200 mdx online reference owner's manual contents -...

2004 MDX 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.

Contents

Owner's Identification Form

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... i

A Few Words About Safety .......................................................................................................................... ii

Your Vehicle at a Glance ...............................................................................................................................2

Driver and Passenger Safety .......................................................................................................................5 Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.

Instruments and Controls...........................................................................................................................55 Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.

Comfort and Convenience Features.......................................................................................................103 How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.

Before Driving .............................................................................................................................................157 What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.

Driving ...........................................................................................................................................................169 The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.

Maintenance .................................................................................................................................................195 The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer. Taking Care of the Unexpected...............................................................................................................229 This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, and how to handle them.

Technical Information ...............................................................................................................................251 ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.

Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada) ......................................................................265 A summary of the warranties covering your new Honda, and how to contact us.

Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)...............................................................................................................269 How to order manuals and other technical literature.

Index ................................................................................................................................................................. I

Service Information Summary A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

This Owner’s Manual should be considereda permanent part of the vehicle, and shouldremain with the vehicle when it is sold.

This Owner’s Manual covers all models ofthe MDX. You may find descriptions ofequipment and features that are not on yourparticular model.

The information and specifications includedin this publication were in effect at the timeof approval for printing. Honda Motor Co.,Ltd. reserves the right, however, todiscontinue or change specifications ordesign at any time without notice andwithout incurring any obligation whatsoever.

Owner’s Identif ication

POUR CLIENTS CANADIENAVIS IMPORTANT: Si vous avezbesoin d’un Manuel du Conducteuren français, veuillez demander àvotre concessionnaire decommander le numéro de pièce33S3V830

OWNER

ADDRESS

V. I. N.

DELIVERY DATE

DEALER NAME DEALER NO.

ADDRESS

OWNER’S SIGNATURE

DEALER’S SIGNATURE

STREET

CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP CODE/POSTAL CODE

(Date sold to original retail purchaser)

STREET

CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP CODE/POSTAL CODE

Congratulations! Your selection of a 2004 Acura MDX was a wise investment.It will give you years of driving pleasure.

One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Acura is to readthis manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls andconvenience items. Afterwards, keep this owner’s manual in your vehicle soyou can refer to it at any time.

Several warranties protect your new Acura. Read the warranty bookletthoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rightsand responsibilities.

Maintaining your vehicle according to the schedules given in this manualhelps to keep your driving trouble-free while it preserves your investment.When your vehicle needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Acura dealer’sstaff is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to your Acura.Your Acura dealer is dedicated to your satisfaction and will be pleased toanswer any questions and concerns.

California Proposition 65 Warning

This product contains or emits chemicals known to the State ofCalifornia to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.

As you read this manual, you willfind information that is preceded bya symbol. This informationis intended to help you avoid damageto your Acura, other property, or theenvironment.

Introduction

WARNING:

NOTICE:

i

－

－

－－

－

－

Your safety, and the safety of others,is very important. And operating thisvehicle safely is an importantresponsibility.

To help you make informeddecisions about safety, we haveprovided operating procedures andother information on labels and inthis manual. This information alertsyou to potential hazards that couldhurt you or others.

Of course, it is not practical orpossible to warn you about all thehazards associated with operating ormaintaining your vehicle. You mustuse your own good judgement.

You will find this important safety information in a variety of forms,including:

preceded by a safety alert symbol and one ofthree signal words: , , or .These signal words mean:

such as Important Safety Reminders or ImportantSafety Precautions.

such as Driver and Passenger Safety.how to use this vehicle correctly and safely.

This entire book is filled with important safety information please read itcarefully.

on the vehicle.

A Few Words About Safety

Safety Messages

Safety Headings

Safety SectionInstructions

Safety Labels

DANGER WARNING CAUTION

ii

You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLYHURT if you don’t follow instructions.

You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLYHURT if you don’t follow instructions.

You CAN be HURT if you don’t followinstructions.

Your MDX has higher ground clearance than a passenger vehicle designed for use only on pavement. Higher groundclearance has many advantages for off-highway driving. It allows you to travel over bumps, obstacles, and roughterrain. 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 highcenter of gravity. This means your vehicle can tip or roll over if you make abrupt turns. Utility vehicles have asignificantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantlymore likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. As a reminder, make sure you and your passengers always wearseat belts.

For information on how to reduce the risk of rollover, read ‘‘Driving Guidelines’’ on page of this manual and thesection on page . Failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or an

accident.

170192Off-Highway Guidelines

Important Handling Information

iii

Your Vehicle at a Glance

2

POWER DOOR LOCKSWITCHES

MIRRORCONTROLS

POWER WINDOWSWITCHES

HOOD RELEASEHANDLE

FUEL FILL DOORRELEASE

PARKING BRAKEPEDAL

REAR A/C CONTROL ACCESSORY POWER SOCKET

GLOVE BOX

AUDIO SYSTEM

CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEMGAUGESINSTRUMENT PANEL (P.57)

(P.66)

(P.80)

(P.90)

(P.160)

(P.159) (P.92)(P.109) (P.101)

(P.99)

(P.110)

(P.104)

(P.92)

＊

＊

To use the horn, press the pad around the ‘‘A’’ logo.:

Your Vehicle at a Glance

3

HEADLIGHTS/TURN SIGNALS

FOG LIGHTS

REMOTE AUDIOCONTROLS

STEERING WHEELADJUSTMENT

CRUISE CONTROL

HORN

WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS

VEHICLE STABILITYASSIST SYSTEMOFF SWITCH

CRUISE CONTROL

INSTRUMENT PANEL BRIGHTNESS

REAR WINDOWDEFOGGER

VTM-4 LOCK

(P.72)

(P.184)

(P.144)

(P.75)

(P.128) (P.76)(P.144) (P.69)

(P.74)

(P.75)

(P.30)(P.176)(P.74)PASSENGER AIRBAG OFFINDICATOR

HAZARD WARNINGBUTTON

－

This section gives you importantinformation about how to protectyourself and your passengers. Itshows you how to use seat beltsproperly. It explains how your airbagwork, and it tells you how to properlyrestrain infants and children in yourvehicle.

.........Important Safety Precautions . 6.......Your Vehicle’s Safety Features . 7

.......................................Seat Belts . 8...........................................Airbags . 9

.........Protecting Adults and Teens . 11.....1. Close and Lock the Doors . 11

...........2. Adjust the Front Seats . 11............3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 12

...4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 135. Fasten and Position the Seat

.....................................Belts . 14....6. Adjust the Steering Wheel . 16

7. Maintain a Proper Sitting................................Position . 16

.....Advice for Pregnant Women . 17...Additional Safety Precautions . 17

Additional Information About Your.................................Seat Belts . 19

..Seat Belt System Components . 19......................Lap/Shoulder Belt . 19

........ 20...............Seat Belt Maintenance . 21

Additional Information About Your.....................................Airbags . 22

......Airbag System Components . 22......... 23

........................Advanced Airbag . 25...How Your Side Airbags Work . 27

How Your Side Curtain Airbag.........................................Work . 28

How the SRS Indicator Light.......................................Works . 28

How The Side Airbag Off......................Indicator Works . 29

How the Passenger Airbag...............Off indicator Works . 30

.............................Airbag Service . 31...Additional Safety Precautions . 32

Protecting Children General................................Guidelines . 33

All Children Must Be...............................Restrained . 33

All Children Should Sit in a Back...........................................Seat . 34

The Passenger’s Front AirbagCan Pose Serious Risks to

...............................Children . 34If You Must Drive with Several

...................................Children . 36If a Child Requires Close

..................................Attention . 36...Additional Safety Precautions . 36

Protecting infants and.........................Small Children . 38.......................Protecting Infants . 38

.........Protecting Small Children . 39.....................Selecting a Child Seat . 40....................Installing a Child Seat . 41

Installing a Child Seat with.....................................LATCH . 42

Installing a Child Seat with...............a Lap/Shoulder Belt . 44

Installing a Child Seat with...................................a Tether . 45

...........Protecting Larger Children . 47.............Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 51

...................................Safety Labels . 52

Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners

How Your Front Airbags Work

Driver and Passenger Safety

Driver and Passenger Safety 5

You’ll find many safetyrecommendations throughout thissection, and throughout this manual.The recommendations on this pageare the ones we consider to be themost important.

Excessive speed is a major factor incrash injuries and deaths. Generally,the higher the speed, the greater therisk, but serious injuries can alsooccur at lower speeds. Never drivefaster than is safe for currentconditions, regardless of themaximum speed posted.

Having a tire blowout or amechanical failure can be extremelyhazardous. To reduce the possibilityof such problems, check your tirepressures and condition frequently,and perform all regularly scheduledmaintenance (see page ).

A seat belt is your best protection inall types of collisions. Airbagssupplement seat belts, but airbagsare designed to inflate only in amoderate to severe frontal impact,side impact, or rollover collision. Soeven though your vehicle is equippedwith airbags, make sure you andyour passengers always wear yourseat belts, and wear them properly(see page ).

Children age 12 and under shouldride properly restrained in a backseat. Infants and small childrenshould be restrained in a child seat.Larger children should use a booster

and a lap/shoulder belt until theycan use the belt properly without abooster (see page ).

Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Evenone drink can reduce your ability torespond to changing conditions, andyour reaction time gets worse withevery additional drink. So don’t drinkand drive, and don’t let your friendsdrink and drive, either.

While airbags can save lives, theycan cause serious or fatal injuries tooccupants who sit too close to them,or are not properly restrained.Infants, young children, and shortadults are at the greatest risk. Besure to follow all instructions andwarnings in this manual.

14

49

197

Always Wear Your Seat Belt

Control Your Speed

Keep Your Vehicle in SafeCondition

Restrain All Children

Don’t Drink and Drive

Be Aware of Airbag Hazards


Important Safety Precautions

6

Your vehicle is equipped with manyfeatures that work together toprotect you and your passengersduring a crash.Some safety features do not requireany action on your part. Theseinclude a strong steel frameworkthat forms a safety cage around thepassenger compartment; front andrear crush zones, a collapsiblesteering column, and seat belttensioners that tighten the front seatbelts in the event of a crash.

Your Vehicle’s Safety Features


(7)(10)

(9) (3) (1)

(2)(6)(10)

(7) (8)(5)

(2)

(11)(4)

(6) Seat Belts(7) Front Airbags(8) Front Seat Belt Tensioners(9) Door Locks(10) Side Airbags(11) Side Curtain Airbags

(1) Safety Cage(2) Crush Zones(3) Seats and Seat-Backs(4) Head Restraints(5) Collapsible Steering Column

However, you and your passengerscan’t take full advantage of thesesafety features unless you remainsitting in a proper position andalways wear your seat belts properly.In fact, some safety features cancontribute to injuries if they are notused properly.

Your vehicle is equipped with seatbelts in all seating positions.

The following pages explain how youcan take an active role in protectingyourself and your passengers.

Your seat belt system alsoincludes an indicator on the

instrument panel to remind you andyour passengers to fasten your seatbelts.

Seat belts are the single mosteffective safety device for adults andlarger children (Infants and smallerchildren must be properly restrainedin child seats).

Not wearing a seat belt properlyincreases the chance of seriousinjury or death in a crash, eventhough your vehicle has airbags.

In addition, most states and allCanadian provinces require you towear seat belts.

When properly worn, seat belts:

Keep you connected to the vehicleso you can take advantage of thevehicle’s built-in safety features.

Help protect you in almost everytype of crash, including frontal,side, and rear impacts androllovers.

Help keep you from being thrownagainst the inside of the vehicleand against other occupants.

Keep you from being thrown outof the vehicle.

Help keep you in a good positionshould the airbags ever deploy. Agood position reduces the risk ofinjury from an inflating airbag, andallows you to get the bestadvantage from the airbag.


Why Wear Seat Belts

Seat Belts


8

Of course, seat belts cannotcompletely protect you in everycrash. But in most cases, seat beltscan reduce your risk of seriousinjury.

Always wearyour seat belt, and make sure youwear it properly.

Your vehicle has a SupplementalRestraint System (SRS) with frontairbags to help protect the heads andchests of the driver and a front seatpassenger during a moderate tosevere frontal collision (see page

for more information on howyour front airbags work).

Your vehicle also has side airbags tohelp protect the upper torso of thedriver or a front seat passengerduring a moderate to severe sideimpact (see page for moreinformation on how your side airbagswork).23

27

CONTINUED

What you should do:



Airbags

9

Not wearing a seat belt properlyincreases the chance of seriousinjury or death in a crash, eventhough your vehicle has airbags.

Be sure you and yourpassengers always wear seatbelts and wear them properly.

Your vehicle also has side curtainairbags to help protect the heads ofthe driver, front passenger, andpassengers in the outer rear seatingpositions during a moderate tosevere side impact or rollover.

(See page for more informationon how your side curtain airbagswork.)

Always wearyour seat belt properly, and situpright, and as far back from thesteering wheel while allowing fullcontrol of the vehicle. A frontpassenger should move their seat asfar back from the dashboard aspossible.

The rest of this section gives moredetailed information about how youcan maximize your safety.

Remember, however, that no safetysystem can prevent all injuries ordeaths that can occur in severecrashes, even when seat belts areproperly worn and the airbags deploy.

The most important things you needto know about your airbags are:

They are designed to supplementthe seat belts.

To dotheir job, airbags must inflate withtremendous force. So whileairbags help save lives they cancause minor injuries, or moreserious or even fatal injuries ifoccupants are not properlyrestrained or sitting properly.

28



What you should do:

Airbags do not replace seat belts.

Airbags offer no protection in rearimpacts, rollovers, or minorfrontal or side collisions.

Airbags can pose hazards.

10

－

The following pages provideinstructions on how to properlyprotect the driver, adult passengers,and teenagers who are large enoughand mature enough to ride in thefront seat. See pages forimportant guidelines on how toproperly protect infants, smallchildren, and larger children whoride in your vehicle.

See page for how to lock thedoors, and page for how themonitor light works.

Locking the doors reduces thechance of someone being thrown outof the vehicle during a crash, and ithelps prevent passengers fromaccidentally opening a door andfalling out.

Locking the doors also helps preventan outsider from unexpectedlyopening a door when you come to astop.

Your vehicle has a door and tailgatemonitor indicator on the instrumentpanel to indicate when a specificdoor or the tailgate is not tightlyclosed.

After everyone has entered thevehicle, be sure the doors andtailgate are closed and locked.

Adjust the driver’s seat as far to therear as possible while allowing you tomaintain full control of the vehicle.Have a front passenger adjust theirseat as far to the rear as possible.

33 37

8060

Protecting Adults and Teens

Introduction Close and Lock the Doors Adjust the Front Seats1. 2.


If you sit too close to the steeringwheel or dashboard, you can beseriously injured by an inflating frontairbag, or by striking the steeringwheel or dashboard.

The National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration and TransportCanada recommend that driversallow at least 10 inches (25 cm)between the center of the steeringwheel and the chest.

Once your seat is adjusted correctly,rock it back and forth to make surethe seat is locked into position. Seepage for how to adjust the frontseats.

Adjust the driver’s seat-back to acomfortable, upright position,leaving ample space between yourchest and the airbag cover in thecenter of the steering wheel.

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

If you cannot get far enough awayfrom the steering wheel and stillreach the controls, we recommendthat you investigate whether sometype of adaptive equipment may help.

84



Adjust the Seat-Backs3.

12

Sitting too close to a frontairbag can result in seriousinjury or death if the frontairbags inflate.

Always sit as far back from thefront airbags as possible.

Reclining a seat-back so that theshoulder part of the belt no longerrests against the occupant’s chestreduces the protective capability ofthe belt. It also increases the chanceof sliding under the belt in a crashand being seriously injured. Thefarther a seat-back is reclined, thegreater the risk of injury.

Adjust the driver’s head restraint sothe back of your head rests againstthe center of the restraint.

Have passengers with adjustablerestraints adjust their restraintsproperly as well. Taller personsshould adjust their restraint as highas possible.

See page for how to adjust thehead restraints.

Properly adjusted head restraintswill help protect occupants fromwhiplash and other crash injuries.

See page for how to adjust seat-backs.

86

84

CONTINUED


Adjust the Head Restraints4.


Improperly positioning headrestraints reduces theireffectiveness and you can beseriously injured in a crash.

Make sure head restraints arein place and positioned properlybefore driving.

Reclining the seat-back too farcan result in serious injury ordeath in a crash.

Adjust the seat-back to anupright position, and sit wellback in the seat.

Position the lap part of the belt aslow as possible across your hips,then pull up on the shoulder part ofthe belt so the lap part fits snugly.This lets your strong pelvic bonestake the force of a crash and reducesthe chance of internal injuries.

If necessary, pull up on the shoulderbelt again to remove any slack, thencheck that the belt rests across thecenter of your chest and over yourshoulder. This spreads the forces ofa crash over the strongest bones inyour upper body.

Insert the latch plate into the buckle,then tug on the belt to make sure thebelt is securely latched. Check thatthe belt is not twisted, because atwisted belt can cause seriousinjuries in a crash.

In the second row center seat andthe third row seats, be sure thedetachable anchors are also latched.

Fasten and Position the SeatBelts

5.


Driver and Passenger Safety14

Improperly positioning the seatbelts can cause serious injuryor death in a crash.

Make sure all seat belts areproperly positioned beforedriving.

This could causevery serious injuries in a crash.

If a seat belt does not seem to workas it should, it may not protect theoccupant in a crash.

If the seat belt touches or crossesyour neck, or if it crosses your arminstead of your shoulder, you need toadjust the seat belt anchor height.

To adjust the height of a front seatbelt anchor, squeeze the two releasebuttons and slide the anchor up ordown as needed (it has fourpositions).

See page for additionalinformation about your seat beltsand how to take care of them.

Anyone using aseat belt that is not working properlycan be seriously injured or killed.Have your Acura dealer check thebelt as soon as possible.

19



Never place the shoulder portion of alap/shoulder belt under your arm orbehind your back.

No one should sit in a seat with aninoperative seat belt.

15

RELEASEBUTTONS

Adjust the steering wheel, if needed,so that the wheel points toward yourchest, not toward your face. Thisprovides optimal protection from thefront airbag.

See page for how to adjust thesteering wheel.

After all occupants have adjustedtheir seats and put on seat belts, it isvery important that they continue tosit upright, well back in their seats,with their feet on the floor, until thevehicle is parked and the engine isoff.

Sitting improperly can increase thechance of injury during a crash. Forexample, if an occupant slouches,lies down, turns sideways, sitsforward, leans forward or sideways,or puts one or both feet up, thechance of injury during a crash isgreatly increased.

In addition, an occupant who is out ofposition in the front seat can beseriously or fatally injured in a crashby striking interior parts of thevehicle or being struck by aninflating front airbag. Being struckby an inflating side airbag can resultin possibly serious injuries.

76



Adjust the Steering Wheel Maintain a Proper SittingPosition

6. 7.

16

Sitting improperly or out ofposition can result in seriousinjury or death.

Always sit upright, well back inthe seat, with your feet on thefloor.

If you are pregnant, the best way toprotect yourself and your unbornchild when driving or riding in avehicle is to always wear a seat belt,and keep the lap part of the belt aslow as possible across the hips.

When driving, remember to situpright and adjust the seat as farback as possible while allowing fullcontrol of the vehicle. When ridingas a front passenger, adjust the seatas far back as possible.This will reduce the risk of injuriesto both you and your unborn childthat can be caused by a crash or aninflating front airbag.

Each time you have a check-up, askyour doctor if it’s okay for you todrive.

All passengersmust sit in locked, upright seatsand be properly restrained by seatbelts.

A passenger who is notwearing a seat belt during a crashor emergency stop can be thrownagainst the inside of the vehicle,against other occupants, or out ofthe vehicle.

If they do, theycould be very seriously injured in acrash.

CONTINUED



Advice for Pregnant Women Additional Safety PrecautionsNever let passengers ride in thecargo area or on top of a folded-down back seat.

Passengers should not stand up orchange seats while the vehicle ismoving.

Two people should never use thesame seat belt.

17

Devices intended to improveoccupant comfort or reposition theshoulder part of a seat belt canreduce the protective capability ofthe seat belt and increase thechance of serious injury in a crash.

Carrying hard or sharpobjects on your lap, or driving witha pipe or other sharp objects inyour mouth, can result in injuriesif your front airbag inflates.

Do not place the rear floor matunder the front passenger’s seat.This could make the frontpassenger’s weight sensorsineffective. Make sure the rearfloor mat is hooked over the floormat anchor (see page ).

If yourhands or arms are close to anairbag cover, they could be injuredif the airbag inflates.

If a side airbag or aside curtain airbag inflates, a cupholder or other hard objectattached on or near the door couldbe propelled inside the vehicle andhurt someone.

This could causeproblems with the driver’s seatposition sensor or the frontpassenger’s seat weight sensors.(See page for more information.)

This could make the driver’s seatposition sensor or the frontpassenger’s seat weight sensorsineffective (see page for moreinformation).

Objects onthe covers marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG’’could interfere with the properoperation of the airbags or bepropelled inside the vehicle andhurt someone if the airbags inflate.

32

32

218



Do not put any accessories on seatbelts.

Do not place hard or sharp objectsbetween yourself and a frontairbag.

Keep your hands and arms awayfrom the airbag covers.

Do not attach hard objects on ornear a door.

Do not place any items under thefront seats.

Do not modify the front seats.

Do not attach or place objects onthe front airbag covers.

18

Your seat belt system includes lap/shoulder belts in all seven seatingpositions. The front seat belts arealso equipped with automatic seatbelt tensioners.

The seat belt systemincludes an indicator on the

instrument panel and a beeper toremind you and your passengers tofasten your belts.

If you continue driving withoutfastening your seat belt, the beepersounds and the indicator flashesagain at regular intervals.

The lap/shoulder belts in the centerseat of the second row and both ofthe third row seats are equipped witha detachable anchor that has twoparts: a small latch plate and abuckle.

The detachable anchor shouldnormally be latched whenever theseats-backs are in an upright position.

To fasten the belt, insert the latchplate into the buckle, then tug on thebelt to make sure the buckle islatched (see page for how toproperly position the belt).

To unlock the belt, push the redPRESS button on the buckle. Guidethe belt across your body so that itretracts completely. After exiting thevehicle, be sure the belt is out of theway and will not get closed in thedoor.

All seat belts have an emergencylocking retractor. In normal driving,the retractor lets you move freely inyour seat while it keeps sometension on the belt. During a collisionor sudden stop, the retractorautomatically locks the belt to helprestrain your body.

If you turn the ignition switch to ON(II) before fastening your seat belt,the beeper will sound and theindicator will flash. If you do notfasten your seat belt before thebeeper stops, the indicator will stopflashing but remain on.

The lap and shoulder belt goes overyour shoulder, across your chest,and across your hips.

14

Additional Information About Your Seat Belts


Seat Belt System Components Lap/Shoulder Belt

19

The seat belts in all seating positionsexcept the driver’s have an additionallocking mechanism that must beactivated to secure a child seat (seepage ).

If the shoulder part of the belt ispulled all the way out, the lockingmechanism will activate. The beltwill retract, but it will not allow thepassenger to move freely.

To deactivate the lockingmechanism, unlatch the buckle andlet the seat belt fully retract. Torefasten the belt, pull it out only asfar as needed.

For added protection, the front seatbelts are equipped with automaticseat belt tensioners. When activated,the tensioners immediately tightenthe belts to help hold the driver anda front passenger in place.

When the tensioners are activated,the seat belts will remain tight untilthey are unbuckled in the normalmanner.

The tensioners are designed toactivate in any collision severeenough to cause a front, side, or sidecurtain airbag to inflate.

However, the tensioners can beactivated during a collision in whichthere is no airbag deployment. Inthis case, the airbags would not beneeded, but the additional restraintprovided by the tensioners could behelpful.

44

Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners



For safety, you should check thecondition of your seat belts regularly.

Pull each belt out fully and look forfrays, cuts, burns, and wear. Checkthat the latches work smoothly andthe belts retract easily. Any belt notin good condition or not workingproperly will not provide goodprotection and should be replaced assoon as possible.

Acura provides a lifetime warrantyon seat belts for U.S. models. Seeyourbooklet for details.

If a seat belt is worn during a crash,it must be replaced by the dealer. Abelt that has been worn during acrash may not provide the same levelof protection in a subsequent crash.

The dealer should also inspect theanchors for damage and replacethem if needed. If the automatic seatbelt tensioners activate during acrash, they must be replaced.

For information on how to clean yourseat belts, see page .218

Acura Warranty Information



Seat Belt Maintenance

21

Not checking or maintainingseat belts can result in seriousinjury or death if the seat beltsdo not work properly whenneeded.

Check your seat belts regularlyand have any problemcorrected as soon as possible.

Your Airbag System (SRS) includes:

Two side airbags, one for thedriver and one for a frontpassenger. The airbags are storedin the outer edges of the seat-backs. Both are marked ‘‘SIDEAIRBAG’’ (see page ).

Two SRS (Supplemental RestraintSystem) front airbags. The driver’sairbag is stored in the center ofthe steering wheel; the frontpassenger’s airbag is stored in thedashboard. Both are marked ‘‘SRSAIRBAG’’ (see page ).

Two side curtain airbags, one foreach side of the vehicle. Theairbags are stored in the front, andrear pillars and above the windows.The front and rear pillars on bothsides are marked ‘‘SIDECURTAIN AIRBAG’’ (see page

).Automatic seat belt tensioners(see page ).

23

27

20

28

Additional Information About Your Airbags


Airbag System Components

22

(5)

(3)

(4)

(4)

(5)

(2)

(10)

(8)

(10)

(8)

(9)

(11)(7) (9)(1)(6)

(1) Driver’s Front Airbag(2) Passenger’s Front Airbag(3) Control Unit(4) Seat Belt Tensioners(5) Side Airbags(6) Side Curtain Airbags(7) Driver’s Seat Position Sensor(8) Front Passenger’s Seat Weight Sensors(9) Front Impact Sensor(10) Side Impact Sensors(11) Passenger Airbag Off Indicator

A sophisticated electronic systemthat continually monitors andrecords information about thesensors, the control unit, theairbag activators, and driver andfront passenger seat belt use whenthe ignition is in the ON (II)position.

If you ever have a moderate tosevere frontal collision, sensors willdetect the vehicle’s rapiddeceleration. If the rate ofdeceleration is high enough, thecontrol unit will instantly inflate thedriver’s and front passenger’s frontairbags, at the appropriate time andwith the force needed.

Sensors that can detect amoderate to severe frontal impact,side impact or rollover.

A driver’s seat position sensor thatmonitors the distance of the seatfrom the front airbag. If the seat istoo far forward, the airbag willinflate with less force.

Sensors that can detect whether achild’s head is in the deploymentpath of the passenger’s side airbagand automatically turn the airbagoff (see page ).

Front passenger’s weight sensorsthat monitor the weight on thefront passenger’s seat. Theseprevent the passenger’s frontairbag from inflating if the weightis less than about 65 lbs (30 kg)(see page ).

An indicator on the dashboard thatalerts you that the passenger’sfront airbag has been turned off(see page ).

An indicator on the instrumentpanel that alerts you that the frontpassenger’s side airbag has beenturned off (see page ).

Emergency backup power in caseyour vehicle’s electrical system isdisconnected in a crash.

The SRS indicator on theinstrument panel that alerts you toa possible problem with yourairbags (see page ).

26

29

30

27

28

CONTINUED



How Your Front Airbags Work

23

During a frontal crash, your seat belthelp restrains your lower body andtorso and the airbag helps protectyour head and chest.

Although both airbags normallyinflate within a split second of eachother, it is possible for only oneairbag to deploy.

This can happen if the severity of acollision is at the margin, orthreshold, that determines whetheror not the airbags will deploy. Insuch cases, the seat belt will providesufficient protection, and thesupplemental protection offered bythe airbag would be minimal.

Only the driver’s airbag can deploy ifthere is no passenger in the frontseat, or if the advanced airbagsystem has turned the passenger’sairbag off (see page ).

After inflating, the front airbags willimmediately deflate, so they won’tinterfere with the driver’s visibility,or the ability to steer or operateother controls.

The total time for inflation anddeflation is one-tenth of a second, sofast that most occupants are notaware that the airbags deployed untilthey see them lying in their laps.

After a crash, you may see whatlooks like smoke. This is actuallypowder from the airbag’s surface.Although the powder is not harmful,people with respiratory problemsmay experience some temporarydiscomfort. If this occurs, get out ofthe vehicle as soon as it is safe to doso.

30



CONTINUED

Your front airbags are dual-stageairbags. This means they have twoinflation stages that can be ignitedsequentially or simultaneously,depending on crash severity.

In a crash, both stageswill ignite simultaneously to providethe quickest and greatest protection.

In a crash, one stage willignite first, then the second stagewill ignite a split second later. Thisprovides longer airbag inflation timewith a little less force.

Your front airbags are also dual-threshold airbags. Airbags with thisfeature have two deploymentthresholds that depend on whetheror not the occupant is wearing a seatbelt.

If the occupant’s belt is ,the airbag will deploy at the samethreshold as a conventional airbag,because the occupant would needextra protection.

If the occupant’s belt , theairbag will inflate at a slightly higherthreshold, when the airbag would beneeded to supplement the protectionprovided by the seat belt.

Your front airbags are also advancedairbags. The main purpose of thisfeature is to prevent airbag-causedinjuries to short drivers and childrenwho ride in front.

For the advanced airbags to workproperly, occupants must sit uprightand wear their seat belts properly. Ifa child seat is installed in the front, itmust be properly secured.

In addition, do not spill any liquids onor under the seats, cover the sensors,or put any cargo or metal objectsunder the front seats. Ask secondrow passengers to not put their feetunder the front seats. Any of theseactions could damage the sensors orprevent them from working properly.

Failure to follow these instructionscould damage the sensors or preventthem from working properly.



Dual-Stage Airbags

more severe

less severe

Dual-Threshold Airbags

not latched

is latched

Advanced Airbags

25

The driver’s advanced front airbagsystem includes a seat positionsensor under the seat. If the seat ispositioned too far forward, theairbag will inflate sequentially,regardless of the severity of theimpact.

When the airbag is turned off, anindicator in the center of thedashboard will come on indicating‘‘Passenger Airbag Off’’ (see page

).

To ensure that the passenger’sadvanced front airbag system willwork properly,

This includes:A rear passenger pushing orpulling on the back of thepassenger’s seat.

Moving the front seat forciblyback against cargo on the seat orfloor behind it.

Hanging heavy items on the frontpassenger seat, or placing heavyitems in the seat-back pocket.

If there is no passenger in the frontseat, the but theindicator .

The passenger’s advanced frontairbag system has weight sensorsunder the seat. If the sensors detecta total weight on the seat of about 65lbs (30 kg) or less, the system willautomatically turn the passenger’sfront airbag off.If there is a problem with the sensor,

the SRS indicator will come on in theinstrument panel and the airbag willinflate in the normal mannerregardless of the driver’s seating

position.

30



do not do anythingthat would increase or decrease theweight on the front passenger’s seat.

airbag will be offwill not come on

26

DRIVER’SSEATPOSITIONSENSOR

PASSENGER’SSEAT WEIGHTSENSOR

If you ever have a moderate tosevere side impact, sensors willdetect rapid deceleration and signalthe control unit to instantly inflateeither the driver’s or the passenger’sside airbag.

Only one airbag will deploy during aside impact. If the impact is on thepassenger’s side, the passenger’sside airbag will deploy even if thereis no passenger.

The passenger’s side airbag has acutoff system designed to turn offthe passenger’s side airbag if a child’shead is in the airbag’s deploymentpath (see page ).

If a short adult leans sideways, or alarger adult slouches and leanssideways into the side airbagdeployment path, the system mayalso shut off the side airbag.

If the side airbag off indicator comeson (see page ), have thepassenger sit upright. Once thepassenger is out of the deploymentpath of the side airbag, the systemwill turn the airbag back on and theindicator will go out.

There will be some delay betweenthe moment the passenger movesinto or out of airbag deployment pathand when the indicator comes on orgoes off.

To get the best protection from theside airbags, front seat occupantsshould wear their seat belts and situpright and well back in their seats.

A front seat passenger should notuse a cushion or other object as abackrest. It may prevent the cutoffsystem from working properly.

When you turn the ignition to ON(II), the indicator should come onbriefly and go out (see page ). If itdoesn’t come on, stays on, or comeson while driving without a passengerin the front seat, have the systemchecked.

29

29

29



How Your Side Airbags Work

27

In a moderate to severe side impact,sensors will detect rapid decelerationand signal the control unit toinstantly inflate the side curtainairbag on the driver’s or thepassenger’s side of the vehicle.

If sensors detect the vehicle iscontinuing to roll over to the otherside, the control unit will deploy theother side curtain airbag.

Side curtain airbags are designed tohelp protect the heads of the driver,front passenger, and passengers inthe outer seating positions of thesecond and third rows.

In a rollover toward the passenger’sside of the vehicle, the side curtainairbag will inflate even if there are nooccupants on that side of the vehicle.

To get the best protection from theside curtain airbags, occupantsshould wear their seat belts and situpright and well back in their seats.

The SRS indicator lightalerts you to a potential

problem with your front airbags, sideairbags, side curtain airbags, or seatbelt tensioners.

When you turn the ignition to ON(II), this indicator will come onbriefly then go out. This tells you thesystem is working properly.

If the impact is on the passenger’sside, the passenger’s side curtainairbag will inflate even if there are nooccupants on that side of the vehicle.

If sensors detect your vehicle isabout to tip over, the control unit willinstantly deploy the side curtainairbag on the downward side of therolling motion.



How Your Side Curtain AirbagsWork

How the SRS Indicator Works

In a Side Impact

In a Rollover

28

If the indicator comes on at anyother time, or does not come on at all,you should have the system checkedby your dealer. For example:

If the SRS indicator does not comeon after you turn the ignition toON (II).

If the indicator stays on after theengine starts.

If the indicator comes on orflashes on and off while you drive.

If you see any of these indications,the airbags and the seat belttensioners may not work properlywhen you need them.

This indicator alerts youthat the passenger’s side

airbag has been automatically shutoff. It does mean there is aproblem with your side airbags.

To reduce the risk of injury from aninflating side airbag, your vehicle hasan automatic cutoff system for thepassenger’s side airbag.

Although Acura does not encouragechildren to ride in front, this systemis designed to shut off the sideairbag if a child leans sideways andthe child’s head is in the side airbagdeployment path.

Objects placed on the frontpassenger seat can also cause theside airbag to shut off.

CONTINUED



How the Side Airbag OffIndicator Works

not

29

Ignoring the SRS indicator canresult in serious injury or deathif the airbag systems, ortensioners do not work properly.

Have your vehicle checked by adealer as soon as possible ifthe SRS indicator alerts you toa possible problem.

To reduce the chance of airbag-caused injuries, the system shuts offthe passenger’s front airbag whenthe total weight on the frontpassenger’s seat is about 65 lbs(30 kg) or less.

If no one is riding in the frontpassenger’s seat, the airbag will beautomatically shut off, but theindicator light will not come on.

However, if the light comes on withno passenger in the front, or with anadult in the seat, there may be aproblem with the advanced airbagsystem. Have the vehicle checked bythe dealer as soon as possible.

The Passenger Airbag Off indicatormay also come on and off repeatedlyif total weight on the seat is near theairbag cutoff threshold (65 lbs or 30kg).

This indicator alerts you that thepassenger’s front airbag has beenshut off. It does not mean there is aproblem with the airbag.

When you turn the ignition switch toON (II), the indicator should comeon briefly and go out (see page ).If it doesn’t light, stays on, or comeson while driving without a passengerin the front seat, have the systemchecked.

A front seat passenger should notuse a cushion or other object as abackrest. It may prevent the cutoffsystem from working properly.

58

How the Passenger Airbag OffIndicator Works



PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF INDICATOR

your dealershould inspect the driver’s seatposition sensor and the frontpassenger’s weight sensors tomake sure they are operatingproperly.

Take your vehicle to anauthorized Acura dealer as soon aspossible. If you ignore thisindication, your airbags may notoperate properly.

Your airbag systems are virtuallymaintenance-free, and there are noparts you can safely service.However, you must have yourvehicle serviced if:

Any airbagthat has deployed must bereplaced along with the controlunit and other related parts. If afront airbag inflates, the seat belttensioners must also be replaced.

Do not try to remove or replaceany airbag by yourself. This mustbe done by an Acura dealer or aknowledgeable body shop.

If this happens, have the passengerride properly restrained in a backseat. If the passenger must ride infront, move the seat as far to therear as possible, have the passengersit upright and wear the seat beltproperly.

This indicator may come on and offrepeatedly if objects are placed onthe front passenger’s seat, or if theinterior temperature of the vehiclechanges suddenly when a door isopened.

See page for more informationabout the passenger’s advancedfront airbag.

25

If your vehicle has a moderate tosevere impact, and even if yourairbags do not inflate,

The SRS indicator alerts you to aproblem.

An airbag ever inflates.

Airbag Service



Pushing orpulling on the back of the seat,placing heavy items in the backseat pocket, pushing cargo againstthe seat, or hanging heavy itemson the seat back can interfere withthe proper operation of thepassenger’s advanced front airbag.

Do not remove or modify a frontseat without consulting an Acuradealer. This could make the driver’sseat position sensor or the frontpassenger’s weight sensorsineffective. If it is necessary toremove or modify a front seat toaccommodate a person withdisabilities, first contact AcuraClient Services at 800-382-2238.

Together, airbags andseat belts provide the bestprotection.

Tampering could causethe airbags to deploy, possiblycausing very serious injury.

If water or another liquidor spilled water soaks into a seat-back, it can prevent the side airbagcutoff system from workingproperly.

This could make thedriver’s seat position sensor andthe front passenger’s weightsensors ineffective.

This could make the frontpassenger’s weight sensorsineffective.

Improperlyreplacing or covering front seat-back covers can prevent your sideairbags from inflating during acollision.

This could make the driver’s seatposition sensor and the frontpassenger’s weight sensorsineffective.

Do not do anything that wouldincrease or decrease weight on thefront passenger’s seat.

Do not attempt to deactivate yourairbags.

Do not tamper with airbagcomponents or wiring for anyreason.

Do not expose the front seat-backsto liquid.

Do not place any items under thefront seats.

Do not place the second row floormat under the front passenger’sseat.

Do not cover or replace front seat-back covers without consulting anAcura dealer.

Do not modify the front seats.

Additional Safety Precautions



－

－

－

Children depend on adults to protectthem. However, despite their bestintentions many adults do not knowhow to properly protect childpassengers.

Each year, many children are injuredor killed in vehicle crashes becausethey are either unrestrained or notproperly restrained. In fact, vehicleaccidents are the number one causeof death of children ages 12 andunder.

To reduce the number of childdeaths and injuries, every state andCanadian province requires thatinfants and children be properlyrestrained when they ride in avehicle.

(see pages ).

(see pages ).

If you have children, or if you everneed to drive with a child in yourvehicle, be sure to read this section.It begins with important generalguidelines, then presents specialinformation for infants, smallchildren, and larger children.

38

47

47

50

All Children Must Be Restrained

Larger children must be restrainedwith a lap/shoulder belt and ride ona booster until the seat belt f its themproperly

Infants and small children must berestrained in an approved child seatthat is properly secured to thevehicle

Protecting Children General Guidelines


Children who are unrestrainedor improperly restrained can beseriously injured or killed in acrash.

Any child too small for a seatbelt should be properlyrestrained in a child seat. Alarger child should be properlyrestrained with a seat belt anduse a booster if necessary.

－

With this system, the frontpassenger’s airbag is turned off ifsensors detect a total weight of lessthan about 65 lbs (30 kg) in the seat.(See page for additionalinformation about how the frontpassenger’s advanced airbag works.)

Even if the passenger’s front airbagis turned off, we stronglyrecommend that children age 12 andunder ride properly restrained in aback seat where they will be safer.

Front airbags have been designed tohelp protect adults in a moderate tosevere frontal collision. To do this,the passenger’s front airbag is quitelarge, and it can inflate with enoughforce to cause very serious injuries.

To help prevent airbag-causedinjuries to children, this vehicle hasan advanced airbag system.

According to accident statistics,children of all ages and sizes aresafer when they are restrained in aback seat. The National HighwayTraffic Safety Administration andTransport Canada recommend thatall children age 12 and under beproperly restrained in a back seat.

Children who ride in the second orthird row are less likely to be injuredby striking interior vehicle partsduring a collision or hard braking.Also, children cannot be injured byan inflating airbag when they ride inthe back.

25

The Passenger’s Front AirbagCan Pose Serious Risks

All Children Should Sit in a BackSeat



－

To remind you of the passenger’sfront airbag hazards, and thatchildren must be properly restrainedin the back seat, your vehicle haswarning labels on the dashboard andon the driver’s and front passenger’svisors. Please read and follow theinstructions on these labels.

To remind you of the front airbaghazards, your vehicle has warninglabels on the driver’s and frontpassenger’s visors. Please read andfollow the instructions on theselabels.

U.S. Models Canadian Models



－

Your vehicle has two rows of backseats where children can be properlyrestrained. If you ever have to carrya group of children, and a child mustride in front:

Place the largest child in the frontseat, provided the child is largeenough to wear the lap/shoulderbelt properly (see page ).

Move the vehicle seat as far to therear as possible (see page ).

Have the child sit upright and wellback in the seat (see page ).

Make sure the seat belt is properlypositioned and secured (see page

).

Many parents say they prefer to putan infant or small child in the frontpassenger seat so they can watch thechild, or because the child requiresattention.

Placing a child in the front seatexposes the child to hazards in afrontal collision, and paying closeattention to a child distracts thedriver from the important tasks ofdriving, placing both of you at risk.

If a child requires close physicalattention or frequent visual contact,we strongly recommend that anotheradult ride with the child in a backseat. The back seat is far safer for achild than the front.

If you are not wearing aseat belt in a crash, you could bethrown forward and crash thechild against the dashboard or aseat-back. If you are wearing aseat belt the child can be tornfrom your arms and be seriouslyhurt or killed.

During a crash, the beltcould press deep into the child andcause serious or fatal injuries.

This can prevent childrenfrom accidentally falling out (seepage ).

11

16

14

48

80

If You Must Drive with SeveralChildren

If a Child Requires CloseAttention

Additional Safety Precautions



Never hold an infant or child onyour lap.

Never put a seat belt over yourselfor a child.

Use childproof door locks toprevent children from opening thedoors.

36

－

Thiswill prevent children from playingwith the windows, which couldexpose them to hazards or distractthe driver (see page ).

Leaving children withoutadult supervision is illegal in moststates and Canadian provinces,and can be very hazardous.

For example, infants and smallchildren left in a vehicle on a hotday can die from heatstroke. Achild left alone with the key in theignition can accidentally set thevehicle in motion, possibly injuringthemselves or others.

Childrenwho play in vehicles canaccidentally get trapped inside.Teach your children not to play inor around vehicles.

Even very youngchildren learn how to unlockvehicle doors, turn on the ignition,and open the tailgate, which canlead to accidental injury or death.90



Use the main power windowswitch to prevent children fromopening the rear windows.

Do not leave children alone in avehicle.

Lock all doors and tailgate whenyour vehicle is not in use.

Keep vehicle keys and remotetransmitters out of the reach ofchildren.

37

Only a rear-facing child seat providesproper support for a baby’s head,neck, and back.

An infant must be properlyrestrained in a rear-facing, recliningchild seat until the child reaches theseat maker’s weight or height limitfor the seat, and the child is at leastone year old.

Two types of seats may be used: aseat designed exclusively for infants,or convertible seat used in the rear-facing, reclining mode.

If placedfacing forward, an infant could bevery seriously injured during afrontal collision.

When properly installed, a rear-facing child seat may prevent thedriver or a front passenger frommoving the seat as far back asrecommended, or from locking theseat-back in the desired position.

A rear-facing child seat shouldalways be installed in a back seat, notin the front. Even with advancedairbags, which can automaticallyturn the passenger’s front airbag off(see page ), a back seat is thesafest place for an infant.

In either of these situations, westrongly recommend that you installthe child seat in a different backseating position or get a smaller rear-facing child seat.

30


Protecting Infants and Small Children

Protecting Infants

Child Seat Type

Do not put a rear-facing child seat ina forward-facing position.

Child Seat Placement

38

Placing a rear-facing child seatin the front seat can result inserious injury or death during acollision.

Always place a rear-facing childseat in the back seat, not thefront.

A child who is at least one year old,and who fits within the child seatmaker’s weight and height limits,should be restrained in a forward-facing, upright child seat.

Of the different seats available, werecommend those that have a five-point harness system as shown.

We also recommend that a smallchild uses the child seat as long aspossible, until the child reaches theweight or height limit for the seat.

We strongly recommend placing aforward-facing child seat in a backseat, not the front. Even withadvanced airbags, which canautomatically turn the passenger’sfront airbag off (see page ), aback seat is the safest place for asmall child.

If it is necessary to put a forward-facing child seat in the front, movethe vehicle seat as far to the rear aspossible, be sure the child seat isfirmly secured to the vehicle, and thechild is properly strapped in the seat.

30

CONTINUED


Protecting Small Children

Child Seat Type

Child Seat Placement

Protecting Infants and Small Children

39

Placing a forward-facing childseat in the front seat can resultin serious injury or death if thefront airbag inflates.

If you must place a forward-facing child seat in front, movethe vehicle seat as far back aspossible, and properly restrainthe child.

When buying a child seat, you needto choose between a conventionalchild seat, or one designed for usewith the Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children (LATCH) system.

Since LATCH-compatible child seatsare easier to install and reduce thepossibility of improper installation,we recommend selecting this style.

Whatever type of seat you choose, toprovide proper protection, a childseat should meet threerequirements:

Look for FMVSS213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.

Rear-facing for infants, forward-facing for small children.

Before purchasing a conventionalchild seat, or using a previouslypurchased one, we recommend thatyou test the seat in the specificvehicle seating position, or positions,where the seat will be used.

Conventional child seats must besecured to a vehicle with a seat belt,whereas LATCH-compatible seatsare secured by attaching the seat tohardware built into the two second-row seat.

We also recommend selecting aLATCH-compatible seat with a rigid,rather than a flexible, anchor (seepage ).

In seating positions and vehicles notequipped with LATCH, a LATCH-compatible child seat can be installedusing a seat belt.

42

Selecting a Child Seat


The child seat should meet U.S. orCanadian Motor Vehicle SafetyStandard 213.

The child seat should be of theproper type and size to fit the child.

The child seat should fit thevehicle seating position (orpositions) where it will be used.

1.

2.

3.

40

After selecting a proper child seat,and a good place to install the seat,there are three main steps ininstalling the seat:

All child seats must besecured to the vehicle with the lappart of a lap/shoulder belt or withthe LATCH (Lower Anchors andTethers for Children) system. Achild whose seat is not properlysecured to the vehicle can beendangered in a crash.

After installing a childseat, push and pull the seatforward and from side to side toverify that it is secure.

A child seat secured with a seat beltshould be installed as firmly aspossible. However, it does not needto be ‘‘rock solid’’. Some side-to-sidemovement can be expected andshould not reduce the child seat’seffectiveness.

If the child seat is not secure, tryinstalling it in a different seatingposition, or use a different style ofchild seat that can be firmly secured.

Make sure the child is properlystrapped in the child seataccording to the child seat maker’sinstructions. A child who is notproperly secured in a child seatcan be seriously injured in a crash.

The following pages provideguidelines on how to properly installa child seat. A forward-facing childseat is used in all examples, but theinstructions are the same for a rear-facing child seat.

Installing a Child Seat


Properly secure the child seat tothe vehicle.

Make sure the child seat is firmlysecured.

Secure the child in the back seat.

1.

2.

3.

41

The location of each lower anchor ismarked with a small button abovethe point.

To install a LATCH-compatible childseat:

Move the seat belt buckle ortongue away from the loweranchors.

Make sure there are no objectsnear the anchors that couldprevent a secure connectionbetween the child seat andanchors.

Place the child seat on the vehicleseat, and attach the seat to thelower anchors according to thechild seat maker’s instructions.

Some LATCH-compatible seatshave a rigid-type connection asshown above.

Your vehicle is equipped withLATCH (Lower Anchors andTethers for Children) at the outersecond row seats. The lower anchorsare located between the seat-backand seat bottom, and are to be usedonly with a child seat designed foruse with LATCH.

1.

2.

3.



Installing a Child Seat UsingLATCH

42

RIGID TYPELOWER ANCHORS

MARKS

Make sure the strap is not twisted,then tighten the strap according tothe child seat maker’s instruction.

Push and pull the child seatforward and from side to side toverify that it is secure.

Whatever type you have, followthe child seat maker’s instructionsfor adjusting or tightening the fit.

Other LATCH-compatible seats havea flexible-type connection as shownabove.

Route the tether strap through thelegs of the head restraint, thenattach the hook to the anchoragepoint on the back of the seat back.

6.

4.

5.

7.



FLEXIBLE TYPE

When not using the LATCH system,all child seats must be secured to thevehicle with the lap part of a lap/shoulder belt.

In addition, the lap/shoulder belts inthe back seating positions, and in thefront passenger seat, have a lockingmechanism that must be activated tosecure a child seat.

With the child seat in the desiredseating position, route the beltthrough the child seat accordingto the seat maker’s instructions,then insert the latch plate into thebuckle.

To activate the lockable retractor,slowly pull the shoulder part of thebelt all the way out until it stops,then let the belt feed back into theretractor.

After the belt has retracted, tug onit. If the belt is locked, you will notbe able to pull it out. If you can pullthe belt out, it is not locked, andyou will need to repeat these steps.

1. 2.

3.



Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/Shoulder Belt

44

CONTINUED

To remove slack, it may help toput weight on the child seat, orpush on the back of the seat whilepulling up on the belt.

Push and pull the child seatforward and from side to side toverify that it is firmly secured. Ifthe child seat is not secure,unlatch the belt, allow it to retractfully, then repeat these steps.

To deactivate the lockingmechanism and remove a child seat,unlatch the buckle, unroute the seatbelt, and let the belt fully retract.

A child seat with a tether can beinstalled in any seating position inthe second or third row.

Since a tether can provide additionalsecurity to the lap/shoulder beltinstallation, we recommend using atether whenever one is required oravailable. (Tethers are required inCanada.)

Confirm that the belt is locked,then grab the shoulder part of thebelt near the buckle, and pull up toremove any slack from the lap partof the belt. Remember, if the lappart of the belt is not tight, thechild seat will not be secure.

4. 5.



Installing a Child Seat with aTether

45

Each second row seat has a tetheranchorage point behind the seatback.

After securing the child seat in thedesired position (see page ),route the tether strap over the topof the seat-back and between thehead restraint legs.

Attach the tether strap hook to theanchor as shown above, thentighten the strap according to thechild seat maker’s instructions.Make sure the strap is not twisted.

2.1.44



Second Row Installation

46

TETHER ANCHORAGE POINT

There are two anchorage points onthe tailgate sill.

Select the anchor point you wantto use. Raise the cargo area floor,and remove the cover with a smallflat-tipped screwdriver orfingernail file.

Follow steps 1 and 2 of the secondrow seat installation.

When a child reaches therecommended weight or height limitfor a forward-facing child seat, thechild should sit in a back seat on abooster and wear a lap/shoulder belt.

The following pages provideguidelines to help you decide when agiven child may ride in front, andhow to properly protect the child.

2.

1.

Installing a Child Seat, Protecting Larger Children


Third Row Installation Protecting Larger Children

47

Allowing a larger child age 12 orunder to sit in front can result ininjury or death if the passenger’sfront airbag inflates.

If a larger child must ride in front,move the vehicle seat as farback as possible, use a boosterseat if needed, and have thechild sit up properly and wearthe seat belt properly.

To determine if a lap/shoulder beltproperly fits a child, have the childput on the seat belt, then askyourself:

Does the child sit all the way backagainst the seat?

Do the child’s knees bendcomfortably over the edge of theseat?

Does the shoulder belt crossbetween the child’s neck and arm?

Is the lap part of the belt as low aspossible, touching the child’sthighs?

Will the child be able to stayseated like this for the whole trip?

If you answer yes to all thesequestions, the child is ready to wearthe lap/shoulder belt correctly. Ifyou answer no to any question, thechild needs to ride on a booster seat. A child who has outgrown a forward-

facing child seat should ride in aback seat and use a booster seatuntil the lap/shoulder belt fits themproperly without the booster.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Protecting Larger Children


Checking Seat Belt Fit Using a Booster Seat

48

Some states also require children touse a booster until they reach agiven age or weight (e.g., 6 years or60 lbs). Be sure to check currentlaws in the state or states where youintend to drive.

Booster seats can be high-back orlow-back. Whichever style you select,make sure the booster meets federalsafety standards (see page ) andthat you follow the booster seatmaker’s instructions.

If a child who uses a booster mustride in front, move the vehicle seatas far to the rear as possible, and besure the child is wearing the seatbelt properly.

A child may continue using a boosterseat until the tops of their ears areeven with the top of the vehicle’s orbooster’s seat-back. A child of thisheight should be tall enough to usethe lap/shoulder belt without a

booster.

Even then, the child may still need touse a booster seat. Note that somestates now require children to useboosters until they reach a certainage and/or weight. Be sure to checkcurrent laws in the state or stateswhere you intend to drive.

We strongly recommend that a childwho used a booster ride in a backseat, not the front. Even if thepassenger’s front airbag is off, aback seat is the safest place for thechild.

The National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration and TransportCanada recommend that all childrenages 12 and under be properlyrestrained in the back seat.

Even with advanced front airbag, theback seat is the safest place for achild of any age or size.

If the passenger’s front airbag is on,and it inflates in a moderate tosevere frontal collision, the airbagcan cause serious injuries to a childwho is unrestrained, improperlyrestrained, sitting too close to theairbag, or out of position.

The side airbag also poses risks. Ifany part of a larger child’s body is inthe path of a deploying side airbag,the child could receive possiblyserious injuries.

33


When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front


To safely ride in front, a child mustbe able to follow the rules, includingsitting properly, and wearing the seatbelt properly throughout a ride.

Physically, a child must be largeenough for the lap/shoulder belt toproperly fit (see page ). If the seatbelt does not fit properly, with orwithout the child sitting on a booster,the child should not sit in the front.

If you decide that a child can safelyride up front, be sure to:

Carefully read the owner’s manual,and make sure you understand allseat belt instructions and all safetyinformation.

Move the vehicle seat to the rear-most position.

Have the child sit up straight, backagainst the seat, and feet on ornear the floor.

Check that the child’s seat belt isproperly and securely positioned.

Supervise the child. Even maturechildren sometimes need to bereminded to fasten the seat beltsor sit properly.

This could result inserious neck injuries during a crash.

This could causevery serious injuries during a crash.It also increases the chance that thechild will slide under the belt in acrash and be injured.

If they do, they couldbe very seriously injured in a crash.

Devices intended to improve achild’s comfort or reposition theshoulder part of a seat belt can makethe belt less effective, and increasethe chance of serious injury in acrash.

Of course, children vary widely. Andwhile age may be one indicator ofwhen a child can safely ride in front.There are other important factorsyou should consider.

48



Maturity

Physical Size

Additional Safety PrecautionsDo not let a child wear a seat beltacross the neck.

Do not let a child put the shoulderpart of a seat belt behind the back orunder the arm.

Two children should never use thesame seat belt.

Do not put any accessories on a seatbelt.

50

Your vehicle’s exhaust containscarbon monoxide gas. You shouldhave no problem with carbonmonoxide entering the vehicle innormal driving if you maintain yourvehicle properly.Have the exhaust system inspectedfor leaks whenever:

The vehicle is raised for an oilchange.You notice a change in the soundof the exhaust.The vehicle was in an accidentthat may have damaged the under-side.

High levels of carbon monoxide cancollect rapidly in enclosed areas,such as a garage. Do not run theengine with the garage door closed.Even with the door open, run theengine only long enough to move thevehicle out of the garage.

With the tailgate open, air flow canpull exhaust gas into your vehicle’sinterior and create a hazardouscondition. If you must drive with thetailgate open, open all the windowsand set the heating and coolingsystem/climate control system asshown below.

If you must sit in your parked vehicle,even in an unconfined area, with theengine running, adjust the heatingand cooling system/climate controlsystem as follows:

Select the Fresh Air mode.Select the mode.Turn the fan on high speed.Set the temperature control to acomfortable setting.

1.2.3.4.

Carbon Monoxide Hazard


Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.Breathing it can causeunconsciousness and even killyou.

Avoid any enclosed areas oractivities that expose you tocarbon monoxide.

These labels are in the locationsshown. They warn you of potentialhazards that could cause seriousinjury. Read these labels carefully.

If a label comes off or becomes hardto read (except for the U.S.dashboard label which is removed bythe owner), contact your Acuradealer for a replacement.

U.S. models only

Safety Labels


RADIATOR CAP

HOOD

DASHBOARD

BATTERY LABEL

U.S. models

Canadian models

Canadian modelsU.S. modelsOn vehicles with side curtain airbags

Safety Labels


SUN VISOR DOORJAMBS

This section gives information aboutthe controls and displays thatcontribute to the daily operation ofyour Acura. All the essential controlsare within easy reach.

...........................Control Locations . 56............................Instrument Panel . 57

....................Instrument Indicators . 58.............................................Gauges . 66

Controls Near the Steering...........................................Wheel . 68

Windshield Wipers and...................................Washers . 69

Rear Window Wiper and.....................................Washer . 71

...........Turn Signal and Headlights . 72........Instrument Panel Brightness . 74

.................Hazard Warning Button . 74

.................Rear Window Defogger . 75.........................................Fog Light . 75

..........Steering Wheel Adjustment . 76..................................................Keys . 77

........................Immobilizer System . 78................................Ignition Switch . 79

......................................Door Locks . 80.......................Remote Transmitter . 81

.................................................Seats . 84....................................Seat Heaters . 89

..............................Power Windows . 90.........................................Moonroof . 91

.................................Parking Brake . 92

.............................................Mirrors . 92Driving Position Memory

..........................................System . 94.................................Interior Lights . 96

...........Interior Convenience Items . 98.......................Beverage Holders . 99

...............Console Compartment . 99....................................Glove Box . 99

...................Rear Compartment . 100.............................Cargo Hooks . 100

...................................Sun Visor . 100............................Vanity Mirror . 100

........Accessory Power Sockets . 101

Instruments and Controls


55

Control Locations

Instruments and Controls56

MIRRORCONTROLS

HOOD RELEASEHANDLE

PARKING BRAKEPEDAL

REAR A/C CONTROL ACCESSORY POWER SOCKET

GLOVE BOX

AUDIO SYSTEM

CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEMGAUGES

POWER DOOR LOCKSWITCHES

POWER WINDOWSWITCHES

FUEL FILL DOORRELEASE

INSTRUMENT PANEL (P.57)(P.66)

(P.80)

(P.92)

(P.90)

(P.160)

(P.159) (P.92)(P.109) (P.101)

(P.110)

(P.99)

(P.104)

＊

The U.S. instrument panel is shown. Differences for the Canadian models are noted in the text.CONTINUED

Instrument Panel

Instruments and Controls 57

VEHICLE STABILITY ASSISTSYSTEM (VSA) INDICATOR

MALFUNCTION INDICATORLAMP

LOW OIL PRESSUREINDICATOR

IMMOBILIZER SYSTEMINDICATOR

SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINTSYSTEM INDICATOR

DOOR AND TAILGATEOPEN MONITORTIRE PRESSURE MONITOR

LOW FUEL INDICATOR

LIGHTS ONINDICATOR

WASHER LEVELINDICATOR

SEAT BELTREMINDERINDICATOR

PARKINGBRAKE ANDBRAKESYSTEMINDICATOR

TPMS INDICATOR

LOW TIRE PRESSUREINDICATOR

BRAKE LAMPINDICATOR

VSA ACTIVATIONINDICATOR

SIDE AIRBAG OFFINDICATOR

ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEMINDICATOR

CRUISE CONTROLINDICATOR

HIGH BEAM INDICATOR

MAINTENANCEREQUIREDINDICATOR

VTM-4 INDICATOR

A/T TEMPERATUREINDICATOR

(P.243)

(P.58)

(P.58)

(P.65)

CHARGING SYSTEMINDICATOR

(P.62)

(P.62)

(P.60)/(P.60, 64)

(P.61)

(P.63)

(P.61)

(P.61)

(P.58)

(P.59)

(P.59)

(P.61)

(P.62)

(P.58)

(P.58)

(P.64)

(P.64)

(P.59)

(P.60)

(P.63)

The instrument panel has manyindicators to give you importantinformation about your vehicle.

This indicator comes on when youturn the ignition switch to ON (II). Itis a reminder to you and yourpassengers to fasten your seat belts.A beeper also sounds if you have notfastened your seat belt.

If you turn the ignition switch to ON(II) before fastening your seat belt,the beeper sounds and the indicatorflashes. If you do not fasten yourseat belt before the beeper stops, theindicator stops flashing but remainson.

If you continue driving withoutfastening your seat belt, the beepersounds and the indicator flashesagain at regular intervals.

See page .

The engine can be severely damagedif this indicator flashes or stays onwhen the engine is running. Formore information, see page .

If this indicator comes on when theengine is running, the battery is notbeing charged. For more information,see page .

This indicator comes on when youturn the ignition switch to ON (II). Ifit comes on at any other time, itindicates that the passenger’s sideairbag has automatically shut off.For more information, see page .

This indicator comes on when youturn the ignition switch to ON (II). Ifit comes on at any other time, itindicates a potential problem withyour front airbags or automatic seatbelt tensioners. This indicator willalso alert you to a potential problemwith your side airbags, passenger’sside airbag automatic cutoff system,driver’s seat position sensor, frontpassenger’s weight sensors, or sidecurtain airbags. For completeinformation, see page .

243

242

242

29

28

Instrument Panel Indicators


Seat Belt ReminderIndicator

Malfunction IndicatorLamp

Low Oil PressureIndicator

Charging SystemIndicator

Supplemental RestraintSystem Indicator

Side Airbag Off Indicator

58

This indicator has two functions:

This indicator comes on when youturn the ignition switch to ON (II).It is a reminder to check theparking brake. A beeper sounds ifyou try to drive with the parkingbrake not fully released. Drivingwith the parking brake not fullyreleased can damage the brakesand tires.

This indicator normally comes on fora few seconds when you turn theignition switch to ON (II), and whenthe ignition switch is turned toSTART (III). If it comes on at anyother time, there is a problem in theABS. If this happens, have yourvehicle checked by your Acuradealer. With this indicator on, yourvehicle still has normal brakingability but no anti-lock. For moreinformation, see page .

This indicator comes on for a fewseconds when you turn the ignitionswitch to ON (II). It will go off if youhave inserted a properly-codedignition key. If it is not a properly-coded key, the indicator will blinkand the engine will not start (seepage ).

This indicator also blinks severaltimes when you turn the ignitionswitch from ON (II) to ACCESSORY(I) or LOCK (0).

If it remains on after you fullyrelease the parking brake whilethe engine is running, or if itcomes on while driving, therecould be a problem with the brakesystem. For more information, seepage .

1.

2.

244

181

78



Parking Brake and Brake SystemIndicator

Anti-lock Brake System(ABS) Indicator

Immobilizer SystemIndicator

59

U.S. Canada

The left or right turn signal indicatorblinks when you signal a lane changeor turn. If the indicator does notblink or blinks rapidly, it usuallymeans one of the turn signal bulbs isburned out. Replace the bulb as soonas possible, since other driverscannot see that you are signaling(see page ).

If a brake light does not work, theindicator comes on

when you push the brake pedal withthe ignition switch to ON (II).

A burned out brake light is a hazardwhen drivers behind you cannot tellyou are braking. Replace the bulb assoon as possible (see page ).

The appropriate indicator comes onin this display if the tailgate or anydoor is not closed tightly.

All of the indicators in the monitordisplay come on for a few secondswhen you turn the ignition switch toON (II).

When you push the hazard warningbutton, both turn signal lights blink.All turn signals on the outside of thevehicle should flash.

216215


Turn Signal andHazard WarningIndicators

Brake Lamp Indicator Door and Tailgate Open Monitor


60

BRAKE LAMP

This indicator comes on when youturn the ignition switch to ON (II)with the headlight switch off and theparking brake set. It should go off ifyou turn on the headlights or releasethe parking brake. If it comes on atany other time, it means there is aproblem with the DRL. There mayalso be a problem with the highbeam headlights.

This indicator comes on when youset the cruise control. See page

for information on operating thecruise control.

This indicator comes on with thehigh beam headlights. See page

for information on the headlightcontrols.

On Canadian models, this indicatorcomes on with reduced brightnesswhen the Daytime Running Lights(DRL) are on (see page ).

This indicator comes on as areminder that you must refuel soon.

This indicator comes on when thewasher fluid level is low. Add washerfluid when you see this indicatorcomes on (see page ).

72

74

209

144

Canadian models only


‘‘Daytime RunningLights’’ Indicator

Cruise Control Indicator

High Beam Indicator

Low Fuel Indicator

Washer Level Indicator


61

On vehicles with automatic lighting (seepage )

U.S. models only

73This indicator monitors thetemperature of the automatictransmission fluid. The indicatorshould come on for a few secondswhen you turn the ignition switch toON (II). If it comes on while driving,it indicates the transmission fluidtemperature is too high. Pull to theside of the road when it is safe, shiftto Park, and let the engine idle untilthe indicator goes out.

This indicator normally comes on fora few seconds when you turn theignition switch to ON (II). If thisindicator comes on at any other time,there is a problem in the 4WDsystem. Take the vehicle to yourdealer to have it checked.

This indicator reminds you that theexterior lights are on. It comes onwhen the light switch is in either the

or position. This indicatorwill also come on when the lightswitch is in AUTO and the lightsturn on automatically. If you turn theignition switch to ACCESSORY (I)or LOCK (0) without turning off thelight switch, this indicator willremain on. A reminder chime willalso sound when you open the driver’sdoor.

If the indicator blinks while driving,pull to the side of the road when it issafe, shift to Park, and let the engineidle until the indicator goes out.


Lights On Indicator A/T TemperatureIndicator

VTM-4 Indicator


62

Continuing to drive with the A/TTemperature indicator lit may causeserious damage to the transmission.

Continuing to drive with the VTM-4indicator blinking may cause seriousdamage to the system.

This indicator has three functions:

It flashes when VSA is active (seepage ).

It comes on along with the VSAsystem indicator if there is aproblem with the VSA system.

This indicator normally comes on fora few seconds when you turn theignition switch to ON (II). See page

for more information on theVSA system.

This indicator normally comes on fora few seconds when you turn theignition switch to ON (II). It comes on as a reminder that you

have turned off the VehicleStability Assist (VSA) system.If it comes on and stays on at any

other time, or it does not come onwhen you turn the ignition switch toON (II), there is a problem with theVSA system. Have your vehiclechecked by your Acura dealer.Without VSA, your vehicle still hasnormal driving ability, but will nothave VSA traction and stabilityenhancement. See page for moreinformation on the VSA system.

1.

2.

3.

183

183

183


Vehicle Stability Assist(VSA) System Indicator

VSA Activation Indicator


63

This indicator normally comes on fora few seconds when you turn theignition to ON (II).

This indicator normally comes on fora few seconds when you turn theignition to ON (II).If it comes on while driving, itindicates that one or more of yourvehicle’s tires are extremely low onpressure.If this happens, pull to the side of theroad when it is safe, check which tirehas lost the pressure on the TirePressure Monitor, and determine thecause. If it is because of a flat tire,replace the flat tire with the compactspare (see page ), and have theflat tire repaired as soon as possible.If two or more tires are underinflated,call a professional towing service(see page ). Refer to page

for more information.

The appropriate tire indicator willcome on along with the Low TirePressure Indicator if a tire isextremely under inflated or hassuddenly lost pressure. See Low TirePressure Indicator for what to do ifthis indicator comes on.

If this indicator comes on and stayson at any other time, or it does notcome on when you turn the ignitionswitch to ON (II), there is a problemwith the TPMS. With this indicatoron, the low tire pressure indicatorand the tire pressure monitor will notcome on when a tire loses pressure.Take the vehicle to your dealer tohave the system checked.231

244178



Tire Pressure MonitoringSystem (TPMS) Indicator

Low Tire PressureIndicator

Tire Pressure Monitor

64

Between 6,000 miles (9,600 km) and7,500 miles (12,000 km), it will lightfor 2 seconds when you first turn theignition switch to ON (II), and thenflash for 10 seconds.

If you exceed 7,500 miles (12,000km) without having the scheduledmaintenance performed, thisindicator will remain on as a constantreminder.

Your dealer will reset this indicatorafter completing the scheduledmaintenance. If this maintenance isdone by someone other than yourAcura dealer, reset the indicator asfollows.

This indicator reminds you that it istime to take your vehicle in forscheduled maintenance.Refer to the Maintenance Schedulesfor Normal and Severe DrivingConditions on pages and .

For the first 6,000 miles (9,600 km)after the Maintenance RequiredIndicator is reset, it will come on for2 seconds when you turn the ignitionswitch to ON (II). Turn off the engine.

Press and hold the Select andReset buttons on the instrumentpanel, then turn the ignition switchto ON (II).

Hold the buttons forapproximately 10 seconds until theindicator goes off.

1.

2.

3.

199 200



Maintenance RequiredIndicator

65

RESET BUTTON

SELECT BUTTON

This shows the total distance yourvehicle has been driven. It measuresmiles in U.S. models and kilometersin the Canadian models.It is illegal under U.S. federal law andCanadian provincial regulations todisconnect, reset, or alter theodometer with the intent to changethe number of miles or kilometersindicated.

This shows how much fuel you have.It may show slightly more or lessthan the actual amount. The needlereturns to the bottom after you turnoff the ignition.

Gauges


Odometer

Fuel Gauge

66

NOTICE:

TACHOMETER TEMPERATUREGAUGE

FUEL GAUGESPEEDOMETER

TRIP METER RESETBUTTON

TRIP METER

ODOMETER

TRIP METERSELECTBUTTON

Avoid driving with anextremely low f uel level. Running outof f uel could cause the engine tomisf ire, damaging the catalyticconverter.

This meter shows the number ofmiles (U.S.) or kilometers (Canada)driven since you last reset it.

This shows the temperature of theengine’s coolant. During normaloperation, the pointer should rise toabout the middle of the gauge. Insevere driving conditions, the pointermay rise to the upper white mark. Ifit reaches the red (Hot) mark, pullsafely to the side of the road. Turn topage for instructions andprecautions on checking the engine’scooling system.

To reset a trip meter, display it, andthen press and hold the Reset buttonuntil the number resets to ‘‘0.0’’.Both trip meters will reset if thevehicle’s battery goes dead or isdisconnected.

There are two trip meters: Trip Aand Trip B. Switch between thesedisplays by pressing the Selectbutton repeatedly. Each trip meterworks independently, so you cankeep track of two different distances.When you turn the ignition switchON (II), what you last selected isdisplayed.

240

Gauges


Trip Meter Temperature Gauge

67

SELECT BUTTON

RESET BUTTON

＊

＊

To use the horn, press the pad around the ‘‘A’’ logo.


Controls Near the Steering Wheel

68

REAR WINDOWDEFOGGER

VTM-4 LOCKINSTRUMENT PANELBRIGHTNESS

FOG LIGHTS

HEADLIGHTS/TURN SIGNALS

REMOTE AUDIOCONTROLS

HORN

CRUISE CONTROL

VEHICLE STABILITYASSIST SYSTEM OFFSWITCH

STEERING WHEEL ADJUSTMENT WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS

(P.72)

(P.75)

CRUISE CONTROL(P.144)

(P.184)

(P.128)

(P.76)

(P.74)(P.176)

(P.75)

(P.74)

(P.69)

(P.30)(P.144)PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF INDICATOR

HAZARD WARNINGBUTTON

OFFINT : Intermittent

: Low speed: High speed

MISTWindshield Washers

Turn the rotary switch at the end ofthe lever or push down or pull thelever to select a position.

The wipers are not activated.

The length of the wiperinterval is variedautomatically according to thevehicle’s speed.

Vary the delay by turning theINT TIME ring. If you turn itto the shortest delay, thewipers will change to lowspeed operation when thevehicle speed exceeds 12 mph(20 km/h).

: The wipers run at low speed.

: The wipers run at high speed.

The wipers run at high speeduntil you release the lever.

: Pull the wipercontrol lever toward you andhold it. The washers sprayuntil you release the lever.The wipers run at low speed,then complete one moresweep after you release thelever.

1.2.3.4.5.6.

Windshield Wipers and Washers


OFF:

INT:

MIST:

Windshield Washer

69

Touring Model

The automatic wiper system sensesrainfall and automatically turns onthe windshield wipers. To enablesensing, turn the rotary switch at theend of the wiper lever to AUTO.

When the system senses rainfall, itturns on the windshield wipers andvaries their speed (intermittent, lowspeed, or high speed) depending onhow hard it is raining.

When the rotary switch is in the(low speed) or (high speed)position, the windshield wipers runat that speed. Automatic sensing isdisabled.

You can adjust the sensitivity of thesystem by turning the AUTO SENSring next to the rotary switch.



Automatic Wipers

70

The rainfall sensor is located in thewindshield near the rearview mirror.If the sensor is covered with mud, oil,dust, etc., the wipers may notoperate properly or may operateunexpectedly.

The rear window wiper switch islocated next to the windshield wiperswitch.

Do not put the wiper switch inAUTO when driving through a carwash.

OFFONTurn and hold to use the wiperand washer.

1.2.3.



Rear Window Wiper and Washer

71

RAINFALL SENSOR

－

－－

Push down on theleft lever to signal a left turn and upto signal a right turn. To signal a lanechange, push lightly on the lever andhold it. The lever will return tocenter when you release it orcomplete a turn.

When the light switch is in either ofthese positions, the Lights Onindicator comes on as a reminder.This light remains on if you leave thelight switch on and turn the ignitionswitch to ACCESSORY (I) or LOCK(0).

To turn on, pull thelever back until you hear a click. Theblue high beam indicator will comeon (see page ). Pull it back againto return to low beams.

To flash the high beams, pull thelever back lightly, then release it.The high beams will stay on as longas you hold the lever back.

Rotating the switchon the left lever to the ‘‘ ’’position turns on the parking lights,taillights, instrument panel lights,side-marker lights, and rear licenseplate lights.

Turning the switch to the ‘‘ ’’position turns on the headlights. Ifyou leave the lights on with the keyremoved from the ignition switch,you will hear a reminder chime whenyou open the driver’s door.

Turn signalOffParking and indicator lightsAUTOHeadlights onHigh beamsFlash high beams

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.

61


Turn Signal and Headlights Turn Signal

High BeamsHeadlights

Turn Signal, Headlights

72

－ The Automatic Lightingfeature turns on the headlights, allother exterior lights, and theinstrument panel lights when itsenses low ambient light.

To turn on automatic lighting, turnthe light switch to AUTO at any time.The lights will come on automaticallywhen the outside light level becomeslow (at dusk, for example). TheLights On indicator comes on as areminder. The lights and indicatorwill turn off automatically when thesystem senses high ambient light.

The lights will remain on when youturn off the ignition switch. They willturn off automatically when you openthe driver’s door. To turn them onagain, either turn the ignition switchto ON (II) or turn the light switch to

.

Even with the automatic lightingfeature turned on, we recommendthat you turn on the lights manuallywhen driving at night or in a densefog, or when you enter dark areas,such as long tunnels or parkingstructures.

Do not leave the light switch inAUTO if you will not be driving thevehicle for an extended period (aweek or more). You should also turnoff the lights if you plan to leave theengine idling or the engine off for along time.

The automatic lighting feature iscontrolled by a sensor located on topof the dashboard. Do not cover thissensor or spill liquids on it.

Headlights


AUTO

73

LIGHT SENSOR

With the headlight switch off, thehigh beam headlights come on withreduced brightness when you turnthe ignition switch to ON (II) andrelease the parking brake. Theyremain on until you turn the ignitionoff, even if you set the parking brake.

The headlights revert to normaloperation when you turn them onwith the switch.

The dial on the instrument panelcontrols the brightness of theinstrument panel lights. Turn the dialto adjust the brightness.

Push the red button to the right ofthe display to turn on the hazardwarning lights (four-way flashers).This causes all four outside turnsignals and both indicators in theinstrument panel to flash. Use thehazard warning lights if you need topark in a dangerous area near heavytraffic, or if your vehicle is disabled.

Canadian ModelsDaytime Running Lights Instrument Panel Brightness Hazard Warning Button


Headlights, Instrument Panel Brightness, Hazard Warning Button

74

INSTRUMENT PANEL BRIGHTNESSCONTROL DIAL

Make sure the rear window is clearand you have good visibility beforestarting to drive.

Turn the fog lights on and off bypressing the button. The indicator inthe button lights to show the foglights are on.

You can use the fog lights only whenthe headlights are on low beam.They will go off when you turn theheadlights off or onto high beam.

The rear window defogger will clearfog, frost, and thin ice from thewindow. Push the defogger button toturn it on and off. The indicator inthe button lights to show thedefogger is on. If you do not turn itoff, the defogger will shut itself offafter about 15 minutes. It also shutsoff when you turn off the ignition.You have to turn it on again whenyou restart the vehicle.

The defogger wires on the inside ofthe rear window can be accidentallydamaged. When cleaning the glass,always wipe side to side.

Rear Window Defogger Fog Lights

Rear Window Defogger, Fog Lights


See page for important safetyinformation about how to properlyposition the steering wheel.

16

Make any steering wheel adjustmentbefore you start driving.

Push the lever under the steeringcolumn all the way down.

Move the steering wheel so itpoints toward your chest, nottoward your face. Make sure youcan see the instrument panelgauges and indicators.

Push the lever up to lock thesteering wheel in position.

Make sure you have securelylocked the steering wheel in placeby trying to move it up and down.

3.

4.

1.

2.

Steering Wheel Adjustment


Adjusting the steering wheelposition while driving maycause you to lose control of thevehicle and be seriously injuredin a crash.

Adjust the steering wheel onlywhen the vehicle is stopped.

The master key fits all the locks onyour vehicle. The valet key worksonly in the ignition and the doorlocks. You can keep the glove boxlocked when you leave your vehicleand the valet key at a parking facility.

You should have received a keynumber tag with your keys. You willneed this key number if you everhave to get a lost key replaced. Useonly an Acura-approved key blank.

These keys contain electroniccircuits that are activated by theImmobilizer System. They will notwork to start the engine if thecircuits are damaged.

Protect the keys from directsunlight, high temperature, andhigh humidity.

Do not drop the keys or set heavyobjects on them.

Keep the keys away from liquids.If they get wet, dry themimmediately with a soft cloth.

The keys do not contain batteries.Do not try to take them apart.

Keys


KEYNUMBERTAG

MASTERKEYS(BLACK)

VALET KEY(GRAY)

The Immobilizer System protectsyour vehicle from theft. If animproperly-coded key (or otherdevice) is used, the engine’s fuelsystem is disabled.

When you turn the ignition switch toON (II), the Immobilizer Systemindicator should come on for a fewseconds, then go out. If the indicatorstarts to blink, it means the systemdoes not recognize the coding of thekey. Turn the ignition switch toLOCK (0), remove the key, reinsertit, and turn the switch to ON (II)again.

The system may not recognize yourkey’s coding if another immobilizerkey or other metal object (i.e. keyfob) is near the ignition switch whenyou insert the key.

If the system repeatedly does notrecognize the coding of your key,contact your Acura dealer.

Do not attempt to alter this systemor add other devices to it. Electricalproblems could result that may makeyour vehicle undriveable.

If you have lost your key and cannotstart the engine, contact your Acuradealer.

As required by the FCC:This device complies with Part 15 of theFCC rules. Operation is subject to thefollowing two conditions: (1) This devicemay not cause harmful interference, and(2) this device must accept anyinterference received, includinginterference that may cause undesiredoperation.

Changes or modifications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible forcompliance could void the user’sauthority to operate the equipment.

This device complies with IndustryCanada Standard RSS-210.Operation is subject to the following twoconditions: (1) this device may not causeinterference, and (2) this device mustaccept any interference that may causeundesired operation of the device.

Immobilizer System


－

－

－

－

The ignition switch has fourpositions: LOCK (0), ACCESSORY(I), ON (II), and START (III).

You can insert orremove the key only in this position.To turn the key, the shift lever mustbe in Park, and you must push thekey in slightly.

If the front wheels are turned, theanti-theft lock may make it difficultto turn the key. Firmly turn thesteering wheel to the left or right asyou turn the key.

You canoperate the audio system and theaccessory power sockets in thisposition.

This is the normal keyposition when driving. Several of theindicators on the instrument panelcome on as a test when you turn theignition switch from ACCESSORY(I) to ON (II).

Use this positiononly to start the engine. The switchreturns to ON (II) when you let go ofthe key.

You will hear a reminder beeper ifyou leave the key in the ignitionswitch in the LOCK (0) orACCESSORY (I) position and openthe driver’s door. Remove the key toturn off the beeper.

The shift lever must be in Parkbefore you can remove the key fromthe ignition switch.

LOCK (0)

ACCESSORY (I)

ON (II)

START (III)

Ignition Switch


The childproof door locks aredesigned to prevent children seatedin the rear from accidentally openingthe rear doors. Each rear door has alock lever near the edge. With thelever in the LOCK position, the doorcannot be opened from the insideregardless of the position of the locktab. To open the door, pull the locktab up and use the outside doorhandle.

To lock all doors and the tailgate,press the master door lock switch oneither front door, press the lock tabdown on the driver’s door, or use thekey on the outside lock on the driver’sdoor.

Pressing up on either master doorlock switch will unlock all of thedoors and the tailgate.

With the driver’s door open and thekey in the ignition, both master doorlock switches are disabled. They arenot disabled if the driver’s door isclosed. Pushing the switch down onthe open passenger’s door will lockall doors and the tailgate.

To open the tailgate, pull the handle,then lift up. To close the tailgate, usethe inner handle to pull it down, thenpress down on the back edge.

Keep the tailgate closed at all timeswhile driving to avoid damaging thetailgate and to prevent exhaust gasfrom getting into the interior. See

on page.

The lock tab on any door locks andunlocks that door. To unlock the

driver’s door from the outside, turnthe key and release it. If you turnand hold it, all doors and the tailgateunlock.

51

Door Locks


Childproof Door Locks

Tailgate

Carbon Monoxide Hazard

Lockout Prevention

80

LOCK LEVER

MASTER DOOR LOCK SWITCH

LOCK TAB

－－

－

Press this button onceto unlock the driver’s door and thetailgate. Push it twice to unlock theother doors. Some exterior andinterior lights will flash twice whenyou push the button. If you do notopen any door or the tailgate within30 seconds, they will automaticallyrelock.

When you press the UNLOCKbutton, the front and rear individualmap lights and the cargo area light,depending on their switch positions,will come on (see page ). If youdo not open any door or the tailgate,the lights stay on for about 30seconds, then go out. If you relockthe doors and the tailgate with theremote transmitter before 30seconds have elapsed, the lights willgo off immediately.

Press this button forabout 1 second to attract attention;the horn will sound and the exteriorlights will flash for about 30 seconds.To cancel panic mode, press anyother button on the remotetransmitter or turn the ignitionswitch to ON (II).

Avoid dropping or throwing thetransmitter.Protect the transmitter fromextreme temperature.Do not immerse the transmitter inany liquid.

Press this button once tolock all doors and the tailgate. Someexterior and interior lights will flash.When you push LOCK twice within 5seconds, you will hear a beep toverify that the doors and tailgate arelocked and the security system hasset. This button does not work if anydoor or tailgate is not fully closed.

If you lose a transmitter, thereplacement needs to bereprogrammed by an Acura dealer.

96


Remote Transmitter

UNLOCK PANIC

LOCK

Remote Transmitter Care

81

LED

UNLOCKBUTTON

PANICBUTTON

LOCKBUTTON

＋

If it takes several pushes on thebutton to lock or unlock the doorsand the tailgate, replace the batteryas soon as possible.

To replace the battery, place a clothon the edge of the transmitter andremove the upper half by carefullyprying on the edge with a small flat-tip screwdriver. Remove the oldbattery and insert a new battery withthe side facing up. Snap the twohalves of the transmitter case backtogether.

Battery type: CR2025





Replacing the TransmitterBattery

Remote Transmitter

82

On Touring Model

You can turn the driving positionmemory activation off and on. Toturn it off, press and hold the LOCKand UNLOCK buttons at the sametime for about one second. The LEDin the remote transmitter will blinktwice. Then release the buttons.

To turn it back on, repeat thisprocedure. The LED will come onfor one second to indicate thefeature has been turned on.

Each remote transmitter will alsoactivate the Driving PositionMemory System (see page ).When you unlock the driver’s doorwith the remote transmitter, you willhear a beep. The driver’s seat andoutside mirrors move to thepositions stored in that memorylocation. You will hear two beepswhen the movement is complete.

If the seat and mirrors are already inthe proper positions, you will hearthree beeps when you open the door.

The driving position memoryactivated (Memory 1, Memory 2) isshown on the back of eachtransmitter. Make sure you storeyour desired driving position in thememory that is activated by thetransmitter you normally carry.

94


Remote Transmitter

Recalling a Memorized DrivingPosition

83

With Memory 1 With Memory 2

－See pages for important safetyinformation and warnings about how toproperly position seats and seat-backs.

11 12

The controls for the poweradjustable front seats are on theoutside edge of each seat bottom.You can adjust the seats with theignition switch in any position. Makeall seat adjustments before you startdriving.

Adjusts the seat-backangle forward orbackward.

Moves the seat forwardand backward.

On the Touring Package, you canonly adjust the passenger seat-backangle, lumbar support, and move theseat bottom forward and backward.

Increases or decreasesthe lumbar support.(Driver’s touring seatonly)

Moves the front of theseat up or down and therear of the seat up ordown.

Raises or lowers the seat.

Seats


Front Seat Power Adjustments

84

－

To adjust the seat forward andbackward, pull up on the lever underthe seat cushion’s front edge. Movethe seat to the desired position andrelease the lever. Try to move theseat to make sure it is locked inposition.

Vary the lumbar support by movingthe lever on the right side of theseat-back. Move the lever forward orbackward to adjust the lumbarsupport through its full range.

To change the seat-back angle of thefront seats, pull up on the lever onthe outside of the seat bottom.

Make all seat adjustments beforeyou start driving.

See pages for important safetyinformation and warnings about how toproperly position seats and seat-backs.

Without Touring Package


11 12

Seats


Driver’s Manual Lumbar SupportPassenger Manual SeatAdjustments

85

See page for important safetyinformation and a warning about how toproperly position the head restraints.

13

They are most effective when youadjust them so the back of theoccupant’s head rests against thecenter of the restraint.

Your vehicle is equipped with headrestraints in all seating positions tohelp protect you and yourpassengers from whiplash and otherinjuries.

The head restraints adjust for height.You need both hands to adjust therestraint. Do not attempt to adjust itwhile driving. To raise it, pull upward.To lower the restraint, push therelease button sideways, and pushthe restraint down.

To unlatch the detachable anchor,insert a key into the slot on the sideof the small buckle. Line up thetriangle marks on the plate andbuckle when reattaching the belt andbuckle.

Head Restraints Detachable Seat Belt Anchors

Seats


RELEASE BUTTON

SMALL LATCH PLATE

TRIANGULAR MARKS

Using a seat belt with thedetachable anchor unlatchedincreases the chance of seriousinjury or death in a crash.

Before using the seat belt,make sure the detachableanchor is correctly latched.

The left and right halves can befolded up separately.

To get into the third row seats, pullup the lever on the side of thepassenger’s side second row seat-back. The seat-back will tilt forward,and the seat will slide forward.

After you return the seat-back to theupright position, push the whole seatbackwards until it latches. Makesure the seat is fully latched beforesitting in it.

To change the seat-back angle of theseats in the second row, pull up onthe handle on the outside of the seat-back.

If you are folding the left half ofthe seat, use the ignition key torelease the center seat belt fromthe detachable anchor. Allow theseat belt to retract into the roof.Insert the latch plate into the roofholder.

Lower the head restraint to itslowest position.

Pull up the handle on the outsideof the seat-back.

Fold the seat-back forward.

Reverse this procedure to return theseat to the upright position. Makesure the seat is locked securelybefore driving.

2.

3.

1.

4.

Folding the Second SeatAdjusting the Second Seat Third Row Access

Seats


HANDLE RELEASE LEVER

Store the head restraints in thestorage compartment. Make surethe head restraints are face up(storing them face down candamage the compartment or theheadrests), then insert the shaftsinto the holes in the sides of thestorage compartment.

Pull on the handle on the back of theseat-back, move the seat-back to thedesired position, and release thehandle. Let the seat-back latch in thenew position.

Use the ignition key to release theseat belt from the detachableanchor.

Unlock the seat-back by pullingthe handle. Push the seat-backforward.

Make sure the outer shoulder beltsare positioned on each hookwhenever the third seat is folded.

Remove the head restraints bypushing the release buttons andpulling the restraints out.

To fold the third row seat,the second row must be folded downor completely up right.

Reverse this procedure to return theseat to the upright position. Makesure the seat is locked securelybefore driving. Reinstall the headrestraints. Reconnect the seat beltsto the detachable anchors.

Make sure all items in the cargo areaare secured. Loose items can flyforward and cause injury if you haveto brake hard. Seeon page .

1.

2.

3.

4.

165

Seats


Adjusting the Third Row Seat

Folding the Third Row Seat

Carrying Cargo

88

NOTE:

HANDLETHIRDSEAT

Both front seats are equipped withseat heaters. The ignition switchmust be in the ON (II) position touse them. Push the front of theswitch, HI, to rapidly heat up the seat.After the seat reaches a comfortabletemperature, select LO by pushingthe back of the switch. This will keepthe seat warm.

In HI, the heater turns off when theseat gets warm, and turns back onafter the seat’s temperature drops.

In LO, the heater does not cycle withtemperature change.

Because of the sensors for the sideairbag system, there is no heater inthe passenger’s seat-back.

Follow these precautions when usingthe seat heaters:

Use the HI setting only to heat theseats quickly, because it drawslarge amounts of current from thebattery.

If the engine is left idling for anextended period, do not use theseat heaters, even on the LOsetting. It can weaken the battery,causing hard starting.

Seat Heaters


SEAT HEATERS

－

－

Turn the ignition switch to ON (II)to raise or lower any window. Toopen the window, push the switchdown and hold it. Release the switchwhen you want the window to stop.Pull back on the switch and hold it toclose the window. If the MAIN switch is OFF, the

passenger windows cannot be raisedor lowered. Keep the MAIN switchoff when you have children in thevehicle so they do not injurethemselves by operating thewindows unintentionally.

If the driver’swindow runs into any obstacle whileit is closing automatically, it willreverse direction and then stop. Toclose the window, remove theobstacle, then use the window switchagain.If your vehicle’s battery isdisconnected or goes dead, or thedriver’s window fuse is removed, theAUTO function will be disabled. Thepower window system needs to bereset after reconnecting the batteryor installing the fuse.

Start the engine. Push down andhold the driver’s window switchuntil the window is fully open.Pull and hold the driver’s windowswitch to close the windowcompletely, then hold the switchfor a second or two more.

If the power windows do not operateproperly after resetting, have yourvehicle checked by an Acura dealer.

The windows will operate for up to10 minutes after you turn off theignition switch. Opening either frontdoor cancels this function.

To open/close the driver’swindow, push the window switchfirmly down or up to the seconddetent, and release it. The windowwill automatically go up or down allthe way. To stop the window, pull/push on the window switch briefly.

1.

2.

Power Windows


AUTO REVERSE

AUTO

90

DRIVER’S WINDOWSWITCH

MAIN SWITCH

Closing a power window onsomeone’s hands or fingers cancause serious injury.

Make sure your passengers areaway from the windows beforeclosing them.

To open the moonroof, pull back themoonroof switch firmly.

To close the moonroof fully, pushthe switch forward.

To tilt the moonroof up, press thebutton in. To closed it, push thebutton forward. Make sure everyone’shands are away from the moonroofbefore opening or closing it.

You can still open and close themoonroof for up to 10 minutes afteryou turn off the ignition. Openingeither front door cancels thisfunction.

Moonroof


NOTICE:

MOONROOF SWITCH

Open

Close

Opening or closing themoonroof on someone’s handsor fingers can cause seriousinjury.

Make sure all hands and fingersare clear of the moonroofbefore opening or closing it.

If you try to open moonroofin below-f reezing temperatures, orwhen it is covered with snow or ice, youcan damage the moonroof panel or itsmotor.

The inside mirror can automaticallydarken to reduce glare. To turn onthis feature, press the button on thebottom of the mirror. The AUTOindicator comes on as a reminder.When it is on, the mirror darkenswhen it senses the headlights of avehicle behind you, then returns tonormal visibility when the lights aregone. Press the button again to turnoff this sensing.

To apply the parking brake, push thepedal down with your foot. Torelease it, push on the pedal again.The parking brake indicator on theinstrument panel should go out whenthe parking brake is fully releasedwith the engine running (see page

).

Keep the inside and outside mirrorsclean and adjusted for best visibility.Be sure to adjust the mirrors beforeyou start driving.

59


Parking Brake

Mirrors

Parking Brake, Mirrors

92

NOTICE:

PARKING BRAKE PEDAL

AUTO SWITCH

SENSOR INDICATOR

Driving the vehicle with theparking brake applied can damage therear brakes and axles. A beeper will

sound if the vehicle is put into gearwith the parking brake on.

Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).

Move the selector switch to L(driver’s side) or R (passenger’sside).

Push the appropriate edge of theadjustment switch to move themirror right, left, up, or down.

When you finish, move theselector switch to the center (off)position. This turns off theadjustment switch to keep yoursettings.

The outside mirrors are heated toremove fog and frost. With theignition switch in the ON (II)position, turn on the heaters bypressing the button. The indicator inthe button comes on as a reminder.Press the button again to turn theheaters off.

Turn this feature off by leaving theselector switch in the Left or Rightposition.

With the selector switch in thecenter (off) position, the passenger’sside mirror will pivot downwardslightly when you shift thetransmission into Reverse. Thisgives you a better view of the side ofthe vehicle while parallel parking.The mirror returns to its originalposition when you take thetransmission out of reverse.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Touring model only

Adjusting the Power Mirrors

Mirrors


HEATED MIRROR BUTTON

SELECTOR SWITCH

ADJUSTMENT SWITCH

Touring Model

Seat and outside mirror positions,can be stored in separate memories.You select a memorized position bypushing the appropriate button orusing the appopriate remotetransmitter (Memory 1 or Memory2).

Store a driving position only whenthe vehicle is parked.

Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).You cannot add a new drivingposition in the memory unless theignition switch is the ON (II)position. You can recall amemorized position with theignition switch in any position.

Adjust the seat to a comfortableposition (see page ).Adjust the outside mirrors for bestvisibility (see page ).

Press and release the MEMObutton on the control panel. Youwill hear a beep. Immediatelypress and hold one of the memorybuttons (1 or 2) until you hear twobeeps. The indicator in thememory button will come on. Thecurrent positions of the driver’sseat and outside mirrors are nowstored.

Your Acura has a memory featurefor the driver’s seat and outsidemirror positions.

3.

1.

2.84

93

Storing a Driving Position in Memory


Driving Position Memory System

94

MEMO BUTTON

MEMORY BUTTONS

Doing any of the following afterpressing the MEMO button willcancel the storing procedure.

Not pressing a memory buttonwithin 5 seconds.

Readjusting the seat position.

Readjusting the outside mirrorposition.

Each memory button stores only onedriving position. Storing a newposition erases the previous settingstored in that button’s memory. Ifyou want to add a new position whileretaining the current one, use theother memory button.

To select a memorized position, dothis:

Make sure the parking brake is setand the shift lever is in Park.

Press the desired memory button(1 or 2) until you hear a beep, thenrelease the button.

The system will move the seat andoutside mirrors to the memorizedpositions. The indicator in theselected memory button will flashduring movement. When theadjustments are complete, you willhear two beeps, and the indicator willremain on.

To stop the system’s automaticadjustment, do any of these actions:

Press any button on the controlpanel: MEMO, 1, or 2.Push any of the adjustmentswitches for the seat.Shift out of Park.Adjust the outside mirrors.

If desired, you can use theadjustment switches to change thepositions of the seat or outsidemirrors after they are in theirmemorized position. If you changethe memorized position, theindicator in the memory button willgo out. To keep this driving positionfor later use, you must store it in thedriving position memory.

1.

2.

Selecting a Memorized Position


Driving Position Memory System

95

When this switch is in the position:

When the switch is in theposition:

When the light control switch is in theposition:

OFF

None of the lights come on when adoor or the tailgate is opened.

DoorActivated

With any door or the tailgate leftopen, the lights stay on about 3minutes, then go out.

ON

All the individual map lights comeon and stay on as long as theswitch remains in the ON position.

The lights go out about six secondsafter all the doors and the tailgateare closed.

The individual map lights come onwhen any door or the tailgate isopened, or when the remotetransmitter is used to unlock thedoors. When the doors and thetailgate are closed, each light canbe turned on and off by pushingthe lens.

The cargo area (3rd row) lightcomes on when any door or thetailgate is opened if the switch inthe light is in the door activatedposition. When the doors and thetailgate are closed, the cargo arealight can be turned on with theswitch in the light.

The cargo (3rd row) area lightcomes on if the switch is in thedoor activated position.

The individual map lights in thefront can be turned on and off bypushing each lens.

Light Control Switch

Interior Lights


DOOR ACTIVATED POSITION

ON

OFF

Turn on the front and second rowindividual map lights by pushing thelens. Push the lens again to turn itoff. You can also operate these lightswith the light control switch (seepage ).

The light in the tailgate has an on-offswitch to control if the light comeson when the tailgate is opened.

This light also works with the lightcontrol switch (see page ).

The courtesy lights in the frontdoors and around the ignition switchcome on when you open any door.After you close the door, the ignitionswitch light stays on for severalseconds.

The cargo area light has a three-position switch. In the OFF position,the light does not come on. In thecenter position, it comes on whenyou open the tailgate or doors. In theON position, it stays on continuously.

96

96

Individual Map Lights

Tailgate Light

Individual Interior Lights Cargo Area Light

Interior Lights


DOOR ACTIVATED

Interior Convenience Items


BEVERAGE HOLDERCONSOLE COMPARTMENT

REAR COMPARTMENT

CARGO HOOKS

COIN BOX

BEVERAGE HOLDER

VANITY MIRROR

GLOVE BOX

Your vehicle is equipped with a flip-over center console lid that providesa tray and a beverage holder for thesecond row passengers. To open thebeverage holders, pull up the centerlever on the center console and liftthe lid.

Be careful when you are using thebeverage holders. A spilled liquidthat is very hot can scald you or yourpassengers. Spilled liquids can alsodamage the upholstery, carpeting,and electrical components in theinterior.

Open the glove box by squeezing thehandle. Close it with a firm push.Lock or unlock the glove box withthe master key.

Open the front beverage holder bypushing on the lid.



Beverage Holders Console Compartment Glove Box

99

LEVER

An open glove box can causeserious injury to your passengerin a crash, even if thepassenger is wearing the seatbelt.

Always keep the glove boxclosed while driving.

Storage compartments are located inthe armrests for the third row seat.To open a compartment, pull thelever and lift the lid.

The hooks on the floor of the cargoarea enable you to tie down itemsstored in the back. Make sure allstored items are secured beforedriving.

When using the sun visor for theside window, remove the support rodfrom the clip and swing it out. Slidethe extension out to get morecoverage on the side window.

Make sure you put the sun visorback in place when you are gettinginto or out of the vehicle. Do not usethe sun visor extension over the rearview mirror.

Pull up the vanity mirror cover to useit.

The light comes on only when theparking lights or headlights are on.

Rear Compartment

Cargo Hooks

Sun Visor Vanity Mirror



EXTENSION

SUN VISOR

Your vehicle has three accessorypower sockets. The front accessorypower socket is located under theaudio system. The second socket islocated in the center consolecompartment. The rear socket isbehind the third seat on the driver’sside.

To use the socket in the consolecompartment, pull the cover up.

To use an accessory power socket,the ignition switch must be inACCESSORY (I) or ON (II).

These sockets are intended to supplypower for 12 volt DC accessoriesthat are rated 120 watts or less (10amps).

When both the front and consolesockets are being used, thecombined power rating of bothaccessories should be 120 watts orless (10 amps).

None of the sockets will power anautomotive type cigarette lighterelement.



Accessory Power Sockets

101

The climate control system in yourAcura provides a comfortable drivingenvironment in all weatherconditions.

The standard audio system hasmany features. This section de-scribes those features and how touse them. (If you selected anoptional audio system, refer to theoperating instructions that camewith it.)

Your Acura has an anti-theft audiosystem that requires a code numberto enable it.

.............Vents, Heating, and A/C . 104.............................Airflow Buttons . 105

...................Rear Climate Control . 109..............Climate Control Sensors . 109

..........................Playing the Radio . 110............................Radio Reception . 113

..................................Playing a CD . 115....................Protecting Your CDs . 119

.........CD Player Error Messages . 120.....CD Changer Error Messages . 122

...............................Playing a Tape . 125.............Steering Wheel Controls . 128

.................Radio Theft Protection . 129..........................Setting the Clock . 130

........Rear Entertainment System . 131............................Security System . 143

...............................Cruise Control . 144..............................Trip Computer . 146

........................Rear View Camera . 152HomeLink Universal

................................Transceiver . 153

Comfort and Convenience Features

Comfort and Convenience Features 103

Vents, Heating, and A/C

Comfort and Convenience Features104

RECIRCULATION BUTTON

TEMPERATURE BUTTONS

TEMPERATURE DISPLAY

AUTO BUTTON

OFF BUTTON

DEFROST BUTTON

REAR A/C CONTROL

(Without Navigation System) (With Navigation System)

A/CBUTTON

MODEBUTTON

FAN SPEEDBUTTON

A/CICON

MODEICON

FAN SPEEDICONS

△▽

▲

▼

Push the button to increase thetemperature of air flow. Push thebutton to decrease it. When you setthe temperature to its lower limit orits upper limit, the system runs at fullcooling or heating only. It does notregulate the interior temperature.

This button or icon turns the airconditioning on and off. You will seeA/C ON or A/C OFF in the display.

The outside air intakes for theheating and cooling system are atthe base of the windshield. Keep thisarea clear of leaves and other debris.

The system should be left in FreshAir mode under almost all conditions.Keeping the system in Recirculationmode, particularly with the A/C off,can cause the windows to fog up.

Switch to Recirculation mode whendriving through dusty or smokyconditions, then return to Fresh Airmode.This button turns the rear window

defogger on and off (see page ).

When the indicator in the button ison, air from the vehicle’s interior isrecirculated throughout the system.When the indicator is off, air isbrought in from the outside of thevehicle (Fresh Air mode).

Push the button or icon toincrease the fan speed and air flow.Push the button or icon todecrease it.

Use the mode control button or iconto select the vents the air flows from.

Air flows from the centerand corner vents in the dashboard.

Airflow is divided betweenthe vents in the dashboard and thefloor vents.

Air flows from the floorvents.

Airflow is divided betweenthe floor vents and the defrostervents at the base of the windshield.

Air flows from the defrostervents at the base of the windshield.

When you select , the systemautomatically switches to Fresh Airmode and turns on the A/C.75


Fan Control Button/Icon

Temperature Control Buttons

Air Conditioning (A/C) Button/Icon

Recirculation Button

Rear Window Defogger Button

Mode Control Button/Icon

Airflow Buttons

105

▲ ▼

△▽

The heater uses engine coolant towarm the air. If the engine is cold, itwill be several minutes before youfeel warm air coming from thesystem.

Air conditioning places an extra loadon the engine. Watch the enginecoolant temperature gauge (see page

). If it moves near the red zone,turn off the A/C until the gaugereads normally.

Turn on the A/C by pressing theA/C button or touching the A/Cicon on the models with navigationsystem. A/C ON will be displayedon the screen.Make sure the temperature is setto maximum heat.Select .If the outside air is humid, selectRecirculation mode. If the outsideair is dry, select Fresh Air mode.Set the fan to the desired speed.

The flow-through ventilation systemdraws in outside air, circulates itthrough the interior, then exhausts itthrough vents near the rear sidepanels.

Set the temperature to maximum.Make sure the A/C is off.Select and Fresh Air mode.Set the fan to the desired speed.

Select and Fresh Air mode.Set the fan to the desired speed.Adjust the warmth of the air withthe temperature control buttons.

Press the A/C button to show theA/C screen.Select the desired mode bytouching the MODE icon, and setthe fan to the desired speed bytouching the or icon.Adjust the warmth with thetemperature control buttons ( or

).

1.2.3.

1.2.3.4.

1.

2.

3.4.

5.

1.

2.

3.

67

Vehicles without Navigation System

Vehicles without Navigation System



Using the A/CUsing the HeaterVentilation

106

This setting is suitable for all drivingconditions whenever the outsidetemperature is above 32°F (0°C).

you cancool it down more rapidly by partiallyopening the windows, turning on theA/C, and setting the fan tomaximum speed in Fresh Air mode.

The vehicle has two A/C andheater units. These units arecontroled by the front panel controls,unless the RR A/C button is turnedon. The rear passengers can alsoadjust the direction, and temperatureand amount of the airflow.

Air conditioning, as it cools, removesmoisture from the air. When used incombination with the heater, itmakes the interior warm and dry.

To remove fog from the inside of thewindows:

Switch the fan on.Turn on the air conditioning.Select and Fresh Air mode.Adjust the temperature to yourpreference.

When you switch to another modefrom , the A/C stays on.Press the A/C button to turn it off.

Set the fan to the desired speed, orhigh for faster defrosting.Select . The systemautomatically switches to FreshAir mode and turns on the A/C.The A/C indicator will not comeon in U.S. vehicles.Adjust the temperature so theairflow feels warm.Select to help clear therear window.To increase airflow to thewindshield, close the corner vents.

1.2.3.4.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

If the interior is very warm,



Dehumidify the Interior To Defog and Defrost

107

NOTE:

The Automatic Climate Controlsystem can adjust the fan speed andairflow levels to maintain the interiortemperature you select.

Press the AUTO button.Set the desired temperature withthe temperature control buttons.You will see FULL AUTO in thesystem’s display.

The system automatically selects theproper mix of conditioned and/orheated air that will, as quickly aspossible, raise or lower the interiortemperature from its current level tothe set temperature. In FULL AUTOthe rear A/C control panel cannot beused.

In cold weather, the fan will notcome on automatically until theheater starts to develop warm air.

You can manually select variousfunctions of the Climate Controlsystem when it is in FULL AUTO.All other features remainautomatically controlled.Manually selecting a function causesthe word FULL in the display to goout.

Press the OFF button. However, alack of air flow can cause thewindows to fog up. It isrecommended that you keep the fanon at all times so stale air andmoisture do not build up in theinterior and cause fogging.If you set the temperature to its

lower or its upper limit, the systemruns at full cooling or heating only. Itdoes not regulate the interiortemperature.

Select . The systemautomatically switches to FreshAir mode and turns on the A/C.The A/C indicator will not comeon in U.S. vehicles.Select .Set the fan and temperaturecontrols to maximum level.

To clear the windows faster, you canclose the dashboard corner vents byrotating the wheel below each vent.This sends more warm air to thewindshield defroster vents. Once thewindshield is clear, select Fresh Airmode to avoid fogging the windows.

For your safety, make sure you havea clear view through all the windowsbefore driving.

1.2.

1.

2.3.



To Remove Exterior Frost or IceFrom the Windows

Manual Operation

To Turn Everything Off

Using Automatic Climate Control

108

The climate control system has twosensors. A sunlight sensor is in thetop of the dashboard, and atemperature sensor is next to thesteering column. Do not cover thesensors or spill any liquid on them.

Press the RR A/C MANUAL buttonto enable the rear A/C control panel.The light in the button will come on.A passenger in the second row canthen use the temperature control dial,fan speed dial, and mode buttons toadjust the temperature and airflow totheir preference. This is limited bythe system’s minimum andmaximum temperature.


Rear Climate Control, Climate Control Sensors

Sunlight and TemperatureSensors

Using the Rear A/C Unit

109

SUNLIGHT SENSOR

TEMPERATURE SENSOR

TEMPERATURE CONTROL DIAL

MODE BUTTONS

FAN SPEED CONTROL DIAL

Playing the Radio


SCAN BUTTON PRESET BUTTONS

PWR/VOLKNOB

PWR/VOLKNOB PRESET BUTTONS

TUNE KNOB

TUNE KNOB

SEEK BUTTONS

PWR/VOL KNOB

SCAN BUTTON

SCANINDICATOR

STEREO INDICATOR

AM/FMBUTTON

SEEK BAR

AMBUTTON

STEREOINDICATOR

FMBUTTON

(Touring Package)

(Premium Package) (Touring Package with RES)

AMBUTTON

FMBUTTON

SEEK BUTTONSSCANBUTTON

PRESET BUTTONS TUNE KNOB

－

－

＋－

－

－The ignition switch must be in theACCESSORY (I) or ON (II) position.Turn the system on by pushing thePWR/VOL knob. Adjust the volumeby turning the same knob.

The band and frequency that theradio was last turned to is displayed.To change bands, press the AM orFM button. On the FM band, ST willbe displayed if the station isbroadcasting in stereo. Stereoreproduction in AM is not available.

Use the TUNE knob totune the radio to a desired frequency.Turn the knob right to tune to ahigher frequency, or left to tune to alower frequency.

The SEEK functionsearches up and down from thecurrent frequency to find a stationwith a strong signal. To activate it,press the or SEEK button, thenrelease it.

The SCAN functionsamples all stations with strongsignals on the selected band. Toactivate it, press the SCAN button,then release it. You will see SCAN inthe display. The system will scan fora station with a strong signal. Whenit finds one, it will stop and play thatstation for about 5 seconds.

If you do nothing, the system willthen scan for the next strong stationand play it for 5 seconds. When itplays a station that you want to listento, press the SCAN button again.

Each preset button canstore one frequency on AM, and twofrequencies on FM.

Select the desired band, AM orFM. FM1 and FM2 let you storetwo frequencies with each presetbutton.Use the TUNE, SEEK, or SCANfunction to tune the radio to adesired station.Pick a preset button, and hold ituntil you hear a beep.Repeat steps 1 to 3 to store a totalof six stations on AM and twelvestations on FM.

The preset frequencies will be lost ifyour vehicle’s battery goes dead, isdisconnected, or the radio fuse isremoved.

You can use any of five methods tofind radio stations on the selectedband: thepreset buttons, and .

1.

2.

3.

4.

CONTINUED

To Play the Radio

TUNE

SEEK

SCAN

Preset

To Select a Station

TUNE, SEEK, SCAN,AUTO SELECT

Playing the Radio


－

－

－

－

－

If you aretraveling far from home and can nolonger receive your preset stations,you can use the Auto Select featureto find stations in the local area.

Press the A. SEL Button. ‘‘A.SEL’’flashes in the display, and the systemgoes into scan mode for severalseconds. It stores the frequencies ofsix AM, and twelve FM stations inthe preset buttons.

You will see a ‘‘0’’ displayed if AutoSelect cannot find a strong stationfor every preset button.

If you do not like the stations AutoSelect has stored, you can storeother frequencies on the presetbuttons. Use the TUNE, SEEK, orSCAN function to find stations, thenstore them in the preset buttons asdescribed previously.

press theA. SEL button. This restores thepresets you originally set.

Adjust the Balance, or side-to-side strength of the sound.

Adjust the Fader, or thefront-to-back strength of the sound.

Adjust the Treble in thesound.

Adjust the Bass in the sound.

Push the control knob to get it to popout. Turn the appropriate knob toadjust the Bass or Treble level. Pullthe knob out farther to adjust theFader or Balance. Push the knobback in when you are finished.

Press the TUNE knob repeatedly todisplay Bass (BAS). Treble (TRE),Balance (BAL), and Fader (FAD),setting. Turn the TUNE knob toadjust the setting. The indicators onthe display will show you theadjustable range. The system willreturn to the audio display in about 5seconds.

To turn off Auto Select,


With Touring Package

Playing the Radio


AUTO SELECT

Adjusting the SoundBAL

FAD

TRE

BAS

112

You can use the instrument panelbrightness control knob to adjust theillumination of the audio system (seepage ). The audio systemilluminates when the parking lightsare on, even if the radio is turned off.

Your Acura’s radio can receive thecomplete AM and FM bands.Those bands cover these frequen-cies:

AM band:530 to 1,710 kilohertzFM band:87.7 to 107.9 megahertz

Radio stations on the AM band areassigned frequencies at least tenkilohertz apart (530, 540, 550).Stations on the FM band areassigned frequencies at least 0.2megahertz apart (87.9, 88.1, 88.3).

Stations must use these exactfrequencies. It is fairly common forstations to round-off the frequency intheir advertising, so your radio coulddisplay a frequency of 100.9 eventhough the announcer may identifythe station as ‘‘FM101.’’

How well your Acura’s radio receivesstations is dependent on manyfactors, such as the distance fromthe station’s transmitter, nearbylarge objects, and atmosphericconditions.

A radio station’s signal gets weakeras you get farther away from itstransmitter. If you are listening to anAM station, you will notice the soundvolume becoming weaker, and thestation drifting in and out. If you arelistening to an FM station, you willsee the stereo indicator flickering offand on as the signal weakens.Eventually, the stereo indicator will

go off and the sound will fadecompletely as you get out of range ofthe station’s signal.

Driving very near the transmitter ofa station that is broadcasting on afrequency close to the frequency ofthe station you are listening to canalso affect your radio’s reception.You may temporarily hear bothstations, or hear only the station youare close to.

74

CONTINUED


Audio System Lighting

Radio Frequencies Radio Reception

Radio Reception

113

Radio signals, especially on the FMband, are deflected by large objectssuch as buildings and hills. Yourradio then receives both the directsignal from the station’s transmitter,and the deflected signal. This causesthe sound to distort or flutter. This isa main cause of poor radio receptionin city driving.

Radio reception can be affected byatmospheric conditions such asthunderstorms, high humidity, andeven sunspots. You may be able toreceive a distant radio station oneday and not receive it the next daybecause of a change in conditions.

Electrical interference from passingvehicles and stationary sources cancause temporary reception problems.

As required by the FCC:Changes or modifications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible forcompliance could void the user’sauthority to operate the equipment.


Radio Reception

114

Playing a CD


CD SLOT

CD BUTTON

PWR/VOL KNOB

CD EJECT BUTTON

SKIP BUTTONS

SKIP BAR

CD LOAD BUTTON

RANDOMBUTTON

REPEAT BUTTON CD BUTTON

PWR/VOLKNOB

(Touring Package with RES) CD SLOT CD EJECT BUTTON

RANDOM BUTTON

REPEATBUTTON

PWR/VOLKNOB

CD SLOT SKIP BUTTONS(Premium Package)

(Touring Package)

REPEAT BUTTON RANDOM BUTTONCD BUTTON

CDEJECTBUTTON

－＋

－

＋－

－

－

With the ignition in theACCESSORY (I) or ON (II) position,insert a CD into the CD slot. Thedrive will pull the CD in the rest ofthe way and begin to play it.

Press the eject button to remove theCD. If you eject the CD, but do notremove it from the slot, the systemwill automatically reload the CDafter 15 seconds and put it in pausemode. To begin playing, press theCD button.

Press the AM or FM button (AM/FM button on the model with RearEntertainment System) to switch tothe radio while a CD is playing.

Insert a tape in the player to switchto the tape while a CD is playing. If atape is in the player, press the TAPEbutton. Press the CD button again toswitch back to CD player.

An optional six disc CD changer isavailable for your vehicle from yourAcura dealer.This disc changer uses the samecontrols used for the in-dash CDplayer or the radio.

Load the CDs in the magazine andload the magazine in the changeraccording to the instructions thatcame with the unit.

You operate the CD player with thesame controls used for the radio.The number of the track playing isshown in the display. The system willcontinuously play a CD until youchange modes.

Each time you press andrelease the skip button the playerskips forward to the beginning of thenext track. Press and release theskip button to skip backward to thebeginning of the current track. Pressit again to skip to the beginning ofthe previous track.

To move rapidly within a track, pressand hold the or skip button.

To continuously replaya track, press and release the RPTbutton. You will see RPT/REPEATin the display. Press the RPT buttonagain to turn it off.

This feature plays thetracks in random order. To activateRandom Play, press and release theRDM button. You will see RDM inthe display. Press the RDM buttonagain to return to normal play.

If you turn the system off while a CDis playing, either with the PWR/VOLknob or by turning off the ignition,the disc will stay in the drive. Whenyou turn the system back on, the CDwill begin playing where it left off.


To Play a CD

To Stop Playing a CD Operating the Optional CDChangerSKIP

REPEAT

RANDOM

Playing a CD, CD Changer

116

－

－

＋

CONTINUED

To select the CD changer, press theCD button. The disc and tracknumbers will be displayed. To selecta different disc, use the appropriatepreset buttons (1 6). On the modelwith Rear Entertainment System,use the preset 5 (DISC ) button toselect previous disc, or the preset 6(DISC ) button to select the nextdisc in sequence.

If you select an empty slot in themagazine, the changer will, afterfinding that slot empty, try to loadthe CD in the next slot. Thiscontinues until it finds a CD to loadand play.

When you see LOAd in the display,insert the disc into the CD slot.Insert it only abut halfway, thedrive will pull it in the rest of theway. You will again see the dashesin the display as the CD is loaded.

When LOAd appears again in thedisplay, insert the next disc intothe CD slot. Do not try to insert adisc until LOAd appears. Youcould damage the audio unit.

Repeat this until all six positionsare loaded. The system will thenbegin playing the last CD loaded.

If you are not loading CDs into all sixpositions, press the Load buttonagain after the last CD has loaded.The system will begin playing thelast CD loaded.

On the left side of the display, theCD Loaded indicator for an emptyposition will begin blinking.

To load only one CD, press andrelease the Load button.

Press and hold the Load buttonuntil you hear a beep and see‘‘- - - -’’ in the display, then releasethe button.

You cannot load and play 3-inch (8-cm) discs in this system.

The audio system on Touring modelhas an in-dash CD changer thatholds up to six discs.To load CDs or operate CD changer,the ignition switch must be in theACCESSORY (I) or ON (II) position.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

On Touring Model


Operating the In-Dash CDChanger

Loading CDs in the Changer

CD Changer

117

If you do not remove the disc fromthe slot, the system will reload thedisc after 10 seconds and beginplaying it.

To remove a different CD from thechanger, first select it with theappropriate preset button. When thatCD begins playing, press the ejectbutton.

If you press the Eject button whilelistening to the radio or tape, or withthe audio system turned off, the discthat was last selected is ejected.After that disc is ejected, pressingthe Eject button again will eject thenext disc in the numerical order. Bydoing this six times, you can removeall the CDs from the changer.

In any mode, if you press the ejectbutton and hold it until you hear abeep, the system will eject all of thediscs in the changer.

You can also eject discs when theignition switch is off. The disc thatwas last selected is ejected first. Youcan eject up to six discs, one at atime.

To remove the disc that is currentlyplaying, press the eject button. Youwill see ‘‘EJECT’’ in the display. Thesystem automatically begins theLoad sequence so you can loadanother CD in that position. If you donot load another CD, after 10seconds the system begins playingthe next disc in the changer. If thechanger is empty, the system selectsthe previous mode (AM, FM, orTape).

If you press the LOAD button whilea disc is playing, the system will stopplaying that disc and start theloading sequence. It will then playthe disc just loaded.

If you stop loading CDs before all sixpositions are filled, and you do notpress the Load button, the systemwill wait for 10 seconds, then stopthe load operation and begin playingthe last CD loaded.

You can also load a CD into an emptyposition while a CD is playing bypressing the appropriate presetbutton. Select an empty position (theCD Loaded indicator is off), andpress the preset button for thatposition (1 to 6). The system willstop playing the current CD and startthe loading sequence. It will thenplay the CD just loaded.

Removing CDs from the Changer


CD Changer

118

When using CD-R discs, use onlyhigh quality CDs labeled for audiouse.

When recording a CD-R, therecording must be closed for it tobe used by the CD players.

CD-RW discs will not work in thisunit.

Play only standard round CDs.Odd-shaped CDs may jam in thedrive or cause other problems.

When a CD is not being played, storeit in its case to protect it from dustand other contamination. To preventwarpage, keep CDs out of directsunlight and extreme heat.

To clean a CD, use a clean soft cloth.Wipe across the CD from the centerto the outside edge.

A new CD may be rough on theinner and outer edges. The smallplastic pieces causing this roughnesscan flake off and fall on the re-cording surface of the CD, causingskipping or other problems. Removethese pieces by rubbing the innerand outer edges with the side of apencil or pen.

Never try to insert foreign objects inthe CD player or the magazine.

Handle a CD by its edges; nevertouch either surface. Do not placestabilizer rings or labels on the CD.These, along with contaminationfrom fingerprints, liquids, and felt-tippens, can cause the CD to not playproperly, or possibly jam in the drive.

Handle your CDs properly toprevent damage and skipping.


General Information Protecting CDs

Protecting Your CDs

119

If you see an error message in thedisplay while playing a CD, find thecause in the chart to the right. If youcannot clear the error message, takeyour vehicle to an Acura dealer.


Error Message Cause Solution

FOCUS/CLV ErrorData Read ErrorSearch Error

Mechanical Error

Control ErrorLSI Error

Press the EJECT button and pull out the CD.Check if it is inserted correctly in the CD player.Make sure the CD is not scratched or damaged.Press the EJECT button and pull out the CD.Check the CD for damage or deformation.If the CD cannot be pulled out or the errormessage does not disappear after the CD isejected, see an Acura dealer.Consult your Acura dealer.

CD Player Error Messages



FOCUS Error

Mechanical Error or aDVD has been loaded inthe CD player

High Temperature

Press the EJECT button and pull out the CD.Check if it is inserted correctly in the CD player.Make sure the CD is not scratched or damaged.Press the EJECT button and pull out the CD.Check the CD for damage or deformation.If the CD cannot be pulled out or the errormessage does not disappear after the CD isejected, see an Acura dealer.Will disappear when the temperature returns tonormal.

Models with Rear Entertainment System

CD Player Error Messages


If you see an error message in thedisplay while operating the CDchanger, find the cause in thefollowing charts. If you cannot clearthe error message, take your vehicleto an Acura dealer.


SolutionError Message Cause

See an Acura dealer.

Press the magazine eject button, and insert anempty magazine.If the message disappears within a few seconds,unit is OK. If it does not, see an Acura dealer.

Press the magazine eject button and pull it outthe magazine, check for error message. Insertthe magazine again. If the magazine can not bepulled out, see an Acura dealer.Press the magazine eject button. If the maga-zine does not eject, see an Acura dealer.Will disappear when the temperature returns tonormal.


Insert CD magazine.

Insert CD in magazine.

Disc changermalfunction.Disc is in changermechanism.Disc changermalfunction.

Disc changermalfunction.

CD magazine ejectionimpossible.High temperature.

Misconnection ordisconnection of CDchanger.No CD magazine in theCD changer.No CD in magazine.


CD Changer Error Messages

122

Error Messages Cause Solution

Disc changermalfunction.High temperature.

Disc changermalfunction.High temperature.


Will disappear when the temperature returns tonormal.See an Acura dealer.

Will disappear when the temperature returns tonormal.

Touring Model



123

Error Messages Cause Solution

FOCUS Error

No CD in the CDmagazine

Mechanical Error

High Temperature

No CD magazine in theCD changer

Press the magazine eject button and pull it out,check for error message, and insert themagazine again. If the message does notdisappear or the magazine cannot be pulled out,see an Acura dealer.Insert CD.

Press the magazine eject button and pull it out,check for error message, and insert themagazine again. If the message does notdisappear or the magazine cannot be pulled out,see an Acura dealer.Will disappear when the temperature returns tonormal.Insert CD magazine.

Models with Rear Entertainment System



124

Playing a Tape


TAPE EJECT BUTTON

PWR/VOL KNOB

TAPE DIRECTION INDICATOR CASSETTE SLOT

TAPE BUTTON

CD BUTTON

DOLBY BUTTONPLAY BUTTON

PROGRAM BUTTON

FAST FORWARD BUTTON

PWR/VOLKNOB PROGRAM BUTTON CASSETTE SLOT

TAPE EJECTBUTTON

TAPEBUTTON

DOLBYINDICATOR

TAPEDIRECTIONINDICATOR

FAST FORWARDBUTTON

DOLBY BUTTONCASSETTESLOT

FAST FORWARDBUTTON

PWR/VOLKNOB

DOLBYBUTTON

REWIND BUTTON

REWINDBUTTON

TAPEBUTTON

PROGRAMBUTTON

TAPE EJECTBUTTON

PLAYBUTTON

＊

▲

－

＊

Dolby noise reduction manufactured underlicense from Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corpo-ration. ‘‘DOLBY’’ and the double-D symbol

are trademarks of Dolby LaboratoriesLicensing Corporation.

The ignition switch must be in theACCESSORY (I) or ON (II) position.Make sure the open side of the tapeis facing right, then insert the tapemost of the way into the slot. Thesystem will pull the tape in the restof the way, and begin to play it.

The tape direction indicator in thedisplay comes on to show you whichside of the tape is playing. Theindicates the side you insertedupward is now playing. If you want toplay the other side, press the PROGbutton. When the player reaches theend of the tape, it will automaticallyreverse direction and play the otherside.

Dolby noise reduction turns onwhen you insert a tape. The

indicator will come on in thedisplay. If the tape was not recordedin Dolby, turn it off by pressing the

button. Dolby remains off untilyou press the button again.

To remove the tape, press the tapeEJECT button. If you want to turnthe player off, press the PWR/VOLknob or turn off the ignition. Thetape will remain in the drive. Whenyou turn the system back on, thetape will begin playing where it leftoff.

To rewind the tape,push the REW ( ) button. Youwill see REW in the display. To fastforward the tape, push the FF( ) button. You will see FFdisplayed. Press the PLAY/PROGbutton to take the system out ofrewind or fast forward.

To switch to the radio while a tape isplaying, press the AM or FM button.To change back to the tape player,press the TAPE button.

To Play a Tape

To Stop Playing a Tape

Tape Search FunctionFF/REW

Playing a Tape


－

－－

＋

Press the RPT buttonto continuously play a song orpassage. You will see RPT/REPEATdisplayed. The track will repeat untilyou press the RPT button again.

Store tapes in their cases to protectthem from dust and moisture. Neverplace tapes where they will beexposed to direct sunlight, high heat,or high humidity. If a tape is exposedto extreme heat or cold, let it reach amoderate temperature beforeinserting it into the player.

Use 100-minute or shorter tapes.Tapes longer than that may break orjam the drive.

If the tape is loose, tighten it byturning the hub with a pencil or yourfinger. If the label is peeling off,remove it or it could cause the tapeto jam in the player. Never try toinsert a warped or damaged tape inthe player.

Never try to insert foreign objectinto the tape player.

If you do not clean the tape playerregularly, it may eventually becomeimpossible to remove thecontamination with a normalcleaning kit. Your Acura dealer has acleaning kit available.

The SKIP and REPEATfunctions use silent periods on thetape to find the end of a song orpassage. These features may notwork if there is almost no gapbetween selection, a high noise level,or a silent period in the middle of aselection.

The tape player picks up dirt andoxides from the tape. Thiscontamination build up over time andcauses the sound quality to degrade.To prevent this, you should clean theplayer after every 30 hours of use.

Press the SKIP button/bar to find the beginning of thecurrent song or passage. Press the

SKIP button/bar to find thebeginning of the next song orpassage. When the system reachesthe beginning of a song or passage, itbegins to play it.

Playing a Tape


REPEAT Caring for the Player and Tapes

SKIP

127

NOTE:

▲ ▼The middle button adjusts thevolume up ( ) or down ( ). Pressthe top or bottom of the button andhold it until the desired volume isreached, then release it.

The CH button has three functions,depending on whether you arelistening to the radio, or playing atape or CD.

Three controls for the audio systemare mounted in the steering wheelhub. These let you control basicfunctions without removing yourhand from the wheel.

The MODE button changes theaudio mode between FM1, FM2, AM,CD, and DVD/AUX (if a disc isinserted).

use theCH button to change stations. Eachtime you press this button, thesystem advances to the next presetstation on the band you are listeningto. You will see the number of theselected preset button in the display.To change bands, or to change fromFM1 to FM2, press the AM/FMbutton.

use the CHbutton to advance to the nextselection. You will see ‘‘FF’’ blinkingin the display when you press the CHbutton. The system fast forwardsuntil it senses a silent period, thenresume playing.

the systemskips to the beginning of the nexttrack each time you push the CHbutton. You will see the disc andtrack number in the display.

If you are listening to the radio,

If you are playing a tape,

If you are playing a CD,

Steering Wheel Controls


CH BUTTON

VOLUMEBUTTON

AM/FMBUTTON

Your vehicle’s audio system willdisable itself if it is disconnectedfrom electrical power for any reason.To make it work again, you mustenter a specific five-digit code withthe Preset buttons. Because thereare hundreds of numbercombinations possible from the fivedigits, making the system workwithout knowing the exact code isnearly impossible.

You should have received a card thatlists your audio system code numberand serial number. It is best to storethis card in a safe place at home. Inaddition, you should write the audiosystem’s serial number in thisOwner’s Manual.

If your vehicle’s battery isdisconnected or goes dead, the audiosystem will disable itself. If thishappens, you will see ‘‘Code’’ in thefrequency display the next time youturn on the system. Use the Presetbuttons to enter the five-digit code.The code is located on the radio codecard included in your Owner’sManual kit. When it is enteredcorrectly, the radio will start playing.

If you make a mistake entering thecode, do not start over; complete thefive-digit sequence, then enter thecorrect code. You have ten tries toenter the correct code. If you areunsuccessful in ten attempts, youmust then leave the system on forone hour before trying again.

If the code card is lost, an Acuradealer can access your code withyour radio’s serial number. Toaccess the serial number, turn theradio on. It must display ‘‘COdE’’,then turn the radio off. Push thepreset 1, preset 6, and power buttonsat the same time, then quicklyrelease.

You will have to store your favoritestations in the Preset buttons afterthe system begins working. Youroriginal settings were lost when thepower was disconnected.

If you should happen to lose the card,you must obtain the code numberfrom an Acura dealer. To do this,you will need the system’s serialnumber.

Radio Theft Protection


If your vehicle’s battery isdisconnected or goes dead, you willneed to reset the clock.

For example: 1:06 will reset to 1:001:53 will reset to 2:00

You can quickly set the time to thenearest hour. If the displayed time isbefore the half hour, pressing andholding the clock button, thenpressing the R button sets the clockback to the previous hour. If thedisplayed time is after the half hour,the clock sets forward to thebeginning of the next hour.

Press and hold the CLOCK buttonuntil the number flash. Change thehours by pressing the H button.Change the minute by pressing theM button. When you are finished,press the CLOCK button again.

The right display shows the time.Press and hold the SET button untilthe numbers flash. Change the hoursby pressing the H button. Changethe minutes by pressing M button.When you are finished, press theSET button again.

To set the clock on the modelwithout Navigation, see page .148

Model with Rear Entertainment Systemand Navigation System

Touring model with Navigation System

Setting the Clock


H BUTTON M BUTTON

SET BUTTON

H BUTTON

M BUTTON

R BUTTON

CLOCK BUTTON

CONTINUED

Rear Entertainment System


REAR PWRBUTTON

RR CTRL SELECTOR KNOB

REAR CONTROL OFF ICON

REAR SPEAKERS OFF ICON

REAR SYSTEM DISPLAY

REPEAT BUTTON

RANDOM BUTTON

PAUSE BUTTON

SEEK/SKIP BAR

PLAY BUTTON

Press the REAR PWR button. Toturn on the rear controls (ceilingpanel or remote), press the RRCTRL knob. The system’s iconshows in the right side display. Yourpassengers can then operate the rearsystem with the control panel in theceiling or with the remote control.Press the RR CTRL knob again toturn the rear controls off. You willsee the Rear Controls Off icon in theright display.

The rear system selects the source itwas last set to. If that source hasbeen removed (the DVD has beenejected from the player, for example),you will see ‘‘_ _ _ _’’ in the display.You must select another source.

When you turn on the system, therear speakers are automaticallyturned off. You will see the RearSpeakers Off icon in the display. Thesound for the rear system is sent tothe wireless headphones.

If you want to turn the rear speakerson again, press and hold the REARPWR button until the Rear SpeakersOff icon goes off.

The rear speakers areconnected to the front system, sothey will always play the source thatthe front system is set to.

With this system, the rearpassengers can enjoy a differententertainment source (radio, tapeplayer, CD player, or DVD player)than the front seat occupants. Theaudio is broadcast through thesupplied wireless headphones.

If equipped



Rear SpeakersTo Turn On the System

132

NOTE:

＊

＊

CONTINUED

To operate the rear entertainmentsystem from the front panel, turn theRR CTRL knob clockwise. Theamber RR LED comes on to showthat the control panel is enabled.

To play the radio or tape, the buttonsfor the front entertainment systemhave the same functions.

If a CD is loaded in the main CDplayer or CD changer, select CD/CHG. If the CD is loaded in thelower player, select DVD/AUX.

The DVD player in your RearEntertainment System can play DVDvideo discs and CDs. It featuresDolby noise reduction.

Open the overhead screen bypushing on the button. The screenwill swing down part-way. Pivot thescreen the rest of the way. If youpivot the screen too far forward, pastthe detent, the display will turn off.Pivot the screen back to the detentto turn the display back on. To closethe screen, pivot it up until it latches.

Dolby noise reduction manufactured underlicense from Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corpo-ration. ‘‘DOLBY’’ and the double-D symbol

are trademarks of Dolby LaboratoriesLicensing Corporation.



To Select Rear Entertainmentfrom the Front Control Panel

Operating the DVD Player fromthe Front Control Panel

133

REAR CONTROL PANEL

BUTTON

OVERHEAD SCREEN

－

－

＋

－

－

－＋

－Turn the RR CTRL knob clockwise.The amber RR LED will come on toshow that the control panel is nowenabled.

Push the disc in halfway, the drivewill pull it in the rest of the way.

Press the PLAY buttonif the DVD does not start playingautomatically.

Press the PAUSE buttonto pause the DVD. Press the buttonagain or press PLAY to resume.Pause works only with the DVDplayer.

Each time you press and release theside of the SEEK/SKIP bar, the

system skips forward to thebeginning of the next track orchapter. Press and release theside of the bar to skip backward tothe beginning of the current track orchapter. Press it again to skip to the

beginning of the previous track orchapter.

Press the eject button toremove the DVD from the drive.

To return front panel control to thefront audio system, turn the RRCTRL knob counterclockwise.Press and hold the

side to move forward; you will see‘‘CUE’’ in the display. Press and holdthe side to move backward; youwill see ‘‘REV’’ in the display.Release the bar when the systemreaches the point you want.

Insert a DVD or CD into the DVDplayer below the front panel.



PLAY

PAUSEEJECT

To Return to Front AudioControls

SEEK/SKIP

134

DVD SLOT EJECT BUTTON

Use these buttons to select theentertainment source (radio, tapeplayer, CD player/CD changer, orDVD player/Auxiliary device). Theselected source will be shown in thedisplay. Make sure the rear controloperation has not been disabled withthe RR CTRL knob on the frontpanel.

Use the and buttons toselect from the stations on the radiopreset buttons. Pressing the or

button will cause the system tosearch up or down the band for astation with a strong signal. You willsee SEEK in the display. On the rear control panel, use the

PLAY/PAUSE/PROG button toreverse the tape direction. Press the

button to skip forward tobeginning of the next song orpassage. You will see FF flashing inthe display. Press the button to

skip backward to the beginning ofthe current song or passage. You willsee REV flashing in the display.



Using the Rear Control Panel

To Play the Radio from the RearControl Panel

To Play a Tape from the RearControl Panel

135

REAR CONTROLSOFF BUTTON

SOURCE SELECTION BUTTONS

SEEK/SKIPBUTTON

CH/DISKBUTTON

SEEK/SKIPBUTTON

PLAY/PAUSE/PROG BUTTON

MENU BUTTON

CH/DISK BUTTON

ENTER BUTTON

－

－

－

－

－

▲

▼▲

▼If a CD is loaded in the main CDplayer or CD changer, select it bypressing the CD/CHG button. If theCD is loaded in the DVD player,press the DVD/AUX button.

Press the button to skip to thebeginning of the next track. Pressthe button to return to thebeginning of the current track. If thechanger is selected, use the and

buttons to change discs.

Press the RPT buttonto continuously replay the currenttrack. You will see RPT in the display.Press the button again to turn it off.

To play the tracks within aCD in random order, press the RDMbutton. You will see RDM in thedisplay. Press the button again tocancel RDM.

The video screen is for use by rearseat passengers only. The driver andfront seat passenger should not tryto view the screen while driving.

Pressthis button when you want to pausethe DVD. Press this button again togo back to PLAY.

Press thebutton to skip to the beginning

of the next chapter. Press thebutton to skip back to the

beginning of the current chapter.

To select the menuon the DVD, press the MENUbutton. Use the , , ,and buttons to move to thedesired menu selection, then pressthe ENT button to enter yourselection.



To Play a CD from the RearControl Panel

REPEAT

RDM

To Play a DVD from the RearControl Panel

PLAY/PAUSE/PROG

SEEK/SKIP

MENU/ENT

136

You can use the remote control toselect the entertainment source(radio, tape player, CD player, orDVD player/Auxiliary device). Theselected source will be shown in thedisplay.

Make sure the rear control operationhas not been disabled with the RRCTRL knob on the front panel.When using the remote control,point it at the rear control panel inthe ceiling.

The PLAY/PROG, PAUSE, SKIP,and FWD/REW buttons work thesame function as the front and rearcontrol panel buttons.

The PLAY/PROG, PAUSE, SKIP,and FWD/REW buttons work thesame function as the front and rearcontrol panel buttons. CONTINUED



Using the Remote Control

To Play a Tape, CD, or Radio

To Play a DVD

137

STOP BUTTON

REW/FWD BUTTONS

PAUSE BUTTON

SOURCE SELECTIONBUTTONS

SEEK/SKIP BUTTONS

RETURN (T/C) BUTTON

DISP BUTTONPLAY/PROG BUTTON

MENU BUTTON

SUBTITLE BUTTON

AUDIO BUTTON

ANGLE BUTTON

TITLE BUTTON

－

－

－

－

－

－

▼▲

Press this buttonto stop playing a DVD.

Some DVDs have menus that allowyou to select a dubbed language,subtitles, a chapter list, previews, etc.The menu contents will vary fromDVD to DVD.

Use the , , , andbuttons to select the desired

menu option. Then press ENT toenter your selection. Use the

and buttons to changepages. You can also use thenumbered buttons to enter the two-digit number of a menu option. Youdo not have to press ENT. Press thebutton again to close the window.

Many DVDs are recorded withsubtitles or dubbed in multiplelanguages. To select subtitles, pressthe SUBTITLE button. To select adifferent language than the onebeing heard, press the AUDIObutton. Continue to press andrelease the SUBTITLE or AUDIObutton to scan through all availablelanguages.

To change thecolor, contrast, aspect ratio, andbrightness of the video screen, pressthe DISP button. The current settingof one will be displayed on thescreen each time you press thebutton. Use the and

buttons to change the settingas desired. The display will disappearfrom the screen several secondsafter you stop adjusting the setting.

On some DVDs,the scenes are recorded by morethan one camera, giving differentviewpoints of the same scene. Bypressing the Angle button, you canselect a different viewpoint.

In theMENU selection mode, pressing theRETURN button for less than 2seconds changes the MENU displayto the previous page. Pressing theRETURN button for more than 2seconds while a DVD is playingbrings the system into the TITLEenter mode. When you enter yourselection, the DVD player will startplaying from the selected title.



STOP Button

MENU and TITLE Buttons

SUBTITLES and AUDIO Buttons

DISP Button

ANGLE Button

RETURN (T/C) Button

138

The remote control uses twoAA batteries. To replace thebatteries, put a coin in the notch onthe back. Turn it one-quarter, thenslide the cover off. Remove the oldbatteries. Make sure the polarity ofthe new batteries is correct whenyou install them. Slide the cover onuntil it locks.

When you are not using the remotecontrol, store it in holder in the frontseat-back pocket.

As required by the FCC: This devicecomplies with Part 15 of the FCC rules.Operation is subject to the following twoconditions: (1) This device may notcause harmful interference, and (2) thisdevice must accept any interferencereceived, including interference thatmay cause undesired operation.


This device complies with IndustryCanada Standard RSS-210. Operation issubject to the following two conditions:(1) this device may not causeinterference, and (2) this device mustaccept any interference that may causeundesired operation of the device.



Replacing the Remote ControlBatteries

Storing the Remote Control

139

HOLDER

There are various types of DVDsavailable. Some of them are notcompatible with your system.The DVD player in your RearEntertainment System can playDVDs and CDs bearing the abovemarks on their packages or jackets.Those packages or jackets shouldalso bear the designation of ‘‘1’’ or‘‘ALL’’. DVD-ROMs cannot be playedin this system.

If you see an error message in the display while operating the DVD player,find the cause in the chart to the right. If you cannot clear the message, takeyour vehicle to an Acura dealer.


FOCUS Error

Mechanical Error, or aDVD has been loaded inthe CD player

High Temperature

Low Vehicle BatteryVoltage

Press the EJECT button and pull out the DVD.Check if it is inserted correctly in the DVDPlayer. Make sure the DVD is not scratched ordamaged.Press the EJECT button and pull out the DVD.Check it for damage or deformation.If the DVD cannot be pulled out, or the errormessage does not disappear after the DVD isejected, see an Acura dealer.Do not try to force the DVD out of the player.Will disappear when the temperature returns tonormal.Run the engine to recharge the battery.

Playable DVDs DVD Player Error Messages



Some state and local govermentagencies prohibit the use ofheadphones by the driver of a motorvehicle. Always obey applicable lawsand regulations.

The audio for the rear entertainmentsystem is sent to the wirelessheadphones that come with thesystem. To turn on the headphones,press the red button on the earpiece.Adjust the volume level with the dialat the bottom of the same earpiece.

To adjust the comfort of theheadphones, slide the earpieces upor down the headband.

For greater battery life, turn off theheadphones when they are not in useby pressing the red button again.They will turn off automatically ifthey do not receive an audio signalfrom the system for several minutes.When not in use, store theheadphones in the pocket on theback of either front seat.

The batteries are under the domedcovers on the back of each earpiece.To remove a cover, press down on itwith your thumb, slide it backward(away from the headband), then liftit up. Remove the batteries and notetheir polarity. Install the newbatteries in the earpiece with thesame polarity. Set the cover in place,then slide it up until it locks. Eachheadphone uses two AAA batteries.

Wireless Headphones Replacing Batteries



ON/OFF BUTTONVOLUMEDIAL

COVER

Auxiliary input jacks and headphoneconnectors for the rearentertainment system are under thethird seat armrest on the passenger’sside. To access these connectors,open the cover by pulling up on thelever.

The system will accept auxiliaryinputs from standard video gamesand video equipment.

Some video game power suppliesmay cause poor picture quality.

V = Video jackL = Left audio jackR = Right audio jack

There are three headphoneconnectors for the third seatpassengers. Each connector has itsown volume control. Thesehandphones are not supplied withthe vehicle.

Auxiliary Input Jacks



AUXILIARY INPUT JACKS

ARMREST LEVER VOLUME DIALS

HEADPHONE CONNECTORS

The security system automaticallysets 15 seconds after you lock thedoors, hood, and the tailgate. For thesystem to activate, you must lock thedoors from the outside with the key,lock tab, door lock switch, or remotetransmitter. The security systemindicator next to the driver’s doorlock starts blinking immediately toshow you the system is setting itself.

The security system will not set ifthe hood, tailgate, or any door is notfully closed. If the system will not set,check the Door and Tailgate OpenMonitor on the instrument panel(see page ) to see if the doors andtailgate are fully closed. Since it isnot part of the monitor display,manually check the hood.

Do not attempt to alter this systemor add other devices to it.

The security system helps to protectyour vehicle and valuables from theft.The horn sounds and a combinationof headlights, parking lights, sidemarker lights and taillights flashes ifsomeone attempts to break into yourvehicle or remove the radio. Thisalarm continues for two minutes,then the system resets. To reset analarming system before the twominutes have elapsed, unlock thedriver’s door with the key or theremote transmitter.

Once the security system is set,opening any door or the tailgatewithout using the key or the remotetransmitter, or the hood, will cause itto alarm. It also alarms if the radio,navigation and DVD components areremoved from the dashboard or thewiring is cut.

60

Security System


SECURITY SYSTEM LIGHT

Accelerate to the desired cruisingspeed above 25 mph (40 km/h).

Cruise control allows you to maintaina set speed above 25 mph (40 km/h)without keeping your foot on theaccelerator pedal. It should be usedfor cruising on straight, openhighways. It is not recommended forcity driving, winding roads, slipperyroads, heavy rain, or bad weather.

Press and release the SET/DECEL button on the steeringwheel. Indicator on the instrumentpanel comes on to show thesystem is now activated.

Push in the Cruise Control MasterSwitch. The indicator in the switchwill come on.

The cruise control may not holdthe set speed when you are goingup and down hills. If your speedincreases going down a hill, usethe brakes to slow down. This willcancel the cruise control. Toresume the set speed, press theRESUME/ACCEL button. Theindicator on the instrument panelwill come back on.

1.

2.

3.

Cruise Control


Using the Cruise Control

144

CRUISE CONTROL MASTER SWITCH

CANCEL

RESUME/ACCEL

SET/DECEL

Improper use of the cruisecontrol can lead to a crash.

Use the cruise control onlywhen traveling on openhighways in good weather.

You can increase the set cruisingspeed in any of these ways:

Press and hold the RESUME/ACCEL button. When you reachthe desired cruising speed, releasethe button.

Push on the accelerator pedal.Accelerate to the desired cruisingspeed and press the SET/DECELbutton.

You can decrease the set cruisingspeed in any of these ways:

Press and hold the SET/DECELbutton. Release the button whenyou reach the desired speed.

To slow down in very smallamounts, tap the SET/DECELbutton. Each time you do this,your vehicle will slow down about1 mph (1.6 km/h).

Tap the brake pedal lightly withyour foot. The CRUISECONTROL indicator on theinstrument panel will go out.When the vehicle slows to thedesired speed, press the SET/DECEL button.

Even with the cruise control turnedon, you can still use the acceleratorpedal to speed up for passing. Aftercompleting the pass, take your footoff the accelerator pedal. The vehiclewill return to the set cruising speed.

Resting your foot on the brake pedalwill cause the cruise control tocancel.

You can cancel the cruise control inany of these ways:

Tap the brake pedal.Push the CANCEL button on thesteering wheel.Press the Cruise Control MasterSwitch.

When you push the CANCEL button,or tap the brake pedal, the systemwill remembers the previously setcruising speed. To return to thatspeed, accelerate to above 25 mph(40 km/h) and then press andrelease the RESUME/ACCELbutton. The CRUISE CONTROLindicator comes on. The vehicle willaccelerate to the same cruisingspeed as before.Pressing the Cruise Control MasterSwitch turns the system completelyoff and erases the previous cruisingspeed.

To increase your speed in verysmall amounts, tap the RESUME/ACCEL button. Each time you dothis, the vehicle will speed upabout 1 mph (1.6 km/h).

Cruise Control

Changing the Set Speed Cancelling the Cruise Control

Resuming the Set Speed


－

＋

Trip Computer


INSTANTANEOUSFUEL MILEAGE

CLOCKBUTTON

TRIPBUTTON

RESETBUTTON

DISPLAY BRIGHTNESSCONTROL

/CALIBRATE BUTTON

/ZONE BUTTONRESET, SET BUTTON

COMPASS

OUTSIDETEMPERATURE

CLOCK

Clock

Direction of travel

Outside temperature

Instantaneous fuel mileage

The Avg display shows you theaverage fuel economy since youlast reset the display.

The E/T is the elapsed time thatthe ignition has been on. Itautomatically resets to 0.0 when itreaches twelve hours. This displaycan be reset at any time.

The display also has manualfunctions for the Climate ControlSystem. Refer to page .

All models of MDX have a tripcomputer. To operate the tripcomputer on models with thenavigation system, refer to thenavigation manual.

The Trip Computer displays thefollowing information.

The temperature sensor is locatedin the front bumper, and can beaffected by heat from the roadsurface, engine heat, and theexhaust from the surroundingtraffic. Because of theseconditions, it may take a while forthe temperature to read correctly.

The Range, or estimated distanceyou can travel on the fuelremaining in the tank estimatedfrom the fuel economy you havegotten over the last several miles(kilometers).

The Trip display shows you thetotal distance you have drivensince it was last reset.

Press the TRIP button to show eitherthe range and Avg fuel economy, orthe E/T and Trip odometer.

To reset the Avg fuel economy, E/T,and Trip odometer, press and holdthe RESET button until you hear abeep.

The outside temperature, fueleconomy, range, and trip odometercan be displayed in either English orMetric units. To change betweenunits, press the TRIP button andhold it for five seconds.

104

Trip Computer


(Without Navigation System)

Changing and Resetting theDisplay

Changing Units of Measurement

147

To set the clock:

Push the CLOCK button. Thehours digits will start blinking. Ifyou want to only set the minutes,go to step 4.

To change the hours to a lowernumber, press and hold theMODE button. To change thehours to a higher number, pressand hold the A/C button.

When the hours reach the desirednumber, release the button.

To set the minutes, press theCLOCK button again. Theminutes digits will start blinking.

Use the MODE or A/C button toset the minutes to the desirednumber.

Press the CLOCK button again.The clock will return to its normaldisplay.

For example:1:06 will reset to 1:001:52 will reset to 2:00

You can quickly set the time to thenearest hour. Press the CLOCKbutton, then press the RESET button.If the displayed time is before thehalf hour, it will reset back to theprevious hour. If the displayed timeis after the half hour, it will resetforward to the next hour.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Trip Computer


Setting the Clock

148

－－

－－

－－

The compass may need to bemanually calibrated after exposure toa strong magnetic field. If thecompass seems to be continuallyshowing the wrong direction and isnot self-calibrating, do the following.

You should do this procedurein an open area, away from buildings,power lines, and other vehicles.

Press and hold the CLOCK andTRIP buttons until the displaychanges (about 1 second).

Press the Calibrate (MODE)button.

Press the Set (FAN) button.‘‘Calibrate’’ will start blinking, andthe direction display will change to‘‘ ’’.

Drive the vehicle slowly in twocomplete circles.

When the display goes from‘‘ ’’ to an actual heading, theunit is calibrated.

Press the CLOCK, TRIP, orRESET button to complete thecalibration and return the displayto normal.

Compass operation can be affectedby driving near power lines orstations, across bridges, throughtunnels, over railroad crossings, pastlarge vehicles, or driving near largeobjects that can cause a magneticdisturbance. It can also be affectedby accessories such as antennas androof racks that are mounted bymagnets.

If you see ‘‘ ’’ in the directiondisplay and ‘‘Calibrate’’ is blinking,the compass is self-calibrating.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

CONTINUED

Trip Computer


Compass Operation

Compass Calibration

149

NOTE:

In most areas, there is a variationbetween magnetic north and truenorth. Zone selection is required sothe compass can compensate for thisvariation. To check and select thezone set into the compass, do thefollowing.

Press and hold the CLOCK andTRIP buttons until the displaychanges (about 1 second).

Press the Zone (A/C) button. Thezone the compass is currently setto is displayed.

Find the zone for your area on themap.

If the zone is incorrect, press andhold the MODE button to get thenumber to count down, or the A/Cbutton to get the number to countup. If the zone is correct, continueto step 5.

Press the Set (FAN) button to setthe zone selection.

Press the CLOCK, TRIP orRESET button to exit the zoneselection and return display tonormal.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Trip Computer


Compass Zone Selection

150

Trip Computer


The Brightness control has sevenpositions. In the middle five positionsthe display will dim when you turnon the parking lights or headlights.

Moving the control to the far leftposition turns off the display. It willcome back on for several seconds ifyou press any of the buttons.In the far right (maximumbrightness) position, the display willnot dim when you turn on theparking lights.

Always use a soft cloth and mildglass/plastic cleaner (such ascleaners for computer monitorscreens) to clean the display.

Whenever you shift to R (Reverse)with the ignition switch in the ON(II) position, the rear view is shownin the navigation system display.

For the best picture, always keep therear view camera clean, and do notcover the camera lens.

When in reverse, the touch screen,and Navi ‘‘hard’’ buttons are lockedout, except the A/C-INFO button.Touching the A/C-INFO buttonallows you to adjust the brightness ofthe rear view camera image. Touchthe A/C-INFO button again to leavethe brightness adjust mode.

The camera brightnesscannot be adjusted by voice control.

Since the rear view camera displayarea is limited, you should alwaysback up slowly and carefully, andlook behind you for obstacles.

When you wipe the screen, someblack lines may appear because ofstatic electricity build-up. This isnormal. They will disappear in 5 to10 minutes.

If equipped


BRIGHTNESS control

Cleaning the Display

Rear View Camera and Monitor

Trip Computer, Rear View Camera and Monitor

152

NOTE:

REAR VIEW CAMERA

－The HomeLink UniversalTransceiver built into your vehiclecan be programmed to operate up tothree remotely controlled devicesaround your home, such as garagedoors, lighting, or home securitysystems.

Always refer to the openinginstructions and safety informationthat came with your garage dooropener or other equipment youintend to operate with the HomeLinkUniversal Transceiver. If you do nothave this information, contact themanufacturer of the equipment.

If you are training the second orthird buttons, go directly to Step 1.

If you are training HomeLink tooperate a garage door or gate, youshould unplug the motor for thatdevice during training. Repeatedlypressing the remote control buttoncould burn out the motor.

The HomeLink transceiver storesthe code in a permanent memory.There should be no need to retrainHomeLink if your vehicle’s batterygoes dead or is disconnected. If yourgarage door opener wasmanufactured before April 1982, youmay not be able to programHomeLink to operate it. They do nothave the safety feature that causes

the motor to stop and reverse if anobstacle is detected during closing,increasing the risk of injury.

If you justreceived your vehicle and have nottrained any of the buttons inHomeLink before, you should eraseany previously learned codes beforetraining the first button.To do this, press and hold the twooutside buttons on the HomeLinktransceiver for about 20 seconds,until the red light flashes. Releasethe buttons, then proceed to Step 1.

CONTINUED

HomeLink Universal Transceiver


General Information

Training HomeLink


Before you begin

153

Unplug the garage door openermotor from the house current.

Hold the end of the garage dooropener remote control 2 to 5inches from HomeLink. Makesure you are not blocking yourview of the red light in HomeLink.

The remote controlyou are training from may stoptransmitting after two seconds. Thisis not long enough for HomeLink tolearn the code. Release and press thebutton on the remote control everytwo seconds until HomeLink haslearned the code.

The red light in HomeLink shouldbegin flashing. It will flash slowlyat first, then rapidly.

When the red light flashes rapidly,release both buttons. HomeLinkshould have learned the code fromthe remote control.

Plug in the garage door openermotor, then test the HomeLinktransceiver button by pushing it. Ifthe button does not work, repeatthe procedure to train it again. If itstill does not work, you may have avariable or rolling code garagedoor opener. See if you do bypressing and holding theHomeLink transceiver button youjust trained. If the red light blinksfor 2 seconds then stays on, youhave a rolling code garage dooropener. Go to ‘‘Training with aRolling Code System’’ (see page

).

Repeat these steps to train theother two HomeLink buttons tooperate any other remotelycontrolled devices around yourhome (lighting, automatic gate,security system, etc.).

Press and hold the remote controlbutton and one of the HomeLinkbuttons at the same time.

2.

3.

4.1.

5.

6.

7.

155

Canadian Owners:



－

－

For security purposes, newer garagedoor opening systems use a ‘‘rolling’’or variable code. Information fromthe remote control and the garagedoor opener are needed beforeHomeLink can operate the garagedoor opener.

The ‘‘Training HomeLink’’procedure trains HomeLink to theproper garage door opener code.The following proceduresynchronizes HomeLink to thegarage door opener so they send andreceive the correct codes.

Find the ‘‘Training’’ button on yourgarage door opener unit. Thelocation will vary, depending onthe manufacturer.

Make sure you have properlycompleted the ‘‘TrainingHomeLink’’ procedure.

Press the Training button on thegarage door opener unit until thelight next to the button comes on,then release it. The light may blink,or come on and stay on. You thenhave approximately 30 seconds tocomplete the following steps.

Press and hold the button onHomeLink for 3 4 seconds.

Press and hold the HomeLinkbutton again for 3 4 seconds.This should turn off the traininglight on the garage door openerunit. (Some systems may requireyou to press the button up to threetimes.)

Press the HomeLink button again.It should operate the garage door.

6.

2.

4.

5.

1.

3.

Training With a Rolling CodeSystem



TRAINING BUTTON

To erase the codes stored in all threebuttons, press and hold the twooutside buttons until the red lightbegins to flash, then release thebuttons.

You should erase all three codesbefore selling the vehicle.

To train an already programmedtransceiver button with a new device,you do not have to erase all thememory. Train the selected buttonover the existing memory codefollowing the steps under

.

If you have problems with trainingthe HomeLink Universal Transceiver,or would like information on homeproducts that can be operated by thetransmitter, call (800) 355-3515. Onthe Internet, go to www.homelink.com.





Erasing Codes

TrainingHomeLink

Customer Assistance

Retraining a Button


Before you begin driving your Acura,you should know what gasoline touse, and how to check the levels ofimportant fluids. You also need toknow how to properly store luggageor packages. The information in thissection will help you. If you plan toadd any accessories to your vehicle,please read the information in thissection first.

.............................Break-in Period . 158...............................Gasoline Type . 158

.........Service Station Procedures . 159...............................Fuel Economy . 162

...Accessories and Modifications . 163.............................Carrying Cargo . 165

Before Driving

Before Driving 157

Help assure your vehicle’s futurereliability and performance by payingextra attention to how you driveduring the first 600 miles (1,000 km).During this period:

Avoid full-throttle starts and rapidacceleration.

Do not change the oil until thescheduled maintenance time.

Your Acura is designed to operate onpremium unleaded gasoline with apump octane number of 91 or higher.Use of a lower octane gasoline cancause occasional metallic knockingnoises in the engine and will result indecreased engine performance.

You should also follow these samerecommendations with anoverhauled or exchanged engine, orwhen the brakes are replaced.

Avoid hard braking for the first200 miles (300 km).

We recommended using a gasolinecontaining detergent additives thathelp prevent fuel system and enginedeposits.

Some gasoline today is blended withoxygenates such as ethanol orMTBE. Your vehicle is designed tooperate on oxygenated gasolinecontaining up to 10 percent ethanolby volume and up to 15 percentMTBE by volume. Do not usegasoline containing methanol.

If you notice any undesirableoperating symptoms, try anotherservice station or switch to anotherbrand of gasoline.

In addition, in order to maintain goodperformance, fuel economy, andemissions control, we stronglyrecommend, in areas where it isavailable, the use of gasoline thatdoes NOT contain manganese-basedfuel additives such as MMT. Use ofgasoline with these additives mayadversely affect performance, andcause the Malfunction IndicatorLamp on your instrument panel tocome on.

If this happens, contact yourauthorized Acura dealer for service.For further important fuel-relatedinformation, please refer to yourQuick Start Guide.

Break-in Period, Gasoline Type

Before Driving

Break-in Period Gasoline Type

158

Remove the fuel fill cap slowly.You may hear a hissing sound aspressure inside the tank escapes.Place the cap in the holder on thefuel fill door.

Stop filling the tank after the fuelnozzle automatically clicks off. Donot try to ‘‘top off’’ the tank. Leavesome room for the fuel to expandwith temperature changes.

eventhough the tank is not full, there maybe a problem with your vehicle’s fuelvapor recovery system. The systemhelps keep fuel vapors from goinginto the atmosphere. Consult yourdealer.

Open the fuel fill door by pullingon the handle to the left of thedriver’s seat.

Park with the driver’s side closestto the service station pump.

1.

2.

3.

4.

If the fuel nozzle keeps clicking off

CONTINUED

Service Station Procedure

Before Driving

Fueling

159

Pull

FUEL FILL CAP

Gasoline is highly flammableand explosive. You can beburned or seriously injuredwhen handling fuel.

Stop the engine and keepheat, sparks, and flamesaway.Handle fuel only outdoors.Wipe up spills immediately.

Screw the fuel fill cap back onuntil it clicks at least three times.If you do not properly tighten thecap, the Malfunction IndicatorLamp may come on (see page

).

Push the fuel fill door closed untilit latches.

Park the vehicle, and set theparking brake. Pull the hoodrelease handle located under thelower left corner of the dashboard.The hood will pop up slightly.

Put your fingers under the frontedge of the hood to the left ofcenter. Slide your hand to the leftuntil you feel the hood latchhandle. Push this handle up until itreleases the hood. Lift the hood.

If the hood latch handle moves stiffly,or if you can open the hood withoutlifting the handle, the mechanismshould be cleaned and lubricated(see page ).

1.

5.

6.

2.

243

214


Before Driving

Opening the Hood

160

HOOD RELEASE HANDLE

LATCH

Lift the hood up most of the way.The hydraulic supports will lift itup the rest of the way and hold itup.

Wait a few minutes after turning theengine off before you check the oil.

Remove the dipstick (orangehandle).

Wipe the dipstick with a cleancloth or paper towel.

Insert it all the way back in its tube.

Remove the dipstick again andcheck the level. It should bebetween the upper and lowermarks.

If it is near or below the lower mark,see on page .

Lower the hood to about a foot (30cm) above the fender, then pressdown firmly with your hands. Makesure it is securely latched.

1.

3.

3.

2.

4.

205


Before Driving

Adding Oil

Oil Check

To Close the Hood

161

DIPSTICK

UPPER MARK

LOWER MARK

Look at the coolant level in theradiator reserve tank. Make sure it isbetween the MAX and MIN lines. Ifit is below the MIN line, see

on page forinformation on adding the propercoolant.

Always maintain your vehicleaccording to the maintenanceschedule. See

(see page).

Try to maintain a constant speed.Every time you slow down andspeed up, your vehicle uses extrafuel. Use the cruise control whenappropriate.

Combine several short trips intoone.

The air conditioning puts an extraload on the engine which makes ituse more fuel. Use the fresh-airventilation when possible.

Refer toon page for information

about checking other items on yourAcura.

The build-up of snow or mud onyour vehicle’s underside addsweight and rolling resistance.Frequent cleaning helps your fuelmileage and reduces the chance ofcorrosion.

Drive moderately. Rapidacceleration, abrupt cornering andhard braking use more fuel.

Always drive in the highest gearpossible.

an underinflated tirecauses more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’which uses fuel.

208

198

198

For example,

Service Station Procedures, Fuel Economy

Before Driving

Engine Coolant Check

AddingEngine Coolant

Improving Fuel Economy

Owner’sMaintenance Checks

Owner’s MaintenanceChecks

162

RESERVE TANK

MAX

MIN

Modifying your vehicle, or installingsome non-Acura accessories, canmake your vehicle unsafe. Beforeyou make any modifications or addany accessories, be sure to read thefollowing information.

Before installing any accessory:

Make sure the accessory does notobscure any lights, or interferewith proper vehicle operation orperformance.

When properly installed, cellularphones, alarms, two-way radios, andlow-powered audio systems shouldnot interfere with your vehicle’scomputer controlled systems, suchas the SRS, TPMS, and anti-lockbrake system.

Although aftermarket accessoriesmay fit on your vehicle, they may notmeet factory specifications, andcould adversely affect your vehicle’shandling and stability. (See‘‘Modifying Your Vehicle’’ on page

for additional information.)

Your dealer has Acura accessoriesthat allow you to personalize yourvehicle. These accessories havebeen designed and approved for yourvehicle.

Be sure electronic accessories donot overload electrical circuits(see page ) or interfere withproper operation of your vehicle.

Do not install accessories on theside pillars or across the rearwindows as these may interferewith proper operation of the sidecurtain airbags.

Have the installer contact yourAcura dealer for assistance beforeinstalling any electronic accessory.

If possible, have your dealerinspect the final installation.

246

164

Accessories and Modifications

Before Driving

Accessories

163

Improper accessories ormodifications can affect yourvehicle’s handling, stability, andperformance, and cause acrash in which you can be hurtor killed.

Follow all instructions in thisowner’s manual regardingaccessories and modifications.

Removing parts from your vehicle,or replacing components with non-Acura (aftermarket) componentscould seriously affect your vehicle’shandling, stability, and reliability.

Some examples are:Lowering your vehicle with anaftermarket suspension kit thatsignificantly reduces groundclearance can allow theundercarriage to hit speed bumpsor other raised objects, whichcould cause the airbags to deploy.

Raising your vehicle with anaftermarket suspension kit canaffect handling and stability.

Aftermarket wheels, because theyare a universal design, can causeexcessive stress on suspensioncomponents.

Larger or smaller wheels and tirescan interfere with the operation ofyour vehicle’s anti-lock brakes andother systems.

Do not modify your steering wheelor any other part of yourSupplemental Restraint System.Modifications could make thesystem ineffective. See the safetyprecautions on page .

If you plan to modify your vehicle,consult your Acura dealer.

Any objectattached to or placed on the coversmarked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG’’ in thecenter of the steering wheel andon top of the dashboard, couldinterfere with the proper operationof the airbags. Or, if the airbagsinflate, the objects could bepropelled inside the vehicle andhurt someone.

This could prevent theairbag from inflating properly.

If a side airbaginflates, a cup holder or other hardobject attached on or near thedoor could be propelled inside thevehicle and hurt someone.

32

Accessories and Modifications

Before Driving

Modifying Your Vehicle Additional Safety PrecautionsDo not attach or place objects onthe front airbag covers.

Do not place any objects over orreplace the outside edge of a frontseat-back.

Do not attach hard objects on ornear a front door.

164

Your vehicle has several convenientstorage areas:

Glove boxFront door and seat-back pocketsRear cargo area, including thesecond and third row seats whenfolded flatConsole compartmentRear compartment

However, carrying too much cargo,or improperly storing it, can affectyour vehicle’s handling, stability,stopping distance, and tires, andmake it unsafe. Before carrying anytype of cargo, be sure to read thefollowing pages.

Roof-rack (if equipped)

Carrying Cargo

Before Driving 165

CARGO AREA

CONSOLE COMPARTMENT SEAT-BACK POCKETS

GLOVE BOX DOOR POCKETS

REAR COMPARTMENT

×

－

The maximum load for your vehicleis 1,158 lbs (525 kg). This figureincludes the total weight of alloccupants, cargo, accessories, andthe tongue weight if you are towing atrailer.

To determine the correct cargo andluggage load limit:

Locate the statement, ‘‘thecombined weight of occupants andcargo should never exceed 1,158lbs (525 kg)’’ on your vehicle’splacard (on the driver’s doorjamb).

Determine the combined weightof the driver and passengers thatwill be riding in your vehicle.(Seven is the seating capacity ofyour vehicle.)

Subtract the combined weight ofthe driver and passengers from1,158 lbs (525 kg).

The resulting figure equals theavailable amount of cargo andluggage load capacity.

For example, if there will be five 150lbs (70 kg) occupants in your vehicle,the amount of available cargo andluggage load capacity is 408 lbs (175kg).5 150 lbs (70 kg) = 750 lbs (350kg)1,158 lbs (525 kg) 750 lbs (350 kg)= 408 lbs (175 kg)

Determine the combined weightof accessories, luggage, and cargobeing loaded in the vehicle. Theweight may not safely exceed theavailable cargo and luggage loadcapacity calculated in step 4 [408lbs (175 kg) in this example].

If your vehicle will be towing atrailer, the load from your trailerwill be transferred to your vehicle.Consult this manual to determinehow this reduces the availablecargo and luggage load capacity ofyour vehicle.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Carrying Cargo

Before Driving166

Overloading or improperloading can affect handling andstability and cause a crash inwhich you can be hurt or killed.

Follow all load limits and otherloading guidelines in thismanual.

Store or secure all items that couldbe thrown around and hurtsomeone during a crash.

Be sure items placed on the floorbehind the front seats cannot rollunder the seats and interfere withthe pedals or seat operation.

Keep the glove box closed whiledriving. If it is open, a passengercould injure their knees during acrash or sudden stop.

Distribute cargo evenly on thefloor of the cargo area, placing theheaviest items on the bottom andas far forward as possible. Tiedown items that could be thrownabout the vehicle during a crash orsudden stop.

If you carry large items thatprevent you from closing thetailgate, exhaust gas can enter thepassenger area. To avoid thepossibility of

, follow the instructionson page .

If you carry any items on a roofrack, be sure the total weight ofthe rack and the items does notexceed 165 lbs (75 kg).

If you use an accessory roof rack,the roof rack weight limit may belower. Refer to the information thatcame with your roof rack.

The separation net can be used tohold back soft, lightweight itemsstored in the cargo area. Heavyitems should be properly secured onthe floor of the cargo area. The netmay not prevent heavy items frombeing thrown forward in a crash or asudden stop.

The cargo cover can be used tocover the cargo area behind the thirdrow seats. When the third row seatsare folded down, the cargo cover canbe installed in a forward position andextended over the larger cargo area.Do not install the cargo cover in theforward position if the third rowseats are not folded down.

If you fold down the second orthird row seats, follow theinstructions above and be sure tokeep all cargo near the windowsbelow the bottom of the windows.If cargo is higher, it couldinterfere with proper operation ofthe side curtain airbags.

51

Carrying Cargo

Before Driving

Carrying Items in the PassengerCompartment

Carrying Cargo in the Cargo Areaor on a Roof Rack

carbon monoxidepoisoning

Optional Separation Net

Optional Cargo Cover

167

This section gives you tips onstarting the engine under variousconditions, and how to operate theautomatic transmission. It alsoincludes important information onparking your vehicle, the brakingsystem, the VTM-4 System, the VSAsystem, Tire Pressure MonitoringSystem, and facts you need if you areplanning to tow a trailer.

........................Driving Guidelines . 170

........................Preparing to Drive . 170.......................Starting the Engine . 171

..............Automatic Transmission . 172Variable Torque Management

..............................4WD System . 176

..............................VTM-4 Lock . 176Tire Pressure Monitoring System

......................................(TPMS) . 177...........................................Parking . 179

.............................Braking System . 180...........................Anti-lock Brakes . 181

Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)........................................System . 183

.................Towing Weight Limits . 185...........................Towing a Trailer . 188

Towing Your Vehicle Behind a................................Motorhome . 190

..............Off-Highway Guidelines . 192

Driving

Driving 169

Your vehicle has higher groundclearance that allows you to travelover bumps, obstacles, and roughterrain. It also provides goodvisibility so you can anticipateproblems earlier.

Because your vehicle rides higheroff the ground, it has a high centerof gravity that can cause it to rollover if you make abrupt turns. Utilityvehicles have a significantly higherroll over rate than other types ofvehicles.

To prevent rollovers or loss ofcontrol:

Take corners at slower speedsthan you would with a passengervehicle.

Avoid sharp turns and abruptmaneuvers whenever possible.

Do not modify your vehicle in anyway that would raise the center ofgravity.

Do not carry heavy cargo on theroof.

You should do the following checksand adjustments before you driveyour vehicle.

Make sure all windows, mirrors,and outside lights are clean andunobstructed. Remove frost, snow,or ice.

Make sure the doors and tailgateare securely closed and locked.

Check the steering wheeladjustment (see page ).

Check the adjustment of theinside and outside mirrors (seepage ).

Check the seat adjustment (seepage ).

Check that any items you may becarrying are stored properly orfastened down securely.

When you start the engine, checkthe gauges and indicators in theinstrument panel (see page ).

Visually check the tires. If a tirelooks low, use a gauge to check itspressure.

Fasten your seat belt. Check thatyour passengers have fastenedtheir seat belts (see page ).

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

84

92

76

14

57

See page for additional guidelinesfor driving off-highway.

192

Driving Guidelines, Preparing to Drive

Driving

Driving Guidelines

Preparing to Drive

170

Apply the parking brake.

In cold weather, turn off allelectrical accessories to reducethe drain on the battery.

Make sure the shift lever is inPark. Press on the brake pedal.

If the engine does not start within15 seconds, or starts but stallsright away, repeat step 4 with theaccelerator pedal pressed halfwaydown. If the engine starts, releasepressure on the accelerator pedalso the engine does not race.

If the engine fails to start, pressthe accelerator pedal all the waydown and hold it there whilestarting to clear flooding. If theengine still does not start, returnto step 5.

Without touching the acceleratorpedal, turn the ignition key to theSTART (III) position. Do not holdthe key in START (III) for morethan 15 seconds at a time. If theengine does not start right away,pause for at least 10 secondsbefore trying again.

5.

6.1.

2.

3.

4.

Starting the Engine

Driving 171

NOTICE: The engine is harder to startin cold weather. Also, the thinner airf ound at altitudes above 8,000 f eet(2,400 meters) adds to this problem.

These indicators on the instrumentpanel show which position the shiftlever is in.

The ‘‘D ’’ indicator comes on for afew seconds when you turn theignition switch to ON (II). If itflashes while driving (in any shiftposition), it indicates a possibleproblem in the transmission.

If the malfunction indicator lampcome on along with the ‘‘D ’’indicator, there is a problem in theautomatic transmission controlsystem. Avoid rapid acceleration andhave the transmission checked by anAcura dealer as soon as possible.

To shift from any position, pressfirmly on the brake pedal. Youcannot shift out of Park when theignition switch is in the LOCK (0) orACCESSORY (I) position.

5

5

To shift from:P to R

R to NN to DD to DD to DD to 22 to 11 to 2

2 to DD to DD to DD to NN to RR to P

Do this:Press the brake pedal, thenmove the shift lever.

Move the lever.

5

5 4

4 3

3

3

3 4

4 5

5

Automatic Transmission

Driving

Shift Lever Position Indicators

Shifting

172

－－

－－

－

－

CONTINUED

This position mechani-cally locks the transmission. UsePark whenever you are turning off orstarting the engine. To shift out ofPark, you must press on the brakepedal and have your foot off theaccelerator pedal.

If you have done all of the above andstill cannot move the lever out ofPark, see onpage .

To avoid transmission damage, cometo a complete stop before shiftinginto Park. The shift lever must be inPark before you can remove the keyfrom the ignition switch.

Press the brakepedal to shift from Park to Reverse.To shift from Reverse to Neutral,come to a complete stop and thenshift.

Your vehicle has a reverse lockout soyou cannot accidentally shift toReverse from Neutral or any otherdriving position when the vehiclespeed exceeds 7 9 mph (12 14km/h).

If you cannot shift to Reverse whenthe vehicle is stopped, press thebrake pedal and slowly shift toNeutral, and then to Reverse.

If there is a problem in the reverselockout system, or your vehicle’sbattery is disconnected or goes dead,you cannot shift to Reverse. (Referto Shift Lock Release on page ).

Use Neutral if youneed to restart a stalled engine, or ifit is necessary to stop briefly withthe engine idling. Shift to the Parkposition if you need to leave yourvehicle for any reason. Press on thebrake pedal when you are movingthe shift lever from Neutral toanother gear.

Use this position fornormal driving. The transmissionautomatically selects a suitable gearfor your speed and acceleration. Youmay notice the transmission shiftingup at higher speeds when the engineis cold. This helps the engine warmup faster.

175

175


Driving

Park (P)

Shift Lock Release

Reverse (R) Neutral (N)

Drive (D )5

173

－－－These positionsare similar to D , except when youselect the D position, only the firstfour gears are selected. When youselect D , only the first three gearsare selected. D can also keep thetransmission from cycling betweenfourth and fifth gears in stop-and-godriving, and D can keep thetransmission from cycling betweenthird and fourth gears.

This position locksthe transmission in second gear. Itdoes not downshift to first gearwhen you come to a stop.

Use Second gear:For more power when climbing.To increase engine braking whengoing down steep hills.For starting out on a slipperysurface or in deep snow.When driving downhill with atrailer.

With the lever in thisposition, the transmission locks inFirst gear.

If you shift into First position whenthe vehicle speed is above 31 mph(50 km/h), the transmission shiftsinto Second gear first to avoidsudden engine braking.

If you exceed the maximum speedfor the gear you are in, the enginespeed will enter into the tachometer’sred zone. If this occurs, you may feelthe engine cut in and out. This iscaused by a limiter in the engine’scomputer controls. The engine willrun normally when you reduce theRPM below the red zone.

Use D to provide engine brakingwhen going down a steep hill. Dgives you more power and increasedengine braking.

54

34

3

33


Driving

Drive (D , D ) Second (2) First (1)

Engine Speed Limiter

4 3

174

Set the Parking brake.

Make sure the ignition switch is inthe LOCK (0) position.

To release the Reverse Lockout,make sure the ignition switch is inthe ACCESSORY (I) position. Put a cloth on the edge of the Shift

Lock Release slot cover. Using akey, carefully pry on the edge ofthe cover to remove it.

Insert the key in the Shift LockRelease slot.

Push down on the key and movethe shift lever out of Park toNeutral.

To release the reverse lockout,move the shift lever from Neutralto Reverse, then to Park.

Remove the key from the ShiftLock Release slot, then install thecover. Press the brake pedal, andrestart the engine.

If you need to use the Shift LockRelease, it means your vehicle isdeveloping a problem. Have itchecked by an Acura dealer.

Do this if pushing on the brake pedaldoes not shift the transmission out ofPark. This procedure is also used torelease the Reverse Lockout.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.


Driving

Shift Lock Release

175

COVER SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT

The Variable Torque Management4WD System (VTM-4) automaticallytransfers varying amounts of enginetorque to the rear wheels underlower traction conditions.

If more traction is needed when yourMDX is stuck, or is likely to becomestuck, you can use the VTM-4 Lockbutton to increase torque to the rearwheels.

The vehicle must be stopped withthe engine running.

Move the shift lever to First (1),Second (2), or Reverse (R) gear.

Press the VTM-4 Lock button.The light in the button will comeon.

To get unstuck, apply light pressureto the accelerator pedal. Do not spinthe front tires for more than a fewseconds. Because of the amount oftorque applied to the rear tires, theyshould not spin. This is normal. Ifyou are not able to move the vehicle,stop and reverse direction.

doone of the following:

Press the VTM-4 Lock button.

Move the shift lever to D , D orD .

Turn the ignition switch to LOCK(0).

The VTM-4 Lock will temporarilydisengage when the vehicle speedexceeds 18 mph (30 km/h). It willautomatically engage again as thespeed slows below 18 mph (30km/h). The button light will remainon.

1.

2.

3.

5 43

To Engage the VTM-4 Lock To Disengage the VTM-4 Lock,

VTM-4 System

Driving176

NOTICE:

NOTICE:

Do not use the VTM-4 Lockbutton on dry, paved roads. Driving ondry, paved roads with VTM-4 Lock ONmay damage the rear dif f erential whenmaking a turn. Strange noise andvibration can also result.

Do not continuously spin thef ront tires of your MDX. Continuouslyspinning the f ront tires can causetransmission or rear dif f erentialdamage.

Your Acura is equipped with a TirePressure Monitoring System(TPMS) that turns on every time youstart the engine and monitors thepressure in your tires while driving.

Each tire has its own pressuresensor. If the air pressure of a tirebecomes significantly low, thesensor in that tire immediately sendsa signal that causes the low tirepressure indicator and theappropriate tire on the Tire PressureMonitor to come on.

Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire tooverheat and can lead to tire failure.Under-inflation also reduces fuelefficiency and tire tread life, and mayaffect the vehicle’s handling andstopping ability.

When the tire pressure monitoringsystem warning light is lit, one ormore of your tires is significantlyunder-inflated. You should stop andcheck your tires as soon as possible,and inflate them to the properpressure as indicated on the vehicle’stire information placard.

Each tire, including the spare shouldbe checked monthly when cold andset to the recommended inflationpressure as specified in the vehicleplacard and owner’s manual (seepage ).

Although your tire pressure ismonitored, you must manually checkthe tire pressures monthly.

If you think you can safely drive ashort distance to a service station,proceed slowly to the station andinflate the tire to the recommendedpressure shown on the driver’sdoorjamb.

If the tire is flat, or if the tirepressure is too low to continuedriving, replace the tire with thecompact spare tire.

222

Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Driving

Low Tire PressureIndicator

177

The appropriate tire indicator andLow Tire Pressure Indicator willcome on if a tire becomessignificantly underinflated. Followthe instructions under ‘‘Low TirePressure Indicator’’.

The indicator comes on and stays onwhen there is a problem with theTire Pressure Monitoring System.

If this happens, the system will shutoff and no longer monitor tirepressures. Have the system checkedby an Acura dealer as soon aspossible.

If you have a flat tire, the Low TirePressure and Tire monitor indicatorswill come on. Replace the indicatedflat tire with the compact spare tire(see page ).

Each wheel is equipped with a tirepressure sensor mounted inside thetire behind the valve stem. You mustuse TPMS specific wheels. It isrecommended that you always haveyour tires serviced by your Acuradealer or qualified technician.After you replace the flat tire, theLow Tire Pressure indicator will stayon. This is normal; the system is notmonitoring the spare tire pressure.Manually check the spare tirepressure to be sure it is correct.

Never use a puncture-repairing agentin a flat tire. If used, you will have toreplace the tire pressure sensor.Have the flat tire repaired by anAcura dealer as soon as possible.

231

Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Driving

Tire Pressure Monitor Tire Pressure MonitoringSystem (TPMS) Indicator

Changing the Tire with TPMS

178

Always use the parking brake whenyou park your vehicle. Make surethe parking brake is set firmly oryour vehicle may roll if it is on anincline.

Set the parking brake before you putthe transmission in Park. This keepsthe vehicle from moving and puttingpressure on the parking mechanismin the transmission.

Make sure the moonroof and thewindows are closed.

Turn off the lights.

Place any packages, valuables, etc.in the cargo area, or take themwith you.

Lock the doors.

Never park over dry leaves, tallgrass, or other flammablematerials. The hot three waycatalytic converter could causethese materials to catch on fire.

If the vehicle is facing uphill, turnthe front wheels away from thecurb.

If the vehicle is facing downhill,turn the front wheels toward thecurb.

Make sure the parking brake isfully released before driving away.Driving with the parking brakepartially set can overheat ordamage the rear brakes.

Parking Tips

Parking

Driving 179

Resting your foot on the pedal keepsthe brakes applied lightly, builds upheat, and reduces their effectiveness.It also keeps your brake lights on allthe time, confusing drivers behindyou.

Constant application of the brakeswhen going down a long hill buildsup heat and reduces their effective-ness. Use the engine to assist thebrakes by taking your foot off theaccelerator and downshifting to alower gear.

Check the brakes after drivingthrough deep water. Apply thebrakes moderately to see if they feelnormal. If not, apply them gently andfrequently until they do. Be extracautious in your driving.

The hydraulic system that operatesthe brakes has two separate circuits.Each circuit works diagonally acrossthe vehicle (the left-front brake isconnected with the right-rear brake,

etc.). If one circuit should develop aproblem, you will still have brakingat two wheels.

If the brake pads need replacing, youwill hear a distinctive, metallicscreeching sound when you applythe brake pedal. If you do not havethe brake pads replaced, they willscreech all the time. It is normal forthe brakes to occasionally squeal orsqueak when you apply them.

Your vehicle is equipped with discbrakes at all four wheels. A powerassist helps reduce the effort neededon the brake pedal. The ABS helpsyou retain steering control whenbraking very hard.

Braking System Design

Brake Wear Indicators

Braking System

Driving180

Front

The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)helps prevent the brakes fromlocking up and helps you retainsteering control by pumping thebrakes rapidly, much faster than aperson can do it.

The ABS also balances the front-to-rear braking distribution accordingto vehicle loading.

Let the ABS work for you by alwayskeeping firm, steady pressure on thebrake pedal. This is sometimesreferred to as ‘‘stomp and steer.’’

You will feel a pulsation in the brakepedal when the ABS activates, andmay hear some noise. This is normal:it is the ABS rapidly pumping thebrakes. On dry pavement, you willneed to press on the brake pedalvery hard before the ABS activates.However, you may feel the ABSactivate immediately if you are tryingto stop on snow or ice.

If the ABS indicator comes on, theanti-lock function of the brakingsystem has shut down. The brakesstill work like a conventional system,but without anti-lock. You shouldhave the dealer inspect your vehicleas soon as possible.

You should never pump the brake pedal.

Activating the Anti-lock Brakes ABS Indicator

Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)

Driving 181

If the ABS indicator and the breaksystem indicator come on togetherand the parking break is fullyreleased, the front-to-rear brakingdistribution system may also shutdown.

Test your brakes as instructed onpage . If the brakes feel normal,drive slowly and have your vehiclerepaired by your Acura dealer assoon as possible. Avoid sudden hardbraking which could cause the rearwheels to lock up and possibly leadto a loss of control.

It only helps with thesteering control during braking.

such as trying to take acorner too fast or making a suddenlane change. Always drive at a safespeed for the road and weatherconditions.

on loose oruneven surfaces, such as gravel orsnow, than a vehicle without anti-lock.

Always steer moderatelywhen you are braking hard. Severeor sharp steering wheel movementcan still cause your vehicle to veerinto oncoming traffic or off the road.

244

Important Safety RemindersABS does not reduce the time ordistance it takes to stop thevehicle.

ABS will not prevent a skid thatresults from changing directionabruptly,

A vehicle with ABS may require alonger distance to stop

ABS cannot prevent a loss ofstability.

Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)

Driving182

The Vehicle Stability Assist systemhelps to stabilize the vehicle duringcornering if the vehicle turns moreor less than desired. It also assistsyou in maintaining traction whileaccelerating on loose or slipperyroad surfaces. It does this byregulating the engine’s output, andby selectively applying the brakes.

When VSA activates, you may noticethat the engine does not respond tothe accelerator in the same way itdoes at other times.

The VSA system cannot enhance thevehicle’s driving stability in allsituations and does not control yourvehicle’s entire braking system. It isstill your responsibility to drive andcorner at reasonable speeds and toleave a sufficient margin of safety.

When VSA activates, you will see theVSA Activation indicator blink.

If the VSA system indicator comeson while driving, pull to the side ofthe road when it is safe, and turn offthe engine. Reset the system byrestarting the engine. If the VSAsystem indicator stays on, or comesback on while driving, have the VSAsystem inspected by an Acura dealer.

CONTINUED

VSA Activation Indicator VSA System Indicator

Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System

Driving 183

If the indicator does not come onwhen the ignition switch is turned toON (II), there may be a problemwith the VSA system. Have an Acuradealer inspect your vehicle as soonas possible.

Without VSA, your vehicle will havenormal braking and cornering ability,but it will not have VSA traction andstability enhancement.

This switch is under the left vent.Press it to turn the Vehicle StabilityAssist system on and off.

VSA is turned on every time youstart the engine, even if you turned itoff the last time you drove thevehicle.

Driving with varying tire or wheelsizes may cause the VSA tomalfunction. When replacing tires,make sure they are of the same sizeand type as your original tires (seepage ).

Deactivate the VSA system if youneed to drive with the compact sparetire installed (see page ).

If you install winter tires, make surethey are the same size as those thatwere originally supplied with yourvehicle. Exercise the same cautionduring winter driving as you would ifyour vehicle was not equipped withVSA.

When VSA is off, the VSA ActivationIndicator comes on as a reminder.

224

230

VSA Off Switch

VSA and Tire Sizes

Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System

Driving184

－

－

To safely tow a trailer, you shouldobserve the load limits, use theproper equipment, and follow theguidelines in this section.

Be sure to read the Off-HighwayDriving Guidelines section on page

if you plan to tow off pavedsurfaces.

To help ensure a safe drive to a scale,or if you cannot get to a public scale,we recommend that you estimateyour total trailer weight and tongueload as described next.

The maximumallowable weight of the vehicle, alloccupants, all cargo and the tongueload is 5,787 lbs (2,630 kg).

The best way to confirm that allloads are within limits is to checkthem at a public scale.

The GCWR must be reduced 2percent for every 1,000 feet (305meters) of elevation.

See page for limits for yourtowing situation.

Add the weight of your trailer (asquoted by the manufacturer) witheverything in or on the trailer. Checkthe tables on page that you donot exceed the limit for yourconditions.

The maximumallowable weight on the vehicle axlesare 2,882 lbs (1,307 kg) on the frontaxle, and 2,992 lbs (1,360 kg) on therear axle.

192

187

187

CONTINUED

Estimating Loads

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating(GVWR)

Load Limits

Gross Axle Weight Ratings(GAWR) Total Trailer Weight

To Estimate the Total Trailer Weight

Towing Weight Limits

Driving 185

Exceeding any load limit orimproperly loading your vehicleand trailer can cause a crash inwhich you can be seriously hurtor killed.

Check the loading of yourvehicle and trailer carefullybefore starting to drive.

The weight that the tongue of a fullyloaded trailer puts on the hitchshould be 5 to 10 percent of the totaltrailer weight for boat trailers, and 8to 15 percent of total trailer weightfor all other trailers. See page forlimits for your towing situation.

Too much tongue load reduces front-tire traction and steering control.Too little tongue load can make thetrailer unstable and cause it to sway.

Park the vehicle on level ground.

Measure and record the distancefrom the ground to the bottom ofthe trailer hitch.

Connect the fully loaded trailer tothe hitch.

Measure again from the ground tothe same spot on the bottom of thehitch.

Subtract the second measurementfrom the first measurement. Referto Fig. 1.

If the difference is:1 ½’’ = 150 lbs (68 kg)2 ¼’’ = 250 lbs (114 kg)

3’’ = 350 lbs (159 kg)3 ¾’’ = 450 lbs (204 kg)

4’’ = over 450 lbs (204 kg)If the difference is more than 4’’you have too much tongue loadat the rear. Move or removecargo from the trailer and thevehicle, and measure again.

If the estimated trailer weight andtongue load do not exceed the limits,drive your trailer to a public scalefully loaded with all occupants andcargo you plan to take on the road.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.187

Tongue Load

To Estimate the Tongue Load

Fig.1


Driving186

＊

＊

＊

Number ofOccupants

234567

Equipped with transmission cooler and power steering fluid cooler.Max. Trailer Weight Max. Tongue Load

Towing is Not Recommended

Number ofOccupants

234567

Equipped with transmission cooler and power steering fluid cooler.Max. Trailer Weight Max. Tongue Load

Towing is Not Recommended


Driving 187

4500 lbs (2045 kg)4500 lbs (2045 kg)4500 lbs (2045 kg)4000 lbs (1820 kg)1700 lbs (770 kg)

450 lbs (205 kg)410 lbs (185 kg)310 lbs (140 kg)215 lbs (100 kg)

90 lbs (40 kg)

3500 lbs (1590 kg)3500 lbs (1590 kg)3000 lbs (1365 kg)2000 lbs (910 kg)1000 lbs (455 kg)

450 lbs (205 kg)410 lbs (185 kg)310 lbs (140 kg)215 lbs (100 kg)

90 lbs (40 kg)

The corresponding weight limits assume occupants fill seats from the front of the vehicle to the back, each occupant weighs 150 lbs (70 kg) and each has 15 lbs (7

kg) of luggage in the cargo area.

Total Trailer Weight and Tongue Load Limits: BOAT TRAILERS

Total Trailer Weight and Tongue Load Limits: OTHER TYPES OF TRAILERS

Towing generally requires a varietyof supplemental equipment. Toensure the best quality, werecommend that you purchase Acuraequipment whenever possible.

Discuss any additional needs withyour trailer sales or rental agency,and make sure all equipment isproperly installed, maintained, andalso meets state regulations.

A weight distributing hitch is notrecommended for use with yourMDX.

Always use safety chains when youtow a trailer. Make sure the chainsare secured to the trailer and hitch,and that they cross under the tongueand can catch the trailer if itbecomes unhitched. Leave enoughslack to allow the trailer to turncorners easily, but do not let thechains drag on the ground.

This device is recommended if yourtrailer tends to sway. Your trailermaker can tell you what kind of swaycontrol you need and how to install it.

To help prevent overheating, aheavy-duty transmission fluid coolerand a heavy-duty power steeringfluid cooler are required for trailertowing. These coolers are availableonly from your Acura dealer.

Acura requires that any trailer with atotal trailer weight of 1,000 lbs (455kg) or more have its own brakes.

There are two common types oftrailer brakes: surge and electric.Surge brakes are common for boattrailers, since the brakes will get wet.

Electric brakes must beelectronically actuated. Do notattempt to tap into your vehicle’shydraulic system. See your brakemanufacturer for more informationon installing electric brakes.

Many states and provinces requirespecial exterior mirrors when towinga trailer. Even if they don’t, youshould install special mirrors if youcannot clearly see behind you, or ifthe trailer creates a blind spot.

We strongly recommend that youhave your Acura dealer install anAcura hitch and use the requiredfluid coolers. Using non-Acuraequipment may result in seriousdamage to your vehicle.

Towing Equipment andAccessories

Hitch

Weight Distributing Hitch

Safety Chains

Sway Control

Transmission Fluid Cooler andPower Steering Fluid Cooler

Trailer Brakes

Trailer Mirrors

Towing a Trailer

Driving188

－

Check trailer light requirements forthe areas where you plan to tow.

To get to your vehicle’s trailerlighting connector, open the tailgate,remove the cargo cover, thenremove the rear panel trim. Theconnector is on the left side. Werecommend that you have yourAcura dealer install an Acura wiringharness and converter.

If you use a non-Acura trailerlighting harness and converter, youcan get the mating connector andpins that mate with the connector inyour vehicle from your Acura dealer.

When towing a trailer, werecommend that you carry a full-sizespare wheel and tire for your vehicleand trailer. See page for propertire size, page for how to store afull size wheel and tire, and page

for information on changing aflat tire.Remember to unhitch the trailerbefore changing a flat. Ask yourtrailer sales or rental agency whereand how to store the trailer’s sparetire.

For your safety and the safety ofothers, take time to practice drivingmaneuvers before heading for theopen road, and follow the guidelinesbelow.

Avoid towing a trailer during yourvehicle’s first 600 miles (1,000 km).

Drive slower than normal in alldriving conditions.

Make turns more slowly and widerthan normal. The trailer has asmaller arc and it can hit or runover something the vehicle misses.

Allow more time and distance forbraking. Do not brake or turnsuddenly the trailer couldjackknife or turn over.

Cennector-98530-00006-00Terminal Kit-07JAZ-001-030A

224

231

235

CONTINUED

Trailer Lights

Spare Tires

Towing a Trailer

Driving

Driving Safely With a Trailer

189

GROUND(BLACK)

RIGHT TURNSIGNAL(GREEN/YELLOW)

TAILLIGHT(RED/BLACK)

BRAKELIGHT(WHITE/BLACK)

LEFT TURNSIGNAL(GREEN/BLUE)

BACK-UPLIGHT(GREEN/BLACK)

When driving with a fix-sided (e.g.camper, utility) trailer, do notexceed 55 mph (88 km/h). Athigher speeds, the trailer maysway or affect vehicle handling.

When being passed by a truck orlarge vehicle, cross-winds and airturbulence can disrupt yoursteering and cause your trailer tosway. Keep a constant speed, steerstraight ahead, and do not try tomake quick steering or brakingcorrections.

Do not park on an incline unless itis unavoidable. If you must, turnthe vehicle’s wheels toward thecurb on a downhill or away fromthe curb on an uphill. Afterparking, place wheel chocks ateach trailer tire on the downhillside.

Always drive slowly and havesomeone guide you when backing up.Grip the of the steeringwheel; then turn the wheel to the leftto get the trailer to move to the left,and turn the wheel right to move thetrailer to the right.

If the vehicle’s wheels slip whenretrieving a boat from the water,shift to first gear, and turn on VTM-4Lock (see page ). DisengageVTM-4 Lock as soon as the boat isout of the water to prevent damageto the VTM-4 system.

When climbing hills, closely watchyour temperature gauge. If it nearsthe red (Hot) mark, reduce speedand, if necessary, pull to the side ofthe road and let the engine cool.

If the transmission shifts frequentlywhile going up a hill, shift down onegear.

If you must stop when facing uphill,use the foot brake or parking brake.Do not try to hold the vehicle inplace by pressing on the accelerator,this could cause the automatictransmission to overheat.

When driving down hills, reduceyour speed and shift down to D . Donot ‘‘ride’’ the brakes.

176

bottom

3

Backing Up

Retrieving a Boat

Driving on Hills

Towing a Trailer

Driving

Remember itwill take longer to slow down andstop when towing a trailer.

190

Your MDX can be towed behind amotorhome at legal highway speedsup to 65 mph (100 km/h). Do notexceed 65 mph (100 km/h) or severetransmission damage will occur. Toavoid damage to the 4WD system, itmust be towed with all four wheelson the ground (flat towing).

When purchasing a tow bar, makesure you select a reputablemanufacturer. Follow themanufacturer’s attachmentinstructions carefully.

Perform this procedure every dayimmediately before you begin towing.Otherwise, severe automatictransmission damage will occur.

Start the engine.

Check the transmission fluid level(see page ).

Press on the brake pedal. Shift thelever through all the positions (P,R, N, D , D , D , 2, 1).

Shift to D , then to N. Let theengine run for three minutes, thenturn it off.

Release the parking brake.

Leave the ignition switch in theACCESSORY (I) position so thesteering wheel does not lock.Make sure the radio and any itemsplugged into the accessory powersockets are turned off so you donot run down the battery.

If you tow more than 8 hours in oneday, you should repeat the aboveprocedure at least every 8 hours(when you stop for fuel, etc.)

210

5 4 3

5

Extended Towing

Towing Your Vehicle Behind a Motorhome

Driving 191

NOTICE: The steering system can bedamaged if the steering wheel is locked.Leave the ignition switch in theACCESSORY (I) position, and makesure the steering wheel turns f reelybef ore you begin towing.

To avoid loss of control or rollover,be sure to follow all precautions andrecommendations.

Be sure to store cargo properlyand do not exceed your cargo loadlimits (see page and ).

Your vehicle has been designedprimarily for use on pavement. Butits higher ground clearance and four-wheel drive VTM-4 system allow youto occasionally travel on unpavedroads, to campgrounds, picnic sites,and similar locations. It is notdesigned for trailblazing, mountainclimbing, or other challenging off-road activities.

If you decide to drive on unpavedroads, you will find that it requiressomewhat different driving skills.Your vehicle will also handlesomewhat differently than it does onpavement. Be sure to pay extraattention to the precautions and tipsin this section, and get acquaintedwith your vehicle before leaving thepavement.

Whenever you drive, make sureyou and your passengers alwayswear seat belts.

Keep your speed low, and nevergo faster than the conditions allow.

It’s up to you to continually assessthe situation and drive within thelimits.

166 185


Off-Highway Driving Guidelines

Driving192

Improperly operating thisvehicle on or off-pavement cancause an accident or rollover inwhich you and your passengerscould be seriously injured orkilled.

Follow all instructions andguidelines in the owner’smanual.Keep your speed low anddon’t drive faster thanconditions permit.

Before you leave the pavement, besure to do all scheduled maintenanceand service and that you inspect yourvehicle. Pay special attention to thecondition of the tires and check thetire pressure.

After you return to the pavement,carefully inspect your vehicle tomake sure there is no damage thatcould make driving it unsafe.Recheck the condition of the tiresand the tire pressure.

The route presents limits (too steepor bumpy roads). You have limits(driving skill and comfort). And yourvehicle has limits (traction, stability,and power).

Driving off-highway can behazardous if you fail to recognizelimits and take the properprecautions.

For better traction on all surfaces,accelerate slowly and gradually buildup speed. If you try to start too faston wet soil, mud, snow, or ice, youmight not have enough traction toget underway and you may digyourself a hole. Starting with theshift lever in second gear (2) willhelp you have a smoother start onsnow and ice.

Keep in mind that you will usuallyneed more time and distance tobrake to a stop on unpaved surfaces.Avoid hard braking. Do not pumpthe brakes; let the anti-lock brakingsystem pump them for you.

Debris in the road can damage yoursuspension or other components.Because your vehicle has a highcenter of gravity, driving over a largeobstacle, or allowing a wheel to dropinto a deep hole can cause your

vehicle to tip or roll over.

If you can’t clearly see all roadconditions or obstacles, walk theslope before you drive on it. If youhave any doubt whether or not youcan safely drive on the slope, don’tdo it. Find another route.

Before driving through water, stopand make sure that:

The water is not deep enough tocover your wheel hubs, axles orexhaust pipe. You could stall andnot be able to restart your engine.The water can also damageimportant vehicle components.

If you are driving up a hill and findthat you cannot continue,

. Your vehicle could rollover. Slowly back down the hill,following the same route you took upthe hill.

do not try toturn around

Check Out Your Vehicle

Remember:

Accelerating and Braking

Avoiding Obstacles

Driving on Slopes

Crossing a Stream


Driving 193

The banks are sloped so you candrive out.The water is not flowing too fast.Deep rushing water can sweep youdownstream. Even very shallowrushing water can wash theground from under your tires andcause you to lose traction andpossibly roll over.The banks and surface under thewater provide good traction. Thewater may hide hazards such asrocks, holes, or mud.

If you decide it is safe to drivethrough water, choose a suitablespeed and engage the VTM-4 Lock.Proceed without shifting or changingspeeds, and do not stop the vehicleor shut off the engine.

After driving through water, testyour brakes. If they got wet, gentlypump them while driving slowly untilthey operate normally.

If the water is deeper than the wheelhubs, some additional service maybe required. This service is notcovered by your warranties.

If you get stuck, engage the VTM-4Lock (see page ). Carefully try togo in the direction (forward orreverse) that you think will get youunstuck. Do not spin the tires at highspeeds. It will not help you get outand may cause damage to thetransmission or VTM-4 system.

If you are unable to free yourself,your vehicle is equipped with frontand rear tow hooks designed for thispurpose.

Use a nylon strap to attach the MDXto the recovery vehicle and carefullytake out the slack in the strap. Oncethe strap is tight, the recoveryvehicle should apply force.Remember that the recovery vehicle

needs good traction to avoidbecoming stuck, too.

You should never use a jack to try toget unstuck. Your vehicle couldeasily slip off the jack and hurt youor someone else.

You may be able to safely tow alightweight trailer (such as amotorcycle or small tent trailer) off-road if you follow these guidelines.

Do not exceed 1,000 lbs (450 kg)or a tongue weight of 100 lbs (45kg).Try to stay on smooth, level dirtroads, and avoid driving in hillyterrain.Allow extra room for starting,stopping, and turning.Slow down if you encounter bumpsor other obstacles.

176

If You Get Stuck

Towing a Trailer Off-Road


Driving194

This section explains why it isimportant to keep your vehicle wellmaintained and how to follow basicmaintenance safety precautions.

This section also includesMaintenance Schedules for normaldriving and severe driving conditions,a Maintenance Record, and instruc-tions for simple maintenance tasksyou may want to take care ofyourself.

If you have the skills and tools to per-form more complex maintenancetasks on your Acura, you may wantto purchase the Service Manual. Seepage for information on how toobtain a copy, or see your Acuradealer.

......................Maintenance Safety . 196.................Maintenance Schedule . 197

....................Maintenance Record . 201..............................Fluid Locations . 204

........................Adding Engine Oil . 205.........Changing the Oil and Filter . 206

..............................Engine Coolant . 208....................Windshield Washers . 209

....Automatic Transmission Fluid . 210..........................Differential Fluid . 211

.............Transfer Assembly Fluid . 211....................................Brake Fluid . 212

....................Power Steering Fluid . 213....................................Timing Belt . 213....................................Hood Latch . 214

.............................................Lights . 214.......................................Seat Belts . 218.....................................Floor Mats . 218

.................................Wiper Blades . 219...............................................Tires . 221

...................Checking the Battery . 226.............................Vehicle Storage . 227

269

Maintenance

Maintenance 195

All service items not detailed in thissection should be performed by anAcura technician or other qualifiedmechanic.

To eliminate potential hazards, readthe instructions before you begin,and make sure you have the toolsand skills required.

Make sure your vehicle is parkedon level ground, the parking brakeis set, and the engine is off.

To clean parts, use a commerciallyavailable degreaser or partscleaner, not gasoline.

To reduce the possibility of fire orexplosion, keep cigarettes, sparks,and flames away from the batteryand all fuel-related parts.

Wear eye protection andprotective clothing when workingwith the battery or compressed air.

Be sure there isadequate ventilation whenever youoperate the engine.

Let theengine and exhaust system cool

before touching any parts.

Donot run the engine unlessinstructed to do so.

Some of the most important safetyprecautions are given here. However,we cannot warn you of everyconceivable hazard that can arise inperforming maintenance. Only youcan decide whether or not youshould perform a given task.

Maintenance Safety

Maintenance


Potential Vehicle HazardsCarbon Monoxide poison fromengine exhaust.

Burns from hot parts.

Injury from moving parts.

196

Failure to properly followmaintenance instructions andprecautions can cause you tobe seriously hurt or killed.

Always follow the proceduresand precautions in this owner’smanual.

Improperly maintaining thisvehicle or failing to correct aproblem before driving cancause a crash in which you canbe seriously hurt or killed.

Always follow the inspectionand maintenancerecommendations in this owner’smanual.

－－

The maintenance schedule assumesyou will use your vehicle as normaltransportation for passengers andtheir possessions. You should alsofollow these recommendations:

Avoid exceeding your vehicle’sload limit. This puts excess stresson the engine, brakes, and manyother vehicle parts. The load limitis shown on the tire informationlabel on the driver’s doorjamb.

Operate your vehicle onreasonable roads within the legalspeed limit.

Drive your vehicle regularly over adistance of several miles(kilometers).

Always use unleaded gasoline withthe proper octane rating (see page

).

Used primarily as a deliveryvehicle or taxi that is drivenmostly in stop-and-go traffic and/or parked with the engine idling.

Follow theMaintenance Schedule for SevereConditions if you drive your vehicleMAINLY under one or more of thefollowing conditions.

Driving less than 5 miles (8 km)per trip or, in freezingtemperatures, driving less than 10miles (16 km) per trip.

Driving in extremely hot [over90°F (32°C)] conditions.

Trailer towing, driving with a roofrack, or driving in mountainousconditions.

Driving on muddy, dusty, or de-iced roads.

If you only OCCASIONALLYdrive under a ‘‘severe’’ condition, youshould follow the MaintenanceSchedule for Normal Conditions.

Follow theMaintenance Schedule for SevereConditions.

158

Maintenance Schedule

Maintenance

Which Schedule to Follow:U.S. Owners

Canadian Owners

197

NOTE:

＃

－

－

－

－

－

－

Your authorized Acura dealer knowsyour vehicle best and can providecompetent, efficient service.However, service at a dealer is notmandatory to keep your warrantiesin effect. Maintenance may be doneby any qualified service facility orskilled person to keep yourwarranties in effect. Keep all thereceipts as proof of completion, andhave the person who does the workfill out the Maintenance Record.Check your warranty booklet formore information.

We recommend the use of Acuraparts and fluids whenever you havemaintenance done.

According to state and federalregulations, failure to performmaintenance on the items markedwith will not void your emissionswarranties. However, Acurarecommends that all maintenanceservices be performed at therecommended time or mileageperiod to ensure long-term reliability.

You should check the followingitems at the specified intervals. Ifyou are unsure of how to performany check, turn to the appropriatepage listed.

Engine oil level Check everytime you fill the fuel tank. Seepage .

Engine coolant level Check theradiator reserve tank every timeyou fill the fuel tank. See page .

Automatic transmission Checkthe fluid level monthly. See page

.

Tires Check the tire pressuremonthly. Examine the tread forwear and foreign objects. See page

.

Lights Check the operation ofthe headlights, parking lights,taillights, high-mount brake light,turn signals, brake lights, andlicense plate light monthly. Seepage .

U.S. Vehicles:

Brakes Check the fluid levelmonthly. See page .

161

162

210

222

212

214

Maintenance Schedule

Maintenance

Servicing Your Vehicle

Owner’s Maintenance Checks

Maintenance,replacement, or repair ofemissions control devices andsystems may be done by anyautomotive repair establishmentor individual using parts that are‘‘certif ied’’ to EPA standards.

198

＊＊＃

＃

＃

＊

＊

＊

Maintenance 199

Service the items listed at the indicated distance (or time, if given).miles x 1,000km x 1,000

Check oil and coolant at each fuel stopCheck inflation and condition once a month

Every 7,500 miles (12,000 km)

Every 3 years (independent of mileage)At 120,000 miles (192,000 km) or 10 years, then every 60,000 miles (96,000 km) or 5 years

((OOrr eevveerryy 77 yyeeaarrss,, wwhhiicchheevveerr ccoommeess ffiirrsstt))

((OOrr eevveerryy 11 yyeeaarr,, wwhhiicchheevveerr ccoommeess ffiirrsstt))


Every 7,500 miles (12,000 km) or every 1 year, whichever comes first

At every 15,000 miles (24,000 km) up to 30,000 miles (48,000 km) or every 1 year, then every 30,000 miles (48,000 km) or 2 years.At 45,000 miles (72,000 km) or 3 years, then every 30,000 miles (48,000 km) or 2 years.

See information on maintenance and emissions warranty, middle column, page .

((OOtthheerrwwiissee aaddjjuusstt oonnllyy iiff nnooiissyy))

120192

135216

150240

90144

75120

6096

4572

3048

1524

105168

Check engine oil and coolantCheck tiresReplace engine oilRotate tires (follow pattern on page 223 )Replace engine oil filterCheck front and rear brake wearCheck parking brake adjustmentInspect the following items:

Tie-rod ends, steering gearbox, and bootsSuspension componentsDriveshaft bootsBrake hoses and lines (including ABS)All fluid levels and condition of fluidsExhaust systemFuel lines and connections

Inspect drive beltsReplace dust and pollen filterReplace air cleaner elementInspect valve clearance

Replace automatic transmission fluidReplace transfer fluidReplace VTM-4 rear differential fluidInspect idle speedReplace spark plugsReplace timing belt and inspect water pump

Replace engine coolantReplace brake fluid

1:2:: 198

1

1

2

Main

tenance

Sch

edule

for

Norm

alC

onditio

ns

＊＊

＊＃

＃

＃

＊＊

＃＊

Maintenance200

Service the items listed at the indicated distance (or time, if given).miles x 1,000km x 1,000

Check oil and coolant at each fuel stopCheck inflation and condition once a month

Every 7,500 miles (12,000 km)Every 3,750 miles (6,000 km) or every 6 months, whichever comes first

7.512

1524

3048

4572

6096

75120

90144

105168

135216

150240

((OOrr eevveerryy 11 yyeeaarr,, wwhhiicchheevveerr ccoommeess ffiirrsstt))


Every 15,000 miles (24,000 km) (Use normal schedule except in dusty conditions)

((OOtthheerrwwiissee aaddjjuusstt oonnllyy iiff nnooiissyy))

((OOrr eevveerryy 77 yyeeaarrss,, wwhhiicchheevveerr ccoommeess ffiirrsstt))At 120,000 miles (192,000 km) or 10 years, then every 60,000 miles (96,000 km) or 5 years

Every 3 years (independent of mileage)At every 7,500 miles (12,000 km) up to 15,000 miles (24,000 km) or every 6 months, then every 15,000 miles (24,000 km) or 1 year.

See timing belt on page for replacement information under special driving conditions.

Follow this schedule for rear differential fluid replacement if you use your vehicle for off-highway driving, trailer towing, mainly in stop-and-go driving. Otherwise, usethe fluid replacement schedule in the Maintenance Schedule for Normal Conditions.

See information on maintenance and emissions warranty, middle column, page .

Every 7,500 miles (12,000 km) or every 6 months, whichever comes first

120192

Check engine oil and coolantCheck tiresReplace engine oil and oil filterRotate tires (follow pattern on page 223 )Check front and rear brake wearInspect the following items:

Tie-rod ends, steering gearbox, and bootsSuspension components, Driveshaft boots

Check parking brake adjustmentLubricate all hinges, locks and latchesInspect the following items:

Brake hoses and lines (including ABS)All fluid levels and condition of fluidsExhaust systemFuel lines and connectionsLights and controls/vehicle underbody

Inspect drive beltsReplace dust and pollen filterReplace automatic transmission fluidReplace transfer fluidReplace air cleaner elementInspect valve clearance

Replace VTM-4 rear differential fluidInspect idle speedReplace spark plugsReplace timing belt , and inspect water pump

Replace engine coolantReplace brake fluid1 :2 :

3 :: 198

213

1, 2

, 3

Main

tenance

Sch

edule

for

Seve

reC

onditi

ons

(for Normal and Severe Schedules)

CONTINUED

Maintenance Record

Maintenance 201

3,750 mi

7,500 mi

11,250 mi

15,000 mi

18,750 mi

22,500 mi

26,250 mi

30,000 mi

33,750 mi

37,500 mi

41,250 mi

45,000 mi

48,750 mi

52,500 mi

56,250 mi

60,000 mi

Signature or dealer stamp6,000 km

12,000 km

18,000 km

24,000 km

30,000 km

36,000 km

42,000 km

48,000 km

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

54,000 km

60,000 km

66,000 km

72,000 km

78,000 km

84,000 km

90,000 km

96,000 km

Signature or dealer stamp mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

You or the servicing dealer can record all completed maintenance here, whether you follow the schedule for normal conditions (page ) or severeconditions (page ). Keep the receipts for all work done on your vehicle.

199200

(for Normal and Severe Schedules)Maintenance Record

Maintenance202

63,750 mi

67,500 mi

71,250 mi

75,000 mi

78,750 mi

82,500 mi

86,250 mi

90,000 mi

93,750 mi

97,500 mi

101,250 mi

105,000 mi

108,750 mi

112,500 mi

116,250 mi

120,000 mi

102,000 km

108,000 km

114,000 km

120,000 km

126,000 km

132,000 km

138,000 km

144,000 km


Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

150,000 km

156,000 km

162,000 km

168,000 km

174,000 km

180,000 km

186,000 km

192,000 km


Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

(for Normal and Severe Schedules)Maintenance Record

Maintenance 203

123,750 mi

127,500 mi

131,250 mi

135,000 mi

138,750 mi

142,500 mi

146,250 mi

150,000 mi

198,000 km

204,000 km

210,000 km

216,000 km

222,000 km

228,000 km

234,000 km

240,000 km


Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

mi/km

Date

Fluid Locations

Maintenance204

ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK(Orange loop)

WASHER FLUID(Blue cap)

COOLANTRESERVOIR

POWER STEERINGFLUID (Red cap) RADIATOR CAP ENGINE OIL FILL CAP

AUTOMATICTRANSMISSIONFLUID DIPSTICK(Yellow loop)

BRAKE FLUID(Gray cap)

Oil is a major contributor to yourengine’s performance and longevity.Always use a premium-grade 5W-20detergent oil displaying the APICertification Seal. This seal indicatesthe oil is energy conserving, and thatit meets the American PetroleumInstitute’s latest requirements.

Honda Motor Oil is the preferred5W-20 lubricant for your vehicle. It ishighly recommended that you useHonda Motor Oil in your vehicle foroptimum engine protection. Makesure the API Certification Seal says‘‘For Gasoline Engines’’.

The oil viscosity or weight isprovided on the container’s label.5W-20 oil is formulated for year-round protection of your Acura toimprove cold weather starting andfuel economy.Unscrew and remove the engine oil

fill cap on top of the valve cover.Pour in the oil slowly and carefully soyou do not spill. Clean up any spillsimmediately. Spilled oil coulddamage components in the enginecompartment. Install the engine oilfill cap and tighten it securely. Wait afew minutes and recheck the oil level(see page ). Do not fill above theupper mark on the dipstick; youcould damage the engine.

161

Recommended Engine Oil

Adding Engine Oil

Maintenance 205

API CERTIFICATION SEAL

Ambient Temperature

ENGINE OIL FILL CAP

You may use a synthetic motor oil ifit meets the same requirementsgiven for a conventional motor oil: itdisplays the API Certification Sealand it is the proper weight. You mustfollow the oil and filter changeintervals given in the maintenanceschedule.

Your Acura does not require any oiladditives. Additives may adverselyaffect your engine’s or transmission’sperformance and durability.

Open the hood and remove theengine oil fill cap. Remove the oildrain bolt and washer from thebottom of the engine. Drain the oilinto an appropriate container.

Always change the oil and filteraccording to the recommendations inthe maintenance schedule. The oiland filter collect contaminants thatcan damage your engine if they arenot removed regularly.

Changing the oil and filter requiresspecial tools and access fromunderneath the vehicle. The vehicleshould be raised on a service station-type hydraulic lift for this service.Unless you have the knowledge andproper equipment, you should havethis maintenance done by a skilledmechanic.

Run the engine until it reachesnormal operating temperature,then shut it off.

1.

2.

Adding Engine Oil, Changing the Oil and Filter

Maintenance

Synthetic Oil

Engine Oil Additives

Changing the Oil and Filter

206

WASHER DRAIN BOLT

Remove the oil filter, and let theremaining oil drain. A specialwrench (available from your Acuradealer) is required.

Install a new oil filter according tothe instructions that come with it.

Put a new washer on the drain bolt,then reinstall the drain bolt.Tighten it to:

Refill the engine with the recom-mended oil.

Engine oil change capacity(including filter):

Replace the engine oil fill cap.Start the engine. The oil pressureindicator should go out within 5seconds. If it does not, turn off theengine and check your work.

Let the engine run for severalminutes, then check the drain boltand oil filter for leaks.

Turn off the engine and let it sitfor several minutes, then checkthe oil level on the dipstick. Ifnecessary, add more oil.

9.

8.

7.

6.

4.

5.

3.

Maintenance

Changing the Oil and Filter

207

NOTICE:OIL FILTER

4.5 US qt (4.3 )

29 lbf·ft (39 N·m , 4.0 kgf·m)

Improper disposal of engineoil can be harmf ul to the environment.If you change your own oil, pleasedispose of used oil properly. Put it in asealed container, and take it to arecycling center. Do not discard usedoil in a trash bin or dump it on theground.

If the coolant level in the reservetank is at or below the MIN line, addcoolant to bring it up to the MAX line.Inspect the cooling system for leaks.

Always use Honda All SeasonAntifreeze/Coolant Type 2. Thiscoolant is pre-mixed with 50 percentantifreeze and 50 percent water.Never add straight antifreeze orplain water.

If it is not available, you may useanother major-brand non-silicatecoolant as a temporary replacement.Make sure it is a high-quality coolantrecommended for aluminum engines.Continued use of any non-Hondacoolant can result in corrosion,causing the cooling system tomalfunction or fail. Have the coolingsystem flushed and refilled withHonda antifreeze/coolant as soon aspossible.

If the reserve tank is completelyempty, you should also check thecoolant level in the radiator.

Engine Coolant

Maintenance

Adding Engine Coolant

208

RESERVE TANK

Removing the radiator capwhile the engine is hot cancause the coolant to spray out,seriously scalding you.

Always let the engine andradiator cool down beforeremoving the radiator cap.

Make sure the engine and radiatorare cool.

When the radiator and engine arecool, relieve any pressure in thecooling system by turning theradiator cap counterclockwise,without pressing down.

Remove the radiator cap bypushing down and turningcounterclockwise.

The coolant level should be up tothe base of the filler neck. Addcoolant if it is low.

Pour the coolant slowly andcarefully so you do not spill. Cleanup any spill immediately; it coulddamage components in the enginecompartment.

Put the radiator cap back on, andtighten it fully.

Pour coolant into the reserve tank.Fill it to halfway between the MAXand MIN marks. Put the cap backon the reserve tank.

Do not add any rust inhibitors orother additives to your vehicle’scooling system. They may not becompatible with the coolant orengine components.

Check the fluid level in thewindshield washer reservoir at leastmonthly during normal use.The low washer level indicator willcome on when the level is low (seepage ).

Fill the reservoir with a good-qualitywindshield washer fluid. Thisincreases the cleaning capability andprevents freezing in cold weather.When you refill the reservoir, cleanthe edges of the windshield wiperblades with windshield washer fluidon a clean cloth. This will help tocondition them.

3.

4.

5.1.

2.

61

Engine Coolant, Windshield Washers

Maintenance

Windshield Washers

209

NOTICE: Do not use engine antif reezeor a vinegar/water solution in thewindshield washer reservoir. Antif reezecan damage your vehicle’s paint, whilea vinegar/water solution can damagethe windshield washer pump. Use onlycommercially-available windshieldwasher f luid.

Check the fluid level with the engineat normal operating temperature.

Park the vehicle on level ground.Shut off the engine.

Remove the dipstick (yellow loop)from the transmission, and wipe itwith a clean cloth.

Insert the dipstick all the way intothe transmission.

Remove the dipstick and checkthe fluid level. It should bebetween the upper and lowermarks.

If the level is below the lowermark, add fluid into the tube tobring it to the upper mark.Always use Honda ATF-Z1(Automatic Transmission Fluid). Ifit’s not available, you may use aDEXRON III automatictransmission fluid as a temporary

replacement. However, continueduse can affect the shift quality.Have the transmission flushed andrefilled with Honda ATF-Z1 assoon as it is convenient.

To thoroughly flush thetransmission, the technicianshould drain and refill it withHonda ATF-Z1 (AutomaticTransmission Fluid), then drivethe vehicle for a short distance.Do this three times. Then drainand refill the transmission a finaltime.

The transmission should be drainedand refilled with new fluid accordingto the time and distance recommen-dations in the maintenance schedule.

Insert the dipstick all the way backin the transmission.

If you are not sure how to add fluid,contact your Acura dealer.

1.

2.

3.

5.

6.

4.

Automatic Transmission Fluid

Maintenance210

DIPSTICK

DIPSTICK

LOWER MARKUPPER MARK

Check the fluid level with thedifferential at normal operatingtemperature and the vehicle sittingon level ground. Remove thedifferential fluid filler bolt andwasher, and carefully feel inside thebolt hole with your finger. The fluidlevel should be up to the edge of thebolt hole. If it is not, slowly addVTM-4 Differential Fluid until itstarts to run out of the hole.

Put a new washer on the filler bolt,then reinstall the filler bolt. Tightenit securely. Tightening torque:

Check the fluid in the transferassembly with the vehicle sitting onlevel ground. Remove the filler plugand check that the fluid level is up tothe edge of the filler plug hole.

The differential should be drainedand refilled with new fluid accordingto the recommendations in themaintenance schedule.

CONTINUED

Differential Fluid, Transfer Assembly Fluid

Maintenance

Differential Fluid Transfer Assembly Fluid

211

FILLER BOLT

CORRECT LEVEL

FILLER PLUG

DRAIN PLUG

33 lbf·ft (45 N·m , 4.6 kgf·m)

－－

If it is not, slowly add proper fluiduntil it starts to run out of the hole.Reinstall the filler plug and tighten itsecurely.Tightening torque:

Use a SAE 90 or SAE 80W-90viscosity hypoid gear oil, API serviceclassified GL4 or GL5 only, in thetransfer assembly.

Viscosity

The transfer assembly fluid shouldbe drained and refilled with new fluidaccording to the time and distancerecommendations in themaintenance schedule.

Check the fluid level in the brakefluid reservoir monthly. Replace itaccording to the maintenanceschedule recommendations.

Always use Honda Heavy DutyBrake Fluid DOT 3. If it is notavailable, you should use only DOT 3or DOT 4 fluid, from a sealedcontainer, as a temporaryreplacement. Using any non-Hondabrake fluid can cause corrosion anddecrease the life of the system. Havethe brake system flushed and refilledwith Honda Heavy Duty Brake FluidDOT 3 as soon as possible.

Brake fluid marked DOT 5 is notcompatible with your vehicle’sbraking system and can causeextensive damage.

The fluid level should be betweenthe MIN and MAX marks on the sideof the reservoir. If the level is at orbelow the MIN mark, your brakesystem needs attention. Have thebrake system inspected for leaks orworn brake pads.

Tightening torque:

Transfer Assembly Fluid, Brake Fluid

Maintenance

Brake Fluid

212

MAX

MIN

33 lbf·ft (45 N·m , 4.6 kgf·m)

SAE 90: above 0°F ( 18°C)SAE 80W-90: below 0°F ( 18°C)

－－

Always use Honda Power SteeringFluid. You may use another powersteering fluid as an emergencyreplacement, but have the powersteering system flushed and refilledwith Honda PSF as soon as possible.

A low power steering fluid level canindicate a leak in the system. Checkthe fluid level frequently, and havethe system inspected as soon aspossible.

The timing belt should be replacedat the intervals shown in themaintenance schedule.

Replace the belt at 60,000 miles(100,000 km) if you regularly driveyour vehicle in one or more of theseconditions:

In very high temperatures(over 110°F, 43°C).In very low temperatures(under 20°F, 29°C).Frequently tow a trailer.Check the level on the side of the

reservoir when the engine is cold.The fluid should be between theUPPER LEVEL and LOWER LEVEL.If not add power steering fluid to theUPPER LEVEL mark.

Power Steering Fluid, Timing Belt

Maintenance

Timing BeltPower Steering Fluid

213

NOTICE:

UPPER LEVEL

LOWERLEVEL

Turning the steering wheel tof ull lef t or right lock and holding itthere can damage the power steeringpump.

Clean the hood latch assembly with amild cleaner, then lubricate it with amultipurpose grease. Lubricate allthe moving parts (as shown),including the pivot. Follow the timeand distance recommendations inthe Maintenance Schedule. If youare not sure how to clean and greasethe latch, contact your Acura dealer.

The headlights were properly aimedwhen your vehicle was new. If youregularly carry heavy items in thecargo area or pull a trailer,readjustment may be required.Adjustment should be done by anAcura dealer or other qualifiedmechanic.

Your vehicle has halogen headlightbulbs, two on each side. Whenreplacing a bulb, handle it by its baseand protect the glass from contactwith your skin or hard objects. If youtouch the glass, clean it withdenatured alcohol and a clean cloth.

Open the hood.1.

Hood Latch, Lights

Maintenance

Hood Latch Replacing a Headlight BulbHeadlight Aiming

214

NOTICE:

LATCH ASSEMBLY

Halogen headlight bulbs getvery hot when lit. Oil, perspiration, or ascratch on the glass can cause the bulbto overheat and shatter.

Push the electrical connector ontothe new bulb.

Insert the new bulb into the holeand turn it one-quarter turn clock-wise to lock it in place.

Turn on the headlights to test thenew bulb.

Remove the socket from theheadlight assembly by turning itone-quarter turn counterclockwise.

To remove a bulb, pull it straightout of its socket.

Remove the electrical connectorfrom the bulb by squeezing theconnector to unlock the tab, thenslide the connector off the bulb.

Remove the bulb by turning itapproximately one-quarter turncounterclockwise.

1.

2.

4.

5.

6.

2.

3.

CONTINUED

Lights

Maintenance

Replacing Front Turn Signal/Parking and Side Marker LightBulbs

215

TAB

BULB CONNECTOR

Install the new bulb into thesocket.

Insert the socket back into theheadlight assembly. Turn itclockwise to lock it in place.

Test the lights to make sure thenew bulb is working.

Open the tailgate. Use ascrewdriver protected with a clothto pry open the two covers.

Remove the two screws andremove the rear light assemblyfrom the rear pillar.

Determine which of the four bulbsis burned out: brake/taillight, turnsignal/hazard lights, side markerlight, or back-up light.

Remove the socket by turning itone-quarter turn counterclockwise.

Remove the burned-out bulb bypulling it straight out of the socket.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.3.

4.

5.

Replacing Rear Bulbs

Lights

Maintenance216

Install the new bulb into thesocket.

Push the socket into the lightassembly and turn it clockwiseuntil it locks.


Install the rear light assembly inthe body. Tighten the two screws.Snap the covers back into position.

Remove the light assembly coverby prying carefully with a cloth-covered screwdriver in thenotches along the top edge. Thenpivot the cover out and down.

Remove the socket from the lightassembly by turning it one-quarterturn counterclockwise.

Pull the bulb straight out of itssocket. Push the new bulb straightinto the socket until it bottoms.


Put the socket back into the lightassembly and turn it clockwise tolock it in place.

Place the cover back into the lightassembly. Push it up until it locksin place.

1.

4.

5.

6.

2.

3.6.

7.

8.

9.

Lights

Maintenance

Replacing a High-mount BrakeLight Bulb

217

If your seat belts get dirty, use a softbrush with a mixture of mild soapand warm water to clean them. Donot use bleach, dye, or cleaningsolvents. Let the belts air-dry beforeyou use the vehicle.Dirt build-up in the loops of the seatbelt anchors can cause the belts toretract slowly. Wipe the insides ofthe loops with a clean clothdampened in mild soap and warmwater or isopropyl alcohol.

The driver’s floor mat that camewith your vehicle hooks over thefloor mat anchor. This keeps thefloor mat from sliding forward andpossibly interfering with the pedals.

If you remove the driver’s floor mat,make sure to re-anchor it when youput it back in your vehicle.

If you use a non-Acura floor mat,make sure it fits properly and that itcan be used with the floor matanchor. Do not put additional floormats on top of the anchored mat.

Maintenance

Seat Belts Floor Mats

Seat Belts, Floor Mats

218

LOOP

Check the condition of the wiperblades at least every six months.Replace them if you find signs ofcracking in the rubber, and areasthat are getting hard, or if they leavestreaks and unwiped areas whenused.

To replace a wiper blade:

Raise the wiper arm off thewindshield.Windshield: Raise the driver’s sidefirst, then the passenger’s side.

Front only:Disconnect the blade assemblyfrom the wiper arm by pushing inthe lock tab. Hold the lock tab inwhile you push the blade assemblytoward the base of the arm.

2.

1.

CONTINUED

Wiper Blades

Maintenance 219

WIPER ARMS

LOCK TAB

Remove the blade from its holderby grasping the tabbed end of theblade. Pull firmly until the tabscome out of the holder.

Examine the new wiper blades. Ifthey have no plastic or metalreinforcement along the backedge, remove the metalreinforcement strips from the oldwiper blade, and install them inthe slots along the edge of the newblade.

Slide the new wiper blade into theholder until the tabs lock.

Front only:Slide the wiper blade assemblyonto the wiper arm. Make sure itlocks in place.

Windshield: Lower the passenger’sside first, then the driver’s side.

Lower the wiper arm down againstthe window.

6.

7.

4.

5.

3.

Wiper Blades

Maintenance220

BLADE BLADE

REINFORCEMENT

To safely operate your vehicle, yourtires must be the proper type andsize, in good condition with adequatetread, and correctly inflated.The following pages give moredetailed information on how to takecare of your tires and what to dowhen they need to be replaced.

Keeping the tires properly inflatedprovides the best combination ofhandling, tread life, and ridingcomfort.Underinflated tires wear unevenly,adversely affect handling and fueleconomy, and are more likely to failfrom being overheated.Overinflated tires can make yourvehicle ride more harshly, are moreprone to damage from road hazards,and wear unevenly.

Use a gauge to measure the airpressure at least once a month. Eventires that are in good condition maylose one to two psi (10 to 20 kPa, 0.1to 0.2 kgf/cm ) per month.Remember to check the spare tire atthe same time.

Add or release air, if needed, tomatch the recommended cold tirepressures on page .

The Tire Pressure MonitoringSystem (TPMS) will warn you whena tire pressure is low. See page

for information on the TPMS.

We recommend that you visuallycheck your tires every day. If youthink a tire might be low, check itimmediately with a tire gauge.

Check the pressure in the tires whenthey are cold. This means the vehiclehas been parked for at least threehours, or driven less than 1 mile (1.6km).

177222

CONTINUED

Tires

Maintenance

Inflation

221

Using tires that are excessivelyworn or improperly inflated cancause a crash in which you canbe seriously hurt or killed.

Follow all instructions in thisowner’s manual regarding tireinflation and maintenance.

If you check the pressure when thetires are hot [driven for several miles(kilometers)], you will see readings 4to 6 psi (30 to 40 kPa, 0.3 to 0.4kgf/cm ) higher than the coldreading. This is normal; do notrelease air to match the coldpressure.

Tubeless tires have some ability toself-seal if they are punctured. Youshould look closely for punctures if atire starts losing pressure.

You should get your own tirepressure gauge and use it wheneveryou check your tire pressures. Thiswill make it easier for you to tell if apressure loss is due to a tire problemand not due to a variation betweengauges.

The compact spare tire pressure is:

For convenience, the recommendedtire sizes and cold air pressures areon a label on the driver’s doorjamb.

For additional technical informationabout your tires, see page .

Every time you check inflation, youshould also examine the tires fordamage, foreign objects, and wear.

You should look for:Bumps or bulges in the tread orside of the tire. Replace the tire ifyou find either or these conditions.

Cuts, splits, or cracks in the sideof the tire. Replace the tire if youcan see fabric or cord.

Excessive tread wear.Tire pressure for high speed drivingis the same as for normal driving.

256

Tire Size Cold Tire Pressurefor Normal Driving

Tires

Maintenance

Inspection

222

60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm )

P235/65R17 103T 32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2kgf/cm )

Your vehicle’s tires have wearindicators molded into the tread.When the tread wears down to thatpoint, you will see a 1/2 inch (12.7mm) wide band running across thetread. This shows there is less than1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread left onthe tire. A tire that is this worn givesvery little traction on wet roads. Youshould replace the tire if you can seethe tread wear indicator in three ormore places around the tire.

In addition to proper inflation,correct wheel alignment helps todecrease tire wear. If you find a tireis worn unevenly, have your dealercheck the wheel alignment.

To help increase tire life anddistribute wear more evenly, rotatethe tires every 7,500 miles (12,000km). Move the tires to the positionsshown in the chart each time theyare rotated. If you purchasedirectional tires, rotate only front-to-back.

Have your dealer check the tires ifyou feel a consistent vibration whiledriving. A tire should always berebalanced if it is removed from thewheel. When you have new tiresinstalled, make sure they arebalanced. This increases ridingcomfort and tire life. For best results,have the installer perform a dynamicbalance.

Tires

Maintenance

Tire Maintenance Tire Rotation

223

NOTICE:

Front

(For Non-directionalTires and Wheels)

Front

(For DirectionalTires and Wheels)

TREAD WEAR INDICATORS

INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS

Improper wheel weights candamage your vehicle’s aluminumwheels. Use only genuine Acura wheelweights f or balancing.

It is best to replace all four tires atthe same time. If that is not possibleor necessary, replace the two fronttires or two rear tires as a pair.Replacing just one tire can seriouslyaffect your vehicle’s handling.

If you ever replace a wheel, makesure that the wheel’s specificationsmatch those of the original wheels.

Tires:Wheel:

See page for DOT tire qualitygrading information, and page

for tire size explanation.

Replacement wheels are available atyour Acura dealer.

Replace your tires with radial tires ofthe same size, load range, speedrating and maximum cold tirepressure rating (as shown on thetire’s side wall).

The ABS works by comparing thespeed of the wheels. When replacingtires, use the same size originallysupplied with the vehicle. Tire sizeand construction can affect wheelspeed and may cause the system towork.

Mixing radial and bias-ply tires onyour vehicle can reduce brakingability, traction, and steeringaccuracy. Using tires of a differentsize or construction can cause theABS to work inconsistently.

256

258

Tires

Maintenance

Replacing Tires

Wheel and Tire Specifications

224

17 x 6 1/2 JJP235/65R17 103T

Installing improper tires on yourvehicle can affect handling andstability. This can cause a crashin which you can be seriouslyhurt or killed.

Always use the size and type oftires recommended in thisowner’s manual.

＋Tires marked ‘‘M S’’ or ‘‘AllSeason’’ on the sidewall have an all-weather tread design suitable formost winter driving conditions.

For the best performance in snowyor icy conditions, you should installsnow tires or tire chains. They maybe required by local laws undercertain conditions.

When installing cables, follow themanufacturer’s instructions, andmount them as tight as you can.Make sure they are not contactingthe brake lines or suspension. Driveslowly with them installed. If youhear them coming into contact withthe body or chassis, stop andinvestigate. Remove them as soon asyou begin driving on cleared roads.

If you mount snow tires on yourvehicle, make sure they are radialtires of the same size and load rangeas original tires. Mount snow tires onall four wheels. The tractionprovided by snow tires on dry roadsmay be lower than your original tires.Check with the tire dealer formaximum speed recommendations.

Because your vehicle has limited tireclearance, mount only SAE Class ‘‘S’’cable-type traction devices, withrubber chain tensioners on the reartires. Use traction devices only whenrequired by driving conditions orlocal laws. Make sure they are thecorrect size for your tires. Metal link-type ‘‘chains’’ should not be used.

Winter Driving

Snow Tires

Tire Chains

Tires

Maintenance 225

NOTICE: Traction devices that are thewrong size or improperly installed candamage your vehicle’s brake lines,suspension, body, and wheels. Stopdriving if they are hitting any part ofthe vehicle.

－

Check the condition of the batterymonthly by looking at the testindicator window. The label on thebattery explains the test indicator’scolors.

Check the terminals for corrosion (awhite or yellowish powder). Toremove it, cover the terminals with asolution of baking soda and water. Itwill bubble up and turn brown. Whenthis stops, wash it off with plainwater. Dry off the battery with acloth or paper towel. Coat theterminals with grease to help preventfurther corrosion.

If additional battery maintenance isneeded, see your Acura dealer or aqualified technician.

Battery posts,terminals, and related accessoriescontain lead and lead compounds.

If you need to connect the battery toa charger, disconnect both cables toprevent damaging your vehicle’selectrical system. Always disconnectthe negative ( ) cable first, andreconnect it last.

Checking the Battery

Maintenance

WARNING:

Wash your hands after handling.

226

TEST INDICATOR WINDOW

The battery gives off explosivehydrogen gas during normaloperation.

A spark or flame can cause thebattery to explode with enoughforce to kill or seriously hurt you.

Wear protective clothing and aface shield, or have a skilledmechanic do the batterymaintenance.

If you need to park your vehicle foran extended period (more than onemonth), there are several things youshould do to prepare it for storage.Proper preparation helps preventdeterioration and makes it easier toget your vehicle back on the road. Ifpossible, store your vehicle indoors.

Fill the fuel tank.

Change the engine oil and filter.

Wash and dry the exteriorcompletely.

Clean the interior. Make sure thecarpeting, floor mats, etc., arecompletely dry.

Leave the parking brake off. Putthe transmission in Park.

Block the rear wheels.

If the vehicle is to be stored for alonger period, it should besupported on jackstands so thetires are off the ground.

Leave one window open slightly (ifthe vehicle is being storedindoors).

Disconnect the battery.

Support the front and rear wiperblade arms with a folded towel orrag so they do not touch thewindshield.

To minimize sticking, apply asilicone spray lubricant to all doorand tailgate seals. Also, apply avehicle body wax to the paintedsurfaces that mate with the doorand tailgate seals.

Cover the vehicle with a‘‘breathable’’ cover, one madefrom a porous material such ascotton. Non-porous materials, suchas plastic sheeting, trap moisture,which can damage the paint.

If possible, periodically run theengine until it reaches fulloperating temperature (thecooling fans cycle on and offtwice). Preferably, do this once amonth.

If you store your vehicle for 12months or longer, have your Acuradealer perform the inspections calledfor in the 24 months/30,000 miles(48,000 km) maintenance schedule(Normal Conditions) as soon as youtake it out of storage (see page ).The replacements called for in themaintenance schedule are notneeded unless the vehicle hasactually reached that time or mileage.

199

Vehicle Storage

Maintenance 227

This section covers the morecommon problems that motoristsexperience with their vehicles. Itgives you information about how tosafely evaluate the problem and whatto do to correct it. If the problem hasstranded you on the side of the road,you may be able to get going again.If not, you will also find instructionson getting your vehicle towed.

......................Compact Spare Tire . 230....................Changing a Flat Tire . 231

..........If Your Engine Won’t Start . 237................................Jump Starting . 238

............If Your Engine Overheats . 240.........Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 242..........Charging System Indicator . 242

.......Malfunction Indicator Lamp . 243...............Brake System Indicator . 244

......................Emergency Towing . 244..............................................Fuses . 245

..............................Fuse Locations . 248

Taking Care of the Unexpected

Taking Care of the Unexpected 229

Use the compact spare tire as atemporary replacement only. Getyour regular tire repaired or replacedand put it back on your vehicle assoon as you can.

Check the inflation pressure of thecompact spare tire every time youcheck the other tires. It should beinflated to:

Follow these precautions:

Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)under any circumstances.

This tire gives a harsher ride andless traction on some road sur-faces. Use greater caution whiledriving.

Do not mount snow chains on acompact spare.

Do not use the compact spare tireif you are towing a trailer.

Do not use your compact sparetire on another vehicle unless it isthe same make and model.

Replace the tire when you can seethe tread wear indicator bars. Thereplacement should be the same sizeand design tire, mounted on thesame wheel. The spare tire is notdesigned to be mounted on a regularwheel, and the spare wheel is notdesigned for mounting a regular tire.

Compact Spare Tire

Taking Care of the Unexpected230

INDICATOR LOCATION MARK

TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR

60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm )

If you have a flat tire while driving,stop in a safe place to change it.Drive slowly along the shoulder untilyou get to an exit or an area to stopthat is far away from the traffic lanes.

Park the vehicle on firm, level, andnon-slippery ground. Put thetransmission in Park. Apply theparking brake.

Turn on the hazard warning lights,and turn the ignition switch toLOCK (0). Have all thepassengers get out of the vehiclewhile you change the tire.

2.1.

CONTINUED

Changing a Flat Tire


JACK

TOOLS SPARE TIRE

The vehicle can easily roll offthe jack, seriously injuringanyone underneath.

Follow the directions forchanging a tire exactly, andnever get under the vehiclewhen it is supported only by thejack.

Open the tailgate.

The tools and jack are behind acover in the cargo area on thedriver’s side. Remove the cover bypushing the top of the cover.

Take the tools out of the storagecompartment.

The spare tire is storedunderneath the rear cargo area.Remove the plastic cover on thecargo area lining to access theshaft for the spare tire hoist.

Turn the jack’s end bracketcounterclockwise to loosen it, thenremove the jack.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.



COVER COVER

Put the wheel nut wrench on thehoist shaft. Turn the wrenchcounterclockwise to lower thespare tire to the ground.

Keep turning the wheel wrench tocreate slack in the cable.

Remove the bracket from thespare tire.

Loosen each wheel nut 1/2 turnwith the wheel wrench.

11.

10.

8. 9.

CONTINUED



SPARE TIRE WRENCH BRACKET

△

Place the jack under the jackingpoint nearest the tire you need tochange. It is pointed to by amark molded into the underside ofthe body. Turn the end bracketclockwise until the top of the jackcontacts the jacking point. Makesure the jacking point tab isresting in the jack notch.

Use the extension and wheelwrench as shown to raise thevehicle until the flat tire is off theground.

Remove the wheel nuts, thenremove the flat tire.

Before mounting the spare tire,wipe any dirt off the mountingsurface of the wheel and hub witha clean cloth. Wipe the hubcarefully; it may be hot fromdriving.

12. 13.

14.

15.



JACKING POINT WHEEL WRENCH

EXTENSION

BRAKE HUB

Tighten the wheel nuts securely inthe same crisscross pattern. Havethe wheel nut torque checked atthe nearest automotive servicefacility.Tighten the wheel nuts to:

Remove the center cap from theflat tire.

Place the flat tire face up underthe hoist.

Insert the hoist bracket into thecenter hole of the flat tire.

Put on the spare tire. Put thewheel nuts back on finger-tight,then tighten them in a crisscrosspattern with the wheel wrenchuntil the wheel is firmly againstthe hub. Do not try to tightenthem fully.

Lower the vehicle to the groundand remove the jack.

20.

21.

18.

19.

17.

16.

CONTINUED



80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m)

Store the jack in its holder. Turnthe jack’s end bracket to lock it inplace. Store the tools, and installthe cover.

Slowly turn the wheel wrenchclockwise to take up the slack ofthe hoist cable. Make sure thebracket is seated in the centerhole of the spare tire.

Turn the wheel wrench clockwiseuntil the flat tire rests against theunderbody of the vehicle and youhear the hoist click.

24.

22.

23.



NOTICE:

Loose items can fly around theinterior in a crash and couldseriously injure the occupants.

Store the wheel, jack, and toolssecurely before driving.

Always raise the spare tirehoist, even if you are not stowing a tire.If the hoist is lef t down, it will bedamaged during driving and need to bereplaced.

Diagnosing why the engine won’tstart falls into two areas, dependingon what you hear when you turn thekey to START (III):

You hear nothing, or almostnothing. The engine’s startermotor does not operate at all, oroperates very slowly.

You can hear the starter motoroperating normally, or the startermotor sounds like it is spinningfaster than normal, but the enginedoes not start up and run.

When you turn the ignition switch toSTART (III), you do not hear thenormal noise of the engine trying tostart. You may hear a clicking soundor series of clicks, or nothing at all.Check these things:

Check the transmission interlock.The transmission must be in Parkor Neutral or the starter will notoperate.

Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).Turn on the headlights, and checktheir brightness. If the headlightsare very dim or don’t light at all,the battery is discharged. See

on page .

Turn the ignition switch to START(III). If the headlights do not dim,check the condition of the fuses. Ifthe fuses are OK, there isprobably something wrong withthe electrical circuit for theignition switch or starter motor.You will need a qualifiedtechnician to determine theproblem (seeon page ).

If the headlights dim noticeably orgo out when you try to start theengine, either the battery is dis-charged or the connections arecorroded. Check the condition ofthe battery and terminal connec-tions (see page ). You canthen try jump starting the vehiclefrom a booster battery (see page

).

In this case, the starter motor’sspeed sounds normal, or even fasterthan normal, when you turn theignition switch to START (III), butthe engine does not run.

Are you using a properly codedkey? An improperly coded key willcause the immobilizer systemindicator in the dash panel to blinkrapidly (see page ).

238

244

226

238

78

CONTINUED

If Your Engine Won’t Start

Nothing Happens or the StarterMotor Operates Very Slowly

Jump Starting

Emergency Towing

The Starter Operates Normally


＋

＋

Are you using the proper startingprocedure? Refer to

on page .

Do you have fuel? Check the fuelgauge; the warning indicator maynot be working.

There may be an electricalproblem, such as no power to thefuel pump. Check all the fuses(see page ).

If you find nothing wrong, you willneed a qualified technician to findthe problem. See

on page .

Although this seems like a simpleprocedure, you should take severalprecautions.

To jump start your vehicle:

You cannot start your Acura bypushing or pulling it.

Open the hood, and check thephysical condition of the battery.In very cold weather, check thecondition of the electrolyte. If itseems slushy or like ice, do not tryjump starting until it thaws.

Turn off all the electrical acces-sories: heater, A/C, climatecontrol, audio system, lights, etc.Put the transmission in Neutral orPark, and set the parking brake.

Connect one jumper cable to thepositive ( ) terminal on yourAcura’s battery. Connect the otherend to the positive ( ) terminalon the booster battery.

1.

2.

3.

171

246

244

Starting theEngine

EmergencyTowing

Jump Starting


If the Engine Won’t Start, Jump Starting

238

NOTICE:

A battery can explode if you donot follow the correct procedure,seriously injuring anyonenearby.

Keep all sparks, open flames,and smoking materials awayfrom the battery.

If a battery sits in extremecold, the electrolyte inside can f reeze.Attempting to jump start with a f rozenbattery can cause it to rupture.

－The numbers in the illustration showyou the order to connect the jumpercables.

If the booster battery is in anothervehicle, have an assistant startthat vehicle and run it at a fast idle.

Start your vehicle. If the startermotor still operates slowly, checkthat the jumper cables make surethey have good metal-to-metalcontact.

Once your vehicle is running,disconnect the negative cable fromyour vehicle, then from thebooster battery. Disconnect thepositive cable from your vehicle,then from the booster battery.

Connect the second jumper cableto the negative ( ) terminal onthe booster battery. Connect theother end to the grounding strapas shown. Do not connect thisjumper cable to any other part ofthe engine.

Keep the ends of the jumper cablesaway from each other and any metalon the vehicle until everything isdisconnected. Otherwise, you maycause an electrical short.5.

7.

4.

6.

Jump Starting


BOOSTER BATTERY

Safely pull to the side of the road.Put the transmission in Neutral orPark, and set the parking brake.Turn off all accessories, and turnon the hazard warning indicators.

If you see steam and/or spraycoming from under the hood, turnoff the engine. Wait until you seeno more signs of steam or spray,then open the hood.

If you do not see steam or spray,leave the engine running, andwatch the temperature gauge. Ifthe high heat is due to overloading,the engine should start to cooldown almost immediately. If itdoes, wait until the temperaturegauge comes down to the midpoint,then continue driving.

The pointer of your vehicle’stemperature gauge should stay inthe midrange. If it climbs to the redmark, you should determine thereason.

If the vehicle overheats, you shouldtake immediate action. The onlyindication may be the temperaturegauge climbing to or above the redmark. Or you may see steam orspray coming from under the hood.

1.

2.

3.


If Your Engine Overheats


240

NOTICE:

Steam and spray from anoverheated engine canseriously scald you.

Do not open the hood if steamis coming out.

Driving with the temperaturegauge pointer at the red mark cancause serious damage to your engine.

If the temperature gauge stays atthe red mark, turn off the engine.

Look for any obvious coolant leaks,such as a split radiator hose.Everything is still extremely hot,so use caution. If you find a leak, itmust be repaired before youcontinue driving (see

on page ).

Start the engine and set thetemperature control dial tomaximum (climate control toFULL AUTO at 90°F/32°C). Addcoolant to the radiator up to thebase of the filler neck. If you donot have the proper coolantmixture available, you can addplain water. Remember to havethe cooling system drained andrefilled with the proper mixture assoon as you can.

Put the radiator cap back ontightly. Run the engine, and watchthe temperature gauge. If it goesback to the red mark, the engineneeds repair (see

on page ).

If the temperature stays normal,check the coolant level in theradiator reserve tank. If it hasgone down, add coolant to theMAX mark. Put the cap back ontightly.

If you don’t find an obvious leak,check the coolant level in theradiator reserve tank. Add coolantif the level is below the MIN mark.

If there was no coolant in thereserve tank, you may need to addcoolant to the radiator. Let theengine cool down until the pointerreaches the middle of the tempera-ture gauge, or lower, before check-ing the radiator.

Using gloves or large heavy cloth,turn the radiator capcounterclockwise, without pushingdown, to the first stop. After thepressure releases, push down onthe cap, and turn it until it comesoff.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.10.

11.

9.

244

244



EmergencyTowing

EmergencyTowing

241

Removing the radiator capwhile the engine is hot cancause the coolant to spray out,seriously scalding you.

Always let the engine andradiator cool down beforeremoving the radiator cap.

Safely pull off the road, and shutoff the engine. Turn on the hazardwarning indicators.

Let the vehicle sit for a minute.Open the hood, and check the oillevel (see page ). An enginevery low on oil can lose pressureduring cornering and other drivingmaneuvers.

If necessary, add oil to bring thelevel back to the full mark on thedipstick (see page ).

Start the engine and watch the oilpressure indicator. If it does not goout within ten seconds, turn offthe engine. There is a mechanicalproblem that needs to be repairedbefore you can continue driving(see on page

).

If the charging systemindicator comes on brightly

when the engine is running, thebattery is not being charged.

Immediately turn off all electricalaccessories. Try not to use otherelectrically operated controls such asthe power windows. Keep the enginerunning; starting the engine willdischarge the battery rapidly.

Go to an Acura dealer or a servicestation where you can get technicalassistance.

This indicator should nevercome on when the engine is

running. If it starts flashing or stayson, the oil pressure has dropped verylow or lost pressure. Serious enginedamage is possible and you shouldtake immediate action.

1.

2.

3.

4.

161

205

244

Low Oil Pressure Indicator

Emergency Towing

Charging System Indicator


Low Oil Pressure Indicator, Charging System Indicator

242

NOTICE: Running the engine with lowoil pressure can cause seriousmechanical damage almost immediately.Turn of f the engine as soon as you cansaf ely get the vehicle stopped.

If your vehicle battery has beendisconnected or gone dead, thesecodes are erased. It takes at leastthree days of driving under variousconditions to set the codes again.

To check if they are set, turn theignition to ON (II), without startingthe engine. The MalfunctionIndicator Lamp will come on for 20seconds. If it then goes off, thereadiness codes are set. If it blinks 5times, the readiness codes are notset. If possible, do not take yourvehicle for a state emissions testuntil the readiness codes are set.Refer to State Emissions Testing formore information (see page ).

If this indicator comes onwhile driving, it means one

of the engine’s emissions controlsystems may have a problem. Eventhough you may feel no difference inyour vehicle’s performance, it canreduce your fuel economy and causeincreased emissions. Continuedoperation may cause serious damage.

If you have recently refueled yourvehicle, the indicator could come onbecause of a loose or missing fuel fillcap. Tighten the cap until it clicks atleast three times. Tightening the capwill not turn the indicator turn offimmediately; it takes at least threedays of normal driving.

If the indicator comes on repeatedly,even though it may turn off as youcontinue driving, have the vehiclechecked by the dealer as soon aspossible.

Your vehicle has certain ‘‘readinesscodes’’ that are part of the on-boarddiagnostics for the emissionssystems. In some states, part of theemissions testing is to make surethese codes are set. If they are notset, the test cannot be completed.

262

Malfunction Indicator Lamp


Malfunction Indicator Lamp

Readiness Code

243

NOTICE: If you keep driving with theMalf unction Indicator Lamp on, youcan damage your vehicle’s emissioncontrols and the engine. Those repairsmay not be covered by your vehicle’swarranties.

The brake system indicatornormally comes on whenyou turn the ignition switchto ON (II), and as areminder to check theparking brake. It will stayon if you do not fullyrelease the parking brake.

If the brake system indicator comeson while driving, the brake fluid levelis probably low. Press lightly on thebrake pedal to see if it feels normal.If it does, check the brake fluid levelthe next time you stop at a servicestation (see page ).

If the fluid level is low, take thevehicle to your dealer and have thebrake system inspected for leaks orworn brake pads.

However, if the brake pedal does notfeel normal, you should takeimmediate action. A problem in onepart of the system’s dual circuitdesign will still give you braking attwo wheels. You will feel the brakepedal go down much farther beforethe vehicle begins to slow down, andyou will have to press harder on thepedal.

If your vehicle needs to be towed,call a professional towing service ororganization. Never tow your vehiclewith just a rope or chain. It is verydangerous.

The operator will loadyour vehicle on the back of a truck.Any other method of towing willdamage the drive system. When youcontact the towing agency, informthem a flat-bed is required.

Refer toon page

for non-emergency towinginformation.

Slow down by shifting to a lowergear, and pull to the side of the roadwhen it is safe. Because of the longdistance needed to stop, it ishazardous to drive the vehicle. Youshould have it towed, and repaired assoon as possible.

If you must drive the vehicle a shortdistance in this condition, driveslowly and carefully.

212

191

Brake System Indicator Emergency Towing

The only way you can safely towyour vehicle is with flat-bedequipment.

Towing Your VehicleBehind a Motorhome


Brake System Indicator, Emergency Towing

244

NOTICE:

Canada

U.S.

Towing your vehicle withtwo tires on the ground will damageparts of the 4WD system. It should betransported on a f lat-bed truck ortrailer.

To open the passenger’s side, pullthe right edge of the cover.

The primary under-hood fuse box islocated on the passenger’s side. Thesecondary fuse box is next to thebattery.

The interior fuse boxes are locatedunder the dashboard on the driver’sand passenger’s side.

The vehicle’s fuses are located infive fuse boxes.

Fuses


PASSENGER’S SIDE INTERIOR

UNDER-HOOD (SECONDARY)

DRIVER’S SIDEINTERIOR

UNDER-HOOD (PRIMARY)

If something electrical in yourvehicle stops working, the first thingyou should check for is a blown fuse.Determine from the chart on pages

and , or the diagram on thefuse box lid, which fuse or fusescontrol that device. The diagram forthe interior driver’s side fuse box ison the kick panel below the fuse box.Check those fuses first, but check allthe fuses before deciding that ablown fuse is the cause. Replace anyblown fuses, and check if the deviceworks.

Turn the ignition switch to LOCK(0). Make sure the headlights andall other accessories are off.

Remove the cover from the fusebox.

Check each of the large fuses inthe primary under-hood fuse boxby looking through the top at thewire inside. Removing these fusesrequires a Phillips-headscrewdriver.

Check the smaller fuses in theunder-hood fuse boxes and all thefuses in the interior fuse box bypulling out each one with the fusepuller provided in the primaryunder-hood fuse box.

4.3.

1.

2

148 149

Checking and Replacing Fuses

Fuses


BLOWN FUSE PULLER

If the radio fuse is removed, theaudio system will disable itself. Thenext time you turn on the radio youwill see ‘‘ ’’ in the frequencydisplay. Use the preset buttons toenter the five-digit code (see page

).

If the replacement fuse of thesame rating blows in a short time,there is probably a seriouselectrical problem in your vehicle.Leave the blown fuse in thatcircuit, and have your vehiclechecked by a qualified mechanic.

If you cannot drive the vehiclewithout fixing the problem, and youdo not have a spare fuse, take a fuseof the same rating or a lower ratingfrom one of the other circuits. Makesure you can do without that circuittemporarily (such as the accessorypower socket or radio).

If you replace the blown fuse with aspare fuse that has a lower rating, itmight blow out again. This does notindicate anything wrong. Replace thefuse with one of the correct rating assoon as you can.

Look for a burned wire inside thefuse. If it is burned, replace it withone of the spare fuses of the samerating or lower.

6.

5.

129

Fuses


NOTICE:BLOWN

Replacing a f use with onethat has a higher rating greatlyincreases the chances of damaging theelectrical system. If you do not have areplacement f use with the proper ratingf or the circuit, install one with a lowerrating.

－

No. Amps. Circuits Protected No. Amps. Circuits Protected

No. Amps. Circuits Protected No. Amps. Circuits Protected

123456789

10111213

20 A30 A20 A15 A15 A

20 A20 A20 A40 A30 A30 A40 A

Spare FuseSpare FuseRight HeadlightACG SHazardNot usedStopLeft HeadlightRadioPower Window MotorRear A/CRear DefrosterBack Up, ACC

1415161718192021222324

40 A40 A30 A

7.5 A10 A15 A

120 A30 A

7.5 A50 A20 A

Power SeatHeater MotorCooling FanSpare FuseSpare FuseSpare FuseBatteryCondenser FanMG ClutchIGI MainFog Lights

12345

20 A40 A30 A20 A20 A

Rear Entertainment SystemVSA F/S RelayVSA Motor4WDRear Accessory Socket

6789

10

15 A15 A15 A7.5 A20 A

ETCIG CoilLAFFI-Back-upP/W DR

Fuse Locations


PRIMARY UNDER-HOOD FUSE BOX

SECONDARY UNDER-HOOD FUSE BOX

＊

＊

－

＊

＊

Circuits ProtectedNo. Amps.

No. No. Circuits ProtectedAmps. Circuits Protected Amps.

Horn

Auto Wipers

12

3

7.5 A7.5 A

7.5 A

123

45

6789

10111213

12345

67

8

910111213141516

Moonroof

Driver’s Power Seat SlidingPassenger’s Power SeatRecliningDaytime Running LightDriver’s side Rear PowerWindowFront Passenger’s PowerWindowFront Accessory SocketSmall LightInterior Light, TPMSPower Door LockBack Up, ClockHeated SeatDriver’s Power WindowPassenger’s Side RearPower Window

15 A10 A

7.5 A

7.5 A10 A

15 A7.5 A7.5 A10 A

7.5 A15 A30 A

Fuel PumpSRSHeater Control, A/C ClutchRelay, Cooling Fan RelayPower MirrorDaytime Running Light /Rear WiperECU (PCM), Cruise ControlOPDSACC RelayBack-up Lights, InstrumentLights, TPMSTurn SignalsIG CoilFront WiperNot Used

30 A20 A20 A20 A20 A

10 A20 A

20 A

15 A15 A10 A20 A

7.5 A20 A20 A20 A

: Canadian models

Canadian models:ELD Unit, Immobilizer ControlUnit, VSA Control Unit, Alternator

Driver’s Power Seat RecliningPassenger’s Power Seat Sliding

Fuse Locations


Driver’s Side

INTERIOR FUSE BOX

Passenger’s Side

Front

Front

Driver’s SideAuxiliary

The diagrams in this section giveyou the dimensions and capacities ofyour Acura, and the locations of theidentification numbers. It alsoincludes information you shouldknow about your vehicle’s tires andemissions control systems.

................Identification Numbers . 252................................Specifications . 254

..........DOT Tire Quality Grading . 256Uniform Tire Quality

..................................Grading . 256.................................Treadwear . 256

......................................Traction . 256.............................Temperature . 257

.................................Tire Labeling . 258

.......................Emissions Controls . 259.....................The Clean Air Act . 259

Crankcase Emissions Control....................................System . 259

Evaporative Emissions Control....................................System . 259

Onboard Refueling Vapor................................Recovery . 259

...Exhaust Emissions Controls . 260....................PGM-FI System . 260

Ignition Timing Control................................System . 260

Exhaust Gas Recirculation...................(EGR) System . 260

Three Way Catalytic...........................Converter . 260

....................Replacement Parts . 260..Three Way Catalytic Converter . 261

..............State Emissions Testing . 262

Technical Information

Technical Information 251

Your vehicle has several identifyingnumbers located in various places.

The Vehicle Identification Number(VIN) is the 17-digit number yourAcura dealer uses to register yourvehicle for warranty purposes. It isalso necessary for licensing andinsuring your vehicle. The easiestplace to find the VIN is on a platefastened to the top of the dashboard.You can see it by looking throughthe windshield on the driver’s side. Itis also on the Certification label at-tached to the driver’s doorjamb, andis stamped on the engine com-partment bulkhead. The VIN is alsoprovided in bar code on theCertification label.

Identif ication Numbers

Technical Information252

VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER

CERTIFICATION LABEL

The Engine Number is stamped intothe engine block. It is on the front.

The Transmission Number is on alabel on top of the transmission.

Identif ication Numbers


ENGINE NUMBER

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NUMBER

－－

＊

＊

＊

＊

＊＊

＊

＊

Specifications


Dimensions

Weights

Air Conditioning

Capacities

1.88 US gal (7.1 )2.38 US gal (9.0 )

4.5 US qt (4.3 )

4.2 US qt (4.0 )

5.3 US qt (5.0 )2.9 US qt (2.7 )7.7 US qt (7.3 )

19.21 US gal (72.7 )188.7 in (4,793 mm)77.0 in (1,955 mm)68.7 in (1,744 mm)71.3 in (1,811 mm)106.3 in (2,700 mm)66.3 in (1,685 mm)66.5 in (1,690 mm)

9,835 lbs (4,461 kg)

HFC-134a (R-134a)24.7 26.5 oz (700 750 g)

ND-OIL8

2.9 US qt (2.7 )3.0 US qt (2.8 )

0.45 US qt (0.43 )0.48 US qt (0.45 )

0.16 US gal (0.6 )

4.8 US qt (4.5 )

Excluding the oil remaining in the engine.

Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in theengine.Reserve tank capacity:

Equipped with transmission fluid cooler and power steering fluidcooler.

LengthWidthHeight

WheelbaseTrack

Gross vehicle weight rating

Gross combined weightrating (GCWR)

See the tire information label atta-ched to the driver’s doorjamb.

Refrigerant typeCharge quantityLubricant type

Fuel tank

EnginecoolantEngine oil

AutomatictransmissionfluidReardifferentialfluidTransferassemblyfluidWindshieldwasherreservoir

The GCWR must be reduced 2 percent for every 1,000 feet (305meters) of elevation.

Approx.

FrontRear

1 :

2 :

StandardPremium

1 :

2 :

ChangeTotalChange

IncludingfilterWithoutfilter

TotalChangeTotal

ChangeTotal

ChangeTotal

2 1

1

2

－－

－－－－

－－－－－－－－－－－－－

－

Specifications


Battery

Fuses

Engine

Alignment

Tires

Lights

60 W (HB3)12 V

10.0 : 1211.8 cu-in (3,471 cm )

3.50 x 3.66 in (89.0 x 93.0 mm)

12 V 55 W (H11)3 CP

12 V 28/8 W

12 V 51 W (HB4)12 V 5 W12 V 21 W12 V 21 W/5 W12 V 21 CP (18 W)12 V 3 CP12 V 21 W12 V 5 W12 V 5 W

5 W5 W1.1 W3.8 W

12 V

12 V12 V12 V12 V

12 V 20 AH/5 HRCapacity

Interior

Under-hood

Type

Bore x StrokeDisplacementCompression ratioSpark plugs IZFR5K-11

SKJ16DR-M11

Water cooled 4-stroke SOHC,V6 gasoline engine

See page 249 or the fuse labelattached to the dashboard.See page 249 or the fuse labelattached to the inside of the fusebox door under the dashboard.See page 248 or the fuse boxcover.

Toe-in

Camber

Caster

Size

Pressure

0.00 in (0.0 mm)0.00 in (0.0 mm)

0°50’0°50’

1°53’

P235/65R17 103TT155/90D16 110M

32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm )60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm )

Headlights

Front side marker lightsFront turn signal lights/Parking lightsFog lightFront foot lightsRear turn signal/hazard lightsBrake/TaillightsBackup lightsLicense plate lightsHigh-mount brake lightIndividual map lights

Cargo area lightTailgate lightVanity mirror lightDoor light

Front/RearSpareFront/RearSpare

FrontRearFrontRearFront

FrontRear

Driver’s side

Passenger’s side

HighLow

NGK:DENSO:

－The tires on your vehicle meet allU.S. Federal Safety Requirements.All tires are also graded fortreadwear, traction, and temperatureperformance according toDepartment of Transportation(DOT) standards. The followingexplains these gradings.

Quality grades can be found whereapplicable on the tire sidewallbetween the tread shoulder and themaximum section width. Forexample:

All passenger vehicle tires mustconform to Federal SafetyRequirements in addition to thesegrades.

The treadwear grade is a compara-tive rating based on the wear rate ofthe tire when tested under controlledconditions on a specified governmenttest course. For example, a tiregraded 150 would wear one and one-half (1 1/2) times as well on thegovernment course as a tire graded100. The relative performance oftires depends upon the actual condi-tions of their use, however, and maydepart significantly from the normdue to variations in driving habits,service practices, and differences inroad characteristics and climate.

The traction grades, from highest tolowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Thosegrades represent the tire’s ability tostop on wet pavement as measuredunder controlled conditions onspecified government test surfacesof asphalt and concrete. A tiremarked C may have poor tractionperformance.

Warning: The traction gradeassigned to this tire is based onstraight-ahead braking traction tests,and does not include acceleration,cornering, hydroplaning, or peaktraction characteristics.

Uniform Tire Quality Grading

Treadwear 200Traction AATemperature A

Treadwear Traction AA, A, B, C

Technical Information

DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)

256

－The temperature grades are A (thehighest), B, and C, representing thetire’s resistance to the generation ofheat and its ability to dissipate heatwhen tested under controlledconditions on a specified indoorlaboratory test wheel. Sustained hightemperature can cause the materialof the tire to degenerate and reducetire life, and excessive temperaturecan lead to sudden tire failure. Thegrade C corresponds to a level ofperformance, which all passengervehicle tires must meet under theFederal Motor Vehicle SafetyStandard No. 109. Grades B and Arepresent higher levels ofperformance on the laboratory testwheel than the minimum required bylaw.

Warning: The temperature grade forthis tire is established for a tire thatis properly inflated and not over-loaded. Excessive speed, underinfla-tion, or excessive loading, eitherseparately or in combination, cancause heat buildup and possible tirefailure.

DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)

Temperature A, B, C


－

－

－

－

－

－

－

－

－

－

－The tires that came on your vehiclehave a number of markings. Thoseyou should be aware of are describedbelow.

Rim diameter in inches.

Load index (a numerical codeassociated with the maximumload the tire can carry).

Speed symbol (analphabetical code indicatingthe maximum speed rating).

Tire Identification Number (TIN) isa group of numbers and letters thatlook like the following example TIN.

This indicates that the tiremeets all requirements ofthe U.S. Department ofTransportation.

Manufacturer’sidentification mark.

Tire type code.

Date of manufacture.

Whenever tires are replaced, theyshould be replaced with tires of thesame size. Following is an exampleof tire size with an explanation ofwhat each component means.

Vehicle type (P indicatespassenger vehicle).

Tire width in millimeters.

Aspect ratio (the tire’s sectionheight as a percentage of itswidth).

Tire construction code (Rindicates radial).

P

225

55

R

94

V

16

DOT

B97R

FW6X

2202

Tire Labeling

Tire Size

Tire Identif ication Number


DOT B97R FW6X 2202

P225/55R16 94V

＊

＊

The burning of gasoline in yourvehicle’s engine produces several by-products. Some of these are carbonmonoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen(NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC).Gasoline evaporating from the tankalso produces hydrocarbons. Con-trolling the production of NOx, CO,and HC is important to the environ-ment. Under certain conditions ofsunlight and climate, NOx and HCreact to form photochemical ‘‘smog.’’Carbon monoxide does not contri-bute to smog creation, but it is apoisonous gas.

The United States Clean Air Actsets standards for automobileemissions. It also requires thatautomobile manufacturers explain toowners how their emissions controlswork and what to do to maintainthem. This section summarizes howthe emissions controls work.Scheduled maintenance is on page

.

In Canada, Acura vehicles complywith the Canadian emissionrequirements, as specified in anagreement with EnvironmentCanada, at the time they aremanufactured.

Your vehicle has a PositiveCrankcase Ventilation System. Thiskeeps gasses that build up in theengine’s crankcase from going intothe atmosphere. The Positive Crank-

case Ventilation valve routes themfrom the crankcase back to theintake manifold. They are thendrawn into the engine and burned.

As gasoline evaporates in the fueltank, an evaporative emissionscontrol canister filled with charcoaladsorbs the vapor. It is stored in thiscanister while the engine is off. Afterthe engine is started and warmed up,the vapor is drawn into the engineand burned during driving.

The Onboard Refueling VaporRecovery (ORVR) system capturesthe fuel vapors during refueling. Thevapors are adsorbed in a canisterfilled with activated carbon. Whiledriving, the fuel vapors are drawninto the engine and burned off.

199

Emissions Controls

The Clean Air Act

Crankcase Emissions ControlSystem

Evaporative Emissions ControlSystem

Onboard Refueling VaporRecovery


The exhaust emissions controlsinclude four systems: PGM-FI,Ignition Timing Control, ExhaustGas Recirculation and Three WayCatalytic Converter. These foursystems work together to control theengine’s combustion and minimizethe amount of HC, CO, and NOx thatcomes out the tailpipe. The exhaustemissions control systems areseparate from the crankcase andevaporative emissions controlsystems.

The PGM-FI System uses sequentialmultiport fuel injection.It has three subsystems: Air Intake,Engine Control, and Fuel Control.The Powertrain Control Module(PCM) uses various sensors todetermine how much air is goinginto the engine. It then controls howmuch fuel to inject under alloperating conditions.

This system constantly adjusts theignition timing, reducing the amountof HC, CO, and NOx produced.

The Exhaust Gas Recirculation(EGR) system takes some of theexhaust gas and routes it back intothe intake manifold. Adding exhaustgas to the air/fuel mixture reducesthe amount of NOx produced whenthe fuel is burned.

The three way catalytic converter isin the exhaust system. Throughchemical reactions, it converts HC,CO, and NOx in the engine’s exhaustto carbon dioxide (CO ), dinitrogen(N ), and water vapor.

The emissions control systems arecovered by warranties separate fromthe rest of your vehicle. Read yourwarranty manual for more informa-tion.

The emissions control systems aredesigned and certified to worktogether in reducing emissions tolevels that comply with the Clean AirAct. To make sure the emissionsremain low, you should use only newAcura replacement parts or theirequivalent for repairs. Using lowerquality parts may increase theemissions from your vehicle.

2

2

Emissions Controls

Exhaust Emissions Controls Replacement Parts

PGM-FI System

Ignition Timing Control System

Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR)System

Three Way Catalytic Converter


The three way catalytic convertercontains precious metals that serveas catalysts, promoting chemicalreactions to convert the exhaustgasses without affecting the metals.The catalytic converter is referred toas a three-way catalyst, since it actson HC, CO, and NOx. A replacementunit must be an original Acura partor its equivalent.

The three way catalytic convertermust operate at a high temperaturefor the chemical reactions to takeplace. It can set on fire any com-bustible materials that come near it.Park your vehicle away from highgrass, dry leaves, or other flamma-bles.

A defective three way catalyticconverter contributes to air pollution,and can impair your engine’s per-formance. Follow these guidelines toprotect your vehicle’s three waycatalytic converter.

Always use unleaded gasoline.Even a small amount of leadedgasoline can contaminate thecatalyst metals, making the threeway catalytic converter ineffective.

Keep the engine tuned-up.

Have your vehicle diagnosed andrepaired if it is misfiring, back-firing, stalling, or otherwise notrunning properly.

Three Way Catalytic Converter


THREE WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTER THREE WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTER

If you take your vehicle for a stateemissions test shortly after thebattery has been disconnected orgone dead, it may not pass the test.This is because of certain ‘‘readinesscodes’’ that must be set in the on-board diagnostics for the emissionssystems. These codes are erasedwhen the battery is disconnected,and set again only after several daysof driving under a variety ofconditions.

If the testing facility determines thatthe readiness codes are not set, youwill be requested to return at a laterdate to complete the test. If you mustget the vehicle re-tested within thenext two or three days, you cancondition the vehicle for re-testingby doing the following.

Make sure the gas tank is nearly,but not completely, full (around3/4).

Make sure the vehicle has beenparked with the engine off for 8hours or more.

Make sure the ambienttemperature is between 20° and95°F.

Without touching the acceleratorpedal, start the engine, and let itidle for 20 seconds.

Keep the vehicle in Park. Increasethe engine speed to 2,000 rpm andhold it there until the temperaturegauge rises to at least 1/4 of thescale (approximately 3 minutes).

State Emissions Testing

Testing of Readiness Codes


Select a nearby lightly traveledmajor highway where you canmaintain a speed of 50 to 60 mph(80 to 97 km/h) for at least 20minutes. Drive on the highway inD. Do not use the cruise control.When traffic allows, drive for 90seconds without moving theaccelerator pedal. (Vehicle speedmay vary slightly; this is okay.) Ifyou cannot do this for acontinuous 90 seconds because oftraffic conditions, drive for at least30 seconds, then repeat it twomore times (for a total of 90seconds).

Then drive in city/suburbantraffic for at least 10 minutes.When traffic conditions allow, letthe vehicle coast for severalseconds without using theaccelerator pedal or the brakepedal.

If the testing facility determines the

readiness codes are still not set, seeyour Acura dealer.

State Emissions Testing


Customer Service................................Information . 266

....................Warranty Coverages . 267Reporting Safety Defects

..........................(U.S. Vehicles) . 268.....................Authorized Manuals . 269

Warranty and Customer Relations

Warranty and Customer Relations 265

Acura dealership personnel aretrained professionals. They shouldbe able to answer all your questions.If you encounter a problem that yourdealership does not solve to yoursatisfaction, please discuss it withthe dealership’s management. TheService Manager or GeneralManager can help. Almost allproblems are solved in this way.

U.S. Owners:

In Puerto Rico and the U.S. VirginIslands:

Vortex Motor Corp.Bella InternationalP.O. Box 190816San Juan, PR 00919-0816

Tel:(787) 250-4327

Canadian Owners:

When you call or write, please giveus this information:

Vehicle Identification Number(see page )Name and address of the dealerwho services your vehicleDate of purchaseMileage on your vehicleYour name, address, and tele-phone numberA detailed description of theproblemName of the dealer who sold thevehicle to you

If you are dissatisfied with thedecision made by the dealership’smanagement, contact the AcuraCustomer Service Office.

252

Customer Service Information

Warranty and Customer Relations266

CUSTOMER RELATIONS

RELATIONS AVEC LA CLIENTÉLE

American Honda Motor Co., Inc.Acura Client ServicesMail Stop 500-2N-7E1919 Torrance Blvd.Torrance, CA 90501-2746

Tel: (800) 382-2238

Honda Canada Inc.715 Milner AvenueToronto, ONM1B 2K8

Tel:1-888-9-ACURA-9Fax:Toll-free 1-877-939-0909

Toronto (416) 287-4776

－

－

－

－

－

－

－

－

－

Your new Acura is covered by thesewarranties:

covers your new vehicle, except forthe battery, emissions controlsystems, and accessories, againstdefects in materials andworkmanship.

these twowarranties cover your vehicle’s emis-sions control systems. Time, mileage,and coverage are conditional. Pleaseread the warranty manual for exactinformation.

this warranty gives upto 100 percent credit toward areplacement battery.

a seatbelt that fails to function properly iscovered for the useful life of thevehicle.

all exterior body panels arecovered for rust-through from theinside for the specified time periodwith no mileage limit.

Acura accessories are covered underthis warranty. Time and mileagelimits depend on the type ofaccessory and other factors. Pleaseread your warranty manual fordetails.

covers all Acurareplacement parts against defects inmaterials and workmanship.

provides proratedcoverage for a replacement batterypurchased from an Acura dealer.

providescoverage for as long as the pur-chaser of the muffler owns thevehicle.

Restrictions and exclusions apply toall these warranties. Please read the2004 Acura Warranty Informationbooklet that came with your vehiclefor precise information on warrantycoverages. Your Acura’s originaltires are covered by theirmanufacturer. Tire warrantyinformation is in a separate booklet.

Please refer to the 2004 WarrantyManual that came with your vehicle.

Warranty Coverages

U.S. Owners

Canadian Owners

New Vehicle Limited Warranty

Emissions Control Systems DefectsWarranty and EmissionsPerformance Warranty

Original Equipment Battery LimitedWarranty

Seat Belt Limited Warranty

Rust Perforation Limited Warranty

Accessory Limited Warranty

Replacement Parts LimitedWarranty

Replacement Battery LimitedWarranty

Replacement Muffler LifetimeLimited Warranty

Warranty and Customer Relations 267

If you believe that your vehicle has adefect which could cause a crash orcould cause injury or death, youshould immediately inform theNational Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA) in additionto notifying Acura AutomobileDivision, American Honda Motor Co.,Inc.

If NHTSA receives similar com-plaints, it may open an investigation,and if it finds that a safety defectexists in a group of vehicles, it mayorder a recall and remedy campaign.However, NHTSA cannot becomeinvolved in individual problemsbetween you, your dealer, or AcuraAutomobile Division, AmericanHonda Motor Co., Inc.

To contact NHTSA, you may eithercall the Auto Safety Hotline toll-freeat 1-800-424-9393 (or 366-0123 inWashington D.C. area) or write to:NHTSA, U.S. Department ofTransportation, Washington,D.C. 20590. You can also obtainother information about motorvehicle safety from the Hotline.

Reporting Safety Defects (U.S. Vehicles)

Warranty and Customer Relations268

＊

＊

＊

－

＊２００４

ＡＣＵ

The publications shown below can be purchased from HelmIncorporated. You can order in any of three ways:

Detach and mail the order form on the right half of this pageCall Helm Inc. at 1-800-782-4356Go online at

If you are interested in other years or models, contact Helm Inc.at 1-800-782-4356

(credit card orders only)

Valid only for sales within the U.S. Canadian owners shouldcontact their authorized Acura dealer.

Authorized Manuals

Purchasing Factory Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)

269

ORDER TOLL FREE: 1-800-782-4356

OR

(NOTE: For Credit Card Holder Orders Only)

MINIMUM CREDIT CARD PURCHASE $10.00

Form Description

2004 Acura MDX Service Manual

2001-04 Acura MDX

Electrical Troubleshooting Manual

2001-03 Acura MDX

Body Repair Manual

2004 Acura MDX Owner’s Manual

2004 Acura MDX

Navigation Manual

2004 Acura MDX Maintenance Journal

2004 Acura MDX Quick Start Guide

Order Form for Previous Years-

Indicate Year and Model Desired

Publication

Form Number

61S3V04

61S3V04EL

61S3V30

31S3V630

31S3V830

31S3V910

31S3VQ10

ACU-R

Price

Each

$69.00

$47.00

$44.00

$37.00

$29.00

$12.00

$12.00

FREE

PUBLICATION NUMBERVEHICLE MODEL

Name YearQty

Price

Each

Total

Price

GRAND TOTAL

HANDLING CHARGE

Mich. Purchases

Add 6% Sales Tax

TOTAL MATERIAL

$6.95Prices are subject to change without notice and without incurringobligation.

Monday-Friday 8:00 A.M. 6:00 P.M. EST

By completing this form you can order the materials desired. You canpay by check or money order, or charge to your credit card. Mail toHelm Incorporated at the address shown on the back of the order form.

Prices are subject to change withoutnotice and without incurring obligation.

Orders are mailed within 10 days. Pleaseallow adequate time for delivery.

www. helminc. com

－

－

－

ＳＨＩＰ

ＴＯ

ＰＡＹＭＥＮＴ

This manual covers maintenance and recommendedprocedures for repair to engine and chassis components.It is written for the journeyman mechanic, but is simpleenough for most mechanically-inclined owners to under-stand.

This manual complements the Service Manual byproviding in-depth troubleshooting information for eachelectrical circuit in your vehicle.

This manual describes the procedures involved in thereplacement of damaged body parts.

Authorized Manuals

Service Manual:

Electrical Troubleshooting Manual:

Body Repair Manual:

270

NOTE: Dealers and Companies please provide dealer or company name,and also the name of the person to whose attention the shipment shouldbe sent. For purchases outside U.S.A. please write to the address shownbelow for a quotation.

P.O. BOX 07280·DETROIT, MICHIGAN 48207·1-800-782-4356

Customer Name Attention

Apartment Number

State & Zip CodeCity

Daytime Telephone Number

Check or money order enclosed payable to Helm Inc U.S. funds only.Do not send cash

MasterCard

VISA Check here if your billing address is differentfrom the shipping address shown above.

Account Number Expiration: Mo. Yr.

CUSTOMER SIGNATURE DATE

Street Address No P.O. Box Number

( )

These Publications cannot be returned for credit without receiving advance authorization within 14days of delivery. On returns, a restocking fee may be applied against the original order.

CONTINUED

...Accessories and Modifications . 163ACCESSORY (Ignition Key

.......................................Position) . 79............Accessory Power Sockets . 101

....................Additives, Engine Oil . 206...............................Airbag (SRS) . 9, 22

..............Air Conditioning System . 104.....................Rear A/C Control . 109

.........................................Usage . 105.......................Air Outlets (Vents) . 106.......................Air Pressure, Tires . 221

......................................Antifreeze . 208Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)

....................Indicator Light . 59, 181...................................Operation . 181

..............Anti-theft, Audio System . 129.Anti-theft Steering Column Lock . 79

................Audio System . 110, 115, 125...Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners . 20

.........................Automatic Lighting . 73.............Automatic Speed Control . 144..............Automatic Transmission . 172

..........................Capacity, Fluid . 254...............Checking Fluid Level . 210

.......................................Shifting . 172.Shift Lever Position Indicator . 172

................Shift Lever Positions . 172....................Shift Lock Release . 175

...........................Automatic Wipers . 70

BatteryCharging System

...........................Indicator . 58, 242............................Jump Starting . 238

..............................Maintenance . 226............................Specifications . 255

..............................Before Driving . 157....................................Belts, Seat . 8, 19

...........................Beverage Holders . 99..................................Booster Seats . 48

Brakes...........Anti-lock System (ABS) . 181

.............Break-in, New Linings . 158...........................................Fluid . 212

....................Bulb Replacement . 216.........................................Parking . 92

.................System Indicator . 59, 244........................Wear Indicators . 180

.............................Braking System . 180.................Break-in, New Vehicle . 158

..Brightness Control, Instruments . 74........................Brights, Headlights . 72

Bulb Replacement..........................Back-up Lights . 216

..............................Brake Lights . 216................Front Parking Lights . 215

........Front Side Marker Lights . 215.................................Headlights . 214

.........High-mount Brake Light . 217.................................Rear Bulbs . 216

............................Specifications . 255....................Turn Signal Lights . 215

..............................Bulbs, Halogen . 214

Index

A

B

I

＊

................DANGER, Explanation of . ii...................................Dashboard . 2, 56

................Daytime Running Lights . 74.................................Dead Battery . 238

............Defects, Reporting Safety . 268................Defogger, Rear Window . 75..............Defrosting the Windows . 107

..........................Differential Fluid . 211....................................Dimensions . 254

...............Dimming the Headlights . 72Dipstick

..........Automatic Transmission . 210..................................Engine Oil . 161

..........................Directional Signals . 72........Disc Brake Wear Indicators . 180

.....................Disposal of Used Oil . 207Doors

..............Locking and Unlocking . 80....................Lockout Prevention . 80

......................Power Door Locks . 80

................................Cancel Button . 144............................Capacities Chart . 254

.............Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 51.............................Carrying Cargo . 165

Cassette Player............................................Care . 127

...................................Operation . 125..............CAUTION, Explanation of . ii

.........................................CD Care . 119..........................CD Changer . 116, 117

.....CD Changer Error Messages . 122.......................................CD Player . 116

.........CD Player Error Messages . 120........................Certification Label . 252

...................................Chains, . 225Change Oil

........................................How to . 206......................................When to . 197

....................Changing a Flat Tire . 231...Charging System Indicator . 58, 242

............Checklist, Before Driving . 170..................Childproof Door Locks . 80

.....................................Child Safety . 33..............................Booster Seats . 48

.............................Child Seats . 40, 41.....Important Safety Reminders . 36

..........................................Infants . 38..........................Larger Children . 47

.........................................LATCH . 42......................Risks with Airbags . 34

.............................Small Children . 39..........................................Tether . 45

.........Where Should a Child Sit? . 34.......................................Child Seats . 40

..........Tether Anchorage Points . 45...............Climate Control System . 104

..............................................Clock . 130.....................Code, Audio System . 129

........................CO in the Exhaust . 259......................Compact Spare Tire . 230

...............Consumer Information . 266.............Controls, Instruments and . 55

Coolant........................................Adding . 208

....................................Checking . 162.........................Proper Solution . 208

...................Temperature Gauge . 67Crankcase Emissions Control

........................................System . 259................Cruise Control Indicator . 61

............Cruise Control Operation . 144.....................................Cup Holders . 99

..........Customer Relations Office . 266

tires

Index

C

D

II

CONTINUED

...................................Fan, Interior . 105Features, Comfort and

..............................Convenience . 103....................Filling the Fuel Tank . 159

Filters...............................................Oil . 206

.............Flashers, Hazard Warning . 74...................Flat Tire, Changing a . 231

Fluids..........Automatic Transmission . 210

..........................................Brake . 212......................Differential Fluid . 211

..........................Power Steering . 213...................Transfer Assembly . 211..................Windshield Washer . 209

FM Stereo Radio...................................Reception . 113

........................................Fog Lights . 75................Folding the Second Seat . 87

...................Folding the Third Seat . 88..........................Four-way Flashers . 74

........................................Front Seat . 84......................................Adjusting . 84

.........................................Airbags . 23

.........................................Heaters . 89

..........DOT Tire Quality Grading . 256...........Driver and Passenger Safety . 5

...........................................Driving . 169....................................Economy . 162

Driving Position Memory..........................................System . 94

..................DVD Error Messages . 140...................................DVD Player . 133

..............................Economy, Fuel . 162..................................Emergencies . 229

.............Battery, Jump Starting . 238...........Brake System Indicator . 244

................Changing a Flat Tire . 231.....Charging System Indicator . 242

..................Checking the Fuses . 246.........Hazard Warning Flashers . 74.....Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 242...Malfunction Indicator Lamp . 243

..................Overheated Engine . 240.......................................Towing . 244

...........................Emergency Brake . 92......................Emergency Flashers . 74

......................Emergency Towing . 244

.......................Emissions Controls . 259Engine

....Coolant Temperature Gauge . 67Malfunction Indicator

................................Lamp . 58, 243........Oil Pressure Indicator . 58, 242..............Oil, What Kind to Use . 205

...............................Overheating . 240............................Specifications . 255............................Speed Limiter . 174

.......................................Starting . 171...................Engine, . 237

.Evaporative Emissions Controls . 259...............................Exhaust Fumes . 51

Exhaust Gas Recirculation........................................System . 260

Expectant Mothers, Use of Seat........................................Belts by . 17

if it won’t start

Index

E

F

III

.................................................Fuel . 158......................Fill Door and Cap . 159

...........................................Gauge . 66................Octane Requirement . 158

...............................Oxygenated . 158........................Reserve Indicator . 61

........................Tank, Filling the . 159.....................Fuses, Checking the . 246

.............Halogen Headlight Bulbs . 214..............Hazard Warning Flashers . 74

........................................Headlights . 72........................................Aiming . 214

....................Automatic Lighting . 73............Daytime Running Lights . 74

..................High Beam Indicator . 61...........High Beams, Turning on . 72............Low Beams, Turning on . 72

.........................Reminder Chime . 72........Replacing Halogen Bulbs . 214

...................................Turning on . 72...................................Headphones . 141

..............................Head Restraints . 86.................................Heated Mirror . 93.................................Heaters, Seats . 89

.....................Heating and Cooling . 104

.................High-Low Beam Switch . 72HomeLink Universal

................................Transceiver . 153....................................Hood Latch . 214

.......................Hood, Opening the . 160..................................................Horn . 68

...............Gas Mileage, Improving . 162.........................................Gasoline . 158

...............Fuel Reserve Indicator . 61...........................................Gauge . 66

................Octane Requirement . 158........................Tank, Filling the . 159

................Gas Station Procedures . 159Gauges

...Engine Coolant Temperature . 67...............................................Fuel . 66

...............................Speedometer . 66.................................Tachometer . 66

GAWR (Gross Axle Weight.......................................Rating) . 185

GCWR (Gross Combined Weight.......................................Rating) . 185

............Gearshift Lever Positions . 172........................................Glove Box . 99

GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight.......................................Rating) . 185

...Identification Number, Vehicle . 252Ignition

..............................................Keys . 77...........................................Switch . 79

............Timing Control System . 260........................Immobilizer System . 78

.........Important Safety Precautions . 6.........Indicators, Instrument Panel . 58

...............ABS (Anti-lock Brake) . 59....................................A/T Temp . 62

Brake (Parking and Brake....................................System) . 59

.................................Brake Lamp . 60........................Charging System . 58

.............................Cruise Control . 61DRL (Daytime Running

......................................Lights) . 61

Index

G

H I

IV

CONTINUED

...................................High Beam . 61........Key (Immobilizer System) . 59

.....................................Lights On . 62......................................Low Fuel . 61

........................Low Oil Pressure . 58......................Low Tire Pressure . 64

...............Maintenance Required . 65...........................Side Airbag Off . 58

.......................................Seat Belt . 58...............................................SRS . 58

...............Tire Pressure Monitor . 64.............................TPMS System . 64

Turn Signal and Hazard...................................Warning . 60

............................VSA Activation . 63.................................VSA System . 63

..........................................VTM-4 . 62..............................Washer Level . 61

....................Individual Map Lights . 97...............................Infant Restraint . 38

......................................Infant Seats . 38...................Inflation, Proper Tire . 221

...................................Inside Mirror . 92.............................Inspection, Tire . 222

........................Instrument Panel . 2, 57........Instrument Panel Brightness . 74

.................................Interior Lights . 96........................................Introduction . i

.................Jacking up the Vehicle . 234.......................................Jack, Tire . 231

................................Jump Starting . 238

..................................................Keys . 77

..................................Maintenance . 195Owner’s Maintenance

...................................Checks . 198.................................Record . 201-203

......................Required Indicator . 65..........................................Safety . 196

.............................Schedule . 197-200.Malfunction Indicator Lamp . 58, 243

..............Manual Seat Adjustments . 85

.......................Label, Certification . 252.................Lane Change, Signaling . 72

..................Lap/Shoulder Belts . 14, 19......................Light Control Switch . 96

Lights....................Bulb Replacement . 214

.......................................Indicator . 58.........................................Interior . 96.........................................Parking . 72

..................................Turn Signal . 72.............................Load Limit . 166, 185

......LOCK (Ignition Key Position) . 79Locks

.......Anti-theft Steering Column . 79............................Fuel Fill Door . 159

....................................Glove Box . 99....................Lockout Prevention . 80

.................................Power Door . 80........................Low Coolant Level . 162.........................Low Fuel Indicator . 61

...Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 58, 242...Lubricant Specifications Chart . 254

...............Luggage, . 165storing (cargo)

Index

J

L

K

M

V

.............Memory, Driving Position . 94...............................Meters, Gauges . 66

..........................Mirrors, Adjusting . 92...............Modifying Your Vehicle . 164

.........................................Moonroof . 91

...................Neutral Gear Position . 173..................New Vehicle Break-in . 158

...................NOTICE, Explanation of . i...............Numbers, Identification . 252

...Octane Requirement, Gasoline . 158.........................................Odometer . 66

...............................Odometer, Trip . 67....................Off-Highway Driving . 192...................Off-Road Precautions . 192

Oil........................Change, How to . 206......................Change, When to . 199......................Checking Engine . 161..............Pressure Indicator . 58, 242

Selecting Proper Viscosity......................................Chart . 205

...........ON (Ignition Key Position) . 79..............................Outside Mirrors . 92

....................Overheating, Engine . 240....Owner’s Maintenance Checks . 198

.........................Oxygenated Fuels . 158

..............Panel Brightness Control . 74........................Park Gear Position . 173

...........................................Parking . 179.................................Parking Brake . 92.................................Parking Lights . 72

..Parking Over Things that Burn . 261.............................PGM-FI System . 260

................Power Seat Adjustments . 84...............Power Socket Locations . 101

.........Pregnancy, Using Seat Belts . 17

.........Protecting Adults and Teens . 11...Additional Safety Precautions . 17

.....Advice for Pregnant Women . 17........................Protecting Children . 33

.....................General Guidelines . 33.......................Protecting Infants . 38

.......Protecting Larger Children . 47.........Protecting Small Children . 39

Using Child Seats with.....................................Tethers . 45

.............................Using LATCH . 42

...................Radiator Overheating . 240Radio/CD/Cassette Sound

.......................System . 110, 115, 125...............................Rear A/C Unit . 109

............Rear Audio Control Panel . 135........Rear Entertainment System . 131

..Rear Lights, Bulb Replacement . 216............................Rear View Mirror . 92

.................Rear Window Defogger . 75.Rear Window Wiper and Washer . 71

.........Reclining the Seat Backs . 84, 85...........Reclining the Second Seats . 87

................Reclining the Third Seat . 88.............................Reminder Lights . 58

................Remote Audio Controls . 128.................Remote Control (RES) . 137

.......................Remote Transmitter . 81

Index

N

O

P

R

VI

＊

＊

CONTINUED

Replacement Information................Engine Oil and Filter . 206

..........................................Fuses . 246................................Light Bulbs . 214

....................................Schedule . 197................................Timing Belt . 213

...........................................Tires . 221.............................Wiper Blades . 219

Replacing Seat Belts After a............................................Crash . 21

...Reserve Tank, Engine Coolant . 162..................Reverse Gear Position . 173

................................Rotation, Tire . 223

..................................Safety Belts . 8, 19.........Safety Defects, Reporting . 268

.................................Safety Features . 7...........................................Airbags . 9

..................................Door Locks . 11..........................Head Restraints . 13

.................................Seat Belts . 8, 14...............Seats & Seat-Backs . 11, 12

.............Safety Labels, Location of . 52...............................Safety Messages . ii

.....................................Seat Belts . 8, 19...............Additional Information . 19

Automatic Seat Belt...............................Tensioners . 20

.....................................Cleaning . 218......................Lap/Shoulder Belt . 19

................................Maintenance . 21Reminder Light and

................................Beeper . 19, 58...................System Components . 19

...............Use During Pregnancy . 17...Wearing a Lap/Shoulder Belt . 14

.................................................Seats . 84.........Adjusting the Second Seat . 87

...........Adjusting the Third Seat . 88............Folding the Second Seat . 87

...............Folding the Third Seat . 88..........................Head Restraints . 86

.......................Third Row Access . 87...............................Serial Number . 252

...........................Service Intervals . 199

...........................Service Manual . 269.........Service Station Procedures . 159

Shifting the Automatic.............................Transmission . 172

.....Shift Lever Position Indicator . 172

........................Shift Lock Release . 175....................................Side Airbags . 27

......................Side Curtain Airbags . 28Side Marker Lights, Bulb

.........................Replacement in . 215...............................Signaling Turns . 72

.....................................Snow Tires . 225................Sound System . 110, 115, 125

Spare Tire..............................Inflating . 222, 230

............................Specifications . 255....................Specifications Charts . 254

................................Speed Control . 144...................................Speedometer . 66

..........SRS, Additional Information . 22...Additional Safety Precautions . 32

......Airbag System Components . 22.............................Airbag Service . 31

..How the SRS Indicator Works . 28How Your Front Airbags

.........................................Work . 23...How Your Side Airbags Work . 27

How Your Side Curtain Airbags.........................................Work . 28

Index

S

VII

.............................SRS Indicator . 28, 58....START (Ignition Key Position) . 79

.......................Starting the Engine . 171................With a Dead Battery . 238

........Steam Coming from Engine . 240Steering Wheel

..................................Adjustment . 76.............Anti-theft Column Lock . 79

...Stereo Sound System . 110, 115, 125....................Storing Your Vehicle . 227

........................................Sun Visor . 100Supplemental Restraint System

......................................Servicing . 31.........................SRS Indicator . 28, 58

...................System Components . 22..................................Synthetic Oil . 206

.....................................Tachometer . 66......Taillights, Changing Bulbs in . 216

.Taking Care of the Unexpected . 229....................................Tape Player . 125

Technical Descriptions......DOT Tire Quality Grading . 256.....Emissions Control Systems . 259

Three Way Catalytic...............................Converter . 261

.......................Temperature Gauge . 67...................Tensioners, Seat Belts . 20

............................Theft Protection . 129..Three Way Catalytic Converter . 261

....................................Timing Belt . 213

....................................Tire Chains . 225.........Tire, How to Change a Flat . 231

.................................Tire Labeling . 258Tire Pressure Monitoring

....................System (TPMS) . 178Low Tire Pressure

...........................Indicator . 64, 177.......Tire Pressure Monitor . 64, 178

..................TPMS Indicator . 64, 178...............................................Tires . 221

..............................Air Pressure . 221.........................Checking Wear . 222..........................Compact Spare . 230

......DOT Tire Quality Grading . 256......................................Inflation . 221

..................................Inspection . 222..............................Maintenance . 223

...................................Replacing . 224......................................Rotating . 223

...........................................Snow . 225............................Specifications . 255

................................Tire Chains . 225Towing

.....................................A Trailer . 188................Emergency Wrecker . 244

....Equipment and Accessories . 188.............................Weight Limit . 185

Your Vehicle Behind a............................Motorhome . 190

.........................Trailer Loading . 185.................Trailer Towing Tips . 189

.............Transfer Assembly Fluid . 211Transmission

...............Checking Fluid Level . 210...........................Fluid Selection . 210

..............Identification Number . 252.............Shifting the Automatic . 172

.....................................Treadwear . 256

.......................................Trip Meter . 67....................................Turn Signals . 72

...................Tools, Tire Changing . 231

Index

T

VIII

＊

＊

Unexpected, Taking Care..........................................of the . 229

....Uniform Tire Quality Grading . 256........................Unleaded Gasoline . 158

.......Used Oil, How to Dispose of . 207

................................Vanity Mirror . 100.................Vehicle Capacity Load . 166

......................Vehicle Dimensions . 254....Vehicle Identification Number . 252

Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)....................................System . 183

........VSA System Indicator . 63, 183...VSA Activation Indicator . 63, 183

.........................VSA Off Switch . 184.............................Vehicle Storage . 227

.....................................Ventilation . 106.................................................VIN . 252

..................................Viscosity, Oil . 205

..................................VTM-4 Lock . 176

.............WARNING, Explanation of . ii........Warning Labels, Location off . 52

..................Warranty Coverages . 267

Washer, Windshield........Checking the Fluid Level . 209

............................Level Indicator . 61.....................................Operation . 69

Wheels...............Adjusting the Steering . 76

......................................Wrench . 233Windows

..................Operating the Power . 90...........................Rear, Defogger . 75

Windshield...................................Defroster . 107

.......................................Washers . 69Wipers, Windshield

.......................Changing Blades . 219.....................................Operation . 69

Rear Windshield Wiper and.....................................Washer . 71

....................................Worn Tires . 222.....Wrecker, Emergency Towing . 244

: U.S. and Canada only

Index

W

V

U

IX

Service Information Summary

Gasoline:

Fuel Tank Capacity:

Recommended Engine Oil:

Automatic Transmission Fluid:

Power Steering Fluid:

Brake Fluid:

Tire Pressure (measured cold):

Rear Differential Fluid:

Transfer Assembly Fluid:

32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm )

60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm )

4.5 US qt (4.3 )

Front/Rear:

Compact Spare Tire:

Premium unleaded gasoline,pump octane number of 91 orhigher.

API Premium grade 5W-20detergent oil (see page ).

Oil change capacity (includingfilter):

Honda ATF-Z1 (AutomaticTransmission Fluid) preferred, ora DEXRON III ATF as atemporary replacement (see page

).

Honda Power Steering Fluidpreferred, or another brand ofpower steering fluid as atemporary replacement. Do notuse ATF (see page ).

Honda Heavy Duty Brake FluidDOT 3 preferred, or a DOT 3 orDOT 4 brake fluid as a temporaryreplacement (see page ).

Honda VTM-4 Differential Fluid(see page ).

SAE 90 or SAE 80W-90 viscosityhypoid gear oil, API serviceclassified GL4 or GL5 only (seepage ).

205

210

213

212

211

211

19.21 US gal (72.7 )

200 mdx online reference owner's manual contents -...

Documents