2012 Acura TSX Owner's Manual

32
uuSeat BeltsuSeat Belt Inspection
Safe Driving
Seat Belt InspectionRegularly check the condition of your seat belts as follows:
•Pull each belt out fully, and look for frays, cuts, burns, and wear.
•Check that the latches work smoothly and the belts retract easily.
uIf a belt does not retract easily, cleaning the belt may correct the problem. Only
use a mild soap and warm water. Do not use bleach or cleaning solvents. Make
sure the belt is completely dry before allowing it to retract.
Any belt that is not in good condition or working properly will not provide proper
protection and should be replaced as soon as possible.
A belt that has been worn during a crash may not provide the same level of
protection in a subsequent crash. Have your seat belts inspected by a dealer after
any collision.
1Seat Belt Inspection
3
WARNING
Not checking or maintaining seat belts can
result in serious injury or death if the seat
belts do not work properly when needed.
Check your seat belts regularly and have
any problem corrected as soon as possible.

33
Continued
Safe Driving
AirbagsAirbag System Components
h h
ak
li
h
d
b
f
h
e
ha
gjjb
ec
h
m
h
c

34
uuAirbagsuAirbag System Components
Safe Driving
The front, front side, and side curtain
airbags are deployed according to the
direction and severity of impact. The airbag
system includes:a
Two SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
front airbags. The driver’s airbag is stored
in the center of the steering wheel; the
front passenger’s airbag is stored in the
dashboard. Both are marked SRS
AIRBAG.
b
Two side airbags, one for the driver and
one for a front passenger. The airbags are
stored in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG.
c
Two side curtain airbags, one for each
side of the vehicle. The airbags are stored
in the ceiling, above the side windows.
The front and rear pillars are marked
SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG.
d
An electronic control unit that continually
monitors and records information about
the sensors, the airbag activators, the
seat belt tensioners, and driver and front
passenger seat belt use when the ignition
switch is in ON
(w
.
e
Automatic front seat belt tensioners. The
driver’s and front passenger’s seat belts
incorporate sensors that detect whether
or not they are fastened.
f
A driver’s seat position sensor. If the seat
is too far forward, the airbag will inflate
with less force.
g
Weight sensors in the front passenger’s
seat. The front passenger’s airbag will be
turned off if the weight on the seat is 65
lbs (29 kg) or less (the weight of an infant
or small child).
h
Impact sensors that can detect a
moderate-to-severe front or side
collision.
i
An indicator on the dashboard that alerts
you that the front passenger’s front
airbag has been turned off.
j
Sensors that can detect if a child or small
statured adult is in the deployment path
of the front passenger’s side airbag.
k
An indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you to a possible problem with your
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.
l
An indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you that the front passenger’s side
airbag has been turned off.
m
Safing Sensor

35
uuAirbagsuAirbag System Components
Safe Driving
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,
sometimes even fatal ones if occupants are not wearing their seat belts properly and
sitting correctly.
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.
Remember, however, that no safety system can prevent all injuries or deaths that
can occur in a severe crash, even when seat belts are properly worn and the airbags
deploy.
Do not place hard or sharp objects between yourself and a front airbag.
Carrying hard or sharp objects on your lap, or driving with a pipe or other sharp
object in your mouth, can result in injuries if your front airbag inflates.
Do not attach or place objects on the front airbag covers. Objects on the
covers marked SRS AIRBAG could interfere with the proper operation of the airbags
or be propelled inside the vehicle and hurt someone if the airbags inflate.■
Important Facts About Your Airbags
1Important Facts About Your Airbags
Do not attempt to deactivate your airbags. Together,
airbags and seat belts provide the best protection.
When driving, keep hands and arms out of the
deployment path of the front airbag by holding each
side of the steering wheel. Do not cross an arm over
the airbag cover.

36
uuAirbagsuTypes of Airbags
Safe Driving
Types of AirbagsYour vehicle is equipped with three types of airbags:
•Front airbags: Airbags in front of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats.
•Side airbags: Airbags in the driver’s and front passenger’s seat-backs.
•Side curtain airbags: Airbags above the side windows.
Each is discussed in the following pages.Front Airbags (SRS)The front SRS airbags inflate in a moderate-to-severe frontal collision to help protect
the head and chest of the driver and/or front passenger.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) indicates that the airbags are designed to
supplement seat belts, not replace them. Seat belts are the occupant’s primary
restraint system.
The front airbags are housed in the center of the steering wheel for the driver, and
in the dashboard for the front passenger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG.■
Housing Locations
1Types of Airbags
The airbags can inflate whenever the ignition switch
is in ON
(w
.
1Front Airbags (SRS)
Dual-Stage, Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags
(SRS)
Your vehicle is equipped with dual-stage, multiple-
threshold front airbags (SRS).
During a frontal crash severe enough to cause one or
both front airbags to deploy, the airbags can inflate
at different rates, depending on the severity of the
crash, whether or not the seat belts are latched, and/
or other factors. Frontal airbags are designed to
supplement the seat belts to help reduce the
likelihood of head and chest injuries in frontal
crashes.

Continued
37
uuAirbagsuFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe Driving
Front airbags are designed to inflate during moderate-to-severe frontal collisions.
When the vehicle decelerates suddenly, the sensors send information to the control
unit which signals one or both front airbags to inflate.
A frontal collision can be either head-on or angled between two vehicles, or when a
vehicle crashes into a stationary object, such as a concrete wall.
While your seat belt restrains your torso, the
front airbag provides supplemental protection
for your head and chest.
The front airbags deflate immediately so that
they won’t interfere with the driver’s visibility
or the ability to steer or operate other
controls.
The total time for inflation and deflation is so fast that most occupants are not
aware that the airbags deployed until they see them lying in front of them.■
Operation
■
How the Front Airbags Work
1How the Front Airbags Work
After a front airbag inflates in a crash, you may see
what looks like smoke. This is actually powder from
the airbag’s surface. Although the powder is not
harmful, people with respiratory problems may
experience some temporary discomfort. If this occurs,
get out of the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
Although the driver’s and front passenger’s 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.

38
uuAirbagsuFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe Driving
■
When front airbags should not deploy
Minor frontal crashes: Front airbags were designed to supplement seat belts and
help save lives, not to prevent minor scrapes, or even broken bones that might occur
during a less than moderate-to-severe frontal crash.
Side impacts: Front airbags can provide protection when a sudden deceleration
causes a driver or front passenger to move towards the front of the vehicle. Side
airbags and side curtain airbags have been specifically designed to help reduce the
severity of injuries that can occur during a moderate-to-severe side impact which
can cause the driver or passenger to move towards the side of the vehicle.
Rear impacts: Head restraints and seat belts are your best protection during a rear
impact. Front airbags cannot provide any significant protection and are not designed
to deploy in such collisions.
Rollovers: Seat belts, and in vehicles equipped with a rollover sensor, side airbags,
and side curtain airbags offer the best protection in a rollover. Because front airbags
could provide little if any protection, they are not designed to deploy during a
rollover.
■
When front airbags deploy with little or no visible damage
Because the airbag system senses sudden deceleration, a strong impact to the
vehicle framework or suspension might cause one or more of the airbags to deploy.
Examples include running into a curb, the edge of a hole, or other low fixed object
that causes a sudden deceleration in the vehicle chassis. Since the impact is
underneath the vehicle, damage may not be readily apparent.
■
When front airbags may not deploy, even though exterior damage
appears severe
Since crushable body parts absorb crash energy during an impact, the amount of
visible damage does not always indicate proper airbag operation. In fact, some
collisions can result in severe damage but no airbag deployment because the airbags
would not have been needed or would not have provided protection even if they
had deployed.

39
uuAirbagsuFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe Driving
Your front airbags have advanced features to help reduce the likelihood of airbag
related injuries to smaller occupants.
The driver’s advanced front airbag system
includes a seat position sensor.
If the seat is too far forward, the airbag
inflates with less force, regardless of the
severity of the impact.
The passenger’s advanced front airbag system
has weight sensors.
Although Acura recommends against carrying
an infant or small child in front, if the sensors
detect the weight of a child (up to about 65
lbs or 29 kg), the system will automatically
turn off the passenger’s front airbag.■
Advanced Airbags
1Advanced Airbags
If there is a problem with the driver’s seat position
sensor, the SRS indicator will come on and the airbag
will inflate with full (normal) force, regardless of the
driver’s seating position.
For both advanced front airbags to work properly:•Do not spill any liquid on or under the seats.•Do not put any object under the passenger’s seat.•Make sure any objects are positioned properly on
the floor. Improperly positioned objects can
interfere with the advanced airbag sensors.•All occupants should sit upright and wear their seat
belts properly.•Do not place any cover over the passenger side
dashboard.
Driver’s
Seat
Position
Sensor
Passenger’s
Seat
Weight
Sensors