2014 Acura MDX airbag

uuFor Safe DrivinguYour Vehicle’s Safety Features
30Safe Driving
For the safety of you and your passengers, make a habit of checking these items
each time before you drive.
•After everyone has entered the vehicle, be sure all doors and the tailgate are
closed and locked. Locking the doors and the tailgate helps prevent an occupant
from being ejected and an outsider from unexpectedly opening a door or the
tailgate.
2Locking/Unlocking the Doors from the Inside P. 124
•Adjust your seat to a position suitable for driving. Be sure the front seats are
adjusted as far to the rear as possible while allowing the driver to control the
vehicle. Sitting too close to a front airbag can result in serious or fatal injury in a
crash.
2Adjusting the Seats P. 161
•Adjust head restraints to the proper position. Head restraints are most effective
when the center of the head restraint aligns with the center of your head. Taller
persons should adjust their head restraint to the highest position.
2Adjusting the Head Restraints P. 164
•Always wear your seat belt, and make sure you wear it properly. Confirm that any
passengers are properly belted as well.
2Fastening a Seat Belt P. 34
•Protect children by using seat belts or child seats according to a child’s age, height
and weight.
2Child Safety P. 54
■Safety Checklist
1Safety Checklist
If the door and/or tailgate open message appears on
the multi-information display (MID), a door and/or
the tailgate is not completely closed. Close all doors
and the tailgate tightly until the message disappears.

31
Continued
Safe Driving
Seat BeltsAbout Your Seat BeltsSeat belts are the single most effective safety device because they keep you
connected to the vehicle so that you can take advantage of many built-in safety
features. They also help keep you from being thrown against the inside of the
vehicle, against other passengers, or out of the vehicle. When worn properly, seat
belts also keep your body properly positioned in a crash so that you can take full
advantage of the additional protection provided by the airbags.
In addition, seat belts help protect you in almost every type of crash, including:
-frontal impacts
-side impacts
-rear impacts
-rollovers■Lap/shoulder seat belts
All seven seating positions are equipped with lap/shoulder seat belts with
emergency locking retractors. In normal driving the retractor lets you move freely
while keeping some tension on the belt. During a collision or sudden stop the
retractor locks to restrain your body. The front passenger’s, second row and third
row seat belts also have a lockable retractor for use with child seats.2Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/Shoulder Seat Belt P. 61
1About Your Seat Belts
Seat belts cannot completely protect you in every
crash. But in most cases, seat belts can reduce your
risk of serious injury.
Most states and all Canadian provinces and territories
require you to wear seat belts.
3
WARNING
Not wearing a seat belt properly increases
the chance of serious injury or death in a
crash, even though your vehicle has
airbags.
Be sure you and your passengers always
wear seat belts and wear them properly.

uuSeat BeltsuAbout Your Seat Belts
32Safe Driving
■Proper use of seat belts
Follow these guidelines for proper use:
•All occupants should sit upright, well back in the seat, and remain in that position
for the duration of the trip. Slouching and leaning reduce the effectiveness of the
belt and can increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.
•Never place the shoulder part of a lap/shoulder seat belt under your arm or
behind your back. This could cause very serious injuries in a crash.
•Two people should never use the same seat belt. If they do, they could be very
seriously injured in a crash.
•Do not put any accessories on the seat belts. Devices intended to improve comfort
or reposition the shoulder part of a seat belt can reduce the protective capability
and increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.
Your vehicle monitors front seat belt use. If
the power mode is set to ON before the
driver’s seat belt is fastened, the beeper will
sound and the indicator will blink. If the driver
does not fasten the belt before the beeper
stops, the indicator will remain on.
The beeper will also periodically sound and
the indicator will blink while driving until the
driver’s and front passenger’s seat belts are
fastened.■Seat Belt Reminder
1About Your Seat Belts
If a rear seat passenger moves around and extends
the seat belt, the lockable retractor may activate. If
this happens, release the retractor by unfastening the
seat belt and allow the belt to retract completely.
Then refasten the belt.1Seat Belt Reminder
The indicator will also come on if a front passenger
does not fasten their seat belt within six seconds after
the power mode is set to ON.
When no one is sitting in the front passenger’s seat,
the indicator will not come on and the beeper will not
sound.
The indicator also may not come on and the beeper
may not sound when the occupant is not heavy
enough to trigger the weight sensor. Such occupants
(e.g., infants and smaller children) should be moved
to the rear seat as a deploying front airbag likely will
injure or kill them.
2Protecting Child Passengers P. 54

33
uuSeat BeltsuAbout Your Seat Belts
Safe Driving
The front seats are equipped with automatic
seat belt tensioners to enhance safety.
The tensioners automatically tighten the front
seat belts during a moderate-to-severe frontal
collision, sometimes even if the collision is not
severe enough to inflate the front airbags or
the driver’s knee airbag.
Are the motor-powered pretensioners that
start to retract the front seat belts when the
CMBS
TM, brake assist system, or VSA® system
is in operation. They may also activate when
you steer the vehicle hard, or the vehicle is
impacted. After retracted, the seat belts are
slackened to their original positions.
As convenient features, the e-pretensioners
slightly retract the seat belts when you latch
the seat belt buckle, depress the brake pedal
more aggressively than you normally do, or
make a sharp turn, and fully retract when you
release the seat belt buckle.
■Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
1Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
The seat belt tensioners can only operate once.
If a tensioner is activated, the SRS indicator will come
on. Have a dealer replace the tensioner and
thoroughly inspect the seat belt system as it may not
offer protection in a subsequent crash.
During a moderate-to-severe side impact, the
tensioner on that side of the vehicle also activates.
■Seat Belt e-pretensioners
*
1Seat Belt e-pretensioners
*
If only the e-pretensioners were activated, no
components need to be replaced.
The e-pretensioners may not work if:•Supplemental Restraint System Indicator is on.•Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®) System Indicator is
on.
* Not available on all models

37
uuSeat BeltsuFastening a Seat Belt
Safe Driving
If you are pregnant, the best way to protect yourself and your unborn child when
driving or riding in a vehicle is to always wear a seat belt and keep the lap part of the
belt as low as possible across the hips.■Advice for Pregnant Women
1Advice for Pregnant Women
Each time you have a checkup, ask your doctor if it is
okay for you to drive.
To reduce the risk of injuries to both you and your
unborn child that can be caused by an inflating front
airbag:•When driving, sit upright and adjust the seat as far
back as possible while allowing full control of the
vehicle.•When sitting in the front passenger’s seat, adjust
the seat as far back as possible.
Wear the shoulder belt
across the chest avoiding
the abdomen.
Wear the lap part of the
belt as low as possible
across the hips.

39
Continued
Safe Driving
AirbagsAirbag System Components
13
6
7
8
10
11
9
9
9
96
12
9

40
uuAirbagsuAirbag System Components
Safe Driving
The front, driver’s knee, front side, and side
curtain airbags are deployed according to
the direction and severity of impact. Both
side curtain airbags are deployed in a
rollover. The airbag system includes:aTwo 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.bDriver’s knee airbag. The knee airbag is
stored under the steering column. It is
marked SRS AIRBAG.cTwo 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.dTwo 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.
eAn 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 power
mode is in ON.fAutomatic front seat belt tensioners. The
driver’s and front passenger’s seat belts
incorporate sensors that detect whether
or not they are fastened.
The front seat belt tensioners also include
the e-pretensioners.gA driver’s seat position sensor. If the seat
is too far forward, the airbag will inflate
with less force.hWeight 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).Models with CMBS
TM
iImpact sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe front or side impact.jAn indicator on the dashboard that alerts
you that the front passenger’s front
airbag has been turned off.kAn indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you to a possible problem with your
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.lSafing SensormA rollover sensor that detects whether
the vehicle is about to roll over.

41
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 burns, bruises,
and other minor injuries, and 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 and driver’s knee 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.