the
vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the
way and will not get closed in the
door.
The seat belts in all positions except
the driver’s have an additional
locking mechanism that must be
activated to secure a child seat (see
page ).
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Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Seat Belt System Components L ap/Shoulder Belt
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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.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 are designed to
activate primarily in f rontal collisions,
andtheyshouldactivateinany
collision severe enough to cause
front-airbag inflation.However, the tensioners can be
activated during a collision in which
the f ront airbags do not deploy. In
this case, the airbags would not be
needed, but the additional restraint
could be helpf ul.
When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled in the normal
manner.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners
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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
the belts retract easily. Any belt that
is not in good condition or not
working properly will not provide
good protection and should be
replaced as soon as possible.
Honda provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts f or U.S. models. See
your
booklet f or details.If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by the dealer. 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. If the automatic seat
belt tensioners activate during a
crash, they must be replaced.For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page .
235
Honda Warranty Inf ormation
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Seat Belt Maintenance
21
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly whenneeded.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.
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Your airbag system includes:Two SRS (Supplemental Restraint
System) 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.’’
On models equipped with two side
airbags, one for the driver and one
f or a f ront passenger. The airbags
arestoredintheouteredgesof
the seat-backs. Both are marked
‘‘SIDE AIRBAG’’ (see page ).
On models equipped with two side
curtain airbags, one f or each side
of the vehicle. The airbags are
stored in the f ront, center, and
rear pillars. The f ront and center
pillars on both sides are marked
‘‘SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG’’ (see
page ). 28 27
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
A irbag System Components
22
(1)
(3) (7)
(6) (5)
(4)
(10)
(9)
(2)
(8) (6)
(5)
(10) (11) (4)
(1) Driver’s Airbag
(2) Front passenger’s Airbag
(3) CONTROL UNIT
(4) Seat Belt Tensioners
(5) Side Airbags
(6) Front Impact Sensors
(7) OPDS Sensor/Seat-back
(8) Passenger’s Airbag Off Indicator
(9) Front Passenger’s Weight Sensors
(10) Side Impact Sensors
(11) Driver’s Seat Position Sensor
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Front passenger’s weight sensors
that monitor the weight on the
seat. These prevent the passenger’s
airbag from inflating if the weight
is less than about 65 lbs (30 kg)
(see page ).If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, sensors will
detect the vehicle’s rapid
deceleration. If the rate of
deceleration is high enough, the
control unit will instantly inf late the
driver’s and f ront passenger’s f ront
airbags, at the time and with the
f orce needed.
Automatic front seat belt
tensioners (see page ).
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe frontal impact
or side impact in models equipped
with side 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).
An indicator light on the
instrument panel that alerts you to
a possible problem with your
airbags (see page ).
An indicator on the dashboard that
alerts you that the passenger’s
f ront airbag has been turned of f
(see page ).
Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
A driver’s seat position sensor that
monitors the seat position. If the
seat is too far forward, the airbag
will inf late with less f orce (see
page ). 20
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Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
How Your Front Airbags Work
Driver and Passenger Saf ety23
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During a f rontal crash, your seat belt
restrains your lower body and torso,
and the airbag helps protect your
head and chest.
Although both airbags normally
inf late within split second of each
other, it is possible f or only one
airbag to deploy.
This can happen if 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.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 vehicle as soon as it is saf e to do
so.
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.
The total time for inflation and
def lation is 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.
Only the driver’s airbag can deploy if
there is no passenger in the f ront
seat, or if the advanced airbag
system has turned the passenger’s
airbag off (see page ). 31
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety24
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Your f ront airbags are dual-stage
airbags. This means they have two
inf lation stages that can be ignited
sequentially or simultaneously,
depending on crash severity.
In a crash, both stages
will ignite simultaneously to provide
the quickest and greatest protection.
In a crash, one stage will
ignite first, then the second stage
will ignite a split second later. This
provides longer airbag inf lation time
with a little less force.Your f ront airbags are also dual-
threshold airbags. Airbags with this
f eature have two deployment
thresholds that depend on whether
or not the occupant is wearing a seat
belt.
Your f ront airbags are also advanced
airbags. The main purpose of this
feature is to prevent airbag-caused
injuries to short drivers and children
who ride in f ront.
For the advanced airbag to work
properly, occupants must sit upright
and wear their seat belts properly. If
a child seat is installed in the f ront, it
must be properly secured.
It the occupant’s belt is , the
airbag will inf late at a slightly higher
threshold, when the airbag would be
needed to supplement the protection
provided by the seat belt.
If the occupant’s belt is ,
the airbag will deploy at the same
threshold as a conventional airbag,
because the occupant would need
extra protection.
In addition, do not spill any liquids,
cover the sensors, or put any cargo
or metal objects under the f ront
seats. Ask rear seat passengers to
not put their f eet under the f ront
seats. Any of these actions could
damage the sensors or prevent them
f rom working properly.
CONT INUED
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Dual-Stage A irbags
more severeless severe Dual-T hreshold A irbags
latched
not lat chedAdvanced Airbags
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