2008 Acura MDX Owner's Manual

Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.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.
When buying a child seat, you need
to choose either a conventional child
seat, or one designed f or use with
the lower anchors and tethers for
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 second-row
seats.
In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt.
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 type and size to f it the child.
T he child seat should f it thevehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used.
1.
2.3.
Selecting a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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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 for 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
verify that it is secure. 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.
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 a rear-
f acing child seat.
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.
Properly secure t he child seat t o the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured. Secure the child in the child seat.
1.
2. 3.
Installing a Child Seat
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CONT INUED
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (lower anchors and tethers
f or children) at each of the second
row seats.To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat in either outer second row 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 the
anchors.
When you install a child seat in rear
seating position, use the lower
anchors as shown in the illustration.
You can install up to three child
seats at a time with LATCH.
Do not attach two child seat
connectors to a single lower anchor
at a time.
The location of each lower anchor is
indicated by a small button above the
anchor point.
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.
1.
2.
Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
Installing a Child Seat
Using t he Out er L A T CH
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
47
LOWER ANCHORS
MARKS
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Place the child seat on the vehicle
seat, then attach the seat to the
lower anchors according to the
child seat maker’s instructions.
Some LATCH-compatible seats
have a rigid-type connector as
shown above.Whatever type you have, f ollow
the child seat maker’s instructions
f or adjusting or tightening the f it.Lif t the head restraint (see page
), then route the tether strap
through the legs of the head
restraint and over the seat-back,
making sure the strap is not
twisted.
Other LATCH-compatible seats
have a f lexible-type connector as
shown above.
3.
4.5.
141
Installing a Child Seat
48
RIGID TYPE FLEXIBLE TYPE TETHER STRAP
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Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchor, then tighten the
strap as instructed by the child
seat maker.To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat in the center seating position on
the second row seat, use the center
lower anchors as shown above. Follow step 1 through 4 as
described previously to secure the
child seat.
Lower the head restraint f irst.
Route the tether strap over the
head restraint and seat-back, then
attach the tether strap hook to the
anchor, making sure the strap is
not twisted.
Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure.
Pull up the cover below the
armrest and f ind one of the
anchors. The other anchor is
located underneath the f lap at the
bottom of the outer seat’s inner
bolster.
Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure.
6.
7. 2.
3.
4.
1.
Using t he Cent er L A T CH
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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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
thebeltout,itisnotlocked,and
you will need to repeat these steps.
In addition, the lap/shoulder belts in
all seating positions except the
driver’s have a lockable retractor
that must be activated to secure a
child seat.
If you intend to install a child seat in
the center seating position of second
row seat, make sure the detachable
seat belt is securely latched (see
page).
1. 2.
3.
146
Installing a Child Seat with a L ap/
Shoulder Belt
Installing a Child Seat
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Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure enough to
stay upright during normal driving
maneuvers. If the child seat is not
secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to
retract f ully, then repeat these
steps.A child seat with a tether can be
installed in any seating position in
the second or third row.
To deactivate the lockable retractor
and remove a child seat, unlatch the
buckle, unroute the seat belt, and let
the belt fully retract. Since a tether can provide additional
security to the lap/shoulder belt
installation, we recommend using a
tether whenever one is required or
available.
Af ter conf irming that the belt is
locked, grab the shoulder part of
the belt near the buckle, and pull
up to remove any slack from 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.
4. 5.
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat with a
Tether
Installing a Child Seat
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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Each second row seat has a tether
anchorage point behind the seat-
back.For the center seat, lower the head
restraint, then route the tether strap
over the head restraint and seat-back.
Af ter properly securing the child
seat (see page ), lif t the head
restraint, then route the tether
strap over the seat-back and
through the head restraint legs.
1.
50
Second Row Inst allat ion
Installing a Child Seat
52
TETHER ANCHORAGE P OINTTETHER STRAP
Outer Seating Position
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