2009 Acura MDX airbag

California Proposition 65 Warning
WARNING:This product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth
defects or other reproductive harm.Event Data Recorders
This vehicle is equipped with one or more devices commonly referred to as event data recorders. These
devices record front seat belt use, front passenger seat occupancy, airbag deployment data, and the failure of
any airbag system component. This data belongs to the vehicle owner and may not be accessed by anyone else
except as legally required or with the permission of the vehicle owner.Service Diagnostic Recorders
This vehicle is equipped with service-related devices that record information about powertrain performance. The data
can be used to verify emissions law requirements and/or help technicians diagnose and solve service problems. It
may also be combined with data from other sources for research purposes, but it remains confidential.Introductionii08/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX

ꭧ: If equipped
DRIVER'S FRONT
AIRBAG (P.9,27)
DRIVING POSITION
MEMORY SYSTEM
(P.157)
POWER DOOR LOCK
MASTER SWITCH
(P.130)
PARKING BRAKE
RELEASE HANDLE
(P.153)
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES
(P.149)
FUEL FILL DOOR
RELEASE BUTTON
(P.323)
POWER TAILGATE
BUTTON
ꭧ(P. 132)
HOOD RELEASE
HANDLE (P.325) PARKING BRAKE
PEDAL (P.153)AUXILIARY INPUT JACKS
ꭧ
(P.
267) HEADPHONE CONNECTORS
ꭧ
(P.
268)
INSTRUMENT PANEL
INDICATORS (P.63)
HomeLink
®BUTTONS
(P.276) MOONROOF SWITCH
(P.152)MIRROR CONTROL
AUTO BUTTON
ꭧ
(P.
154)
PASSENGER'S
FRONT AIRBAG
(P.9,27)
CLIMATE CONTROL
SYSTEM (P.170)
AUDIO SYSTEM
(P.180)
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
(P.341)
REAR CLIMATE
CONTROL SYSTEM
(P.175)
GAUGES (P.72)
CONTINUED
Your Vehicle at a Glance
3
Your V ehicle at a Glance
08/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX

ꭧ1:To use the horn, press the center pad of the steering wheel.
ꭧ 2: If equipped
HEADLIGHT WASHER
SWITCH
ꭧ 2
(P. 117)
VEHICLE STABILITY
ASSIST SYSTEM
OFF SWITCH
(P. 359)
MIRROR CONTROLS
(P. 155)
DRIVING POSITION
MEMORY SYSTEM
(P. 157)
POWER DOOR LOCK
MASTER SWITCH
(P. 130)
PARKING BRAKE
RELEASE HANDLE
(P. 153)
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES
(P. 149)
FUEL FILL DOOR
RELEASE BUTTON
(P. 323) POWER TAILGATE
BUTTON
ꭧ
2
(P. 132) HOOD RELEASE
HANDLE
(P.
325) HORN
ꭧ
1
STEERING WHEEL
ADJUSTMENTS
(P. 124)
HEADLIGHT/TURN SIGNAL/
FRONT FOG LIGHTS
(P.
118) STEERING WHEEL
AUDIO CONTROLS
(P.
233) WINDSHIELD
WIPERS/WASHERS
(P.
116) INSTRUMENT PANEL
BRIGHTNESS
(P.
123)
PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF INDICATOR
(P. 34)
HAZARD WARNING
BUTTON
(P. 122)
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER
(P. 122)
ACCESSORY POWER
SOCKETS
(P. 166)
SEAT HEATER
SWITCHES
(P. 148)
ACTIVE DAMPER
SYSTEM SWITCH
ꭧ 2
(P. 361)
CRUISE CONTROL
BUTTONS
(P.
270)
Your Vehicle at a Glance408/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX

This section gives you important
information about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It shows
you how to use seat belts. It explains
how your airbags work. And it tells you
how to properly restrain infants and
children in your vehicle.
Important Safety Precautions
.............
6
Your Vehicle's Safety Features
..........
7
Seat Belts
.....................................
8
Airbags
........................................
9
Protecting Adults and Teens
...........
11
1. Close and Lock the Doors
.........
11
2. Adjust the Front Seats
..............
12
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs
...............
13
4. Adjust the Head Restraints
.......
14
5. Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts
...................................
15
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
...............................
17
Advice for Pregnant Women
.........
18
Additional Safety Precautions
.......
19
Additional Information About Your Seat Belts
...............................
20
Seat Belt System Components
......
20 Lap/Shoulder Belt
.......................
21
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
..............................
22
Seat Belt Maintenance
.................
23
Additional Information About Your Airbags
..................................
24
Airbag System Components
.........
24
How Your Front Airbags Work
......................................
27
How Your Side Airbags Work
.......
30
How Your Side Curtain Airbags Work
......................................
32
How the SRS Indicator Works
......
33
How the Side Airbag Off Indicator Works
.....................................
33
How the Passenger Airbag Off Indicator Works
......................
34
Airbag Service
.............................
35
Additional Safety Precautions
.......
35
Protecting Children －General
Guidelines
..............................
37
All Children Must Be Restrained
...............................
37
All Children Should Sit in a Back Seat
........................................
38
The Passenger's Front Airbag Can Pose Serious Risks
..................
38 If You Must Drive with Several
Children
.................................
40
If a Child Requires Close Attention
.................................
40
Additional Safety Precautions
.......
41
Protecting Infants and Small Children
.................................
42
Protecting Infants
........................
42
Protecting Small Children
............
43
Selecting a Child Seat
.....................
45
Installing a Child Seat
.....................
46
Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
...................................
47
Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/ Shoulder Belt
..........................
50
Installing a Child Seat with a Tether
....................................
51
Protecting Larger Children
.............
54
Checking Seat Belt Fit
.................
54
Using a Booster Seat
....................
55
When Can a Larger Child Sit in
Front
......................................
56
Additional Safety Precautions
.......
57
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
...............
58
Safety Labels
..................................
59
Driver and Passenger Safety
5
Driver and Passenger Saf et y
08/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX

You'll find many safety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
The recommendations on this page
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with
airbags, make sure you and your
passengers always wear your seat
belts, and wear them properly (see
page15).Restrain All Children
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat, not the front seat. Infants and
small children should be restrained
in a child seat. Larger children
should use a booster seat and a lap/
shoulder belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat
(see pages37
－57).
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Infants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. Don't Drink and Drive
Alcohol and driving don't mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don't drink
and drive, and don't let your friends
drink and drive, either.
Control Your Speed
Excessive speed is a major factor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Keep Your Vehicle in Safe
Condition
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical failure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition frequently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page415).Important Safety Precautions608/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX

Your vehicle is equipped with many
features that work together to protect
you and your passengers during a
crash.
Some features do not require any
action on your part. These include a
strong steel framework that forms a
safety cage around the passenger
compartment, front and rear crush
zones, a collapsible steering column,
and tensioners that tighten the front
seat belts in a crash.
However, you and your passengers
can't take full advantage of these
features unless you remain sitting in
a proper position and
always wear
your seat belts.
In fact, some safety
features can contribute to injuries if
they are not used properly.
The following pages explain how you
can take an active role in protecting
yourself and your passengers.
(1) Safety Cage
(2) Crush Zones
(3) Seats and Seat-Backs
(4) Head Restraints
(5) Collapsible Steering Column
(6) Seat Belts
(7) Front Airbags
(8) Side Airbags
(9) Side Curtain Airbags
(10) Front Seat Belt Tensioners
(11) Door Locks
(1)
(3)
(7)
(5) (2)(11) (6)
(10) (8)
(2)
(9)
(4)
Your Vehicle's Safety Features
7
Driver and Passenger Saf et y
08/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX

Seat Belts
Your vehicle is equipped with seat
belts in all seating positions.
Your seat belt system also includes
an indicator on the instrument panel
and a beeper to remind you and your
passengers to fasten your seat belts.Why Wear Seat BeltsSeat belts are the single most
effective safety device for adults and
larger children. (Infants and smaller
children must be properly restrained
in child seats.)
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has
airbags.
Be sure you and your
passengers always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.
When properly worn, seat belts:●Keep you connected to the vehicle
so you can take advantage of the
vehicle's built-in safety features.●Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including: – frontal impacts
– side impacts
– rear impacts
– rollovers
●Help keep you from being thrown
against the inside of the vehicle
and against other occupants.●Keep you from being thrown out of
the vehicle.●Help keep you in a good position
should the airbags ever deploy. A
good position reduces the risk of
injury from an inflating airbag and
allows you to get the best
advantage from the airbag.
Of course, seat belts cannot
completely protect you in every
crash. But in most cases, seat belts
can reduce your risk of serious
injury.What you should do:
Always wear
your seat belt, and make sure you
wear it properly.
Your Vehicle's Safety Features808/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX

AirbagsYour vehicle has a supplemental
restraint system (SRS) with front
airbags to help protect the heads and
chests of the driver and a front seat
passenger during a moderate to
severe frontal collision (see page27
for more information on how your
front airbags work).
Your vehicle also has side airbags to
help protect the upper torso of the
driver or a front seat passenger
during a moderate to severe side
impact (see page30for more
information on how your side airbags
work).
In addition, your vehicle has side
curtain airbags to help protect the
heads of the driver, front passenger,
and passengers in the outer rear
seating positions during a moderate
to severe side impact or rollover (see
page32for more information on how
your side curtain airbags work).
CONTINUED
Your Vehicle's Safety Features
9
Driver and Passenger Saf et y
08/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX