instrument panel Acura MDX 2002 Owner's Guide

Push in the Cruise Control Master
Switch to the lef t of the steering
column. The indicator in the
switch will light.
Cruise control allows you to maintain
asetspeedabove25mph(40km/h)
without keeping your f oot on the
accelerator pedal. It should be used
f or cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended f or
conditions such as city driving,
winding roads, slippery roads, heavy
rain, or bad weather. You should
have f ull control of the vehicle under
those conditions.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speedabove25mph(40km/h).Press and release the SET/decel
buttononthesteeringwheel.The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on to
show the system is now activated.
1.
2. 3.
Cruise Control
Using t he Cruise Cont rol
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures172
C CA
A N
NC CEEL
L
R
RE
ES
SU UM M E
E/
/a
ac ccceel l
S
SEET
T/
/d
d e
ecceel l
C
CR
RUUI ISSE E C
COON NTTR
RO OL L M
M A
AS
STTE
ER
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SWWI ITT C
CH H
Improper use of the cruise
control can lead to a crash.
Use the cruise control only
when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
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You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:Press and hold the SET/decel
button. The vehicle will decelerate.
Release the button when you
reach the desired speed.
Tap the brake pedal lightly with
your f oot. The CRUISE
CONTROL light on the instru-
ment panel will go out. When the
vehicle slows to the desired speed,
press the SET/decel button. The
vehicle will then maintain the
desired speed.
You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. The vehicle will
accelerate. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.
Push on the accelerator pedal. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel
button.
Thecruisecontrolmaynotholdthe
set speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down to the desired speed. This
will cancel the cruise control. To
resume the set speed, press the
RESUME/accel button. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on.
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshif t to hold the set speed.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
accel button repeatedly. Each time
you do this, your vehicle will speed
up about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/decel
button repeatedly. Each time you
do this, your vehicle will slow
down about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
CONT INUED
Changing t he Set Speed
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures173
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Youcancancelthecruisecontrolin
any of these ways:Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel.
Press the Cruise Control Master
Switch.
Even with the cruise control turned
on, you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up f or passing. Af ter
completing the pass, take your foot
of f the accelerator pedal. The vehicle
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your f oot on the brake pedal
will cause the cruise control to
cancel.
Tap the brake pedal.When you push the CANCEL button,
or tap the brake pedal, the CRUISE
CONTROL light on the instrument
panel will go out and the vehicle will
begin to slow down. You can use the
accelerator pedal in the normal way.
The system remembers the
previously-set cruising speed. To
return to that speed, accelerate to
above25mph(40km/h)andthen
press and release the RESUME/
accel button. The CRUISE
CONTROL light comes on. The
vehicle will accelerate to the same
cruising speed as bef ore.
Pressing the Cruise Control Master
Switch turns the system completely
of f and erases the previous cruising
speed f rom memory. To use the
system again, ref er to
.
Cancelling t he Cruise Cont rol
Using t he
Cruise Cont rol
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures174
C CA A N
NC CEEL
L
B
BU UT TT
TO
ON N
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Because the f uel f ill cap is on the
driver’s side of the vehicle, park
with that side closest to the
service station pumps.
Open the f uel f ill door by pulling
onthehandletotheleftof the
driver’s seat.
In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emissions control system
perf ormance may deteriorate and
the Malf unction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on.
If this happens, contact your
authorized Acura dealer f or service.
1.
2.
CONT INUED
Bef ore Driving
Filling the Fuel Tank
Gasoline, Service Station Procedures
195
P Pu
ul
lll
F
FUUE EL
L F
FIILLL L C
CAA P
P
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.
Stop the engine and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.
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Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments every day bef ore
you drive your vehicle.Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice. Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the adjustment of the
steering wheel (see page ).
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
Start the engine (see page ).
Check the gauges and indicator
lights in the instrument panel (see
page ).
Check that any items you may be
carrying with you inside are stored
properly or f astened down
securely. Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure. Check that the hood and tailgate
arefullyclosed. Makesurethedoorsandtailgate are securely closed and locked.
3. 2.
1.
4. 5.
6.
7.
8.
9. 11.
12. 10.
15
92
104 78 61 210
Preparing to Drive
Driving209
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This indicator on the instrument
panel shows which position the shif t
lever is in.
Your Acura’s transmission has f ive
f orward speeds, and is electronically
controlled f or smoother shif ting. It
also has a ‘‘lock-up’’ torque converter
forbetterfueleconomy.Youmay
f eel what seems like another shif t
when the converter locks.
The ‘‘D ’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II). If it f lashes
while driving (in any shif t position),
it indicates a possible problem in the
transmission. Avoid rapid
acceleration and have the
transmission checked by an
authorized Acura dealer as soon as
possible.
The malf unction indicator lamp may
come on along with the ‘‘D ’’
indicator if there is a problem in the
automatic transmission control
system.
5
5Shif t L ever Position Indicator
Automatic Transmission
Driving211
01/09/07 12:28:44 31S3V610_216

µ
Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. The indicator
on the instrument panel shows that
the parking brake is not f ully
released; it does not indicate that the
parking brake is f irmly set. Make
sure the parking brake is set f irmly
or your vehicle may roll if it is
parked on an incline.
Set the parking brake bef ore you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the vehicle from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission making it
easier to move the shif t lever out of
Park when you want to drive away. If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the f ront wheels away f rom the curb.
If the vehicle is f acing downhill, turn
the f ront wheels toward the curb.
Make sure the parking brake is f ully
released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes.
Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire. Lockthedoorswiththekeyorthe
remote transmitter. Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the cargo area or take them
with you. Turn of f the lights.
Parking T ips
Parking
Driving219
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ÃŽ
ÃŽÃŽ
ÃŽ
on loose or
uneven surf aces, such as gravel or
snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater
distance between vehicles under
those conditions.
Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe
or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your vehicle to veer
into oncoming traffic or off the road. such as trying to take a
corner too f ast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed f or the road and
weather conditions. it only helps with steering
control during braking. You should
always maintain a saf e f ollowing
distance f rom other vehicles.
The ABS is self -checking. If anything
goes wrong, the ABS indicator on
the instrument panel comes on (see
page ). This means the anti-lock
f unction of the braking system has
shut down. The brakes still work like
a conventional system without anti-
lock, providing normal stopping
ability. You should have the dealer
inspect your vehicle as soon as
possible.63
A BS Indicat or
Import ant Saf et y RemindersA vehicle with A BS may require a
longer distance to stop
A BS cannot prevent a loss of
stability. A BS will not prevent a skid that
results f rom changing direction
abruptly, A BS does not reduce the time or
distance it takes to stop the
vehicle,
The Braking System
Driving222
U U. .SS. .i
inn d
di
icca at too r
r s
shh o
ow
wn n
A
A
B
BSS I
INND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R
01/09/07 12:30:32 31S3V610_227

.................................................
Fuel .194
......................
Fill Door and Cap .195
...........................................
Gauge .68
................
Octane Requirement .194
...............................
Oxygenated .346
........................
Reserve Indicator .65
........................
Tank, Filling the .195
.....................
Fuses, Checking the .333
...............
Gas Mileage, Improving .200
..........................................
Gasohol .346
.........................................
Gasoline .194
...............
Fuel Reserve Indicator .65
...........................................
Gauge .68
................
Octane Requirement .194
........................
Tank, Filling the .195
................
Gas Station Procedures .195
Gauges
...
Engine Coolant Temperature .68
...............................................
Fuel .68
...............................
Speedometer .67
.................................
Tachometer .67
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight .......................................
Rating) .227 GCWR (Gross Combined Weight
.......................................
Rating) .227
............
Gearshif t Lever Positions .212
..............................
Glass Cleaning .310
........................................
Glove Box .89
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
.......................................
Rating) .227
.............
Halogen Headlight Bulbs . 295
..............
Hazard Warning Flashers . 76
........................................
Headlights .72
........................................
Aiming .295
..............
Automatic Lighting Off . 73
............
Daytime Running Lights . 73
..................
High Beam Indicator . 65
...........
High Beams, Turning on . 72
............
Low Beams, Turning on . 72
.........................
Reminder Chime .72
........
Replacing Halogen Bulbs . 295
...................................
Turning on .72
..............................
Head Restraints .94
...............................
Heated Mirror .106
.....................
Heating and Cooling .122
.............
High Altitude, Starting at . 210.................
High-Low Beam Switch . 72
HomeLink Universal ...............................
Transmitter .188
....................................
Hood Latch .277
.......................
Hood, Opening the .196
..................................................
Horn .71
.................................
Hydroplaning .225
...
Identif ication Number, Vehicle . 340
Ignition ..............................................
Keys .79
...........................................
Switch .81
............
Timing Control System . 349
........................
Immobilizer System .80
.........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.........
Indicators, Instrument Panel . 61
..................
Individual Map Lights . 119
.........................
Inf ant Restraint .26, 30
................................
Inf ant Seats .26, 30
...................
Inf lation, Proper Tire . 286
.................................
Inside Mirror .104
.............................
Inspection, Tire .288
........................
Instrument Panel .2 ,60
........
Instrument Panel Brightness . 73
Index
G HI
IV
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