Acura NSX (2017 year). Instruction — part 3

36

Safe Driving

Seat Belts

About Your Seat Belts

Seat 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 any passenger, 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

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Lap/shoulder seat belts

Both 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 passenger’s seat belt has a lockable retractor that must be
properly activated when using a forward-facing child seat, should you choose to
disregard our recommendations and install one.

2 Installing a Child Seat P. 63

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About 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.

The emergency locking retractor may lock if you lean
forward too quickly. Slower movements will allow
the belt to extend fully without locking.

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 passenger always
wear seat belts and wear them properly.

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Seat Belts

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About Your Seat Belts

Safe Driving

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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 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 periodically sound and the
indicator will blink while driving until the
driver’s and/or the passenger’s seat belt is
fastened.

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Seat Belt Reminder

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About Your Seat Belts

If your 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.

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Seat Belt Reminder

The indicator will also come on if a 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 passenger’s seat, or a
child is riding there, the indicator will not come on
and the beeper will not sound.

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Seat Belts

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About Your Seat Belts

38

Safe Driving

The driver’s and passenger’s seats are
equipped with automatic seat belt tensioners
to enhance safety.

The tensioners automatically tighten the 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.

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Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners

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Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners

The seat belt tensioners can only operate once.
If a tensioner is activated, the SRS indicator will come
on. Have an authorized Acura NSX 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.

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Seat Belts

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Fastening a Seat Belt

Continued

Safe Driving

Fastening a Seat Belt

After adjusting your seat to the proper position, and while sitting upright and well
back in the seat:

2 Adjusting the Seats P. 144

1. Pull the seat belt out slowly.

2. Insert the latch plate into the buckle, then

tug on the belt to make sure the buckle is
secure.

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Make sure that the belt is not twisted or
caught on anything.

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Fastening a Seat Belt

No one should sit in a seat with an inoperative seat
belt or one that does not appear to be working
correctly. Using a seat belt that is not working
properly may not protect the occupant in a crash.
Have an authorized Acura NSX dealer check the belt
as soon as possible.

Never insert any foreign objects into the buckle or
retractor mechanism.

Pull out slowly.

Correct
Seated
Posture.

Latch
Plate

Buckle

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Seat Belts

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Fastening a Seat Belt

40

Safe Driving

3. Position the lap part of the belt as low as

possible across your hips, then pull up on
the shoulder part of the belt so the lap part
fits snugly. This lets your strong pelvic
bones take the force of a crash and reduces
the chance of internal injuries.

4. If necessary, pull up on the belt again to

remove any slack, then check that the belt
rests across the center of your chest and
over your shoulder. This spreads the forces
of a crash over the strongest bones in your
upper body.

1

Fastening a Seat Belt

To release the belt, push the red PRESS button then
guide the belt by hand until it has retracted
completely.
When exiting the vehicle, be sure the belt is out of
the way and will not get caught by closing the door.

3

WARNING

Improperly positioning the seat belts can
cause serious injury or death in a crash.

Make sure all seat belts are properly
positioned before driving.

Lap belt
as low as
possible

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Seat Belts

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Fastening 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

1

Advice 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 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.

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Seat Belts

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Seat Belt Inspection

Safe Driving

Seat Belt Inspection

Regularly check the condition of your seat belts as follows:

• Pull each belt out fully, and look for frays, cuts, burns, and wear.
• Check that the latches work smoothly and the belts retract easily.

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If a belt does not retract easily, cleaning the belt may correct the problem. Only
use a mild soap and warm water. Do not use bleach or cleaning solvents. Make
sure the belt is completely dry before allowing it to retract.

Any belt that is not in good condition or working properly will not provide proper
protection and should be replaced as soon as possible.
A belt that has been worn during a crash may not provide the same level of
protection in a subsequent crash. Have your seat belts inspected by an authorized
Acura NSX dealer after any collision.

1

Seat Belt Inspection

3

WARNING

Not checking or maintaining seat belts can
result in serious injury or death if the seat
belts do not work properly when needed.

Check your seat belts regularly and have
any problem corrected as soon as possible.

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Safe Driving

Airbags

Airbag System Components

8

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10

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6

6

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Airbags

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Airbag System Components

Safe Driving

The front, driver’s knee, 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:

a

Two SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
front airbags. The driver’s airbag is stored
in the center of the steering wheel; the
passenger’s airbag is stored in the
dashboard. Both are marked SRS
AIRBAG.

b

Driver’s knee airbag. The knee airbag is
stored under the steering column. It is
marked SRS AIRBAG.

c

Two side airbags, one for the driver and
one for a passenger. The airbags are
stored in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG.

d

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.

e

An electronic control unit that, when the
power system is on, continually monitors
information about the various impact
sensors, seat and buckle sensors, rollover
sensor, airbag activators, seat belt
tensioners, and other vehicle
information. During a crash event the
unit records such information.

f

Automatic seat belt tensioners. In
addition, the driver’s and passenger’s
seat belt buckles incorporate sensors that
detect whether or not the belts are
fastened.

g

Weight sensors in the passenger’s seat.
The 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 impact.

i

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

j

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

k

A rollover sensor that can detect if your
vehicle is about to roll over and signal the
control unit to deploy both side curtain
airbag.

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Airbags

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Airbag System Components

Safe Driving

Airbags can pose serious hazards. To do their job, airbags must inflate with
tremendous force. So, while airbags help to save lives, they can cause burns, bruises,
and other minor injuries, 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 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.

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Important Facts About Your Airbags

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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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Airbags

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Types 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 passenger’s seats.
• Driver’s knee airbag: Airbag under the steering column.
• Side airbags: Airbags in the driver’s and 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 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 passenger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG.

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Housing Locations

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Types 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 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.

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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 to reduce the
likelihood of head and chest injuries in frontal
crashes.

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Airbags

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Front Airbags (SRS)

Safe Driving

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.

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Operation

■

How the Front Airbags Work

1

How the Front Airbags Work

Although the driver’s and 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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Airbags

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Front Airbags (SRS)

Safe Driving

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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.
Side impacts: Front airbags can provide protection when a sudden deceleration
causes a driver or 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 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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Airbags

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Front Airbags (SRS)

Safe Driving

The passenger’s airbag have advanced features to help reduce the likelihood of
airbag related injuries to a smaller occupant.

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

Although we recommend against carrying an
infant or small child in the 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.

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Advanced Airbags

1

Advanced Airbags

For the passenger’s advanced front airbag to work
properly:

•

Do not spill any liquid on or under the seat.

•

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.

•

An occupant should sit upright and wear their seat
belts properly.

•

Do not place any cover over the passenger side
dashboard.

2 Passenger Airbag Off Indicator P. 56

Passenger’s
Seat
Weight
Sensors

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Airbags

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Driver’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 to maximize the benefit provided
by the vehicle’s other safety features.

SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) indicates 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.

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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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Airbags

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Driver’s Knee Airbag

Safe Driving

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When driver’s knee airbag deploys 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 driver’s knee airbag 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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