2012 Acura ZDX Owner's Manual

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uuChild Safety uSafety of Infants and Small Children
Continued
Safe DrivingA LATCH-compatible child seat can be installe d in either of the two outer rear seats.
A child seat is attached to th e lower anchors with either th e rigid or flexible type of
connectors.
1.Locate the lower anchors under the marks.
2. Push the rear head restraint tilt buttons to
pivot the head restraints down.
■Installing a LATCH-Compatible Child Seat
Marks
Rear Head
Restraint Tilt
Button
Head Restraint

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Safe Driving
3. Place the child seat on the vehicle seat then
attach the child seat to the lower anchors
according to th e instructions that came
with the child seat.
u When installing the child seat, make sure
that the lower anchors are not
obstructed by the seat belt or any other
object.
Rigid Type
Lower Anchors
Flexible
Type
1Installing a LATCH-Compatible Child Seat
For your child’s safety, when using a child seat
installed using the LATCH sy stem, make sure that the
seat is properly secured to the vehicle. A child seat
that is not properly secu red will not adequately
protect a child in a crash an d may cause injury to the
child or other vehicle occupants.

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Safe Driving
4. Raise the head restraint, then route the
tether strap between the head restraint
legs, and secure the tether strap hook onto
the anchor.
5. Tighten the tether strap as instructed by the
child seat maker.
6. Lower the head restraint until it locks in
place.
7. Make sure the child seat is firmly secured by
rocking it forward and back and side to
side; little movement should be felt.
8. Make sure any unused seat belt that a child
can reach is buckled, the lockable retractor
is activated, and the belt is fully retracted
and locked.
Tether
Strap
Hook Anchor

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Safe Driving1. Place the child seat on the vehicle seat.
2. Route the seat belt th rough the child seat
according to the seat maker’s instructions,
and insert the latch pl ate into the buckle.
u Insert the latch plate fully until it clicks.
3. Slowly pull the shoulder part of the belt all
the way out until it st ops. This activates the
lockable retractor.
4. Let the seat belt completely wind up into
the retractor, then try to pull it out to make
sure the retractor is locked.
u If you are able to pul l the shoulder belt
out, the lockable retractor is not
activated. Pull the seat belt all the way
out, and repeat steps 2 – 4.
5. Grab the shoulder part of the seat belt near
the buckle, and pull up to remove any slack
from the lap part of the belt.
u When doing this, place your weight on
the child seat and push it into the vehicle
seat.
■Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/Shoulder Seat Belt1Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/Shoulder Seat Belt
A child seat that is not properly secured will not
adequately protect a child in a crash and may cause
injury to the child or other vehicle occupants.

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uuChild Safety uSafety of Infants and Small Children
Safe Driving
6. Make sure the child restraint system is
firmly secured by rocking it forward and
back and side to side; little movement
should be felt.
7. Make sure any unused seat belt that a child
can reach is buckled, the lockable retractor
is activated, and the belt is fully retracted
and locked.1Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/Shoulder Seat Belt
To deactivate a lockable re tractor, release the buckle
and allow the seat belt to wind up all the way.

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Safe DrivingA tether anchorage point is provided behind
each rear seating position. A child seat that is
installed with a seat belt and comes with a
tether can use the tether for additional
security.
■Using an outer anchor
1. Raise the head restra int, then route the
tether strap through th e head restraint legs.
Make sure the strap is not twisted.
2. Secure the tether strap hook onto the
anchor.
3. Lower the head restraint until it locks in
place.
4. Tighten the tether strap as instructed by the
child seat manufacturer.
■Adding Security with a Tether1Adding Security with a Tether
Since a tether can provide additional security to the
lap/shoulder seat belt in stallation, we recommend
using a tether whenever one is available.
Anchor
Tether Anchorage Points
Outer Position
Tether Strap Hook

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uuChild Safety uSafety of Infants and Small Children
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■Using the center anchor
1. Lower the head restraint.
2. Route the tether strap over the head
restraint and seat-back.
Make sure the strap is not twisted.
3. Secure the tether strap hook onto the
anchor.
4. Tighten the tether strap as instructed by the
child seat manufacturer.
Anchor
Tether
Strap
HookCenter Position

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uuChild Safety uSafety of Larger Children
Safe Driving
Safety of Larger Children
The following pages give instructions on how to check proper seat belt fit, what kind
of booster seat to use if one is needed, and important precautions for a child who
must sit in front.
When a child is too big for a child seat, se cure the child in a rear seat using the
lap/shoulder seat belt. Have the child sit upright and all the way back, then answer
the following questions.
■Checklist
• Do the child’s knees bend comfortably over
the edge of the seat?
• Does the shoulder belt cross between the
child’s neck and arm?
• Is the lap part of the seat belt as low as
possible, touching the child’s thighs?
• Will the child be able to stay seated like this
for the whole trip?
If you answer yes to all these questions, th e child is ready to wear the lap/shoulder
seat belt correctly. If you answer no to any question, the child needs to ride on a
booster seat until the seat belt fi ts properly without a booster seat.
■Protecting Larger Children
■Checking Seat Belt Fit
1Safety of Larger Children
3WARNING
Allowing a child age 12 or under to sit in
front can result in injury or death if the
passenger’s front airbag inflates.
If a larger child must ride in front, move the
vehicle seat as far to the rear as possible,
have the child sit up properly and wear the
seat belt properly, using a booster seat if
needed.