Acura MDX 2003 Owner's Manua

However, if the brake pedal does not
f eel normal, you should take
immediate action. Because of the
brake system’s dual-circuit design, a
problem in one part of the system
will still give you braking at two
wheels. You will f eel the brake pedal
go down much f arther bef ore the
vehicle begins to slow down, and you
will have to press harder on the
pedal. The distance needed to stop
will be much longer. If it comes on at any other time, it
indicates a problem with the vehicle’s
brake system. In most cases, the
problem is a low f luid level in the
brake f luid reservoir. Press lightly on
the brake pedal to see if it f eels
normal. If it does, check the brake
f luid level the next time you stop at a
service station (see page ). If the
f luid level is low, take the vehicle to
your dealer and have the brake
system inspected f or leaks or worn
brake pads.Slow down by shif ting to a lower
gear, and pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e. Because of the
longer distance needed to stop, it is
hazardous to drive the vehicle. You
should have it towed, and repaired as
soon as possible. (See
on page .)
If you must drive the vehicle a short
distance in this condition, drive
slowly and cautiously.
The Brake System Indicator comes
on when you turn the ignition ON
(II). If the parking brake is not set, it
goes of f af ter you start the engine. If
the parking brake is set, it goes of f
when you f ully release the parking
brake with the engine running. 319
385Emergency
Towing
Brake System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed377
U. S. indicator shown BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR

If the electric motor will not close
the moonroof , do the f ollowing:Check the f use f or the moonroof
motor (see page ). If the f use
is blown, replace it with one of the
same or lower rating.
Try closing the moonroof . If the
new f use blows immediately or the
moonroof motor still does not
operate, you can close the
moonroof manually.
Get the moonroof wrench out of
the tool kit in the cargo area. To remove the round plug in the
center of the headliner, turn the
plug by using a screwdriver or
coin, then pry it out. Make sure to
align the tabs on the round plug to
the notches on the ceilling as
shown in the illustration.Insert the moonroof wrench into
the socket behind this plug. Turn
the wrench until the moonroof is
f ully closed.
Remove the wrench. Reinstall the
round plug.
1.
380
2.
3.
6. 5.
4.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Closing t he Moonroof
378
TAB NOTCH
ROUND PLUG SOCKET

All the electrical circuits in your
vehicle have fuses to protect them
f rom a short circuit or overload.
These f uses are located in three f use
boxes.Theinteriorfuseboxesarelocated
underneath the dashboard on each
side.Toopenthefuseboxonthe
passenger’s side, pull the right edge
of the cover.
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed379
DRIVER’S SIDE INTERIOR
PASSENGER’S SIDE INTERIOR

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. 383 384
Checking and Replacing Fuses
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed380
UNDER-HOOD
UNDER-HOOD

Look f or a burned wire inside the
f use. If it is burned, replace it with
one of the spare f uses of the same
rating or lower.
Check each of the large f uses in
the primary under-hood f use box
by looking through the top at the
wire inside. Removing these f uses
requires a Phillips-head screw-
driver. Check the smaller f uses in the
under-hood f use box and all the
fuses in the interior fuse boxes by
pulling out each f use with the f use
puller provided in the primary
under-hood f use box.5.
4.
3.
CONT INUED
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed381
BLOWN FUSE PULLER BLOWN

If the replacement fuse of the
same rating blows in a short time,
there is probably a serious
electrical problem in your vehicle.
Leave the blown fuse in that
circuit and have your vehicle
checked by a qualif ied mechanic.If the radio f use is removed, the
audio system will disable itself . The
nexttimeyouturnontheradioyou
will see ‘‘ ’’ in the f requency
display. Use the Preset buttons to
enter the f ive-digit code (see page
).
If you cannot drive the vehicle
without f ixing the problem, and you
do not have a spare fuse, take a fuse
of the same rating or a lower rating
f rom one of the other circuits. Make
sureyoucandowithoutthatcircuit
temporarily (such as the accessory
power socket or radio).
If you replace the blown f use with a
spare f use that has a lower rating, it
might blow out again. This does not
indicate anything wrong. Replace the
f use with one of the correct rating as
soon as you can.
6.
182
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed382
Replacing a f use with one that has a
higher rating greatly increases the
chances of damaging the electrical
system. If you do not have a replace-
ment f use with the proper rating f or the
circuit, install one with a lower rating.

µ
No.Circuits Protected No. Amps. Circuits Protected
Amps.
CONT INUED
No.
No. Amps. Amps.
Circuits Protected Circuits Protected
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13 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
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
5 20 A
40 A
30 A
20 A
20 A 15 A
15 A
15 A
7.5 A 20 A
Rear Entertainment System
VSA F/S Relay
VSA Motor
4WD
Rear Accessory Socket ET C
IG Coil
LAF
FI-Back-up
P/W DR
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed383
PRIMARY UNDER-HOOD FUSE BOX
SECONDARY UNDER-HOOD FUSE BOX

ÎÎ
Î
Î
No.
Amps.
No. Amps.
Circuits Protected Circuits Protected
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
15 A
10 A
7.5 A
7.5 A 10 A
15 A
7.5 A
7.5 A 10 A
7.5 A 15 A
30 A
7.5 A
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
On Canadian models 30 A
20 A
20 A
20 A
20 A
10 A
20 A
20 A
15 A
15 A
10 A
20 A
7.5 A 20 A20 A
20 A
Fuel Pump
SRS
Heater Control, A/C Clutch
Relay, Cooling Fan Relay
Power Mirror
Daytime Running Light /
Rear Wiper
ECU(PCM),CruiseControl
OPDS
ACC Relay
Back-up Lights, Instrument
Lights
Turn Signals
IG Coil
Front Wiper
Starter Signal
Moonroof
Driver’s Power Seat Sliding
Passenger’s Power Seat
Reclining
Daytime Running Light
Driver’s side Rear Power
Window
Front Passenger’s Power
Window
Front Accessory Socket
Small Light
Interior Light
Power Door Lock
Back Up, Clock
Heated Seat
Driver’s Power Window
Passenger’s Side Rear
Power Window
Canadian models
:
Driver’s Power Seat Reclining
Passenger’s Power Seat Sliding
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed384
Driver’s Side INTERIOR FUSE BOX
Passenger’s Side
Front Front
:

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µ
If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a prof essional towing service or,
if youbelongtoone,anorganization
that provides roadside assistance.
Never tow your vehicle behind
another vehicle with just a rope or
chain. It is very dangerous.
There are three popular types of
prof essional towing equipment.
The operator
loads your vehicle on the back of a
truck. Any other
method of towing will damage the
drive system. When you contact the
towing agency, inf orm them that a
f lat-bed is required. The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (f ront or rear) and lif t
them of f the ground. The other two
tires remain on the ground. Refer to
on page
for non-emergency towing
inf ormation.
The tow
truck uses metal cables with hooks
on the ends. These hooks go around
parts of the f rame or suspension and
cables lif t that end of the vehicle of f
the ground. Your vehicle’s
suspension and body can be
seriously damaged. 283Flat -bed Equipment
Wheel L if t Equipment
Sling-t ype Equipment
T his is the only way to
transport your vehicle. Never tow your vehicle with
wheel lif t equipment. Towing Your Vehicle
Behind a Motorhome
T his method of
towing your MDX is unacceptable.
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed385
Towing a MDX with only two tires on
the ground will damage parts of the
4WD system. It should be transported
on a f lat-bed truck or trailer.

386