2012 HONDA CIVIC Owners Manual

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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.

41
uuAirbagsuFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe DrivingYour front airbags have advanced features to 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 Honda 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 Airbags1Advanced 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.
Driver’s
Seat
Position
Sensor
Passenger’s Seat Weight
Sensors

42
uuAirbagsuSide Airbags
Safe Driving
Side Airbags
The side airbags help protect the upper torso of the driver or a front passenger
during a moderate to severe side impact.The side airbags are housed in the outside
edge of the driver's and passenger's seat-
backs.
Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG.
When the sensors detect a moderate-to-
severe side impact, the control unit signals the
side airbag on the impact side to immediately
inflate.
■Housing Locations
1Side Airbags
Do not attach accessories on or near the side airbags.
They can interfere with the proper operation of the
airbags, or hurt someone if an airbag inflates.
If the impact is on the passenger side, the airbag
deploys even if there is no passenger’s in the
passenger seat.
Do not cover or replace the front seat-back covers
without consulting a dealer.
Improperly replacing or covering front seat-back
covers can prevent your side airbags from properly
deploying during a side impact.
Housing
Location
■Operation
When
inflated
Side
Airbag

43
uuAirbagsuSide Airbags
Continued
Safe Driving
■When a side airbag deploys wi th little or no visible damage
Because the airbag systems senses sudden acceleration, a strong impact to the side
of the vehicle's framework can cause a side airbag to deploy. In such cases, there
may be little or no damage, but the side impact sensors detected a severe enough
impact to deploy the airbag. ■ When a side airbag may not deploy, even though visible damage appears
severe
It is possible for a side airbag to not deploy during an impact that results in
apparently severe damage. This can occur when the point of impact was towards
the far front or rear of the vehicle, or when the vehicle's crushable body parts
absorbed most of the crash energy. In either case, the side airbag would not have
been needed nor provided protection even if it had deployed.

uuAirbagsuSide Airbags
44
Safe DrivingTo reduce the likelihood that a front passenger may be injured by an inflating side
airbag, the passenger side airbag is automatically turned off when: • The height sensors detect a child or short-statured adult is seated in the front
passenger seat.
• The position sensor detects that the front passenger is leaning into the
deployment path of the side airbag.
When the side airbag cutoff system is activated, the side airbag off indicator comes
on. 2 Side Airbag Off Indicator P. 48
If the side airbag off indicator comes on, have the passenger sit upright. A few
seconds after the passenger is sitting properly, the side airbag will automatically be
turned on, and the indicator will go off.
If the front passenger is a child, stop when it is safe to do so, and have the child sit
properly restrained in a rear seat.
■Side Airbag Cutoff System
■Side Airbag Off Indicator
1Side Airbag Cutoff System
The sensors that monitor the front passenger's height
and body position may not work if: • The seat-back is wet
• The passenger is touching a metal or other
electrical conductive object
• A seat cushion is on the seat
• The passenger is wearing excessively thick clothing
Sensor that
monitor the
passenger’s height.
Sensor that monitor
the passenger’s position.

45
uuAirbagsuSide Curtain Airbags
Safe Driving
Side Curtain Airbags
The side curtain airbags help protect the heads of the driver and passengers in outer
seating positions during a moderate-to-severe side impact.The side curtain airbags are located in the
ceiling above the side windows on both sides
of the vehicle.
The side curtain airbag is designed to deploy
in a moderate-to-severe side impact.
■ When side curtain airbags deploy in a frontal collision
One or both side curtain airbags may inflate in a moderate to severe angled frontal
collision.
In this case, the side curtain airbags will deploy slightly after the front airbags.
■Housing Locations
1Side Curtain Airbags
The side curtain airbags are most effective when an
occupant is wearing their seat belt properly and
sitting upright, well back in their seat.
Do not attach any objects to the side windows or roof
pillars as they can interfere with the proper operation
of the side curtain airbags.
Side Curtain Airbag Storage
■Operation
Deployed Side Curtain Airbag

46
uuAirbagsuAirbag System Indicators
Safe Driving
Airbag System Indicators
If a problem occurs in the airbag system, the SRS indicator will come on and a
message appears on the multi-information display*
.
■ When the ignition switch is turned to ON
(w
The indicator comes on for a few seconds,
then goes off. This tells you the system is
working properly.
If the indicator comes on at any other time, or does not come on at all, have the
system checked by a dealer as soon as possible. If you don't, your airbags and seat
belt tensioners may not work properly when they are needed.
■SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) Indicator
1SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) Indicator
3WARNING
Ignoring the SRS indicator can result in
serious injury or death if the airbag systems
or tensioners do not work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a dealer as
soon as possible if the SRS indicator alerts
you to a possible problem.
*
* Not available on all models

Continued47
uuAirbagsuAirbag System Indicators
Safe Driving■When the passenger airbag off
indicator comes on
The indicator comes on to alert you that the
passenger's front airbag has been turned off.
This occurs when the weight sensors detect
65 lbs (29 kg) or less, the weight of an infant
or small child, on the seat.
Infants and small children should always ride properly restrained in a back seat. 2 Child Safety P. 50
Objects placed on the seat can also cause the indicator to come on.
If the front passenger seat is empty, the passenger's front airbag will not deploy and
the indicator will not come on.
■Passenger Airbag Off Indicator1Passenger Airbag Off Indicator
If the indicator comes on with no front passenger and
no objects on the passenger’s seat, or with an adult
riding there, something may be interfering with the weight sensors. Such as: • An object hanging on the seat or in the seat-back pocket.
• A child seat or other object pressing against the
rear of the seat-back.
• A rear passenger pushing or pulling on the back of
the front passenger's seat.
• The front seat or seat-back is forced back against
an object on the seat or floor behind it.
• An object placed under the front passenger's seat.
If none of these conditions exist, have your vehicle
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The passenger airbag off indicator may come on and
goes off repeatedly if the total weight on the seat is
near the airbag cutoff threshold.
U.S. Canada