2011 HONDA CIVIC Owners Manual

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A irbag System Components
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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(9)
(1) (3) (14)
(4)
(6) (11)
(14)
(10)
(13)
(8)
(15) (12)
(7)
(5)(4)
(13)
(16)
(4)
(5)
(8)
(2)
(5) Side Airbags
(6) Driver’s Seat Position Sensor
(7) Front Passenger’s Weight Sensors
(1) Driver’s Front Airbag
(2) Passenger’s Front Airbag
(3) Control Unit
(4) Front Seat Belt Tensioners
(15) Supplemental Restraint System ( SRS) Indicator
(16) Safing Sensor (8) Front Impact Sensors
(9) Passenger Airbag Off Indicator
(10) Side Impact Sensors (First)
(11) Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS)
Sensors
(12) Front Passenger’s Weight Sensors Control Unit/ OPDS Sensors Control Unit
(13) Side Impact Sensors (Second)
(14) Side Curtain Airbags
Main Menu

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 ).
Sensors that can detect whether
the driver’s seat belt and the
frontpassenger’sseatbeltare
latched or unlatched (see page).
Your airbag system includes:
Two SRS (supplemental restraint
system) f ront airbags. The driver’s
airbag is stored in the center of
the steering wheel; the f ront
passenger’sairbagisstoredinthe
dashboard. Both are marked ‘‘SRS
AIRBAG’’ (see page ).
Two side airbags, one f or the
driver and one f or a f ront
passenger. The airbags are stored
in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked ‘‘SIDE
AIRBAG’’ (see page ). Two side curtain airbags, one f or
each side of the vehicle. The
airbags are stored in the ceiling,
above the side windows. The f ront
and rear pillars are marked ‘‘SIDE
CURTAIN AIRBAG’’ (see page
).
Automatic front seat belt
tensioners (see page ).
Sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe front impact or
side impact. 28
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Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
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Main Menu

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.
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
).
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 ). 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.
An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you to a possible
problem with your airbag system
components (see page ).
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Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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Main Menu

If you ever have a moderate to
severe f rontal collision, sensors will
detect the vehicle’s rapid
deceleration.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.
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 ).
If the rate of deceleration is high
enough, the control unit will inf late
the driver’s and f ront passenger’s
airbags, at the time and with the
f orce needed.
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.
Although both airbags normally
inf late within a split second of each
other, it is possible f or only one
airbag to deploy.
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How Your Front Airbags Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
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Main Menu

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Your vehicle is equipped with dual-
stage, multiple-threshold f ront
airbags (SRS). During a f rontal crash
severe enough to cause one or both
f ront airbags to deploy, the airbags
can inf late at dif f erent rates,
depending on the severity of the
crash, whether or not the seat belts
are latched, and/or other factors.
Front airbags are designed to
supplement the seat belts to help
reduce the likelihood of head and
chest injuries in f rontal crashes.
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.
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.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Dual-St age, Mult iple-T hreshold
Front A irbags (SRS)
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
25
Main Menu

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.
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 or small-statured adults who
ride in f ront.
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.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.
For both advanced airbags to work
properly:
Failure to f ollow these instructions
could damage the sensors or prevent
them f rom working properly. Occupants must sit upright and
wear their seat belts properly.
Objects placed or pushed under
the f ront passenger’s seat may
cause the sensor to malf unction,
increasing the risk of injury in a
crash.
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.
Advanced Airbags
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
26
PASSENGER’S
SEAT WEIGHT SENSORS
DRIVER’S SEAT POSITION SENSOR
Main Menu

Moving the f ront seat f orcibly
back against cargo on the seat or
f loor behind it.
Moving the front seat or seat-back
f orcibly back against the f olded
rear seat.
Be aware that objects placed on the
passenger’s seat can also cause the
airbag to be turned of f .
If the weight sensors detect there is
no passenger in the f ront seat, the
airbag is automatically turned off.
However, the passenger airbag of f
indicator in this situation will not
come on.
When the passenger airbag gets
turned of f by the weight sensors, a
‘‘passenger airbag of f ’’ 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.
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.
Back seat passengers should not
wedge objects or intentionally
f orce their f eet under the f ront
passenger seat.
Also,makesurethefloormatbehind
the f ront passenger’s seat is properly
positioned on the f loor (see page ). If it is not, the mat may
interf ere with the proper operation
of the f ront passenger’s seat and its
sensors.
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. 30
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How Your Side A irbags Work
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
do not do anyt hing
t hat would increase or decrease t he weight on t he f ront passenger’s seat .
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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Main Menu

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.
There will be some delay between
the moment the passenger moves
into or out of the airbag deployment
pathandwhentheindicatorcomes
on or goes of f .
A f ront seat passenger should not
use a cushion or another object as a
backrest. It may prevent the cutof f
system f rom working properly.
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 f rom the
side airbags, front seat occupants
should wear their seat belts and sit
upright and well back in their seats.
Your vehicle has a side airbag cutof f
system designed primarily to protect
a child riding in the f ront passenger’s
seat.
Thesideairbagmayalsoshutoff if a
short adult leans sideways, or a
larger adult slouches and leans
sideways into the airbag’s
deployment path.
Objects placed on the f ront
passenger seat can also cause the
side airbag to be shut of f .
Although Honda does not encourage
children to ride in f ront, if position
sensors detect a child has leaned into
the side airbag’s deployment path,
the airbag will shut of f .
30Side A irbag Cut of f Syst em
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
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Main Menu