Get Safe Driving -> Airbags Guide for Honda CR-V SUV Fourth Generation (2011-2015)

Airbags

Airbag System Components

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uuAirbagsuAirbag System Components

The front, front 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:

d

e

An electronic control unit that continually

monitors and can record information

about the sensors, the airbag activators,

the seat belt tensioners, and driver and

front passenger seat belt use when the

h

i

Impact sensors that can detect a

moderate-to-severe front or side impact.

An indicator on the dashboard that alerts

you that the front passenger's front

airbag has been turned off.

ignition switch is in ON (w^*1

.

a

Two SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)

front airbags. The driver's airbag is stored

in the center of the steering wheel; the

front passenger's airbag is stored in the

dashboard. Both are marked SRS

AIRBAG.

Automatic front seat belt tensioners. The

driver's and front passenger's seat belts

incorporate sensors that detect whether

or not they are fastened.

j

An indicator on the instrument panel that

alerts you to a possible problem with your

airbag system or seat belt tensioners.

k

l

Safing Sensor

f

g

A driver's seat position sensor. If the seat

is too far forward, the airbag will inflate

with less force.

b

c

Two side airbags, one for the driver and

one for a front passenger. The airbags are

stored in the outer edges of the seat-

backs. Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG.

A rollover sensor that detects whether

the vehicle is about to roll over.

Weight sensors in the front passenger's

seat. The front passenger's airbag will be

turned off if the weight on the seat is 65

lbs (29 kg) or less (the weight of an infant

or small child).

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.

*1: Models with the smart entry system

have an ENGINE START/STOP button

instead of an ignition switch.

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uuAirbagsuAirbag System Components

1Important Facts About Your Airbags

Important Facts About Your Airbags

■

Do not attempt to deactivate your airbags. Together,

airbags and seat belts provide the best protection.

Airbags can pose serious hazards. To do their job, airbags must inflate with

tremendous force. So, while airbags help save lives, they can cause burns, bruises,

and other minor injuries, sometimes even fatal ones if occupants are not wearing

their seat belts properly and sitting correctly.

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.

What you should do: Always wear your seat belt properly, and sit upright and as

far back from the steering wheel as possible while allowing full control of the

vehicle. A front passenger should move their seat as far back from the dashboard as

possible.

Remember, however, that no safety system can prevent all injuries or deaths that

can occur in a severe crash, even when seat belts are properly worn and the airbags

deploy.

Do not place hard or sharp objects between yourself and a front airbag.

Carrying hard or sharp objects on your lap, or driving with a pipe or other sharp

object in your mouth, can result in injuries if your front airbag inflates.

Do not attach or place objects on the front airbag covers. Objects on the

covers marked SRS AIRBAG could interfere with the proper operation of the airbags

or be propelled inside the vehicle and hurt someone if the airbags inflate.

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uuAirbagsuTypes of Airbags

Types of Airbags

Your vehicle is equipped with three types of airbags:

1Types of Airbags

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

• Side airbags: Airbags in the driver's and front passenger's seat-backs.

• Side curtain airbags: Airbags above the side windows.

Each is discussed in the following pages.

The airbags can inflate whenever the ignition switch

is in ON (w^*1

.

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.

Front Airbags (SRS)

The front SRS airbags inflate in a moderate-to-severe frontal collision to help protect

the head and chest of the driver and/or front passenger.

1Front Airbags (SRS)

Dual-Stage, Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags

(SRS)

Your vehicle is equipped with dual-stage, multiple-

threshold front airbags (SRS).

During a frontal crash severe enough to cause one or

both front airbags to deploy, the airbags can inflate

at different rates, depending on the severity of the

crash, whether the seat belts are latched, and/or

other factors. Frontal airbags are designed to

supplement the seat belts to help reduce the

likelihood of head and chest injuries in frontal

crashes.

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.

Housing Locations

■

The front airbags are housed in the center of the steering wheel for the driver, and

in the dashboard for the front passenger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG.

*1: Models with the smart entry system have an

ENGINE START/STOP button instead of an ignition

switch.

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uuAirbagsuFront Airbags (SRS)

Operation

■

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.

1How the Front Airbags Work

How the Front Airbags Work

■

Although the driver's and front passenger's airbags

normally inflate within a split second of each other, it

is possible for only one airbag to deploy. This can

happen if the severity of a collision is at the margin,

or threshold that determines whether or not the

airbags will deploy. In such cases, the seat belt will

provide sufficient protection, and the supplemental

protection offered by the airbag would be minimal.

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.

Continued

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uuAirbagsuFront Airbags (SRS)

■

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 front passenger to move toward the front of the vehicle. Side

airbags and side curtain airbags have been specifically designed to help reduce the

severity of injuries that can occur during a moderate-to-severe side impact which

can cause the driver or passenger to move toward the side of the vehicle.

Rear impacts: Head restraints and seat belts are your best protection during a rear

impact. Front airbags cannot provide any significant protection and are not designed

to deploy in such collisions.

Rollovers: Seat belts and, in vehicles equipped with a rollover sensor, side airbags

and side curtain airbags offer the best protection in a rollover. Because front airbags

could provide little if any protection, they are not designed to deploy during a

rollover.

■

When front airbags deploy with little or no visible damage

Because the airbag system senses sudden deceleration, a strong impact to the

vehicle framework or suspension might cause one or more of the airbags to deploy.

Examples include running into a curb, the edge of a hole, or other low fixed object

that causes a sudden deceleration in the vehicle chassis. Since the impact is

underneath the vehicle, damage may not be readily apparent.

■

When front airbags may not deploy, even though exterior damage

appears severe

Since crushable body parts absorb crash energy during an impact, the amount of

visible damage does not always indicate proper airbag operation. In fact, some

collisions can result in severe damage but no airbag deployment because the airbags

would not have been needed or would not have provided protection even if they

had deployed.

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uuAirbagsuFront Airbags (SRS)

1Advanced Airbags

Advanced Airbags

■

If there is a problem with the driver's seat position

sensor, the SRS indicator will come on and the airbag

will inflate with full (normal) force, regardless of the

driver's seating position.

Your front airbags have advanced features to help reduce the likelihood of airbag

related injuries to smaller occupants.

The driver's advanced front airbag system

includes a seat position sensor.

For both advanced front airbags to work properly:

•

Do not spill any liquid on or under the seats.

Do not put any object under the passenger’s seat.

Make sure any objects are positioned properly on

the floor. Improperly positioned objects can

interfere with the advanced airbag sensors.

All occupants should sit upright and wear their seat

belts properly.

If the seat is too far forward, the airbag

inflates with less force, regardless of the

severity of the impact.

Driver’s

Seat

Position

Sensor

•

Do not place any cover over the passenger side

dashboard.

The passenger's advanced front airbag system

has weight sensors.

Although we recommend against carrying an

infant or small child in front, if the sensors

detect the weight of a child (up to about 65

lbs or 29 kg), the system will automatically

turn off the passenger's front airbag.

Passenger’s

Seat

Weight

Sensors

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uuAirbagsuSide Airbags

Side Airbags

The side airbags help protect the torso and pelvis of the driver or a front passenger

during a moderate-to-severe side impact.

1Side Airbags

Do not let the front passenger lean sideways with

their head in the deployment path of the side airbag.

An inflating side airbag can strike with strong force

and seriously injure the passenger.

Housing Locations

■

The side airbags are housed in the outside

edge of the driver's and passenger's seat-

backs.

Do not attach accessories on or near the side airbags.

They can interfere with the proper operation of the

airbags, or hurt someone if an airbag inflates.

Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG.

If the impact is on the passenger's side, the airbag

may not deploy when there is no passenger in the

front passenger seat.

Housing

Location

Do not cover or replace the front seat-back covers

without consulting a dealer.

Improperly replacing or covering front seat-back

covers can prevent your side airbags from properly

deploying during a side impact.

Operation

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When the sensors detect a moderate-to-

severe side impact, the control unit signals the

side airbag on the impact side to immediately

inflate.

When

inflated

Side

Airbag

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uuAirbagsuSide Airbags

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When a side airbag deploys with little or no visible damage

Because the airbag system senses sudden acceleration, a strong impact to the side

of the vehicle's framework can cause a side airbag to deploy. In such cases, there

may be little or no damage, but the side impact sensors detected a severe enough

impact to deploy the airbag.

■

When a side airbag may not deploy, even though visible damage appears

severe

It is possible for a side airbag to not deploy during an impact that results in

apparently severe damage. This can occur when the point of impact was toward the

far front or rear of the vehicle, or when the vehicle's crushable body parts absorbed

most of the crash energy. In either case, the side airbag would not have been

needed nor provided protection even if it had deployed.

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uuAirbagsuSide Curtain Airbags

Side Curtain Airbags

The side curtain airbags help protect the heads of the driver and passengers in outer

seating positions during a moderate-to-severe side impact. The side curtain airbags

equipped in this vehicle are also designed to help reduce the likelihood of partial and

complete ejection of vehicle occupants through side windows in crashes, particularly

rollover crashes.

1Side Curtain Airbags

If the SRS control unit senses that your vehicle is

about to rollover, it immediately deploys both side

curtain airbags and activates both front seat belt

tensioners.

If the impact is on the passenger’s side, the

passenger’s side curtain airbag will inflate even if

there are no occupants on that side of the vehicle.

Housing Locations

■

The side curtain airbags are located in the

ceiling above the side windows on both sides

of the vehicle.

To get the best protection from the side curtain

airbags, occupants should wear their seat belts

properly and sit upright and well back in their seats.

Do not attach any objects to the side windows or roof

pillars as they can interfere with the proper operation

of the side curtain airbags.

Side Curtain Airbag Storage

Operation

■

The side curtain airbag is designed to deploy

in a rollover or a moderate-to-severe side

impact.

Deployed Side Curtain Airbag

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uuAirbagsuAirbag System Indicators

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When side curtain airbags deploy in a frontal collision

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

collision.

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

Airbag System Indicators

If a problem occurs in the airbag system, the SRS indicator will come on.

1Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Indicator

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Indicator

■

When the ignition switch is turned to

ON (w^*1

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WARNING

*

Ignoring the SRS indicator can result in

serious injury or death if the airbag systems

or tensioners do not work properly.

The indicator comes on for a few seconds,

then goes off. This tells you the system is

working properly.

Have your vehicle checked by a dealer as

soon as possible if the SRS indicator alerts

you to a possible problem.

If the indicator comes on at any other time, or does not come on at all, have the

system checked by a dealer as soon as possible. If you don't, your airbags and seat

belt tensioners may not work properly when they are needed.

*1: Models with the smart entry system have an ENGINE START/STOP button

instead of an ignition switch.

* Not available on all models

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uuAirbagsuAirbag System Indicators

1Passenger Airbag Off Indicator

Passenger Airbag Off Indicator

■

If the indicator comes on with no front passenger and

no objects on the passenger’s seat, or with an adult

riding there, something may be interfering with the

weight sensors, such as:

■

When the passenger airbag off

indicator comes on

U.S.

Canada

The indicator comes on to alert you that the

passenger's front airbag has been turned off.

This occurs when the weight sensors detect

65 lbs (29 kg) or less, the weight of an infant

or small child, on the seat.

•

An object hanging on the seat or in the seat-back

pocket.

A child seat or other object pressing against the

rear of the seat-back.

A rear passenger pushing or pulling on the back of

the front passenger's seat.

The front seat or seat-back is forced back against

an object on the seat or floor behind it.

An object placed under the front passenger's seat.

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

2 Child Safety P. 54

If none of these conditions exist, have your vehicle

checked by a dealer as soon as possible.

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

If the front passenger seat is empty, the passenger's front airbag will not deploy and

the indicator will not come on.

The passenger airbag off indicator may come on and

goes off repeatedly if the total weight on the seat is

near the airbag cutoff threshold.

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uuAirbagsuAirbag Care

Airbag Care

You do not need to, and should not, perform any maintenance on or replace any

airbag system components yourself. However, you should have your vehicle

inspected by a dealer in the following situations:

1Airbag Care

We recommend against the use of salvaged airbag

system components, including the airbag, tensioners,

sensors, and control unit.

■

When the airbags have deployed

If an airbag has inflated, the control unit and other related parts must be replaced.

Similarly, once an automatic seat belt tensioner has been activated, it must be

replaced.

■

When the vehicle has been in a moderate-to-severe collision

Even if the airbags did not inflate, have your dealer inspect the following: the driver’s

seat position sensor, weight sensors in the passenger’s seat, front seat belt

tensioners, and each seat belt that was worn during the crash.

■

Do not remove or modify a front seat without consulting a dealer

This would likely disable the driver's seat position sensor or the weight sensors in the

passenger's seat. If it is necessary to remove or modify a front seat to accommodate

a person with disabilities, contact a Honda dealer, or for U.S. vehicles, American

Honda Automobile Customer Service at 800-999-1009 and for Canadian vehicles,

Honda Canada Customer Relations at 888-9-HONDA-9.

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Safe Driving -> Airbags for Your Honda CR-V SUV Fourth Generation (2011-2015)

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