Honda Ridgeline (2023 year). Manual in english

Safe Driving

Airbags

Airbag System Components

Airbags

Airbag System Components

Continued

Safe Driving

The 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:

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

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

SIDE AIRBAG

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

An electronic control unit that, when the
power mode is in ON, continually
monitors information about the various
impact sensors, seat and buckle sensors,
rollover sensor, airbag activators, seat
belt tensioners, passenger seat weight
sensors, driver’s seat position sensor,
passenger airbag off indicator and other
vehicle information. During a crash event
the unit can record such information.

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

Driver’s seat position sensor. This sensor
detects the driver’s seat slide position to
help determine the optimal deployment
of the driver’s airbag.

Weight sensors in the front passenger’s
seat. The sensors are used for occupant
classification to activate or deactivate the
front passenger’s airbag.

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.

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

Safing Sensor

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

Airbags

Airbag System Components

Safe Driving

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.

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.

■

Important 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.

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.

Airbags

Types of Airbags

Continued

Safe Driving

Types of Airbags

Your vehicle is equipped with three types 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.

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.

SRS

(Supplemental Restraint System) indicates that the airbags are designed to

supplement seat belts, not replace them. Seat belts are the occupant’s primary
restraint system.

The front airbags are housed in the center of the steering wheel for the driver, and
in the dashboard for the front passenger. Both airbags are marked

SRS AIRBAG

■

Housing Locations

Types of Airbags

The airbags can inflate whenever the power mode is
in ON.

After an airbag inflates in a crash, you may see a
small amount of smoke. This is from the combustion
process of the inflator material and is not harmful.
People with respiratory problems may experience
some temporary discomfort. If this occurs, get out of
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.

Front Airbags (SRS)

During a frontal crash severe enough to cause one or
both front airbags to deploy, the airbags can inflate
at different rates, depending on the severity of the
crash, whether or not the seat belts are latched, and/
or other factors. Frontal airbags are designed to
supplement the seat belts to help reduce the
likelihood of head and chest injuries in frontal
crashes.

Airbags

Front Airbags (SRS)

Safe Driving

Front airbags are designed to inflate during moderate-to-severe frontal collisions.
When the vehicle decelerates suddenly, the sensors send information to the control
unit which signals one or both front airbags to inflate.

A frontal collision can be either head-on or angled between two vehicles, or when a
vehicle crashes into a stationary object, such as a concrete wall.

While your seat belt restrains your torso, the
front airbag provides supplemental protection
for your head and chest.

The front airbags deflate immediately so that
they won’t interfere with the driver’s visibility
or the ability to steer or operate other
controls.

The total time for inflation and deflation is so fast that most occupants are not
aware that the airbags deployed until they see them lying in front of them.

■

Operation

■

How 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.

Airbags

Front Airbags (SRS)

Continued

Safe Driving

■

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:

In a rollover, your best form of protection is a seat belt or, if your vehicle

is equipped with a rollover sensor, both a seat belt and a side curtain airbag. Front
airbags, however, are not designed to deploy in a rollover as they would provide
little if any protection.

■

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.

Airbags

Front Airbags (SRS)

Safe Driving

The airbags have advanced features to help reduce the likelihood of airbag related
injuries to smaller occupants.

The driver’s advanced airbag system includes a
seat position sensor.

Based on information from this sensor and the
severity of the impact, the advanced airbag
system determines the optimal deployment of
the driver’s airbag.

The front passenger’s advanced airbag system
has weight sensors. The sensors are used for
occupant classification to activate or
deactivate the front passenger’s airbag.

For adult size occupants, the system will
automatically activate the front passenger’s
airbag. If a small adult sits in the front
passenger seat and the system does not
recognize him/her as an adult, see

Passenger Airbag Off Indicator

P. 56

■

Advanced Airbags

Advanced Airbags

If there is a problem with the driver’s seat position
sensor or the passenger’s seat weight sensors, the
SRS indicator will come on, and in the event of a
crash, the airbag will deploy (regardless of the driver’s
seating position or passenger’s occupant
classification) with a force corresponding to the
severity of the impact.

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Indicator

P. 55

For the advanced front airbags to work properly,
confirm that:

•

The occupant is sitting in an upright position,
wearing the seat belt properly and the seat-back is
not excessively reclined.

•

The occupant is not leaning against the door or
center console.

•

The occupant’s feet are placed on the floor in front
of them.

•

There are no objects hanging from the front
passenger’s seat.

•

Only small, lightweight objects are in the seat-back
pocket.

•

The steering wheel and passenger’s side dashboard
are not obstructed by any object.

•

No liquid has been spilled on or under the seat.

Driver’s
Seat
Position
Sensor

Passenger’s
Seat
Weight
Sensors

Airbags

Front Airbags (SRS)

Safe Driving

We advise against allowing a child age 12 or under to ride in the front passenger’s
seat. However, if you do allow a small child or infant to ride in the front passenger’s
seat, the system is designed to automatically deactivate the front passenger’s airbag.
Do not let a small child or infant ride in the front passenger’s seat if the airbag does
not automatically deactivate.

Advanced Airbags

•

There is no child seat or other object pressing
against the rear of the seat or seat-back.

•

There is no rear passenger pushing or pulling on
the back of the front passenger’s seat.

•

There are no objects placed under or beside the
front passenger’s seat. Improperly positioned
objects can interfere with the advanced airbag
sensors.

•

The head restraint is not contacting the roof.

Passenger Airbag Off Indicator

P. 56

•

The floor mat behind the front passenger’s seat is
hooked to the floor mat anchor. An improperly
placed mat can interfere with the advanced airbag
sensors.

Floor Mats

P. 530

Airbags

Side Airbags

Safe Driving

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.

The side airbags are housed in the outside
edge of the driver’s and passenger’s seat-
backs.

Both are marked

SIDE AIRBAG

When the sensors detect a moderate-to-
severe side impact, the control unit signals the
side airbag on the impact side to immediately
inflate.

■

Housing Locations

Side Airbags

Make sure you and your front seat passenger always
sit upright. Leaning into the path of a side airbag can
prevent the airbag from deploying properly and
increases your risk of serious injury.

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.

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.

Housing
Location

■

Operation

When
inflated

Side
Airbag

Airbags

Side Airbags

Safe Driving

■

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 not to 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.

Airbags

Side Curtain Airbags

Safe Driving

Side Curtain Airbags

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

The side curtain airbags are located in the
ceiling above the side windows on both sides
of the vehicle.

The side curtain airbag is designed to deploy
in a rollover or a moderate-to-severe side
impact.

■

Housing Locations

Side Curtain Airbags

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.

If the impact is on the passenger’s side, the
passenger’s side curtain airbag deploys even if there
are no occupants on that side of the vehicle.

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.

Side Curtain Airbag Storage

■

Operation

Deployed Side Curtain Airbag

Continued

Airbags

Airbag System Indicators

Safe Driving

■

When side curtain airbags deploy in a frontal collision

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

Airbag System Indicators

If a problem occurs in the airbag system, the SRS indicator will come on and a
message appears on the multi-information display.

■

When the power mode is set to ON

The indicator comes on for a few seconds,
then goes off. This tells you the system is
working properly.

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.

■

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Indicator

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Indicator

WARNING

Ignoring the SRS indicator can result in
serious injury or death if the airbag systems
or tensioners do not work properly.

Have your vehicle checked by a dealer as
soon as possible if the SRS indicator alerts
you to a possible problem.

Airbags

Airbag System Indicators

Safe Driving

■

When the passenger airbag off
indicator comes on

The indicator comes on to alert you that the
passenger’s airbag has been turned off.
This occurs when the weight sensors
determine that a small child or infant is on the
passenger seat.

Children age 12 or under should always ride properly restrained in a back seat.

Child Safety

P. 59

Objects placed on the seat can also cause the indicator to come on. If the indicator
is on, in the event of a crash the passenger’s airbag will not deploy.

If the front passenger’s seat is empty, the passenger’s airbag will not deploy and the
indicator will not come on.

■

Passenger Airbag Off Indicator

Passenger Airbag Off Indicator

To ensure the passenger is detected properly, confirm
that:

•

The occupant is sitting in an upright position,
wearing the seat belt properly and the seat-back is
not excessively reclined.

•

The occupant is not leaning against the door or
center console.

•

The occupant’s feet are placed on the floor in front
of them.

•

There are no objects hanging from the front
passenger’s seat.

•

Only small, lightweight objects are in the seat-back
pocket.

•

No liquid has been spilled on or under the seat.

•

There is no child seat or other object pressing
against the rear of the seat or seat-back.

•

There is no rear passenger pushing or pulling on
the back of the front passenger’s seat.

•

There are no objects placed under or beside the
front passenger’s seat. Improperly positioned
objects can interfere with the advanced airbag
sensors.

•

The floor mat behind the front passenger’s seat is
hooked to the floor mat anchor. An improperly
placed mat can interfere with the advanced airbag
sensors.

•

The head restraint is not contacting the roof.

U.S.

Canada

Airbags

Airbag System Indicators

Safe Driving

Passenger Airbag Off Indicator

The passenger airbag off indicator may come on and
go off periodically if the total weight on the seat is
near the airbag cutoff threshold. For a small adult,
depending on physique and posture, the system may
not recognize him/her as an adult and thus deactivate
the passenger’s airbag.
If this occurs, please confirm that the conditions set
forth in the above bullet points on the previous page
are met.

Have your vehicle checked by a dealer as soon as
possible if:

•

All of the above conditions are met, and the
indicator comes on with an adult seated in the
front passenger seat.

•

The seat is empty and the indicator is on.

Do not allow an adult passenger to ride in the front
seat when the indicator is on.

Airbags

Airbag Care

Safe Driving

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:

■

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 or affect the proper operation of 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
1-800-999-1009 and for Canadian vehicles, Honda Canada Customer Relations at
1-888-9-HONDA-9.

Airbag Care

We recommend against the use of salvaged airbag
system components, including the airbag, tensioners,
sensors, and control unit.

Continued

Safe Driving

Child Safety

Protecting Child Passengers

Each year, many children are injured or killed in vehicle crashes because they are
either unrestrained or not properly restrained. In fact, vehicle crashes are the
number one cause of death of children ages 12 and under.

To reduce the number of child deaths and injuries, every state, Canadian province
and territory requires that infants and children be properly restrained when they ride
in a vehicle.

Children should sit properly restrained in a rear seat.

This is because:

•

An inflating front airbag can injure or kill a
child sitting in the front seat.

•

A child in the front seat is more likely to
interfere with the driver’s ability to safely
control the vehicle.

•

Statistics show that children of all sizes and
ages are safer when they are properly
restrained in a rear seat.

Protecting Child Passengers

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
and Transport Canada recommend that all children
ages 12 and under be properly restrained in a rear
seat. Some states or provinces/territories have laws
restricting where children may ride.

WARNING

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, using a booster seat if necessary.

Honda Ridgeline (2023 year). Manual in english - page 3