Page 26 of 288

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.
It the occupant’s belt is , the
airbag will deploy at a slightly higher
threshold, when the airbag would be
needed to supplement the protection
provided by the seat belt.
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.
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.
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.
If the occupant’s belt is
,
the airbag will deploy at a slightly
lower threshold, because the
occupant would need extra
protection.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
latched
Dual-T hreshold A irbags
Dual-Stage A irbags
more severeless severe not lat ched
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
25
Page 27 of 288

To get the best protection f rom the
side airbags, front seat occupants
should wear their seat belts and sit
upright and well back in their seats.
To reduce the risk of injury f rom an
inf lating side airbag, your vehicle has
an automatic cutoff system for the
passenger’s side airbag.
Thesideairbagmayalsoshutoff if a
short adult leans sideways, or a
larger adult slouches and leans
sideways into the airbag’s
deployment path.
Objects placed on the f ront
passenger seat can also cause the
side airbag to be shut of f .If the Side Airbag Of f Indicator
comes on (see page ), have the
passenger sit upright. Once the
passenger is out of the airbag’s
deployment path, the system will
turn the airbag back on, and the
indicator will go out.
There will be some delay between
the moment the passenger moves
into or out of the airbag deployment
pathandwhentheindicatorcomes
on or goes of f .
A f ront seat passenger should not
use a cushion or other object as a
backrest. It may prevent the cutof f
system f rom working properly.
Although Acura does not encourage
children to ride in f ront, this system
is designed to shut of f the side
airbag if a child leans into the side
airbag’s path.
If you ever have a moderate to
severe side impact, sensors will
detect rapid deceleration and signal
the control unit to instantly inf late
either the driver’s or the passenger’s
side airbag.
Only one airbag will deploy during a
side impact. If the impact is on the
passenger’s side, the passenger’s
side airbag will deploy even if there
is no passenger. 28
How Your Side A irbags Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Side A irbag Cut of f Syst em
26
Page 28 of 288

In a moderate to severe side impact,
sensors will detect rapid deceleration
and signal the control unit to
instantly inflate the side curtain
airbag on the driver’s or the
passenger’s side of the vehicle.If the impact is on the passenger’s
side, the passenger’s side curtain
airbag will inflate even if there are no
occupants on that side of the vehicle.
To get the best protection f rom the
side curtain airbags, occupants
should wear their seat belts and sit
upright and well back in their seats.
The SRS indicator alerts
you to a potential problem
with your airbags or seat belt
tensioners.
When you turn the ignition switch to
ON (II), this indicator will come on
brief ly then go out. This tells you the
system is working properly.
If the indicator comes on at any
other time, or does not come on at all,
you should have the system checked
by your dealer. For example:
If the SRS indicator does not come
on after you turn the ignition
switch to ON (II).
If the indicator stays on after the
engine starts.
If the indicator comes on or
flashesonandoff whileyoudrive.
CONT INUED
How Your Side Curtain A irbags
Work How the SRS Indicator Works
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driving and Passenger Saf ety
27
SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG
Page 29 of 288

If you see any of these indications,
the airbags and seat belt tensioners
may not work properly when you
need them.When you turn the ignition switch to
ON (II), the indicator should light
brief ly and go out (see page ). If it
doesn’t light, stays on, or comes on
while driving without a passenger in
the front seat, have the system
checked.This indicator
alerts you that the
passenger’s side
airbag has been automatically shut
of f . It does mean there is a
problem with your side airbags. Your airbag systems are virtually
maintenance f ree, and there are no
parts you can saf ely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:
Any airbag
that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. If a
f ront airbag inf lates, the seat belt
tensioners must also be replaced.
Take your vehicle to an
authorized your dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly. Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by your dealer or a
knowledgeable body shop.
55
How the Side Airbag Of f
Indicator Works
Airbag Service
not
An airbag ever inf lates.
T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o aproblem.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
28
Canada
U.S.
Ignoring the SRS indicator can
result in serious injury or death
if the airbag systems or
tensioners do not work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS indicator alerts you to
a possible problem.
Page 30 of 288
Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury. Improperly replacing
or covering f ront seat-back covers
can prevent your side airbags f rom
inf lating during a side impact.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason. Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ingyour dealer.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
29
Page 31 of 288

µ
µµ
If you have children, or ever need to
drive with a child in your vehicle, be
sure to read this section. It begins
with important general guidelines,
then presents special inf ormation f or
infants, small children, and larger
children. Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In f act, vehicle
accidents are the number one cause
of the death of children ages 12 and
under.
To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian province requires that
inf ants and children be properly
restrained when they ride in a
vehicle.
(see pages ). (see pages ).
Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many adults do not know
how to protect child
passengers.
35 4344 47
properly
Protecting Children General Guidelines
All Children Must Be Restrained
Inf ant s and small children must be
rest rained in an approved child seatt hat is properly secured t o t hevehicle Larger children must be restrained
wit h a lap/shoulder belt and ride ona boost er seat unt il t he seat belt f it st hem properly
30
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in a
crash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt and
use a booster seat if necessary.
Page 32 of 288

µ
Front airbags have been designed to
help protect adults in a moderate to
severe f rontal collision. To do this
the passenger’s f ront airbag is quite
large, and it can inflate with enough
f orce to cause very serious injuries.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 kill or
very seriously injure a small child.
Whenever possible,
larger children should sit in the back
seat, on a booster seat if needed, and
be properly restrained with a seat
belt (see page f or important
inf ormation about protecting larger
children).
Children who ride in back are less
likely to be injured by striking
interior vehicle parts during a
collision or hard braking. Also,
children cannot be injured by an
inflating front airbag when they ride
in the back. According to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
saf er when they are restrained in a
back seat. The National Highway
Traf f ic Saf ety Administration and
Transport Canada recommend that
all children age 12 and under be
properly restrained in a back seat.
If
the airbag inf lates, it can hit the back
of the child seat with enough force
to kill or very seriously injure an
inf ant.
44
CONT INUED
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Small ChildrenPlacing 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.
Larger ChildrenChildren who have outgrown childseat s are also at risk of being injuredor killed by an inf lat ing passenger’sfront airbag.
Inf ant s
Never put a rear-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equippedwit h a passenger’s f ront airbag.All Children Should Sit in a Back
Seat The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Poses Serious Risks
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
31
Page 34 of 288

µ
Many parents say they pref er to put
an inf ant or small child in the f ront
passenger seat so they can watch the
child, or because the child requires
attention.
Placing a child in the f ront seat
exposes the child to hazards in a
f rontal collision, and paying close
attention to a child distracts the
driver from the important tasks of
driving, placing both of you at risk.
Your vehicle has a back seat where
children can be properly restrained.
If you ever have to carry a group of
children, and a child must ride in
front:
Place the largest child in the f ront
seat, provided the child is large
enough to wear the lap/shoulder
belt properly (see page ).
Move the vehicle seat as far to the
rear as possible (see page ).
Have the child sit upright and well
backintheseat(seepage ).
Make sure the seat belt is properly
positioned and secured (see page ). If a child requires close physical
attention or f requent visual
contact, we strongly recommend
that another adult ride with the
child in a back seat. The back seat
is f ar saf er f or a child than the
front.
16
16 13
44
Protecting Children General Guidelines
If a Child Requires Close
Attention
If You Must Drive with Several
Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
33