2005 HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK Owners Manual

To deactivate the locking
mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt f ully retract. To
ref asten the seat 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.
When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled in the normal
manner.
The tensioners can also 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.
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
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.
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 working
properly will not provide good
protection and should be replaced as
soon as possible. 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 .
153
Honda Warranty Inf ormation
Seat Belt Maintenance
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
22 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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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.’’
Automatic seat belt tensioners
(see page ).
Your Airbag System includes:
Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.an
indicator on the dashboard that
alerts you that the passenger’s
side airbag has been turned of f
(see page ).
In models with side airbags,
sensors that can detect whether a
child is in the passenger’s side
airbag path and automatically turn
the airbag of f (see page ).
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records inf ormation about the
sensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, the seat belt
tensioners, and driver and f ront
passenger seat belt use when the
ignition is in the ON (II) position.
An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you to a possible
problem with your airbags,
sensors, or seat belt tensioners
(see page ).
In models with side airbags, one
for the driver and one for a front
passenger. The airbags are stored
in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked ‘‘SIDE
AIRBAG’’ (see page ).
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe front impact,
or side impact in models with side
airbags.
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26 27
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In models with side airbags,A irbag System Components
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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Af ter inf lating, the f ront airbags will
immediately def late, so they won’t
interf ere with the driver’s visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
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.
Although both airbags normally
inf late within a split second of each
other, it is possible f or only one
airbag to deploy.
During a f rontal crash, your seat belt
restrains your lower body and torso,
and the airbag helps protect your
head and chest.
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.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
How Your Front Airbags Work 24
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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 belt is ,
the airbag will deploy at a slightly
lower threshold, because the
occupant would need extra
protection.
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.
Dual-T hreshold A irbags
not lat chedlatched
Dual-Stage A irbags
more severeless severe
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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(On models equipped)
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 thereis no passenger.
Objects placed on the f ront
passenger seat can also cause the
side airbag to be shut of f .
Thesideairbagmayalsoshutoff if a
short adult leans sideways, or a
larger adult slouches and leans
sideways into the airbag’s
deployment path.
Although Honda 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.
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.
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.
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.
There will be some delay between
the moment the passenger moves
into or out of the airbag deployment
pathandwhentheindicatorcomes
on or goes of f . 27
How Your Side A irbags Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Side A irbag Cut of f Syst em
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In models with side airbags
If you see any of these indications,
the airbags and seat belt tensioners
may not work properly when you
need them.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.
When you turn the ignition to ON
(II), the indicator should light brief ly
and go out (see page ). If it doesn’t
light, it stays on or comes on while
driving without a passenger in the
f ront seat, have the system checked.
The SRS indicator alerts you to a
potential problem with your
airbags or seat belt
tensioners (see page ).
When you turn the ignition 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 to
ON (II).
If the indicator stays on after the
engine starts.
If the indicator comes on or
flashesonandoff whileyoudrive. 52
52
How the Side Airbag Of f
Indicator Works
How the SRS Indicator Works
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
not
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
27
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.
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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:Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection. Improperly replacing
or covering f ront seat-back covers
can prevent your side airbags f rom
inf lating during a side impact.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
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.
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by a Honda dealer or a
knowledgeable body shop.
Take your vehicle to an
authorized your dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Airbag Service Additional Saf ety Precautions
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags. Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ingyour dealer.
Models wit h side airbags:
Do not t amper wit h airbag component s or wiring f or anyreason.
An airbag ever inf lates.
T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o aproblem.
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