2004 HONDA CR-V Owners Manual

When properly installed, a rear-
f acing child seat may prevent the
driver or a f ront passenger f rom
moving the seat as far back as
recommended, or f rom locking the
seat-back in the desired position.
In either of these situations, we
strongly recommend that you install
the child seat directly behind the
f ront passenger seat, move the f ront
seat as far forward as needed, and
leave it unoccupied. Or you may wish
to get a smaller child seat that allows
you to saf ely carry a f ront passenger.
Never put a rear-f acing child seat in
the f ront seat. If the passenger’s
f ront airbag inf lates, it can hit the
back of the child seat with enough
forcetokillorseriouslyinjurean
inf ant. In this vehicle, a rear-f acing child
seatcanbeplacedinanyseating
position in the back seat, but not in
the front seat.Child Seat Placement
Protecting Inf ants
Driver and Passenger Saf ety37

Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a f ive-
point harness system as shown.
A child who is at least one year old,
and who fits within the child seat
maker’s weight and height limits,
should be restrained in a f orward-
f acing, upright child seat. 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.
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.
We strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat, not the f ront. 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 strike the child
with enough force to cause very
serious or f atal injuries.
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 equippedwith a passenger’s airbag can behazardous.
Protecting Small Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety38
Placing a forward-facing child
seat in the front seat can result
in serious injury or death if the
front airbag inflates.
Ifyoumustplaceaforward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible, and properly restrain
the child.

When buying a child seat, you need
to choose between a conventional
child seat, or one designed f or use
with the Lower Anchors and Tethers
f or Children (LATCH) system.
Conventional child seats must be
secured to a vehicle with a seat belt,
whereas LATCH-compatible seats
are secured by attaching the seat to
hardware built into the two outer
seating positions in the back seat.
Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.We also recommend selecting a
LATCH-compatible seat with a rigid,
rather than a f lexible, anchor (see
page ).
In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt.
Whatever type of seat you choose, to
provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:
Look f or FMVSS
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.
Rear-facing for infants, forward-
f acing f or small children. Bef ore purchasing a conventional
child seat, or using a previously
purchased one, we recommend that
you test the seat in the specif ic
vehicle seating position, or positions,
where the seat will be used.
1.
2. 3.
41
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Selecting a Child Seat
T he child seat should meet U.S. or Canadian Mot or Vehicle Saf et ySt andard 213.
T he child seat should be of theproper t ype and size t o f it t he child. T he child seat should f it the
vehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used.
39

A child seat secured with a seat belt
should be installed as f irmly as
possible. However, it does not need
to be ‘‘rock solid’’. Some side-to-side
movement can be expected and
should not reduce the child seat’s
ef f ectiveness.
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.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
can be seriously injured in a crash.
Af ter selecting a proper child seat,
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:
All child seats must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of a lap/shoulder belt or with
the LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or Children) system. A
child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash.
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. The f ollowing pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A f orward-f acing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same f or rear-
f acing child seat.Secure the child in the child seat.
Properly secure t he child seat t o the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured.
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
1.
2. 3.
40

Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children) at the outer
rear seats. The lower anchors are
located between the seat-back and
seat bottom, and are to be used only
with a child seat designed f or use
with LATCH.
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
tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
Make sure there are no objects
near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and
anchors.Place the child seat on the vehicle
seat, and attach the seat to the
lower anchors according to the
child seat maker’s instructions.
Some LATCH-compatible seats
have a rigid-type connection as
shown above.
1.
2.
3.
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat Using
LATCH
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety41
LOWER ANCHORS
Rigid type
MARKS

Remove the head restraint (see
page ).
Make sure the removed head
restraints are secured in the cargo
area. Reinstall the head restraints
when the child seat is removed.
Other LATCH-compatible seats have
a f lexible-type connection as shown
above.
Whatever type you have, f ollow
the child seat maker’s instructions
f or adjusting or tightening the f it. Route the tether strap over the
seat-back, making sure the strap is
not twisted.Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchorage point, then
tighten the strap as instructed by
the child seat maker.
Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verif y that it is secure.
5.
4. 6.7.
8.
79
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety42
TETHER ANCHORAGE POINT
TETHER STRAP HOOK
Flexible type

When not using the LATCH system,
all child seats must be secured to the
vehicle with the lap part of a lap/
shoulder 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.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.
In addition, the lap/shoulder belts in
the back seating positions, and in the
f ront passenger seat, have a locking
mechanism that must be activated to
secure a child seat.
2.
1.
3.
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat with a L ap/
Shoulder Belt
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety43

Af ter conf irming that the belt is
locked,thengrabtheshoulder
part of the belt near the buckle
andpulluptoremoveanyslack
f rom 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.Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is f irmly secured. 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 and remove a child
seat, unlatch the buckle, unroute
the seat belt, and let the belt f ully
retract.
4.
5.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Installing a Child Seat
44