Honda Cr-V 2003 Owner's Manual

2003 CR-V 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.
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ...............................................................................................................................
A Few Words About Safety .......................................................................................................................... ii
Important Handling Information .............................................................................................................iii
Your Vehicle at a Glance...............................................................................................................................2
Driver and Passenger Safety .......................................................................................................................5
roper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
P
Instruments and Controls...........................................................................................................................63
Instrument
panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features.......................................................................................................127
o operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
How t
Before Driving ...............................................................................................................................
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving...............................................................................................................................
............................197
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance...............................................................................................................................
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care...............................................................................................................................
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected...............................................................................................................307
This section
covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information...............................................................................................................................339
ID numbers,
dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada) ......................................................................353
A summary
of the warranties covering your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)...............................................................................................................357
o order manuals and other technical literature.
How t
Index ...............................................................................................................................
.................................. I
Service Information Summary
A summary
of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.
Contents
..............183
..................233
..........297
Introduction
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Table of Contents
Congratulations! Your selection of a 2003 Honda CR-V 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 vehicle so youcanrefertoitatanytime.
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 vehicle according to the schedules given in this manual helps to keep your driving trouble-free while it preserves your investment. When your vehicle 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.
California Proposition 65 Warning
WARNING:
This product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
As you read this manual, you will find inf ormation that is preceded by a symbol. This information is intended to help you avoid damage to your Honda, other property, or the environment.
i
AFewWordsAboutSafety
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Table of Contents
Your safety, and the safety of others, is very important. And operating this vehicle 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 inf ormation 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 vehicle. You must use your own good judgement.
ii
You will f ind this important safety information in a variety of forms, including:
Safety Labels Safety Messages
three signal words: , , or .
on the vehicle.
preceded by a safety alert symbol and one of
DANGER WARNING 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 Instructions
This entire book is f illed with important saf ety information please read it
such as Driver and Passenger Safety.
how to use this vehicle correctly and safely.
carefully.
Important Handling Information
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Your CR-V has higher ground clearance than a passenger vehicle designed for use only on pavement. Higher ground clearance has many advantages for off-highway driving. It allows you to travel over bumps, obstacles, and rough terrain. It also provides good visibility so you can anticipate problems earlier.
These advantages come at some cost. Because your vehicle is taller and rides higher off the ground, it has a high center of gravity. This means your vehicle can tip or roll over if you make abrupt turns. Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is signif icantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. As a reminder, make sure you and your passengers always wear seat belts.
For information on how to reduce the risk of rollover, read ‘‘Driving Guidelines’’ on page of this manual and the
Off-Highway Guidelines
section on page . Failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or an
226
198
accident.
iii
Your Vehicle at a Glance
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POWER DOOR LOCK SWITCH
(P.88)
POWER WINDOW SWITCHES (P.110)
HATCH GLASS RELEASE BUTTON (P.94)
A/T model is shown.
2
MIRROR CONTROLS (P.114)
FUEL FILL DOOR RELEASE HANDLE (P.185)
INDICATORS GAUGES
(P.72)
(P.65)
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE (P.186)
AUDIO SYSTEM (P.138, 154)
DIGITAL CLOCK (P.144, 162)
PARKING BRAKE (P.82)
HEATING/COOLING CONTROLS (P.128)
Your Vehicle at a Glance
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HEADLIGHTS/TURN SIGNALS (P.76, 77)
MOONROOF (P.113)
CRUISE CONTROL (P.179)
A/T model is shown.
**To use the horn, press the center pad of the steering wheel.:
TILT ADJUSTMENT (P.83)
SHIFT LEVER (A/T) (P.204)
HORN
PARKING BRAKE (P.82)
HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS (P.81)
WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS (P.78, 79)
REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER (P.81)
3
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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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 vehicle.
.......................................Seat Belts . 8
.........................................Airbags . 10
..................Seats and Seat-Backs . 11
..........................Head Restraints . 11
..................................Door Locks . 11
........Pre-Drive Safety Checklist . 12
............................Protecting Adults . 13
.........Important Safety Precautions . 6
.......Your Vehicle’s Safety Features . 7
.....1. Close and Lock the Doors . 13
...........2. Adjust the Front Seats . 13
............3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 15
5. Fasten and Position the Seat
.....................................Belts . 17
....6. Adjust the Steering Wheel . 20
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting
................................Position . 20
.....Advice for Pregnant Women . 21
........................Protecting Children . 24
All Children Must Be
...............................Restrained . 24
Children Should Sit in the Back
...........................................Seat . 25
The Passenger’s Front Airbag
Poses Serious Risks to
..............................Children . 25
If You Must Drive with Several
...................................Children . 28
If a Child Requires Close
..................................Attention . 28
General Guidelines for Using
...............................Child Seats . 29
.......................Protecting Infants . 34
...4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 16
...Additional Safety Precautions . 22
...Additional Safety Precautions . 28
.........Protecting Small Children . 38
.......Protecting Larger Children . 42
Using Child Seats with
.....................................Tethers . 46
.............................Using LATCH . 47
Additional Information About Your
.................................Seat Belts . 50
..Seat Belt System Components . 50
......................Lap/Shoulder Belt . 50
Automatic Seat Belt
...............................Tensioners . 52
...............Seat Belt Maintenance . 53
Additional Information About Your
.....................................Airbags . 54
........................SRS Components . 54
How Your Front Airbags
.........................................Work . 54
...How Your Side Airbags Work . 56
How the SRS Indicator Light
.......................................Works . 57
How the Side Airbag Cutoff
...........Indicator Light Works . 58
.............................Airbag Service . 59
...Additional Safety Precautions . 59
.............Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 60
...................................Safety Labels . 61
Driver and Passenger Safety
5
Important Saf ety Precautions
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You’ll find many saf ety recommendations throughout this section, and throughout this manual. Therecommendationsonthispage are the ones we consider to be the most important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
A seat belt 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 vehicle is equipped with airbags, make sure you and your passengers always wear your seat belts, and wear them properly. (See page .)
17
Restrain All Children
Children are safest when they are properly restrained in the back seat, notthefrontseat.Achildwhoistoo smallforaseatbeltmustbeproperly restrained in a child saf ety seat. (See page .)
24
6
Driver and Passenger Safety
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards Control Your Speed
While airbags can 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 f ollow all instructions and warnings in this manual. (See page
.)
10
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 Vehicle in Saf e
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.
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 .)
238
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
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(7)
(5)
(10)
(3)
(4)
(2)
(9)
(1)
(6)
(8)
(1) Safety Cage (2) Crush Zones (3) Seats and Seat-Backs (4) Head Restraints (5) Collapsible Steering Column (6) Seat Belts (7) Front Airbags (8) Side Airbags
(U.S. EX, Canadian EX and EX-L) (9) Front Seat Belt Tensioners (10) Door Locks
(2)
Your vehicle is equipped with many features that work together to protect you and your passengers during a crash.
Some safety features do not require anyactiononyourpart.These include a strong steel framework that forms a safety cage around the passenger compartment; f ront and rear crush zones that are designed to crumple and absorb energy during a crash; a collapsible steering column; and seat belt tensioners that automatically tighten the front seat belts in the event of a crash.
CONTINUED
Driver and Passenger Safety
7
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
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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
always wear your seat belts
and
properly.
In fact, some safety features can contribute to injuries if they are not used properly.
8
Driver and Passenger Safety
Seat Belts
Foryoursafety,andthesafetyof your passengers, your vehicle 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 vehicle has airbags.
In addition, most states and all Canadian provinces require you to wear seat belts.
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
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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 vehicle’s built-in safety features.
Help protect you in almost every type of crash, including frontal, side, and rear impacts and rollovers. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt.
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.Butinmostcases,seatbelts can reduce your risk of serious injury.
What you should do:
Always wear your seat belt, and make sure you wear it properly.
Driver and Passenger Safety
9
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
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Airbags
Your vehicle has a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) with front airbags to help protect the heads and chests of the driver and a front seat passenger during a moderate to severe f rontal collision.
10
Driver and Passenger Safety
Only on models equipped with side airbags
Your vehicle also has side airbags to help protect the upper torso of the driver or a front seat passenger during a moderate to severe side impact.
The most important things you need to know about your airbags are:
Airbags do not replace seat belts.
They are designed to supplement the seat belts.
Airbags off er no protection in rear impacts, rollovers, or minor frontal or side collisions.
Airbags can pose serious hazards.
To do their job, airbags must inflate with tremendous f orce and speed. So while airbags help save lives, they can cause minor injuries, or more serious or even fatal injuries if occupants are not properly restrained or sitting properly.
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.
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
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Your vehicle’s seats are designed to keep you in a comfortable, upright position so you can take f ull 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 theinsideofthevehicle,orbyan 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.
What you should do:
Move the front seats as far back as possible, and keep adjustable seat-backs in an upright position whenever the vehicle 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 LocksSeats and Seat-Backs
Keeping your doors locked reduces thechanceofbeingthrownoutof the vehicle during a crash. It also helps prevent occupants from accidentally opening a door and falling out, and outsiders from unexpectedly opening your doors.
Driver and Passenger Safety
11
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
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Pre-Drive Safety Checklist
To make sure you and your passengers get the maximum protection from your vehicle’s safety 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 wearingthemproperly(seepage
).
17
Any infant or small child is properly restrained in a child seat inthebackseat(seepage ).
24
Frontseatoccupantsaresitting upright and as far back as possible from the steering wheel and dashboard (see page ).
13
Seat-backs are upright (see page
).
15
12
Driver and Passenger Safety
Head restraints are properly adjusted (see page ).
16
Alldoorsandthetailgateare closed and locked (see page ).
13
All cargo is properly stored or secured (see page ).
193
The rest of this section gives more detailed inf ormation 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.
Protecting Adults
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Introduction
The f ollowing 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 for important additional guidelines on how to properly protect larger children.)
Close and Lock the Doors
1.
After everyone has entered the vehicle, be sure the doors and tailgate (including the hatch glass) are closed.
Your vehicle has a door
monitor light on the instrument panel to indicate when any door is not tightly closed.
42
Your vehicle also has a
tailgate and hatch glass open indicator light on the instrument panel to indicate when the tailgate or the hatch glass is not tightly closed.
For safety, locking the doors reduces the chance that a passenger, especially a child, will open a door while the vehicle is moving and accidentally fall out. It also reduces the chance of someone being thrown out of the vehicle during a crash.
For security, locked doors can prevent an outsider from unexpectedly opening a door when you come to a stop.
See page for how to lock the
88
doors.
Adjust the Front Seats
2.
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 front airbag during a crash.
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Driver and Passenger Safety
13
Protecting Adults
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Table of Contents
To reduce the chance of injury, wear your seat belt properly, sit upright with your back against the seat, and movetheseatawayfromthe steering wheel to the farthest distance that allows you to maintain full control of the vehicle.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada recommend that drivers adjust the seat so the center of the chest is at least 10 inches (25 cm) away from the center of the steering wheel.Alsomakesureyourfront seat passenger moves the seat as far to the rear as possible.
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Driver and Passenger Safety
Sitting too close to a front airbag can result in serious injury or death if the front airbags inflate.
Always sit as far back from the front airbags as possible.
Most shorter drivers can get f ar 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 for how to adjust the
97
front seats.
Protecting Adults
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Adjust the Seat-Backs3.
Adjust the driver’s seat-back to a comfortable, upright position, leaving ample space between your chest and the airbag cover in the center of the steering wheel. If you sit too close to the steering wheel, you could be injured if the front airbag inflates.
A front passenger should also adjust the seat-back to an upright position, but as far f rom the dashboard as possible. A passenger who sits too close to the dashboard could be injured if the f ront airbag inf lates.
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 for how to adjust seat-
97
backs.
Driver and Passenger Safety
15
Protecting Adults
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Adjust the Head Restraints4.
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.
16
Driver and Passenger Safety
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 properly before driving.
Properly adjusted head restraints will help protect occupants from whiplash and other crash injuries.
See page for how to adjust the
99
head restraints.
Fasten and Position the Seat
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5. 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.
In the rear center seating position, be sure the detachable anchor is latched securely (see page ).108
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.
Protecting Adults
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.
CONTINUED
Driver and Passenger Safety
17
Protecting Adults
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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.
18
Driver and Passenger Safety
RELEASE BUTTONS
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.
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.
sit in a seat with an inoperative seat belt.
Anyone using a seat belt that is
No one should
not working properly can be seriously injured or killed. Have your Honda dealer check the belt as soon as possible.
See page for additional
50
information about your seat belt system and how to take care of your belts.
Driver and Passenger Safety
19
Protecting Adults
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Adjust the Steering Wheel Maintain a Proper Sitting
6. 7. 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 vehicle 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 Adjust the steering wheel, if needed, so that the wheel points toward your chest, not toward your face.
Pointing the steering wheel toward your chest provides optimal protection from the airbag.
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 f atally injured by striking interior parts of the vehicle, or by being struck by an inflating front airbag. Being struck by an inflating side airbag can result in possibly serious injuries.
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.
See page for how to adjust the
83
steering wheel.
20
Driver and Passenger Safety
Protecting Adults
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Remember, to get the best protection from your vehicle’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 f or you to drive.
Driver and Passenger Safety
21
Protecting Adults
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Additional Safety Precautions
Never let passengers ride in the cargo area or on top of a f olded­down back seat.
All passengers must sit in locked, upright seats andbeproperlyrestrainedbyseat belts.
Passengers should not stand up or change seats while the vehicle is moving.
A passenger who is not wearing a seat belt during a crash or emergency stop can be thrown against the inside of the vehicle, against other occupants, or out of the vehicle.
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Driver and Passenger Safety
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 the seat belt and increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.
Do not place hard or sharp objects between yourself and a f ront airbag.
Carrying hard or sharp objects on your lap, or driving with a pipe or other sharp objects in your mouth, can result in injuries if your front airbag inflates.
Do not attach or place objects on the front airbag covers.
Any object attached to or placed on the covers marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG’’ in the center of the steering wheel and on top of the dashboard could interfere with the proper operation of the airbags. Or, if the airbags inflate, the objects could be propelled inside the vehicle and hurt someone.
On models with side airbags, do
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not attach hard objects on or near a front door.
If a side airbag inflates,acupholderorotherhard object attached on or near the door could be propelled inside the vehicle and hurt someone.
Keep your hands and arms away from the airbag covers.
If your hands or arms are close to the airbag cover in the center of the steering wheel or on top of the dashboard, they could be injured if the front airbag inflates.
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Safety
23
Protecting Children
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All Children Must Be Restrained
Each year, many children are injured
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.
Children depend on adults to protect them. However, despite their best intentions, many parents and other adults may not know how to
properly
protect young passengers. (See page
So if you have children, or if you ever need to drive with a grandchild or other children in your vehicle, be sure to read this section.
or killed in vehicle crashes because they are either unrestrained or not properly restrained. In f act, 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.
Anychildwhoistoosmalltoweara seat belt should be properly restrained in a child seat.
.)
A larger child should always be restrained with a seat belt, and use a booster, if needed.
(See page .)2942
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Driver and Passenger Safety
Protecting Children
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Additional Precautions to Parents
Neverholdaninfantorchildon your lap.
If you are not wearing a seat belt in a crash, you could be thrown forward into the dashboard and crush the child.
Ifyouarewearingaseatbelt,the child can be torn from your arms during a crash. For example, if your vehicle crashes into a parked vehicleat30mph(48km/h),a 20-lb (9 kg) infant will become a 600-lb (275 kg) force, and you will not be able to hold on.
Never put a seat belt over yourself and an infant or child.
During a crash, the belt could press deep into the child and cause very serious injuries.
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.
The Passenger’s Front Airbag Poses Serious Risks to Children
Front airbags have been designed to help protect adults in a moderate to severe f rontal collision. To do this, the passenger’s front airbag is quite large, and it inflates with tremendous speed.
CONTINUED
Driver and Passenger Safety
25
Protecting Children
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Infants Never put a rear-f acing child seat in the front seat of a vehicle equipped with a passenger’s front airbag.
the airbag inflates, it can hit the back of the child seat with enough force to kill or very seriously injure an infant.
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Driver and Passenger Safety
Small Children Larger Children Placing a f orward-facing child seat in the front seat of a vehicle equipped
If
with a passenger’s front airbag can be hazardous.
If the vehicle seat is too far forward, or the child’s head is thrown f orward during a collision, an inflating front airbag can strike the child with enough force to kill or very seriously injure a small child.
Children who have outgrown child seats are also at risk of being injured or killed by an inflating passenger’s front airbag.
Whenever possible, larger children should sit in the back seat, in a booster seat if needed, and be properly restrained with a seat belt. (See page f or important
42
information about protecting larger children.)
U.S. Models Canadian Models
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To remind you of the passenger’s front airbag hazards, and that children must be properly restrained in the back seat, your vehicle has warninglabelsonthedashboardand on the driver’s and front passenger’s
To remind you of the front airbag hazards, your vehicle has warning labels on the driver’s and front passenger’s visors. Please read and follow the instructions on these
labels. visors. Please read and f ollow the instructions on these labels.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Safety
27
Protecting Children
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If You Must Drive with Several Children
Your vehicle has three seating positions in the back seat where children can be properly restrained.
If you ever have to carry more than three children in your vehicle:
Place the largest child in the front seat, provided the child is large enough to wear a seat belt properly (see page ).
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Move the vehicle seat as far to the rear as possible (see page ).
13
Have the child sit upright and well backintheseat(seepage ).
20
Make sure the seat belt is properly positioned and secured (see page
).
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Driver and Passenger Safety
If a Child Requires Close
Attention
Many parents say they prefer to put
an infant or small child in the f ront
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 passenger’s front 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 ).
Use the main power window switch to prevent children from opening the rear windows.
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Using this feature will prevent children from playing with the windows, which could expose them to hazards or distract the driver (see page ).
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