Honda Accord Sedan 1999 Owner's Manual

1999 Accord Sedan Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference. For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com.
Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... i
A Few Words About Safety.................................................................................................................ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance.....................................................................................................................2
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Controls.................................................................................................................49
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ..............................................................................................105
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving..................................................................................................................................155
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ..............................................................................................................................................169
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance.....................................................................................................................................193
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care..............................................................................................................................261
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected......................................................................................................269
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information.....................................................................................................................295
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................309
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)......................................................................................................315
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index...................................................................................................................................................... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.
Introduction
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Congratulations ! Your selection of a 1999 Honda Accord was a wise investment. It will give you years of driving pleasure.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Honda is to read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and convenience items. Afterwards, keep this owner's manual in your car so you can refer to it at any time.
Several warranties protect your new Honda. Read the warranty booklet thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights and responsibilities.
Maintaining your car according to the schedules given in this manual helps to keep your driving trouble-free while it preserves your investment. When your car needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Honda dealer's staff is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to your Honda. Your Honda dealer is dedicated to your satisfaction and will be pleased to answer any questions and concerns.
As you read this manual, you will find information that is preceded by
NOTICE
a
symbol. This
information is intended to help you
avoid damage to your Honda, other
property, or the environment.
A Few Words About Safety
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Your safety, and the safety of others,
is very important. And operating this car safely is an important responsibility.
To help you make informed decisions about safety, we have provided operating procedures and other information on labels and in this manual. This information alerts you to potential hazards that could hurt you or others.
Of course, it is not practical or possible to warn you about all the hazards associated with operating or maintaining your car. You must use your own good judgement.
You will find this important safety information in a variety of forms, including:
Safety Labels — on the car. Safety Messages — preceded by a safety alert symbol and one of
three signal words: DANGER, WARNING,
or
CAUTION.
These signal words mean:
You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if you don't follow instructions.
You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if you don't follow instructions.
You CAN be HURT if you don't follow instructions.
Safety Headings — such as Important Safety Reminders or Important
Safety Precautions.
Safety Section — such as Driver and Passenger Safety. Instructions — how to use this car correctly and safely.
This entire book is filled with important safety information — please read it
carefully.
Your Car at a Glance
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DOOR LOCK SWITCH (P.72)
POWER WINDOW SWITCHES (P.93)
MIRROR CONTROLS (P.96)
TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE/ FUEL FILL DOOR (P.78, 156)
DIGITAL CLOCK (P.98)
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE (P.158)
HEATING/COOLING CONTROL (P.106)
AUDIO SYSTEM (P.121)
Your Car at a Glance
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INSTRUMENT PANEL BRIGHTNESS (P.
61)
MOONROOF SWITCH (P.
94)
CRUISE CONTROL (P.
66)
HEADLIGHTS/TURN SIGNALS (P.
60,
62)
WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS (P.62, 64)
TILT ADJUSTMENT
(P.
65) REMOTE AUDIO CONTROLS (P. 68)
(on EX-V6 model)
HORN (P.
59)
REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER (P.
64)
HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS (P.
64)
CRUISE CONTROLS (P.
66)
Driver and Passenger Safety
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This section gives you important
information about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts properly. It explains your Supple­mental Restraint System. And it tells
you how to properly restrain infants
and children in your car.
Important Safety Precautions .......... 6
Your Car's Safety Features .............. 7
Seat Belts........................................ 8
Airbags............................................ 9
Seats & Seat-Backs...................... 10
Head Restraints........................... 10
Door Locks................................... 10
Pre-Drive Safety Checklist......... 11
Protecting Adults............................. 12
1. Close and Lock the Doors...... 12
2. Adjust the Front Seats............ 12
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs............. 13
4. Adjust the Head Restraints.... 14
5. Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts...................................... 14
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel..... 16
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position................................. 16
Advice for Pregnant Women...... 17
Additional Safety Precautions.... 18
Protecting Children......................... 19
All Children Must Be
Restrained................................ 19
Children Should Sit in the Back
Seat............................................20
The Passenger's Airbag Poses
Serious Risks to Children....... 20
If You Must Drive with Several
Children.................................... 22
If a Child Requires Close
Attention................................... 22
Additional Safety Precautions.... 22
General Guidelines for Using
Child Seats................................ 23
Protecting Infants........................ 27
Protecting Small Children.......... 31
Protecting Larger Children........ 34
Using Child Seats with
Tethers...................................... 37
Additional Information About Your
Seat Belts.................................. 40
Seat Belt System Components... 40
Lap/Shoulder Belt....................... 40
Seat Belt Maintenance................ 41
Additional Information About Your
SRS............................................ 42
SRS Components......................... 42
How Your Airbags Work............ 42
How the SRS Indicator Light
Works........................................ 44
SRS Service................................... 44
Additional Safety Precautions.... 45
Carbon Monoxide Hazard.............. 46
Safety Labels.................................... 47
Driver and Passenger Safety
Important Safety Precautions
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You'll find many safety recommendations throughout this section, and throughout this manual. The recommendations on this page are the ones we consider to be the most important.
Always Wear
Your
Seat Belt
A seat bel t is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbags supplement seat belts, but airbags are designed to inflate only in a moderate to severe frontal collision. So even though your car is equipped with airbags, make sure you and your passengers always wear your
seat belts, and wear them properly. (See page 14.)
Restrain All Children
Children are safest when they are properly restrained in the back seat, not the front seat. A child who is too
small for a seat belt must be properly restrained in a child safety seat. (See page 19.)
Driver and Passenger Safety
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
While airbags save lives, they can
cause serious or fatal injuries to occupants who sit too close to them, or are not properly restrained. Infants, young children, and short adults are at the greatest risk. Be sure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page 7 .)
Don't Drink and Drive
Alcohol and driving don't mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don't drink and drive, and don't let your friends drink and drive, either.
Control Your Speed
Excessive speed is a major factor in crash injuries and deaths. Generally, the higher the speed the greater the risk, but serious accidents can also occur at lower speeds. Never drive faster than is safe for current conditions, regardless of the maximum speed posted.
Keep Your Car in Safe Condition
Having a tire blowout or a mechanical failure can be extremely hazardous. To reduce the possibility of such problems, check your tire pressures and condition frequently, and perform all regularly scheduled maintenance. (See page 198 .)
(1) Safety Cage
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(2) Crush Zones (3) Seats & Seat-Backs (4) Head Restraints (5) Collapsible Steering Column (6) Seat Belts (7) Airbags (8) Door Locks
Your Car's Safety Features
Your car is equipped with many features that work together to protect you and your passengers during a crash.
Some safety features do not require any action on your part. These include a strong steel framework that forms a safety cage around the passenger compartment; front and rear crush zones that are designed to crumple and absorb energy during a crash; and a collapsible steering column.
These safety features are designed to reduce the severity of injuries in a crash. However, you and your passengers can't take full advantage of these safety features unless you remain sitting in a proper position and always wear your seat belts properly. In fact, some safety features can contribute to injuries if they are not used properly.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Your Car's Safety Features
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Seat Belts
For your safety, and the safety of your passengers, your car is
equipped with seat belts in all seating positions.
Your seat belt system also includes a light on the
instrument panel to remind you and your passengers to fasten your seat belts.
Why Wear Seat Belts
Seat belts are the single most
effective safety device for adults and larger children. (Infants and smaller
children must be properly restrained
in child seats.)
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your car has airbags.
Driver and Passenger Safety
In addition, most states and all Canadian provinces require you to wear seat belts.
Not wearing a seat belt properly increases the chance of serious injury or death in a crash, even if you have airbags.
Be sure you and your passengers always wear seat belts and wear them properly.
When properly worn, seat belts:
Keep you connected to the vehicle so you can take advantage of the car's built-in safety features.
Help protect you in almost every type of crash, including side and rear impacts and rollovers. (Your airbag can only be helpful in a moderate to severe frontal
collision.) Help keep you from being thrown
against the inside of the vehicle and against other occupants.
Keep you from being thrown out of the vehicle.
Help keep you in a good position should the airbags ever deploy. A good position reduces the risk of injury from an inflating airbag, and allows you to get the best advantage from the airbag.
Of course, seat belts cannot completely protect you in every crash. But in most cases, seat belts can reduce your risk of serious injury.
What you should do:
Always
wear your seat belt, and make sure you wear it properly.
Your Car's Safety Features
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Airbags
Your car has a Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) with frontal airbags to help protect the driver and a front seat passenger.
S R S
This system also includes
an indicator light on the instrument panel to alert you to a possible problem with the system.
The most important things you need to know about your airbags are:
Airbags do not replace seat belts.
The seat belts are the occupants' primary protection in all types of collisions. The airbags supplement the seat belts by providing extra protection for the head and chest of each front seat occupant in a moderate to severe frontal collision.
Airbags offer no protection in side impacts, rear impacts, rollovers, or minor or moderate collisions.
Airbags are designed to deploy
only during a moderate to severe
frontal collision.
Airbags can pose serious hazards.
To do their job, airbags must
inflate with tremendous force and speed. So while airbags save lives,
they can cause serious injuries to
adults and larger children who are
not wearing seat belts, are not wearing them properly, are sitting too close to the airbag, or are not
sitting in a proper position. Infants
and small children are at an even greater risk of injury or death.
What you should
do:
Always wear your seat belt properly and sit upright and as far back as possible from the steering wheel or dashboard.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Your Car's Safety Features
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Seats & Seat-Backs
Your car's seats are designed to keep you in a comfortable, upright
position so you can take full advantage of the protection offered by seat belts and the energy absorbing materials in the seats.
How you adjust your seats and seat­backs can also affect your safety. For example, sitting too close to the steering wheel or dashboard increases the risk of you or your passenger being injured by striking the inside of the car, or by an inflating airbag.
Reclining a seat-back too far reduces the seat belt's effectiveness and increases the chance that the seat's
occupant will slide under the seat belt in a crash and be seriously injured.
Driver and Passenger Safety
What you should do: Move the front
seats as far back as possible, and keep adjustable seat-backs in an upright position whenever the car is moving.
Head Restraints
Head restraints can help protect you from whiplash and other injuries. For
maximum protection, the back of your head should rest against the
center of the head restraint.
Door Locks
Keeping your doors locked reduces the chance of being thrown out of the car during a crash. It also helps prevent occupants from accidentally opening a door and falling out, and outsiders from unexpectedly opening your doors.
Your Car's Safety Features
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Pre-Drive Safety Checklist
To make sure you and your passengers get the maximum protection from your car's safely features, check the following each time before you drive away:
All adults, and children who have
outgrown child safety seats, are wearing their seat belts and wearing them properly (see page
14).
Any infant or small child is properly restrained in a child seat in the back seat (see page 19).
Front seat occupants are sitting
upright and as far back as possible from the steering wheel and
dashboard (see page 12 ). Seat-backs are upright (see page
13).
Head restraints are properly adjusted (see page 14).
All doors are closed and locked
(see page 12).
All cargo is properly stored or secured (see page 166).
The rest of this section gives more
detailed information about how you
can maximize your safety. Remember, however, that no safety
system can prevent all injuries or deaths that can occur in severe
crashes, even when seat belts are
properly worn and the airbags deploy.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Protecting Adults
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Introduction
The following pages provide
instructions on how to properly
protect the driver and other adult
occupants.
These instructions also apply to
children who have outgrown child seats and are large enough to wear lap/shoulder belts. (See page 34 for important additional guidelines on how to properly protect larger children.)
1 .Close and Lock the Doors
After everyone has entered the car,
be sure the doors are closed and locked.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Your car has a door monitor light on the instrument panel to indicate when a specific door is not tightly closed.
For safety, locking the doors reduces the chance that a passenger, especially a child, will open a door while the car is moving and accidentally fall out. It also reduces the chance of someone being thrown out of the car during a crash.
For security, locked doors can prevent an outsider from unexpectedly opening a door when you come to a stop. See page 72 for how to lock the
doors.
2.Adjust the Front Seats
Any driver who sits too close to the steering wheel is at risk of being seriously injured or killed by striking the steering wheel, or from being struck by an inflating airbag during a crash.
Protecting Adults
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To reduce the chance of injury, wear your seat belt properly, sit upright with your back against the seat, and
move the seat as far back as possible
from the steering wheel while still
maintaining full control of the car. Also make sure your front seat passenger moves the seat as far to the rear as possible.
Sitting too close to an airbag can result in serious injury or death if the airbags inflate.
Always sit as far back from the airbags as possible.
Most shorter drivers can get far enough away from the steering wheel and still reach the pedals. However, if you are concerned about sitting too close, we recommend that you investigate whether some type of adaptive equipment may help.
Once your seat is adjusted correctly, rock it back and forth to make sure the seat is locked in position.
See page 84 for how to adjust the front seats.
3.Adjust the Seat-Backs
Adjust the driver's seat-back to a comfortable, upright position, leaving ample space between your chest and the driver's airbag cover in the center of the steering wheel. If you sit too close to the steering wheel, you could be injured if the driver's airbag inflates.
A front passenger should also adjust
the seat-back to an upright position, but as far from the dashboard as possible. A passenger who sits too close to the dashboard could be injured if the airbag inflates.
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Driver and Passenger Safety
Protecting Adults
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Reclining a seat-back so that the
shoulder part of the belt no longer rests against the occupant's chest reduces the protective capability of the belt. It also increases the chance
of sliding under the belt in a crash
and being seriously injured. The farther a seat-back is reclined, the greater the risk of injury.
Reclining the seat-back too far can result in serious injury or death in a crash.
Adjust the seat-back to an upright position and sit well back in the seat.
See page 84 for how to adjust seat-
backs.
Driver and Passenger Safety
4.Adjust the Head Restraints
Before driving, make sure everyone with an adjustable head restraint has properly positioned the head restraint. The restraint should be positioned so the back of the occupant's head rests against the center of the restraint. A taller person should adjust the restraint as high as possible.
Improperly positioning head
restraints reduces their effectiveness and you can be seriously injured in a crash.
Make sure head restraints are
in place and positioned before driving.
Properly adjusted head restraints will help protect occupants from whiplash and other crash injuries.
See page 88 for how to adjust the head restraints.
5.Fasten and Position the Seat Belts
Insert the latch plate into the buckle, then tug on the belt to make sure the belt is securely latched. Also check that the belt is not twisted, because a twisted belt can cause serious injuries in a crash.
Position the lap part of the belt as
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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.
If necessary, pull up on the belt again to remove any slack from the shoulder part, 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.
Improperly positioning the seat belts can cause serious injury or death in a crash.
Make sure all seat belts are properly positioned before driving.
If the seat belt touches or crosses your neck, or if it crosses your arm instead of your shoulder, you need to
adjust the seat belt anchor height.
Protecting Adults
To adjust the height of a front seat belt anchor, squeeze the two release buttons and slide the anchor up or
down as needed (it has four
positions).
Never place the shoulder portion of a lap/shoulder belt under your arm or behind your back. This could cause
very serious injuries in a crash.
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Driver and Passenger Safety
Protecting Adults
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If a seat belt does not seem to work
as it should, it may not protect the occupant in a crash. No one should
sit in a seat with an inoperative seat belt. Anyone using a seat belt that is
not working properly can be
seriously injured or killed. Have your
Honda dealer check the belt as soon
as possible.
See page 40 for additional information about your seat belt
system and how to take care of your
belts.
Driver and Passenger Safety
6.Adjust the Steering Wheel
Adjust the steering wheel, if needed, so that the wheel points toward your chest, not toward your face.
Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the protective capability of the driver's airbag.
See page 65 for how to adjust the steering wheel.
7.Maintain a Proper Sitting Position
After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and put on seat belts, it is
very important that they continue to
sit upright, well back in their seats, with their feet on the floor, until the car is parked and the engine is off.
Sitting improperly can increase the chance of injury during a crash. For example, if an occupant slouches, lies down, turns sideways, sits
forward, leans forward or sideways,
or puts one or both feet up, the chance of injury during a crash is
greatly increased.
In addition, an occupant who is out of
position in the front seat can be
seriously or fatally injured by striking interior parts of the car, or
by being struck by an inflating airbag.
Protecting Adults
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Sitting improperly or out of position can result in serious injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright, well back in the seat, with your feet on the floor.
Remember, to get the best protection from your car's airbags and other safety features, you must sit properly and wear your seat belt properly.
Advice for Pregnant Women
Because protecting the mother is the best way to protect her unborn child, a pregnant woman should always wear a seat belt whenever she drives or rides in a vehicle.
Remember to keep the lap portion of the belt as low as possible across your hips.
Pregnant women should also sit upright and as far back as possible from the steering wheel or dashboard. This will reduce the risk of injuries to both the mother and her unborn child that can be caused by a crash or an inflating airbag.
Each time you have a check-up, ask your doctor if it's okay for you to drive.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Protecting Adults
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Additional Safety Precautions
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 seat
belts. Devices intended to improve
occupant comfort or reposition the shoulder part of a seat belt, can severely compromise the
protective capability of seat belts
and increase the chance of serious
injury in a crash.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Do not place hard or sharp objects between yourself and an 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 airbags inflate.
Keep your hands and arms away
from the airbag covers. If your
hands or arms are close to the SRS covers in the center of the
steering wheel and on top of the dashboard, they could be injured if
the airbags inflate.
Children depend on adults to protect
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them. However, despite their best intentions, many parents and other adults may not know how to properly protect young passengers.
So if you have children, or if you ever need to drive with a grandchild or other children in your car, be sure to read this section.
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.
Protecting Children
All Children Must Be Restrained
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 and
Canadian province requires that infants and children be restrained whenever they ride in a vehicle.
Any child who is too small to wear a
seat belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. (See page
23.)
A larger child should always be
restrained with a seat belt. (
34.
)
See page
Driver and Passenger Safety
Protecting Children
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Children Should Sit in the Back Seat
According to accident statistics,
children of all ages and sizes are safer when they are restrained in the
back seat, not the front seat. The
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that all children ages 12 and under be properly restrained in the back seat.
In the back seat, children are less likely to be injured by striking hard interior parts during a collision or
hard braking. Also, children cannot
be injured by an inflating airbag
when they ride in the back.
Driver and Passenger Safety
The Passenger's Airbag Poses
Serious Risks to Children
Airbags have been designed to help protect adults in a moderate to severe frontal collision. To do this, the passenger's airbag is quite large, and it inflates with tremendous speed.
Infants
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front seat of a vehicle equipped with a passenger's airbag. If the
airbag inflates, it can hit the back of the child seat with enough force to kill or very seriously injure an infant.
Small Children
Placing a forward-facing child seat in
the front seat of a vehicle equipped with a passenger's airbag can be
hazardous. If the vehicle seat is too
far forward, or the child's head is thrown forward during a collision, an inflating airbag can strike the child with enough force to kill or very seriously injure a small child.
Larger Children
Children who have outgrown child seats are also at risk of being injured or killed by an inflating passenger's
airbag. Whenever possible, larger
children should sit in the back seat, properly restrained with a seat belt.
(See page 34 for important information about protecting larger children.)
Protecting Children
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U.S. Models
To remind you of the passenger's
airbag hazards, and that children must be properly restrained in the back seat, your car has warning labels on the dashboard and on the driver's and front passenger's visors. Please read and follow the instructions on these labels.
Canadian Models
To remind you of the airbag hazards, your car has warning labels on the driver's and front passenger's visors. Please read and follow the instructions on these labels.
CAUTION
TO AVOID SERIOUS INJURY:
FOR MAXIMUM SAFETY PROTECTION IN
ALL TYPES OF CRASHES, YOU MUST ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SAFETY BELT.
DO NOT INSTALL REARWARD-FACING
CHILD SEATS IN ANY FRONT
PASSENGER SEAT POSITION. DO NOT SIT OR LEAN UNNECESSARILY
CLOSE TO THE AIR BAG.
DO NOT PLACE ANY OBJECTS OVER THE
AIR BAG OR BETWEEN THE AIR BAG
AND YOURSELF.
SEE THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION AND EXPLANATIONS.
PRECAUTIONS:
POUR EVITER DES BLESSURES GRAVES:
POUR PROFITER D'UNE PROTECTIOON MAXIMALE LORS D'UNE COLLISION BOUCLEZ TOUJOURS VOTRE C EINTURE DE SECURITE. NINSTALLEZ JAMAIS UN SIEGE POUR ENFANTS FAISANT FACE A L'ARRIERE SUR LE SIEGE DU PASSAGER AVANT. NE VOUS APPUYEZ PAS ET NE VOUS ASSOYEZ PAS PRES DU COUSSIN GONFLABLE. NE DEPOSEZ AUCUN OBJET SUR LE COUSSIN GONFLABLE OU ENTRE LE COUSSIN GONFLABLE ET VOUS. LISEZ LE GUIDE UTILISATEUR POUR DE PULS AMPLES RENSEIGNEMENTS.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Protecting Children
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If You Must Drive with Several Children
Your car has three seating positions
in the back seat where children can be properly restrained.
If you ever have to cany more than three children in your car:
Place the largest child in the front seat, provided the child is large enough to wear a seat belt properly (see page 34).
Move the vehicle seat as far to the rear as possible (see page 12 ).
Have the child sit upright and well back in the seat (see page 16).
Make sure the seat belt is properly positioned and secured (see page
14).
Driver and Passenger Safety
If a Child Requires Close Attention
Many parents say they prefer to put an infant or small child in the front
passenger seat so they can watch the
child, or because the child requires attention.
Placing a child in the front seat exposes the child to hazards from
the airbag, and paying close
attention to a child distracts the driver from the important tasks of driving, placing both of you at risk.
If a child requires physical attention or frequent visual contact, we strongly recommend that another adult ride with the child in the back seat. The back seat is far safer for a child than the front.
Additional Safety Precautions
Use childproof door locks to
prevent children from opening the
doors. Using this feature will
prevent children from opening the doors and accidentally falling out
(see page 78 ).
Use the main power window switch to prevent children from opening the rear windows. Using
this feature will prevent children from playing with the windows,
which could expose them to
hazards or distract the driver (see page 93 ).
Protecting Children
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Do not leave children alone in your vehicle. Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most states and provinces, and can be
very hazardous. For example,
infants and small children left in a vehicle on a hot day can die from heatstroke. And children left alone with the key in the ignition can accidentally set the vehicle in motion, possibly injuring themselves or others.
General Guidelines for Using Child Seats
The following pages give general
guidelines for selecting and installing child seats for infants and small children.
Selecting a Child Seat
To provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three requirements:
1. The child seat should meet safety
standards. The child seat should
meet Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 213 (FMVSS 213) or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213 (CMVSS 213). Look
for the manufacturer's statement
of compliance on the box and seat.
2.
The child seat should be of the
proper type and size to fit the child.
Infants: Children up to about one
year old should be restrained in a
rear-facing, reclining child seat. Only
a rear-facing seat provides the
proper support to protect an infant's
head, neck, and back. See page
27 for additional information on
protecting infants.
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Protecting Children
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Small Children: A child who is too
large for a rear-facing child seat, and who can sit up without support,
should be restrained in a forward-
facing child seat. See page 31 for
additional information on protecting small children.
Driver and Passenger Safety
3. The child seat should fit the vehicle seating position (or
positions) where it will be used.
Due to variations in the design of child seats, vehicle seats, and seat belts, all child seats will not fit all vehicle seating positions.
However, Honda is confident that one or more child seat models can fit and be properly installed in all recommended seating positions in your car.
Before purchasing a child seat, we recommend that parents test the child seat in the specific vehicle seating position (or positions) where they intend to use the seat. If a previously purchased child seat does not fit, you may need to buy a different one that will fit.
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Placing a Child Seat
This page briefly summarizes Honda's recommendations on where to place rear-facing and forward­facing child seats in your car.
Airbags Pose Serious
Risks to Children
The passenger's airbag inflates with enough force to kill or
seriously injure an infant in a
rear-facing child seat. A small child in a forward-facing
child seat is also at risk. If the vehicle seat is too far forward, or the child's head is thrown forward during a collision, an inflating airbag can kill or seriously injure the child.
If a small child must ride in the front, follow the instructions provided.
Front Passenger's Seat Infants: Never in the front seat, due
to the passenger's airbag hazard.
Small children: Not recommended,
due to the passenger's airbag hazard. If a small child must ride in front, move the vehicle seat to the rear-most position and secure a front-facing child seat with the seat belt, (see page 32).
Back Seats Infants: Recommended positions.
Secure a rear-facing child seat with the seat belt, (see page 28).
Small children: Recommended
positions. Secure a front-facing child seat with the seat belt, (see page 32).
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Installing a Child Seat
After selecting a proper child seat,
and a good position to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:
1. Secure the child seat to the car
with a seat belt. All child seats
must be secured to the car with the lap part of a lap/shoulder belt. A child whose seat is not properly
secured to the car can be
endangered in a crash. See pages
28 and 32 for instructions on how
to secure child seats in this car.
2. Make sure the child seat is firmly
secured. After installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat forward and from side to side to verify that it is secure.
Driver and Passenger Safety
To provide security during normal driving maneuvers as well as during a collision, we recommend that parents secure a child seat as firmly as possible.
However, a child seat does not need to be "rock solid." In some vehicles or seating positions, it may be difficult to install a child seat so that it does not move at all. Some side-to-
side or back-and-forth movement can be expected and should not reduce the child seat's effectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try installing it in a different seating position, or use a different style of child seat that can be firmly secured in the desired seating position.
3. Secure the child in the child seat.
Make sure the child is properly strapped in the child seat according to the child seat maker's instructions. A child who is not properly secured in a child seat can be thrown out of the seat in a crash and seriously injured.
Storing a Child Seat
When you are not using a child seat, either remove it and store it in a safe place, or make sure it is properly secured. An unsecured child seat can be thrown around the car during a crash or sudden stop and injure someone.
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Protecting Infants
Child Seat Type
Only a rear-facing child seat provides proper support for a baby's head, neck, and back. Infants up to about one year of age must be restrained in a rear-facing child seat.
Two types of seats may be used: a
seat designed exclusively for infants, or a convertible seat used in the rear-
facing, reclining mode.
Placing a rear-facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious injury or death if the airbags inflate.
Always place a rear-facing child seat in the back seat, not the front.
We recommend that an infant be restrained in a rear-facing child seat until the infant reaches the seat maker's weight or height limit and is able to sit up without support.
Rear-Facing Child Seat Placement
In this car, a rear-facing child seat can be placed in any seating position in the back seat, but not in the front seat.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front seat. If the passenger's
airbag inflates, it can hit the back of the child seat with enough force to kill or seriously injure an infant. If an infant must be closely watched, we recommend that another adult sit in the back seat with the baby.
Do not put a rear-facing child seat in a forward-facing position. If placed
facing forward, an infant could be very seriously injured during a frontal collision.
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Rear-Facing Child Seat Installation
The lap/shoulder belts in the back seats have a locking mechanism that must be activated to secure a child seat.
The following pages provide instructions and tips on how to secure a rear-facing child seat with this type of seat belt.
Driver and Passenger Safety
1. With the child seat in the desired back seating position, route the belt through the child seat
according to the seat maker's instructions, then insert the latch
plate into the buckle.
2. To activate the lockable retractor, slowly pull the shoulder part of the belt all the way out until it stops, then let the belt feed back into the retractor (you might hear a clicking noise as the belt retracts).
3. After the belt has retracted, tug on it. If the belt is locked, you will not
be able to pull it out. If you can pull
the belt out, it is not locked and
you will need to repeat these steps.
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Rear-Facing Child Seat Installation
Tips
4. After confirming that the belt is locked, grab the shoulder part of the belt near the buckle and pull up to remove any slack from the lap part of the belt. Remember, if the lap part of the belt is not tight, the child seat will not be secure.
To remove slack, it may help to
put weight on the child seat, or
push on the back of the seat, while
pulling up on the belt.
5. Push and pull the child seat forward and from side to side to verify that it is secure enough to stay upright during normal driving maneuvers. If the child seat is not secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to retract fully, then repeat these steps.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism and remove a child seat, unlatch the buckle, unroute the seat belt, and let the belt fully retract.
For proper protection, an infant must ride in a reclined, or semi-reclined position. To determine the proper reclining angle, check with the baby's
doctor or follow the seat maker's
recommendations. To achieve the desired reclining
angle, it may help to put a rolled up
towel under the toe of the child seat,
as shown.
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