2020 Acura MDX Owner's Manual

48
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.
■Housing Locations
1 Driver’s Knee Airbag
Do not attach accessories on or near a knee airbag as
they can interfere with the proper operation of the
airbag, or even hurt someone if the airbag inflates.
The driver should not stor e any items under the seat
or behind their feet. The items can interfere with
proper airbag deployment in the event of a moderate
to sever frontal collision a nd may result in inadequate
protection.
Housing
Location
■Operation
When
inflated
Knee
Airbag
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49
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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50
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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51
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 not to 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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52
uuAirbags uSide Curtain Airbags
Safe Driving
Side Curtain Airbags
The side curtain airbags help protect the heads of the driver and passengers in the
outer seating positions during a moderate-to -severe side impact. The side curtain
airbags equipped in th is vehicle are also designed to help reduce the likelihood of
partial and complete ejection of vehicle occupants through side windows in crashes,
particularly rollover crashes.
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 rollover or a moderate-to-severe side
impact.
■Housing Locations
1Side Curtain Airbags
If the SRS control unit sens es that your vehicle is
about to rollover, it imme diately deploys both side
curtain airbags and activates both front seat belt
tensioners.
If the impact is on the passenger’s side, the
passenger’s side curtain airbag deploys even if there
are no occupants on that side of the vehicle.
To get the best protecti on from the side curtain
airbags, occupants should wear their seat belts
properly and sit upr ight and well back in their seats.
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
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Continued53
uuAirbags uAirbag System Indicators
Safe Driving
■When side curtain airbags deploy in a frontal collision
One or both side curtain ai rbags may also inflate in a moderate-to-severe angled
frontal collision.
Airbag System Indicators
If a problem occurs in the airbag system , the SRS indicator will come on and a
message appears on the mu lti-information display.
■When the power mode is set to ON
The indicator comes on for a few seconds,
then goes off. This te lls 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 s oon as possible. If you
don’t, your airbags and seat belt tensioners
may not work properly when they are needed.
■Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Indicator1 Supplemental Restraint Sy stem (SRS) 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 th e SRS indicator alerts
you to a possible problem.
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uuAirbags uAirbag System Indicators
54
Safe Driving■When the passenger front 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
about 65 lbs (29 kg) or less, the weight of an
infant or small child, on the seat.
Children age 12 or under should always ri de properly restrained in a back seat.
2Child Safety P. 56
Objects placed on the seat can also cause the indicator to come on.
If the front passenger’s seat is empty, the passenger’s front airbag will not deploy
and the indicator will not come on.
■Passenger Front Airbag Off Indicator1Passenger Front Airbag Off Indicator
If the indicator comes on wi th 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 obj ect pressing against the
rear of the seat-back.
•A rear passenger pushing or pulling on the back of
the front passe nger’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 th e front passenger’s seat.
If none of these conditions exist, have your vehicle
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The passenger front airbag off indicator may come
on and go off repeat edly if the total weight on the
seat is near the airbag cutoff threshold.
U.S. Canada
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55
uuAirbags uAirbag 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, th e control unit and other related parts must be replaced.
Similarly, once an automatic seat belt te nsioner 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 yo ur 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 or affect the proper operation of the driver’s seat position
sensor or the weight sensors in the passenge r’s seat. If it is necessary to remove or
modify a front seat to accommodate a pers on with disabilities, contact an Acura
dealer, or for U.S. vehicles, Acura Clie nt Relations at 1-800-382-2238 and for
Canadian vehicles, Acura Client Services at 1-888-9-ACURA-9.
1Airbag Care
We recommend against the use of salvaged airbag
system components, includi ng the airbag, tensioners,
sensors, and control unit.
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