2022 ACURA MDX Owners 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.
• Knee airbags: Airbags under the steering column and under the glove box.
• 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)
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 or not the se at belts 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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Continued49
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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50
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 save lives, not to prevent minor scrape s, 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 toward the front of the vehicle. Side
airbags and side curtain airbag s 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 toward 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: In a rollover, your best form of protection is a seat belt or, if your vehicle
is equipped with a rollover sensor, both a se at belt and a side curtain airbag. Front
airbags, however, are not designed to deploy in a rollover as they would provide
little if any protection.
■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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Continued51
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe DrivingThe airbags have advanced features to help reduce the likelihood of airbag related
injuries to smaller occupants. The driver’s advanced 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.
■Advanced Airbags1 Advanced Airbags
If there is a problem with the driver’s seat position
sensor or the passenger’s s eat weight sensors, the
SRS indicator will come on, and in the event of a
crash, the airbag will deploy (regardless of the driver’s
seating position or passenger’s occupant
classification) with a force corresponding to the
severity of the impact. 2 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Indicator P. 59
For the advanced front airbags to work properly,
confirm that:
•The occupant is sitting in an upright position,
wearing the seat belt prope rly and the seat back is
not excessively reclined.
•The occupant is not leaning against the door or
center console.
•The occupant’s feet are plac ed on the floor in front
of them.
•There are no objects ha nging from the front
passenger’s seat.
•Only small, lightweight objec ts are in the seat back
pocket.
•The steering wheel and passenger’s side dashboard
are not obstructed by any object.
•No liquid has been spille d on or under the seat.•There is no child seat or other object pressing
against the rear of the seat or seat back.
•There is no rear passenger pushing or pulling on
the back of the front passenger’s seat.
Driver’s
Seat
Position
Sensor
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uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
52
Safe Driving
The front passenger’s ad vanced airbag system
has weight sensors. The sensors are used for
occupant classification to activate or
deactivate the front passenger’s airbag.
For adult size occupants, the system will
automatically activate the front passenger’s
airbag. If a small adul t sits in the front
passenger seat and the system does not
recognize him/her as an adult, see
2Passenger Airbag Off Indicator P. 60
We advise against allowing a child age 12 or
under to ride in the front passenger’s seat.
However, if you do allow a small child or
infant to ride in the front passenger’s seat, the
system is designed to automatically deactivate
the front passenger’s airbag. Do not let a
small child or infant ride in the front
passenger’s seat if the airbag does not
automatically deactivate.
Passenger’s
Seat Weight
Sensors
1Advanced Airbags
•There are no objects placed under or beside the
front passenger’s seat . Improperly positioned
objects can interfere with the advanced airbag
sensors.
•The head restraint is not contacting the roof. 2Passenger Airbag Off Indicator P. 60
•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. 2Floor Mats P. 630
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uuAirbags uKnee Airbags
Continued
Safe Driving
Knee Airbags
The knee SRS airbags inflate in a moderate -to-severe frontal collision to help keep
the driver and/or front passenger in the pr oper position and to help maximize the
benefit provided by the vehicle’s other safety features.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) indica tes that the airbags are designed to
supplement seat belts, not replace them . Seat belts are the occupant’s primary
restraint system.
The knee airbag for the driver and the one for
the front passenger are housed under the
steering column and the glove box
respectively.
Both are marked SRS AIRBAG.
■Housing Locations
1Knee Airbags
Do not attach accessories on or near the knee airbags
as they can interfere with the proper operation of the
airbags, or even hurt someone if the airbags inflate.
The driver and fr ont passenger should not store any
items under the seat or be hind their feet. The items
can interfere with proper airbag deployment in the
event of a moderate to se vere frontal collision and
may result in inadequate protection.
Housing
Location
Housing
Location
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uuAirbags uKnee Airbags
Safe DrivingThe driver’s and front passenger’s knee airbag
deploy at the same time as the driver’s and
front passenger’s airbag respectively.
Even if the collision is not severe enough to
deploy the front airbags, the knee airbags may
inflate alone.
■Operation
When
inflated
Knee
Airbag
When
inflated
Knee
Airbag
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uuAirbags uKnee Airbags
Safe Driving
■When knee 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 th e vehicle chassis. Since the impact is
underneath the vehicle, damage may not be readily apparent.
■When knee 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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