2007 HONDA ELEMENT airbag

Your airbag system includes:
Two SRS (supplemental restraint
system) front airbags. The driver’s
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the front
passenger’sairbagisstoredinthe
dashboard. Both are marked ‘‘SRS
AIRBAG’’ (see page ).
Two side airbags, one for the
driver and one for a front
passenger. The airbags are stored
in the outer edges of the seat-
ba cks. Both are marked ‘‘SIDE
AIRBAG’’ (see page ).
Two side curtain airbags, one for
each side of the vehicle. The
airbags are stor ed in the ceiling,
above the side windows. The front
and rear pillars are marked ‘‘SIDE
CURTAIN AIRBAG’’ (see page ). 27
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Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
25
(16)
(17)
(16) Side Curtain Airbags
(17) Side Impact Sensors (Second)

Automatic front seat belt
tensioners (see page ).
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe front impact or
side impact.
Sensors that can detect whether a
child is in the passenger’s side
airbag path and signal the control
unit to turn the airb ag off (see
page ). An
indicator on the dashboard that
alerts you that the passenger’s
front airbag has been turned off
(see page ).
Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
An
indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you that the
passenger’s side airbag has been
turned off (see page ).
Sensors that can detect whether
the driver’s seat belt and a front
passenger’s seat belt is latched or
unlatch ed (see page ).
A driver’s seat position sensor that
monitors the distance of the seat
from the front airbag. If the seat is
too far forward, the airbag will
inflate with less force (see page
). Weight
sensors that monitor the
weight on the front passenger’s
seat. If the weight is about 65 lbs
(29 kg) or less (the weight of an
infant or sm all child), the
passenger’s front airbag will be
turned off (see page ).
A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
reco rds information about the
sensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, the seat belt
tensioners, and driver and front
passenger seat belt use when the
ignition switch 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 ).
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33 34
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Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
26

After inflating, the front airbags
immediately deflate, so they won’t
interfere with the driver’s visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
Although
both airbags normally
inflate within a split second of each
other, it is possible for 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 airb ags will deploy. In
such cases, the seat belt will provide
sufficient protection, and the
supplemental protection offered by
the airbag would be minimal.
If
you ever have a moderate to
severe frontal collision, sensors will
detect the vehicle’s rapid
deceleration.
If the rate of deceleration is high
enough, the control unit will instantly
infl ate the driver’s and front
passenger’s airbags, at the time and
with the force needed. Du
ring a frontal crash, your seat belt
restrains your lower body and torso,
and the front airbag helps protect
your head and chest.
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 ). 29
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How Your Front Airbags Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
27

Your f ront airbags are also dual-
threshold airbags. Airbags with this
f eature have two deployment
thresholds that depend on whether
sensors detect the occupant is
wearing a seat belt or not.
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.
If 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.
Dual-T hreshold A irbags
Dual-Stage A irbags
more severeless severe not lat ched
latched
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
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Your f ront airbags are also advanced
airbags. The main purpose of this
feature is to help prevent airbag-
caused injuries to short drivers and
children who ride in f ront.
For both advanced airbags to work
properly:Occupants must sit upright and
wear their seat belts properly.
Back-seat passengers should not
put their f eet under the f ront seats.
Failure to f ollow these instructions
could damage the sensors or prevent
them f rom working properly. The driver’s advanced front airbag
system includes a seat position
sensor under the seat. If the seat is
too f ar f orward, the airbag will
inf late with less f orce, regardless of
the severity of the impact.
The passenger’s advanced f ront
airbag system has weight sensors
under the seat. Although Honda
does not encourage carrying an
inf ant or small child in f ront, if the
sensors detect the weight of an
inf ant or small child (up to about 65
lbs or 29 kg), the system will
automatically turn the passenger’s
front airbag off.
Do not spill any liquids on or
under the seats, cover the sensors,
or put any objects or metal items
under the f ront seats.
Be aware that objects placed on the
passenger’s seat can also cause the
airbag to be turned off.
If there is a problem with the sensor,
the SRS indicator will come on, and
the airbag will inf late in the normal
manner regardless of the driver’s
seating position.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Advanced Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
29
PASSENGER’S SEAT
WEIGHT SENSOR
DRIVER’S SEAT
POSITION SENSOR

Moving the front seat forcibly
back against cargo on the seat or
floor behind it.
Wh
en the airbag is turned off, a
‘‘passenger airbag off’’ indicator in
the center of the dashboard comes
on (see page ). Hanging heavy items on the f ront
passenger seat, or placing heavy
items in the seat-back pocket.
Moving the front seat or seat-back
f orcibly back against the f olded
rear seat.
If the weight sensors detect there is
no passenger in the f ront seat, the
airbag will be off. However, the
passenger airbag of f indicator will
not come on.
To ensure that the passenger’s
advanced front airbag system will
work properly,
This includes:
A rear passenger pushing or
pulling on the back of the f ront
passenger’s seat. 34
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
do not do anyt hing
t hat would increase or decrease t he weight on the f ront passenger’s seat.
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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. To
get the best protection from the
side airbags, front seat occupa nts
should wear their seat belts and sit
upright and well back in their seats.
Your vehicle has a side airbag cutoff
system designed primarily to protect
a child riding in the front passenger’s
seat.
Al though Honda does not encourage
children to ride in front, if the
sensors in the seat detect a child has
leaned into the side airbag’s
deployment path, the airbag will shut
off.
Thesideairbagmayalsoshutoffifa
short adult leans sideways, or a
larger adult slouches and leans
sideways into the airbag’s
deployment path.
Objects placed on the front
passenger seat can also cause the side
airbag to be shut off.
A front seat passenger should not
use a cushion or other object as a
backrest. It may prevent the cutoff
system from 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 . 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.
If you ever have a moderate to
severe side impact, sensors will
detect rapid acceleration and signal
the control unit to instantly inf late
either the driver’s or the passenger’s
side airbag and activate the seat belt
tensioner. 34
How Your Side A irbags Work
Side A irbag Cut of f Syst em
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
31

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.
In a moderate to severe side impact,
sensors will detect rapid acceleration
and signal the control unit to
instantly inflate the side curtain
airbag and activate the seat belt
tensioner on the driver’s or the
passenger’s side of the vehicle. If the rollover sensor detects your
vehicle is about to roll over, it signals
the control unit, which immediately
deploys both side curtain airbags and
activates both f ront seat belt
tensioners.
The airbag on the passenger’s side
will deploy, and the seat belt
tensioner will activate, even if there
are no passengers on that side of the
vehicle.
How Your Side Curtain A irbags
Work
In a Side Impact
In a Rollover
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
32
SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG