2009 HONDA ELEMENT airbag off

ꭧ1: To use the horn, press the center pad of the steering wheel.
ꭧ 2: If equipped
ꭧ 3: Only on vehicles equipped with navigation system. Refer to the navigation system manual.
HEADLIGHTS/TURN SIGNALS
(P.71)
REMOTE AUDIO
CONTROLS
ꭧ2
(P.191)
A/T model with navigation system is shown. STEERING WHEEL ADJUSTMENT
(P.74)
CRUISE CONTROL BUTTONS
(P.193)
WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS
(P.70)
PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF INDICATOR
(P.32)
AUDIO SYSTEM
(P.109)
DIGITAL CLOCK
(P.189)
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER BUTTON
(P.74)
ACCESSORY POWER
SOCKET
(P.100)
HORN
ꭧ 1
VSA OFF SWITCH
(P.231)
HAZARD WARNING
BUTTON
(P.73)
NAVIGATION SYSTEM
VOICE CONTROL
BUTTONS
ꭧ
3
Your Vehicle at a Glance4
2009 Element

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
.............
11
3.
Adjust the Seat-Backs
..............
12
4.
Adjust the Head Restraints
......
13
5.
Fasten and Position the Seat Belts
..................................
14
6.
Maintain a Proper Sitting Position
..............................
15
Advice for Pregnant Women
........
16
Additional Safety Precautions
......
16
Additional Information About Your Seat Belts
...............................
18
Seat Belt System Components
.....
18 Lap/Shoulder Belt
......................
19
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
.............................
20
Seat Belt Maintenance
................
20
Additional Information About Your Airbags
..................................
22
Airbag System Components
........
22
How Your Front Airbags Work
....
25
How Your Side Airbags Work
......
28
How Your Side Curtain Airbags Work
.....................................
30
How the SRS Indicator Works
.....
31
How the Side Airbag Off Indicator Works
.....................
32
How the Passenger Airbag Off Indicator Works
.....................
32
Airbag Service
............................
33
Additional Safety Precautions
......
34
Protecting Children －General
Guidelines
..............................
35
All Children Must Be
Restrained
..............................
35
All Children Should Sit in a Back Seat
.......................................
36
The Passenger's Front Airbag Can Pose Serious Risks
...........
36 If You Must Drive with Several
Children
................................
38
If a Child Requires Close Attention
................................
38
Additional Safety Precautions
......
39
Protecting Infants and Small Children
.................................
40
Protecting Infants
.......................
40
Protecting Small Children
...........
41
Selecting a Child Seat
.....................
42
Installing a Child Seat
.....................
43
Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
..................................
44
Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/Shoulder Belt
..................
46
Installing a Child Seat with a Tether
...................................
48
Protecting Larger Children
.............
49
Checking Seat Belt Fit
................
49
Using a Booster Seat
...................
50
When Can a Larger Child Sit in
Front
.....................................
50
Additional Safety Precautions
......
51
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
...............
52
Safety Labels
..................................
53
Driver and Passenger Safety
5
Driver and Passenger Safety
2009 Element

The most important things you need
to know about your airbags are:●Airbags do not replace seat belts.They are designed to supplement
the seat belts.●Airbags offer no protection in rearimpacts, or minor frontal or sidecollisions.●Airbags can pose serious hazards.To do their job, airbags must
inflate with tremendous force. So
while airbags help save lives, they
can cause minor injuries or more
serious or even fatal injuries if
occupants are not properly
restrained or sitting properly.
What you should do:
Always wear
your seat belt properly, and sit
upright and as far back from the
steering wheel as possible while
allowing full control of the vehicle. A
front passenger should move their
seat as far back from the dashboard
as possible. The rest of this section gives more
detailed information about how you
can maximize your safety.
Remember however, that no safety
system can prevent all injures or
deaths that can occur in a severe
crash, even when seat belts are
properly worn and the airbags
deploy.
Your Vehicle's Safety Features10
2009 Element

Never place the shoulder portion of alap/shoulder belt under your arm or
behind your back.
This could cause
very serious injuries in a crash.
If a seat belt does not seem to work
properly, it may not protect the
occupant in a crash.
No one should sit in a seat with an
inoperative seat belt.
Using a seat
belt that is not working properly can
result in serious injury or death.
Have your dealer check the belt as
soon as possible.
See page18for additional
information about your seat belts and
how to take care of them. 6. Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and head restraints, and
put on their seat belts, it is very
important that they continue to sit
upright, well back in their seats, with
their feet on the floor, until the
vehicle is parked and the engine is
off.
Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches, lies
down, turns sideways, sits forward,
leans forward or sideways, or puts
one or both feet up, the chance of
injury during a crash is greatly
increased. In addition, an occupant who is out of
position in the front seat can be
seriously or fatally injured in a crash
by striking interior parts of the
vehicle or being struck by an
inflating front airbag.
Sitting improperly or out of
position can result in serious
injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright, well back in
the seat, with your feet on the
floor.
Protecting Adults and Teens
15
Driver and Passenger Safety
2009 Element

Airbag System Components
(12)
(1) (3)
(5)
(6)
(10) (4)(14)
(15) (7)
(4)(5)
(11)
(10)
(13)
(2)
(9)
(8)
(1) Driver's Front Airbag
(2) Passenger's Front Airbag
(3) Control Unit
(4) Front Seat Belt Tensioners
(5) Side Airbags
(6) Driver's Seat Position Sensor
(7) Front Passenger's Weight Sensors
(8) Front Impact Sensors
(9) Passenger Airbag Off Indicator
(10) Side Impact Sensors (First)
(11) Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS)
Sensors
(12) Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Indicator
(13) Rollover Sensor
(14) Seat Belt Buckle Tensioners
(15) Rear Safing SensorAdditional Information About Your Airbags22
2009 Element

●Automatic front seat belt
tensioners (see page20).●Sensors that can detect a moderate
to severe front impact, side impact,
or rollover.●Sensors that can detect whether a
child is in the passenger's side
airbag path and signal the control
unit to turn the airbag off (see
page29).●Sensors that can detect whether
the driver's seat belt and the front
passenger's seat belt are latched or
unlatched (see page18).●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
27).
●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 small child), the
passenger's front airbag will be
turned off (see page27).●A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records 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 page31).
●An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you that the
passenger's side airbag has been
turned off (see page32).●An indicator on the dashboard that
alerts you that the passenger's
front airbag has been turned off
(see page32).●Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle's electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.
Additional Information About Your Airbags24
2009 Element

How Your Front Airbags WorkIf 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
inflate the driver's and front
passenger's airbags, at the time and
with the force needed.During a frontal crash, your seat belt
restrains your lower body and torso,
and the front airbag helps protect
your head and chest.
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 airbags will deploy. In
such cases, the seat belt will provide
sufficient protection, and the
supplemental protection offered by
the airbag would be minimal.
Only the driver's airbag can deploy if
there is no passenger in the front
seat, or if the advanced airbag
system has turned the passenger's
airbag off (see page27).
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.
CONTINUED
Additional Information About Your Airbags
25
Driver and Passenger Safety
2009 Element

Advanced AirbagsYour front 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 front.
For both advanced airbags to work
properly:●Occupants must sit upright and
wear their seat belts properly.●Do not spill any liquids on or
under the seats, cover the sensors,
or put any objects or metal items
under the front seats.●Back-seat passengers should not
put their feet under the front seats.
Failure to follow these instructions
could damage the sensors or prevent
them from working properly.
The driver's advanced front airbag
system includes a seat position
sensor under the seat. If the seat is
too far forward, the airbag will inflate
with less force, regardless of the
severity of the impact.
If there is a problem with the sensor,
the SRS indicator will come on, and
the airbag will inflate in the normal
manner regardless of the driver's
seating position.
The passenger's advanced front
airbag system has weight sensors
under the seat. Although Honda does
not encourage carrying an infant or
small child in front, if the sensors
detect the weight of an infant or
small child (up to about 65 lbs or 29
kg), the system will automatically
turn the passenger's front airbag off.
Be aware that objects placed on the
passenger's seat can also cause the
airbag to be turned off.
DRIVER'S SEAT
POSITION SENSOR
PASSENGER'S SEAT
WEIGHT SENSOR
CONTINUED
Additional Information About Your Airbags
27
Driver and Passenger Safety
2009 Element