Honda Element (2010 year). Instruction

The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and Transport
Canada recommend that drivers
allow at least 10 inches (25 cm)
between the center of the steering
wheel and the chest. In addition to
adjusting the seat, you can adjust the
steering wheel up and down (see
page 74).

If you cannot get far enough away
from the steering wheel and still
reach the controls, we recommend
that you investigate whether some
type of adaptive equipment may help.

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.

Once a seat is adjusted correctly,
rock it back and forth to make sure it
is locked in position.

See page 83 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 airbag cover in the center of the
steering wheel.

Passengers with adjustable seat-
backs should also adjust their seat-
back to a comfortable, upright
position.

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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.

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.

See page 83 for how to adjust the
seat-backs.

4. Adjust the Head Restraints

Adjust the driver's head restraint so
the center of the back of your head
rests against the center of the
restraint.

Have passengers adjust their head
restraints properly as well. Taller
persons should adjust their 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 properly
before driving.

Properly adjusted head restraints will
help protect occupants from whiplash
and other crash injuries.

See page 85 for how to adjust the
head restraints.

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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. 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 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, 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.

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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.

If a seat belt does not seem to work
properly, it may not protect the
occupant in a crash.

No one should sit in a seat with an
inoperative seat belt. Using a seat
belt that is not working properly can
result in serious injury or death.
Have your dealer check the belt as
soon as possible.

See page 18 for additional
information about your seat belts and
how to take care of them.

6. Maintain a Proper Sitting

Position

After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and head restraints, and
put on their 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 safely 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 in a crash
by striking interior parts of the
vehicle or being struck by an
inflating front airbag.

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.

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Advice for Pregnant Women

If you are pregnant, the best way to
protect yourself and your unborn
child when driving or riding in a
vehicle is to always wear a seat belt,
and keep the lap part of the belt as
low as possible across the hips.

When driving, remember to sit
upright and adjust the seat as far
back as possible while allowing full
control of the vehicle. When riding
as a front passenger, adjust the seat
as far back as possible.

This will reduce the risk of injuries to
both you and your unborn child that
can be caused by a crash or an
inflating front airbag.

Each time you have a checkup, ask
your doctor if it's okay for you to
drive.

Additional Safety Precautions

●

Never let passengers ride in the

cargo area or on top of a folded-
down back seat. If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.

●

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.

●

Two people should never use the
same seat belt. If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.

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●

Do not put any accessories on seat
belts. Devices intended to improve
occupant comfort or reposition the
shoulder part of a seat belt can
reduce the protective capability of
the belt and increase the chance of
serious injury in a crash.

●

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.

●

Do not attach hard objects on or
near a door. If a side airbag or a
side curtain airbag inflates, a cup
holder or other hard 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 an
airbag cover, they could be injured
if the front airbag inflates.

●

Do not cover or replace front seat-

back covers without consulting
your dealer. Improperly replacing
or covering front seat-back covers
can prevent your side airbags from
inflating during a side impact.

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Seat Belt System Components
Your seat belt system includes lap/
shoulder belts in all four seating
positions. The front seat belts are
also equipped with automatic seat
belt tensioners.

This system uses the same sensors
as the front airbags to monitor
whether the front seat belts are
latched or unlatched, and how much
weight is on the front passenger's
seat (see page 27).

The seat belt system
includes an indicator on the

instrument panel and a beeper to
remind you and your passengers to
fasten your seat belts.

This system monitors the front seat
belts. If you turn the ignition switch
to the ON (II) position before your
seat belt is fastened, the beeper will
sound and the indicator will flash. If
your seat belt is not fastened before
the beeper stops, the indicator will
stop flashing but remain on.

If a front passenger does not fasten
their seat belt, the indicator will
come on about 6 seconds after the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
(II) position.

If either the driver or a front
passenger does not fasten their seat
belt while driving, the beeper will
sound and the indicator will flash
again at regular intervals.

When no one is sitting in the front
passenger's seat, or a child or small
adult is riding there, the indicator
should not come on and the beeper
should not sound.

If the indicator comes on or the
beeper sounds when the driver's seat
belt is latched and there is no front
seat passenger and no items on the
front seat, something may be
interfering with the monitoring
system. Look for and remove:

●

Any items under the front
passenger's seat.

●

Any object(s) hanging on the seat
or in the seat-back pocket.

●

Any object(s) touching the rear of
the seat-back.

If no obstructions are found, have
your vehicle checked by a dealer.

Additional Information About Your Seat Belts

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Lap/Shoulder Belt
The lap/shoulder belt goes over your
shoulder, across your chest, and
across your hips.

To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched (see page 14 for how to
properly position the belt).

To unlock the belt, press the red
PRESS button on the buckle. Guide
the belt across your body so that it
retracts completely. After exiting the
vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the
way and will not get closed in the
door.

All seat belts have an emergency
locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move freely in
your seat while it keeps some tension
on the belt. During a collision or
sudden stop, the retractor
automatically locks the belt to help
restrain your body.

The seat belts in all positions except
the driver's have a lockable retractor
that must be activated to secure a
child seat (see page 46).

If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the lockable
retractor will activate. The belt will
retract, but it will not allow the
passenger to move freely.

To deactivate the lockable retractor,
unlatch the buckle and let the seat
belt fully retract. To refasten the seat
belt, pull it out only as far as needed.

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Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners

For added protection, the front seat
belts are equipped with automatic
seat belt tensioners. When activated,
the tensioners immediately tighten
the belts to help hold the driver and a
front passenger in position.

The tensioners are designed to
activate in any collision severe
enough to cause the front airbags to
deploy, or if a sensor detects your
vehicle is about to roll over (see page
30).

If a side curtain airbag deploys
during a side impact, the tensioner
on that side of the vehicle will also
deploy.

The tensioners can also be activated
during a collision in which the front
airbags do not deploy. In this case, the
airbags would not be needed, but the
extra tension in the seat belt could be
helpful.

When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled.

Seat Belt Maintenance
For safety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.

Pull each belt out fully, and look for
frays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
the belts retract easily. If a belt does
not retract easily, cleaning the belt
may correct the problem (see page
268). Any belt that is not in good
condition or working properly will
not provide good protection and
should be replaced as soon as
possible.

Honda provides a limited warranty
on seat belts. See your Honda
Warranty Information

booklet for

details.

Additional Information About Your Seat Belts

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If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by your dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.

The dealer should also inspect the
anchors for damage and replace
them if needed. If the automatic seat
belt tensioners activate during a
crash, they must be replaced.

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

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

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Airbag System Components

(12)

(1)

(3)

(5)

(6)

(10)

(4)

(14)

(15)

(7)

(4)

(5)

(11)

(10)

(13)

(2)

(9)

(8)

(1) Driver's Front Airbag
(2) Passenger's Front Airbag
(3) Control Unit
(4) Front Seat Belt Tensioners
(5) Side Airbags
(6) Driver's Seat Position Sensor
(7) Front Passenger's Weight Sensors
(8) Front Impact Sensors
(9) Passenger Airbag Off Indicator
(10) Side Impact Sensors (First)
(11) Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) Sensors
(12) Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Indicator
(13) Rollover Sensor
(14) Seat Belt Buckle Tensioners
(15) Rear Safing Sensor

Additional Information About Your Airbags

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Your airbag system includes:

●

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’’ (see page 25).

●

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’’ (see page 28).

●

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’’ (see page 30).

(16)

(17)

(16) Side Curtain Airbags
(17) Side Impact Sensors (Second)

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●

Automatic front seat belt
tensioners (see page 20).

●

Sensors that can detect a moderate
to severe front impact, side impact,
or rollover.

●

Sensors that can detect whether a
child is in the passenger's side
airbag path and signal the control
unit to turn the airbag off (see
page 29).

●

Sensors that can detect whether
the driver's seat belt and the front
passenger's seat belt are latched or
unlatched (see page 18).

●

A driver's seat position sensor that
monitors the distance of the seat
from the front airbag. If the seat is
too far forward, the airbag will
inflate with less force (see page
27).

●

Weight sensors that monitor the
weight on the front passenger's
seat. If the weight is about 65 lbs
(29 kg) or less (the weight of an
infant or small child), the
passenger's front airbag will be
turned off (see page 27).

●

A sophisticated electronic system
that continually monitors and
records information about the
sensors, the control unit, the
airbag activators, the seat belt
tensioners, and driver and front
passenger seat belt use when the
ignition switch is in the ON (II)
position.

●

An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you to a possible
problem with your airbags,
sensors, or seat belt tensioners
(see page 31).

●

An indicator on the instrument
panel that alerts you that the
passenger's side airbag has been
turned off (see page 32).

●

An indicator on the dashboard that
alerts you that the passenger's
front airbag has been turned off
(see page 32).

●

Emergency backup power in case
your vehicle's electrical system is
disconnected in a crash.

Additional Information About Your Airbags

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How Your Front Airbags Work

If you ever have a moderate to severe
frontal collision, sensors will detect
the vehicle's rapid deceleration.

If the rate of deceleration is high
enough, the control unit will inflate
the driver's and front passenger's
airbags, at the time and with the
force needed.

During a frontal crash, your seat belt
restrains your lower body and torso,
and the front airbag helps protect
your head and chest.

Although both 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.

Only the driver's airbag can deploy if
there is no passenger in the front
seat, or if the advanced airbag
system has turned the passenger's
airbag off (see page 27).

After inflating, the front airbags
immediately deflate, so they won't
interfere with the driver's visibility,
or the ability to steer or operate other
controls.

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The total time for inflation and
deflation is one-tenth of a second, so
fast that most occupants are not
aware that the airbags deployed until
they see them lying in their laps.

After a crash, you may see what
looks like smoke. This is actually
powder from the airbag's surface.
Although the powder 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.

Dual-Stage Airbags
Your front airbags are dual-stage
airbags. This means they have two
inflation stages that can be ignited
sequentially or simultaneously,
depending on crash severity.

In a more severe crash, both stages
will ignite simultaneously to provide
the quickest and greatest protection.

In a less severe crash, the first stage
will ignite first, then the second stage
will ignite a split second later. This
provides longer airbag inflation time
with a little less force.

Dual-Threshold Airbags
Your front airbags are also dual-
threshold airbags. Airbags with this
feature have two deployment
thresholds that depend on whether
sensors detect the occupant is
wearing a seat belt or not.

If the occupant's belt is not latched,
the airbag will deploy at a slightly
lower threshold, because the
occupant would need extra
protection.

If the occupant's belt is latched, the
airbag will inflate at a slightly higher
threshold, when the airbag would be
needed to supplement the protection
provided by the seat belt.

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Advanced Airbags
Your front airbags are also advanced
airbags. The main purpose of this
feature is to help prevent airbag-
caused injuries to short drivers and
children or small statured adults who
ride in front.

For both advanced airbags to work
properly:

●

Occupants must sit upright and
wear their seat belts properly.

●

Do not spill any liquids on or
under the seats, cover the sensors,
or put any objects or metal items
under the front seats.

Failure to follow these instructions
could damage the sensors or prevent
them from working properly.

The driver's advanced front airbag
system includes a seat position
sensor under the seat. If the seat is
too far forward, the airbag will inflate
with less force, regardless of the
severity of the impact.

If there is a problem with the sensor,
the SRS indicator will come on, and
the airbag will inflate in the normal
manner regardless of the driver's
seating position.

The passenger's advanced front
airbag system has weight sensors
under the seat. Although Honda does
not encourage carrying an infant or
small child in front, if the sensors
detect the weight of an infant or
small child (up to about 65 lbs or 29
kg), the system will automatically
turn the passenger's front airbag off.

Be aware that objects placed on the
passenger's seat can also cause the
airbag to be turned off.

DRIVER'S SEAT
POSITION SENSOR

PASSENGER'S SEAT
WEIGHT SENSOR

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Additional Information About Your Airbags

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Honda Element (2010 year). Instruction - part 2