2008 HONDA CIVIC ECO mode

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 airbag
of f (see page ).An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you that the
passenger’s side airbag has been
turned of f (see page ).
An indicator on the dashboard that
alerts you that the passenger’s
f ront airbag has been turned of f
(see page ).
Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle’s electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
Automatic front seat belt
tensioners (see page ).
Weight sensors that monitor the
weight on the f ront passenger’s
seat. If the weight is about 65
lbs (29 kg) or less (the weight
of an inf ant or small child), the
passenger’s f ront airbag will be
turned of f (see page ).
Sensors that can detect whether
the driver’s seat belt and the
frontpassenger’sseatbeltare
latched or unlatched (see page ). An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you to a possible
problem with your airbags,
sensors, or seat belt tensioners
(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 switch is in the ON (II)
position.
A driver’s seat position sensor that
monitors the distance of the seat
from the front airbag. If the seat is
too f ar f orward, the airbag will
inf late with less f orce (see page ). 19
28 26
29 30
30
18
26
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
23
——y
y
(#yy

Af ter inf lating, the f ront airbags
immediately def late, so they won’t
interf ere with the driver’s visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate
other controls.
Although both airbags normally
inf late within a split second of each
other, it is possible f or only one
airbag to deploy.
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 airbags, at the time and
with the f orce needed. 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.
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.
During a f rontal crash, your seat belt
restrains your lower body and torso,
and the f ront airbag helps protect
your head and chest.
Only the driver’s airbag will 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 ).
26
How Your Front Airbags Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
24
——yy
(#yy

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.If the SRS indicator does not come
on after you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position.
If the indicator stays on after the
engine starts.
If the indicator comes on or
flashesonandoff whileyoudrive.
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.
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:
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. When you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, this indicator
comes on f or several seconds then
goes of f . This tells you the system is
working properly.
The SRS indicator alerts you to a
potential problem with your airbags
or seat belt tensioners.
CONT INUED
How Your Side Curtain A irbags
Work
How the SRS Indicator
Works
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
29
SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG
——yy
(#yy

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).
Even though your vehicle has an
advanced front airbag system that
automatically turns the passenger’s
f ront airbag of f (see page ),
please f ollow these guidelines:
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.
According to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are
saf er when they are restrained in a
back seat.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
age 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat. Some
states have laws restricting where
children may ride.
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.
26
47
Small ChildrenPlacing a f orward-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equipped
wit 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’s
front airbag.
Inf ant s
Never put a rear-f acing child seat int he f ront seat of a vehicle equipped
wit h a passenger’s f ront airbag.All Children Should Sit in a Back
Seat The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Can Pose Serious Risks
Protecting Children General Guidelines
34
——yy
(#yy

An inf ant must be properly
restrained in a rear-f acing, reclining
child seat until the child reaches the
seat maker’s weight or height limit
f or the seat, and the child is at least
one year old.
Only a rear-f acing child seat provides
proper support f or a baby’s head,
neck, and back.Two types of seats may be used: a
seat designed exclusively f or inf ants,
or a convertible seat used in the rear-
f acing, reclining mode.
If placed
f acing f orward, an inf ant could be
very seriously injured during a
f rontal collision. A rear-f acing child seat can be placed
in any seating position in the back
seat, but not in the f ront.
If the passenger’s f ront airbag
inflates, it can hit the back of the
child seat with enough f orce to kill or
seriously injure an inf ant.
When properly installed, a rear-
f acing child seat may prevent the
driver or a f ront passenger f rom
moving their seat as far back as
recommended, or f rom locking their
seat-back in the desired position.
It could also interf ere with proper
operation of the passenger’s
advanced front airbag system.
Protecting Inf ants
Child Seat T ype
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat in
a f orward-f acing position. Never put a
rear-f acing child seat in t he f ront seat .
Rear-f acing Child Seat Placement
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
38
——yy
(#yy

If the passenger’s f ront airbag
inf lates in a moderate to severe
f rontal collision, the airbag can cause
serious injuries to a child who is
unrestrained, improperly restrained,
sitting too close to the airbag, or out
of position.
A side airbag also poses risks. If any
part of a larger child’s body is in the
path of a deploying side airbag, the
child could receive possibly serious
injuries.Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in f ront,
there are other important f actors you
should consider.
If you decide that a child can saf ely
ride up f ront, be sure to:
Caref ully read the owner’s manual,
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all saf ety
inf ormation.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the f loor.
Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to f asten the seat belts
or sit properly.
Physically, a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
with or without the child sitting on a
booster seat, the child should not sit
in f ront.
To saf ely ride in f ront, a child must
be able to f ollow the rules, including
sitting properly, and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children
age 12 and under be properly
restrained in a back seat.
1447
When Can a L arger Child Sit in
Front
Physical Size
Maturity
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
49
——yy
(#yy

These labels are in the locations
shown. They warn you of potential
hazards that could cause serious
injury or death. Read these labels
caref ully.
If a label comes of f or becomes hard
to read (except for the U.S.
dashboard label, which is removed
by the owner), contact your dealer
f or a replacement.U.S. modelsCanadian models
U.S. models only
Saf ety L abels
52
DASHBOARD SUN VISOR
RADIATOR CAP
——yy
(#yy

If equipped If equipped
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
If itcomesonandstaysonatany
other time, or if it does not come on
when you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, there is a
problem with the VSA system. Take
your vehicle to a dealer to have it
checked. Without VSA, your vehicle
still has normal driving ability, but
will not have VSA traction and
stability enhancement. See pagef or more inf ormation on the
VSA system. This indicator has three f unctions:
Itcomesonasareminderthatyou
have turned off the vehicle
stability assist (VSA) system.
It flashes when VSA is active (see
page ).
It comes on along with the VSA
system indicator if there is a
problem with the VSA system.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. See page f or more
inf ormation on the VSA system. This indicator normally comes on
when you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position and goes of f
af ter the engine starts. If it comes on
at any other time, there is a problem
in the electric power steering system.
If this happens, stop the vehicle in a
safe place, and turn off the engine.
Reset the system by restarting the
engine. The indicator will not turn
of f immediately. If it does not go of f
after driving a short distance, or
comes back on again while driving,
take the vehicle to your dealer to
have it checked. With the indicator
on, the EPS may be of f , making the
vehicle harder to steer.
1. 2. 3.
210 210
210
Instrument Panel Indicators
Vehicle Stability Assist
(VSA ) System Indicator VSA A ctivation Indicator Electric Power Steering
(EPS) Indicator
Si and Canadian DX-G with manual
t ransmission models
62
—
—y


y
(#yy