2013 HONDA FIT Owners Manual

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uuAirbagsuAirbag Care
Safe Driving
Airbag Care
You do not need to, and should not, perform any maintenance on or replace any
airbag system components yourself. However, you should have your vehicle
inspected by a dealer in the following situations: ■ When the airbags have deployed
If an airbag has inflated, the control unit and other related parts must be replaced.
Similarly, once an automatic seat belt tensioner has been activated, it must be replaced. ■ When the vehicle has been in a moderate-to-severe collision
Even if the airbags did not inflate, have your dealer inspect the following: the driver’s
seat position sensor, weight sensors in the passenger’s seat, front seat belt
tensioners, and each seat belt that was worn during the crash.
■ Do not remove or modify a front seat without consulting a dealer
This would likely disable the driver’s seat position sensor or the passenger’s weight
sensors. If it is necessary to remove or modify a front seat to accommodate a person
with disabilities, contact a Honda dealer, or for U.S. vehicles, American Honda
Automobile Customer Service at 800-999-1009 and for Canadian vehicles, Honda
Canada Customer Relations at 888-9-HONDA-9.
1Airbag Care
We recommend against the use of salvaged airbag
system components, including the airbag, tensioners,
sensors, and control unit.
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Safe Driving
Child Safety
Protecting Child Passengers
Each year, many children are injured or killed in vehicle crashes because they are
either unrestrained or not properly restrained. In fact, vehicle accidents are the
number one cause of death of ch
ildren age 12 and under.
To reduce the number of child deaths and injuries, every state, Canadian province
and territory requires that infants and children be properly restrained when they ride
in a vehicle. Children should sit properly restrained in a rear seat. This is because:
• An inflating front or side airbag can injure
or kill a child sitting in the front seat.
• A child in the front seat is more likely to
interfere with the driver’s ability to safely
control the vehicle.
• Statistics show that children of all sizes and
ages are safer when they are properly
restrained in a rear seat.
1Protecting Child Passengers
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport Canada recommend
that all children age 12 and under be properly
restrained in a rear seat. Some states or provinces/
territories have laws restricting where children may
ride.
3WARNING
Children who are unrestrained or
improperly restrained can be seriously
injured or killed in a crash.
Any child too small for a seat belt should be
properly restrained in a child seat. A larger
child should be properly restrained with a
seat belt, using a booster seat if necessary.
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uuChild SafetyuProtecting Child Passengers
50
Safe Driving
• Any child who is too small to wear a seat belt correctly must be restrained in an
approved child seat that is properly secured to the vehicle using either the lap belt
portion of the lap/shoulder belt or the lower anchors of the LATCH system.
• Never hold a child on your lap because it is impossible to protect them in the
event of a collision.
• Never put a seat belt over yourself and a child. During a crash, the belt would
likely press deep into the child and cause serious or fatal injuries.
• Never let two children use the same seat belt. Both children could be very
seriously injured in a crash.
• Do not allow children to operate the doors, windows or seat adjustments.
• Do not leave children in the vehicle unattend ed, especially in hot weather when
the inside of the vehicle can get hot enough to kill them. They could also activate
vehicle controls causing it to move unexpectedly.1Protecting Child Passengers
To deactivate a lockable retractor, release the buckle
and allow the seat belt to wind up all the way.
To remind you of the passenger’s front airbag
hazards and child safety, your vehicle has warning
labels on the dashboard (U.S. models) and on the
front visors. Please read and follow the instructions
on these labels. 2 Safety Labels P. 62
3WARNING
Allowing a child to play with a seat belt or
wrap one around their neck can result in
serious injury or death.
Instruct children not to play with any seat
belt and make sure any unused seat belt a
child can reach is bu ckled, fully retracted,
and locked.
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uuChild SafetyuSafety of Infants and Small Children
Continued
Safe Driving
Safety of Infants and Small Children
An infant must be properly restrained in a rear-facing, reclining child seat until the
infant reaches the seat maker’s weight or height limit for the seat, and the infant is
at least one year old.■Positioning a rear-facing child seat
Child seats must be placed and secured in a
rear seating position.
When properly installed, a rear-facing child seat may prevent the driver or a front
passenger from moving their seat all the way back, or from locking their seat-back in the desired position.
It can also interfere with proper operation of the passenger’s advanced front airbag
system. 2 Airbags P. 34
If this occurs, we recommend that you install the child seat directly behind the front
passenger’s seat, move the seat as far forward as needed, and leave it unoccupied. Or, you may wish to get a smaller rear-facing child seat.
■Protecting Infants1Protecting Infants
Rear-facing child seats should never be installed in a
forward facing position.
Always refer to the chi ld seat manufacturer’s
instructions before installation.
3WARNING
Placing a rear-facing child seat in the front
seat can result in serious injury or death
during a crash.
Always place a rear-facing child seat in the
rear seat, not the front.
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uuChild SafetyuSafety of Infants and Small Children
52
Safe DrivingIf a child is at least one year old and within the weight range indicated by the child
seat manufacturer, the child should be properly restrained in a firmly secured
forward-facing child seat. ■Forward-facing child seat placement
We strongly recommend placing a forward-
facing child seat in a rear seating position.
Placing a forward-facing child seat in the front seat can be hazardous, even with
advanced front airbags that automatically turn the passenger’s front airbag off. A
rear seat is the safest place for a child.
■Protecting Smaller Children1Protecting Smaller Children
Educate yourself about the laws and regulations
regarding child seat use where you are driving, and
follow the child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Many experts recommend use of a rear-facing seat
up to age two, if the child’s height and weight are
appropriate for a rear-facing seat.
3WARNING
Placing a forward-facing child seat in the
front seat can result in serious injury or
death if the front airbag inflates.
If you must place a forward-facing child
seat in front, move the vehicle seat as far
back as possible, and properly restrain the
child.
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uuChild SafetyuSafety of Infants and Small Children
Safe DrivingMost child seats are LATCH-compatible (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren).
Some have a rigid-type connector, while others have a flexible-type connector. Both
are equally easy to use. Some existing and previously owned child seats can only be
installed using the seat belt. Whichever type you choose, follow the child seat
manufacturer's use and care instructions as well as the instructions in this manual.
Proper installation is key to maximizing your child’s safety.
In seating positions and vehicles not equipped with LATCH, a LATCH compatible
child seat can be installed using the seat belt and a top tether for added security.
This is because all child seats are required to be designed so that they can be secured
with a lap belt or the lap part of a la p/shoulder belt. In addition, the child seat
manufacturer may advise that a seat belt be used to attach a LATCH-compatible seat
once a child reaches a specified weight. Please read the child seat owner’s manual
for proper installation instructions. ■ Important consideration when selecting a child seat
Make sure the child seat meets the following three requirements: • The child seat is the correct type and size for the child.
• The child seat is the correct type for the seating position.
• The child seat is compliant with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 or
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
■Selecting a Child Seat1Selecting a Child Seat
Installation of a LATCH-compatible child seat is
simple.
LATCH-compatible child seats have been developed
to simplify the installation process and reduce the
likelihood of injuries caused by incorrect installation.
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uuChild SafetyuSafety of Infants and Small Children
Safe DrivingA LATCH-compatible child seat can be installed in either of the two outer rear seats.
A child seat is attached to the lower anchors with either the rigid or flexible type of
connectors.1.Locate the lower anchors under the marks.
2. Place the child seat on the vehicle seat then
attach the child seat to the lower anchors
according to the instructions that came with the child seat.
uWhen installing the child seat, make sure
that the lower anchors are not
obstructed by the seat belt or any other object.
■Installing a LATCH-Compatible Child Seat
Marks
Rigid Type
Lower Anchors
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uuChild SafetyuSafety of Infants and Small Children
Safe Driving
3.Put the head restraint to its upright, then
route the tether strap between the head
restraint legs, and secure the tether strap
hook onto the anchor.
4. Tighten the tether strap as instructed by the
child seat maker.
5. Make sure the child seat is firmly secured by
rocking it forward and back and side to
side; little movement should be felt.
6. 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.
Flexible Type
1Installing a LATCH-Compatible Child Seat
For your child’s safety, when using a child seat
installed using the LATCH system, make sure that the
seat is properly secured to the vehicle. 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.
Anchor
Tether Strap Hook
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