battery Acura MDX 2002 Owner's Guide

If you need to park your vehicle f or
an extended period (more than one
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your vehicle back on the road. If
possible, store your vehicle indoors.Block the rear wheels.
If the vehicle is to be stored f or a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Leave one window open slightly (if
the vehicle is being stored
indoors).
Fill the f uel tank.
Change the engine oil and f ilter
(see page ).
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Park. Support the f ront and rear wiper
blade arms with a f olded towel or
ragsotheydonottouchthe
windshield. Disconnect the battery.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and tailgate seals. Also, apply a
vehiclebodywaxtothepainted
surfaces that mate with the door
and tailgate seals.Cover the vehicle with a
‘‘breathable’’ cover, one made
f rom a porous material such as
cotton. Nonporous materials, such
as plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
If possible, run the engine f or a
while periodically (pref erably once
amonth).
If you store your vehicle f or 12
months or longer, have your Acura
dealer perf orm the inspections called
f or in the 24 months/30,000 miles
(48,000 km) maintenance schedule
(Normal Conditions) as soon as you
take it out of storage (see page ).
The replacements called f or in the
maintenance schedule are not
needed unless the vehicle has
actually reached that time or mileage.
263
252
St oring Your Vehicle
Maint enance303
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Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things: Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
orNeutralorthestarterwillnot
operate.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are 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 f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereisproba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. (See on page .)If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
f rom a booster battery (see page
).
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run. Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page .
338 280
323
210
323
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly Jump Starting
Emergency T owingT he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
If Your Engine Won’t Start
322
01/09/07 12:46:30 31S3V610_327

To jump start your vehicle, f ollow
these directions closely:
If your vehicle’s battery has run
down,youmaybeabletostartthe
engine by using a booster battery.
Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake. Open the hood and check the
physical condition of the battery
(see page ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy
or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, climate
control, stereo system, lights, etc.
You cannot start your Acura by
pushing or pulling it.
Your vehicle has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page . 1.
2.
338 80
336 280
CONT INUED
Jump Starting
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Won’t Start, Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed323
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery. If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.
01/09/07 12:46:44 31S3V610_328

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Start your vehicle. If the starter
motor still operates slowly, check
the jumper cable connections to
make sure they have good metal-
to-metal contact.
Once your vehicle is running,
disconnect the negative cable f rom
your vehicle, then f rom the
booster battery. Disconnect the
positive cable f rom your vehicle,
then the booster battery.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
Acura’s battery. Connect the other
end to the positive ( ) terminal
on the booster battery.
Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the grounding strap
as shown. Do not connect this
jumper cable to any other part of
the engine. The numbers in the illustration show
you the order to connect the jumper
cables.
If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle.
5.
7.
3.
4.
6.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Jump Starting
324
B BO
OO OSSTTE
ER
R B
BAA T
TT
TE
ER
RY Y
01/09/07 12:46:56 31S3V610_329

This indicator should come on when
the ignition switch is ON (II), and go
out af ter the engine starts. If it
comes on brightly when the engine
is running, it indicates that the
charging system has stopped
charging the battery.By eliminating as much of the
electrical load as possible, you can
drive several miles (kilometers)
before the battery is too discharged
to keep the engine running. Drive to
a service station or garage where
you can get technical assistance.
Immediately turn of f all electrical
accessories:radio,heater,A/C,
climate control, rear def ogger, cruise
control, etc. Try not to use other
electrically-operated controls such as
the power windows. Keep the engine
running and take extra care not to
stall it. Starting the engine will
discharge the battery rapidly.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Charging System Indicator
328
C CH
H A
AR
RGGI INNG G S
SYYSSTTE
EM
M I
INND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R
01/09/07 12:47:34 31S3V610_333

If possible, do not take your vehicle
f or a state emissions test until the
readiness codes are set. To check if
they are set, turn the ignition ON (II),
but do not start the engine. The
Malf unction Indicator Lamp will
come on f or 20 seconds. If it then
goes of f , the readiness codes are set.
If it blinks 5 times, the readiness
codes are not set. Ref er to State
Emissions Testing f or more
inf ormation.(See page .)
Your vehicle has certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that are part of the on-board
diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. In some states, part of the
emissions testing is to make sure
these codes are set. If they are not
set, the test cannot be completed.
If your vehicle’s battery has been
disconnected or gone dead, these
codes are erased. It takes several
days of driving under various
conditions to set the codes again.
351
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Malf unction Indicator L amp
Readiness Codes
330
01/09/07 12:47:49 31S3V610_335

If something electrical in your
vehicle stops working, the first thing
youshouldcheckforisablownfuse.
Determine f rom the chart on pagesand , or the diagram on the
f use box lid (the diagram f or the
driver’s side interior f use box is on
the kick panel below the f use box),
which f use or f uses control that
component. Check those f uses f irst,
but check all the f uses bef ore
deciding that a blown f use is not the
cause. Replace any blown f uses and
check the component’s operation.
Turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(0). Make sure the headlights and
all other accessories are off.
Remove the cover f rom the f use
box.
The secondary f use box is in the
engine compartment next to the
battery.
The primary under-hood f use box is
located in the back of the engine
compartment on the passenger’s side.
To open it, push the tabs as shown. 1.
2.336 337
CONT INUED
Checking and Replacing Fuses
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed333
U UN
NDDE
ER
R- -H
H O
OO ODD
U
UN NDDE
ER
R- -H
H O
OO ODD
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No.
No. Amps. Circuits ProtectedCircuits Protected No. Amps. Circuits Protected
Amps.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
1
2
3
4 40 A
20 A
20 A
20 A ABS Motor
ABS F/S
Rear ACC Socket
4WD Spare Fuse
Spare Fuse
Right Headlight
ACG S
Hazard
Not used
Stop
Lef t Headlight
Radio
Power Window Motor
Rear A/C
Rear Defroster
Back Up, ACC 14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
40 A
40 A
30 A
7.5 A 10 A
15 A
120 A 30 A
7.5 A 50 A
20 A Power Seat
Heater Motor
Cooling Fan
Spare Fuse
Spare Fuse
Spare Fuse
Battery
Condenser Fan
MG Clutch
IGI Main
Fog Lights
20 A
30 A
20 A
15 A
15 A
20 A
20 A
20 A
40 A
30 A
30 A
40 A
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed336
PRIMARY UNDER-HOOD FUSE BOX
SECONDARY UNDER-HOOD FUSE BOX
01/09/07 12:48:45 31S3V610_341

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Specif ications
T echnical Inf ormation343
Tires Alignment Engine
Fuses
Battery Lights 60 W (HB3)
12 V
Size
Pressure60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm
)
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm)
T155/90D16 110M P235/65R17 103T
Toe-in
Camber
Caster 1°88’
0°50’ 0°50’
0.00 in (0.0 mm)
0.00 in (0.0 mm)
Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs
10.0 : 1
211.8 cu-in (3,471 cm
)
3.50 x 3.66 in (89.0 x 93.0 mm)
Interior
Under-hood
12 V 51 W (HB4)
3CP
12 V 50 CP
12 V 51 W (HB4)
12 V 2 CP (3.8 W)
12 V 24 CP (27 W)
12 V 21 W/5 W
12 V 21 CP (18 W)
12 V 3 CP
12 V 21 W
12 V 5 W
12 V 7 W 8W
5W
1.1 W
3.8 W
Capacity 12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V 65 AH/20 HR
Headlights
Front side marker lights
Front turn signal lights/
Parking lights
Fog light
Rear side marker lights
Rear turn signal/hazard lights
Stop/Taillights
Backup lights
License plate lights
High-mount brake light
Individual map lights
Cargo area light
Tailgate light
Vanity mirror light
Door light
See page337or the fuse label
attached to the dashboard.
See page337or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box door under the dashboard.
See page336or the fuse box
cover.
Water cooled 4-stroke SOHC, V6 gasoline engine
See spark plug maintenance
section page279.
Front/Rear
Spare
Front/Rear
Spare Front
Rear
Front
Rear
Front
Front
Rear Driver’s side
Passenger’s side
High
Low
01/09/07 12:50:05 31S3V610_348

Make sure the gas tank is nearly,
but not completely, f ull (around
3/4).
Make sure the vehicle has been
parked with the engine of f f or 8
hours or more.
Make sure the ambient
temperature is between 20° and
95°F.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, start the engine and let it
idle f or 20 seconds.Keep the vehicle in Park .
Increase the engine speed to 2,000
rpm and hold it there until the
temperature gauge rises to at least
1/4of thescale(approximately3
minutes).
Select a nearby lightly traveled
major highway where you can
maintain a speed of 50 to 60 mph
(80to97km/h)foratleast20
minutes. Drive on the highway in
D .Donotusethecruisecontrol.
When traffic allows, drive for 90
seconds without moving the
accelerator pedal. (Vehicle speed
may vary slightly; this is okay.) If
you cannot do this f or a
continuous 90 seconds because of
traf f ic conditions, drive f or at least
30 seconds, then repeat it two
more times (for a total of 90
seconds).
If you take your vehicle f or a state
emissions test shortly af ter the
battery has been disconnected or
gone dead, it may not pass the test.
This is because of certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that must be set in the on-
board diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. These codes are erased
when the battery is disconnected,
and set again only after several days
of driving under a variety of
conditions.
If the testing f acility determines that
the readiness codes are not set, you
will be requested to return at a later
date to complete the test. If you must
get the vehicle re-tested within the
next two or three days, you can
condition the vehicle for re-testing
by doing the f ollowing.
5
T echnical Inf ormation
T esting of Readiness Codes
St at e Emissions T est ing
351
01/09/07 12:51:13 31S3V610_356