2017 Honda Clarity Owner’s Manual

The 2017 Honda Clarity is an innovative and environmentally friendly sedan that shows Honda’s drive to a greener future and better car technology. The Clarity is a plug-in hybrid car, which means that it has both an electric motor and a gas engine. This means that drivers can run the car on electric power alone for short routes or switch to hybrid mode for longer trips. The Clarity has a sleek, aerodynamic design that gives it a modern look. It also has a long electric driving range, making it a great choice for drivers who care about the environment and want to reduce their carbon footprint. The 2017 Honda Clarity has a smooth and refined driving experience thanks to its modern amenities and advanced safety features. It shows that a car can be eco-friendly without losing comfort or performance. The Honda Clarity is a sign of innovation, sustainability, and great driving in the world of alternative fuel vehicles. It can be used as a daily commuter car or as a family car.

Airbag System Components

The front, driver’s knee, 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:

1. 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.
2. Driver’s knee airbag. The knee airbag is stored under the steering column. It is marked SRS AIRBAG.
3. 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.
4. d 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.
5. An electronic control unit that, when the vehicle is on, continually monitors information about the various impact sensors, seat and buckle sensors, rollover sensor, airbag activators, seat belt tensioners, seat weight sensor, seat position sensor, passenger airbag OFF indicator, and other vehicle information. During a crash event the unit can record such information.
6. f Automatic front seat belt tensioners. In addition, the driver’s and front passenger seat belt buckles incorporate sensors that detect whether or not the belts are fastened.
7. A driver’s seat position sensor. If the seat is too far forward, the airbag will inflate with less force.
8. Weight sensors in the front passenger’s seat. The front passenger’s airbag will be turned off if the weight on the seat is approximately 65 lbs (29 kg) or less (the weight of an infant or small child).
9.  Impact sensors that can detect a moderate-to-severe front or side impact.
10. An indicator on the dashboard that alerts you that the front passenger’s front airbag has been turned off.
11. An indicator on the instrument panel that alerts you to a possible problem with your airbag system or seat belt tensioners.
12. 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.

Important Facts About Your Airbags
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 and driver’s knee 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.

Types of Airbags

Your vehicle is equipped with four types of airbags:

• Front airbags: Airbags in front of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats.
• Driver’s knee airbag: Airbag under the steering column.
• 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.

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.

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.

How the Front Airbags Work 
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 are deployed until they see them lying in front of them.

• 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 a moderate-to-severe frontal crash.
  Side impacts: Front airbags can provide protection when a sudden deceleration causes a driver or front passenger to move towards 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 been deployed.
  

Advanced Airbags
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.
We advise against allowing a child age 12 or under to ride in the front passenger’s seat. However, if you do allow a child age 12 or under to ride in the front passenger’s seat, note that the system will automatically turn off the front passenger’s airbag if the sensors detect that the child is approximately 65 lbs (29 kg) or less.

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.
For the advanced airbags to work properly:

• Do not spill any liquid on or under the seats.
• Do not put any objects 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.
• Do not cover the passenger’s side dashboard with a cloth, towel, cover, etc.
  Passenger Front Airbag Off Indicator P. 63
• Make sure 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.

FAQ