Acura TSX (2014 year). Instruction — part 3

35

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Airbags

u

Airbag System Components

Continued

The front, front side, and side curtain
airbags are deployed according to the
direction and severity of impact. The airbag
system includes:

a

Two 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

b

Two 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.

c

Two 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.

d

An 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 ignition
switch is in ON

(

w .

e

Automatic front seat belt tensioners. The
driver’s and front passenger’s seat belts
incorporate sensors that detect whether
or not they are fastened.

f

A driver’s seat position sensor. If the seat
is too far forward, the airbag will inflate
with less force.

g

Weight 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).

h

Impact sensors that can detect

a moderate-to-severe front or
side collision.

i

An indicator on the dashboard that alerts
you that the front passenger’s front
airbag has been turned off.

j

Sensors that can detect if a child or small
statured adult is in the deployment path
of the front passenger’s side airbag.

k

An indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you to a possible problem with your
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.

l

An indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you that the front passenger’s side
airbag has been turned off.

m

Safing Sensor

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Airbag System Components

36

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 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

1

Important 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.

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Types of Airbags

Continued

Types of Airbags

Your vehicle is equipped with three types of airbags:

• Front airbags: Airbags in front of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats.

• 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 passenger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG.

■

Housing Locations

1

Types of Airbags

The airbags can inflate whenever the ignition switch
is in ON

(

w

.

After an airbag inflates in a crash, you may see a
small amount of smoke. This is from the combustion
process of the inflator material and is not harmful.
People with respiratory problems 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 with 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, depending on the severity of the
crash, whether or not the seat 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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Front Airbags (SRS)

38

Front airbags are designed to inflate during 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 they see them lying in front of them.

■

Operation

■

How the Front Airbags Work

1

How the Front Airbags Work

Although the driver’s and front passenger’s airbags
normally inflate within a split 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 protection, and the supplemental
protection offered by the airbag would be minimal.

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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 scrapes, or even broken bones that might occur
during a less than moderate-to-severe frontal crash.

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Front Airbags (SRS)

Continued

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 airbags 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: Seat belts, and in vehicles equipped with a rollover sensor, side
airbags, and side curtain airbags offer the best protection in a rollover. 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 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 the 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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Front Airbags (SRS)

40

Your 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.

If the seat is too far forward, the airbag
inflates with less force, regardless of the
severity of the impact.

The passenger’s advanced front airbag system
has weight sensors.

Although we recommend against carrying an
infant or small child in front, 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 Airbags

1

Advanced Airbags

If there is a problem with the driver’s seat position
sensor, the SRS indicator will 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 positioned objects can
interfere with the advanced airbag sensors.

•

All occupants should sit upright and wear their seat
belts properly.

•

Do not place any cover over the passenger side
dashboard.

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. 273

Driver’s
Seat
Position
Sensor

Passenger’s
Seat
Weight
Sensors

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Side Airbags

Continued

Side Airbags

The side airbags help protect the upper torso 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

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.

If the impact is on the passenger's side, the airbag
may not deploy when there is no passenger in the
front passenger seat.

Do not cover or replace the front seat-back covers
without consulting a dealer.

Improperly replacing or covering front seat-back
covers can prevent your side airbags from properly
deploying during a side impact.

Housing Location

■

Operation

When
inflated

Side Airbag

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Side Airbags

■

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 towards
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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Side Airbags

To reduce the likelihood that a front passenger may be injured by an inflating side
airbag, the passenger side airbag is automatically turned off when:

• The height sensors detect a child or short-statured adult is seated in the front

passenger seat.

• The position sensor detects that the front passenger is leaning into the

deployment path of the side airbag.

When the side airbag cutoff system is activated, the side airbag off indicator
comes on.

2 Side Airbag Off Indicator P. 47

If the side airbag off indicator comes on, have the passenger sit upright. A few
seconds after the passenger is sitting properly, the side airbag will automatically be
turned on, and the indicator will go off.

If the front passenger is a child, stop when it is safe to do so, and have the child sit
properly restrained in a rear seat.

■

Side Airbag Cutoff System

■

Side Airbag Off Indicator

1

Side Airbag Cutoff System

The sensors that monitor the front passenger’s height
and body position may not work if:

•

The seat-back is wet

•

The passenger is touching a metal or other
electrical conductive object

•

A seat cushion is on the seat

•

The passenger is wearing excessively thick clothing

Sensors that
monitor the
passenger’s height.

Sensors that monitor the
passenger’s position.

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Side Curtain Airbags

Side Curtain Airbags

The side curtain airbags help protect the heads of the driver and passengers in outer
seating positions during a moderate-to-severe side impact.

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 moderate-to-severe side impact.

■

When side curtain airbags deploy in a frontal collision

One or both side curtain airbags may inflate in a moderate-to-severe angled
frontal collision.

In this case, the side curtain airbags will deploy slightly after the front airbags.

■

Housing Locations

1

Side Curtain Airbags

The side curtain airbags are most effective when an
occupant is wearing their seat belt properly and
sitting upright, well back in their seat.

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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Airbag System Indicators

Continued

Airbag System Indicators

If a problem occurs in the airbag system, the SRS indicator will come on and a
message appears on the multi-information display.

■

When the ignition switch is turned to
ON

(

w

The indicator comes on for a few seconds,
then goes off. This tells 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 soon as possible. If you don’t, your airbags and seat
belt tensioners may not work properly when they are needed.

■

SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) Indicator

1

SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) Indicator

3

WARNING

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 the SRS indicator alerts
you to a possible problem.

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46

■

When the passenger 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
65 lbs (29 kg) or less, the weight of an infant
or small child, on the seat.

Infants and small children should always ride properly restrained in a back seat.

2 Child Safety P.

49

Objects placed on the seat can also cause the indicator to come on.

If the front passenger seat is empty, the passenger’s front airbag will not deploy and
the indicator will not come on.

■

Passenger Airbag Off Indicator

1

Passenger Airbag Off Indicator

If the indicator comes on with 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 object pressing against the
rear of the seat-back.

•

A rear passenger pushing or pulling on the back of
the front passenger’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 the front passenger’s seat.

If none of these conditions exist, have your vehicle
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.

The passenger airbag off indicator may come on and
goes off repeatedly if the total weight on the seat is
near the airbag cutoff threshold.

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Airbag System Indicators

■

When the side airbag off indicator
comes on

This indicator comes on if the passenger’s side
airbag has been turned off because the
passenger is too small to be sitting in the front
seat, is slouching or not sitting upright, or has
leaned into the airbag’s deployment path.

Unless the passenger is a smaller statured
adult or a child, the indicator should go off
when the passenger returns to a proper
upright sitting position.

■

Side Airbag Off Indicator

1

Side Airbag Off Indicator

When you turn the ignition switch to ON

(

w

, the

indicator should come on for a few seconds and then
go out. If it doesn’t come on, stays on, or comes on
while driving without a passenger in the front seat,
have the system checked by a dealer as soon as
possible.

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Airbag Care

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 weight sensors in the
passenger’s seat. If it is necessary to remove or modify a front seat to accommodate
a person with disabilities, contact an Acura dealer. For U.S. vehicles you can also
contact Acura Client Relations at 800-382-2238.

1

Airbag Care

We recommend against the use of salvaged airbag
system components, including the airbag, tensioners,
sensors, and control unit.

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Continued

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 children ages 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.

1

Protecting 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.

3

WARNING

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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50

• 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 unattended, 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.

1

Protecting 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 and on the front visors.
Please read and follow the instructions on these
labels.

2 Safety Labels P. 62

3

WARNING

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 buckled, fully retracted,
and locked.

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