2017 Acura RLX Owner's Manual

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uuAirbags uTypes of Airbags
Safe Driving
Types of Airbags
Your vehicle is equipped with four types of airbags:
• Front airbags: Airbags in front of the driver ’s and front passenger’s seats.
• Driver’s knee airbag: Airbag under the steering column.
• 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 pass enger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG.
■Housing Locations
1Types of Airbags
The airbags can inflate whenever the power mode is
in ON.
After an airbag inflates in a crash, you may see a
small amount of smoke. This is from the combustion
process of the infl ator material and is not harmful.
People with respiratory pr oblems may experience
some temporary discomfort. If this occurs, get out of
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
1 Front Airbags (SRS)
Dual-Stage, Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags
(SRS)
Your vehicle is equipped wi th 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, dependi ng on the severity of the
crash, whether the seat be lts 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.
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Continued41
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe DrivingFront airbags are designed to inflate duri ng 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 th ey see them lying in front of them.
■Operation
■How the Front Airbags Work1How the Front Airbags Work
Although the driver’s and fr ont passenger’s airbags
normally inflate within a spli t 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 protec tion, and the supplemental
protection offered by the airbag would be minimal.
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42
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe Driving
■When front airbags should not deploy
Minor frontal crashes: Front airbags were designed to supplement seat belts and
help to save lives, not to prevent minor scrapes, or even broken bones that might
occur during a less than modera te-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 airbag s have been specifically designed to help to reduce
the severity of injuries that can occur du ring 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 si gnificant protection and are not designed
to deploy in such collisions.
Rollovers: Seat belts, and in vehicl es equipped with a rollover sensor, side curtain
airbags offer the best protection in a ro llover. 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 caus e 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 th e 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.
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uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe DrivingYour 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.
Based on information from this sensor and the
severity of the impact, the advanced airbag
system determines the optimal deployment of
the driver’s airbag.
The passenger’s advanced front airbag system
has weight sensors.
Although we recommend against letting
children under the age of 12 sit in passenger
seat, 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 Airbags1 Advanced Airbags
If there is a problem with the driver’s seat position
sensor, the SRS indicator wi ll 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 pos itioned objects can
interfere with the advanced airbag sensors.
•All occupants should sit upri ght and wear their seat
belts properly.
•Do not place any cover over the passenger side
dashboard. 2 Passenger Airbag Off Indicator P. 50
Make sure the floor mat behind the front passenger's
seat is hooked to the floor mat anchor. An improperly
placed mat can interfere with the advanced airbag
sensors. 2 Floor Mats P. 485
Driver’s
Seat
Position
Sensor
Passenger’s
Seat
Weight
Sensors
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uuAirbags uDriver’s Knee Airbag
Safe Driving
Driver’s Knee Airbag
The driver’s knee SRS airbag inflates in a moderate-to-severe frontal collision to help
keep the driver in the proper position and to help maximize the benefit provided by
the vehicle’s other safety features.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) indica tes that the airbag is designed to
supplement seat belts, not replace them. Seat belts are the occupant’s primary
restraint system.
The driver’s knee airbag is housed under the
steering column.
The airbag is marked SRS AIRBAG.
When the driver’s front airbag inflates, the
driver’s knee airbag also inflates.
Even if the collision is not severe enough to
deploy the front airbag, the knee airbag may
inflate alone.
■Housing Locations
1 Driver’s Knee Airbag
Do not attach accessories on or near the driver’s knee
airbag. They can interfere with the proper operation
of the airbag, or hurt someone if an airbag inflates.
Housing
Location
■Operation
When
inflated
Knee
Airbag
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uuAirbags uDriver’s Knee Airbag
Safe Driving
■When driver’s knee airbag deploy s 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 th e vehicle chassis. Since the impact is
underneath the vehicle, damage may not be readily apparent.
■When driver’s knee airbag may not de ploy, 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.
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uuAirbags uSide Airbags
Safe Driving
Side Airbags
The side airbags help protect the torso and pelvis 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
1 Side Airbags
Make sure you and your front seat passenger always
sit upright. Leaning into the path of a side airbag can
prevent the airbag from deploying properly and
increases your risk of serious injury.
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.
Do not cover or replace the front seat-back covers
without consulting a dealer.
Improperly replac ing or covering front seat-back
covers can prevent your si de airbags from properly
deploying during a side impact.
Housing
Location
■Operation
When
inflated
Side
Airbag
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uuAirbags uSide Airbags
Safe Driving
■When a side airbag deploys with little or no visible damage
Because the airbag system 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 toward 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.
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