tow Acura MDX 2003 Owner's Manua

2003 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
Important Handling Information........................................................................\
.................................... .iii
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 ........................................................................\
................................................... 65
Instrument panel indica tor and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
............................... 133
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... 235
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new ve hicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
................................................................................... 249
The proper way to start the engine, shift the tr ansmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance ........................................................................\
......................................................................... 293
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care ........................................................................\
................................................................. 351
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected ........................................................................\
....................................... 359
This section covers several problems motorists someti mes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information ........................................................................\
....................................................... 387
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada) ......................................................................399
A summary of the warranties covering yo ur new Acura, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only) ........................................................................\
....................................... 403
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.

Adjust the steering wheel, if needed,
so that the wheel points toward your
chest, not toward your f ace.
Pointing the steering wheel toward
your chest provides optimal
protection f rom the airbag.
See page f or how to adjust the
steering wheel.Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches,
lies down, turns sideways, sits
forward, leans forward or sideways,
or puts one or both f eet up, the
chance of injury during a crash is
greatly increased. After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and put on seat belts, it is
very important that they continue to
sit upright, well back in their seats,
with their feet on the floor, until the
vehicle is parked and the engine is
off.
In addition, an occupant who is out of
position in the f ront seat can be
seriously or f atally injured by
striking interior parts of the vehicle,
or by being struck by an inf lating
f ront airbag. Being struck by an
inf lating side airbag can result in
possibly serious injuries.
Remember, to get the best
protection f rom your vehicle’s
airbags and other safety features,
you must sit properly and wear your
seat belt properly.
89
Adjust the Steering Wheel
Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
6.
7.
Protecting Adults
Driver and Passenger Saf ety18
Sitting improperly or out of
position can result in serious
injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright, well back in
the seat, with your feet on the
floor.

Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many parents and other
adults may not know how to
protect young passengers.(See page
.)
So if you have children, or if you ever
need to drive with a grandchild or
other children in your vehicle, be
sure to read this section. To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state and
Canadian province requires that
inf ants and children be restrained
whenever they ride in a vehicle. Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In f act, vehicle
accidents are the number one cause
of death of children ages 12 and
under.
(See page .)38
27
properly
All Children Must Be Restrained
Anychildwhoistoosmalltoweara
seat belt should be properlyrest rained in a child seat .
A larger child should always berest rained wit h a seat belt , and use aboost er, if needed.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety21
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in a
crash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt.

Forproperprotection,aninfantmust
ride in a reclined, or semi-reclined
position. To determine the proper
reclining angle, check with the baby’s
doctor or f ollow the seat maker’s
recommendations.
To achieve the desired reclining
angle, it may help to put a rolled up
towel under the toe of the child seat,
as shown.When properly installed, a rear-
f acing child seat may prevent the
driver or a f ront-seat passenger f rom
moving the seat as far back as
recommended (see page ). Or it
may prevent them f rom locking the
seat-back in the desired upright
position (see page ).
In either case, we recommend that
you place the child seat in another
back seating position, or leave the
af f ected seat unoccupied. If the
problem cannot be solved, you may
wish to get a smaller rear-f acing
child seat.
12
13
Rear-Facing Child Seat Inst allat ion Tips
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety34

If you decide that a child can saf ely
ride up f ront, be sure to:Caref ully read the owner’s manual
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all saf ety
inf ormation.
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the f loor.
Check that the child’s seat belt is
properly positioned and secured.
Remind the child not to lean
toward the door because of the
side airbag.
Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to f asten the seat belts
or sit properly.
Physically, a child must be large
enough f or the lap/shoulder belt to
properly f it over the hips, chest, and
shoulder (see pages and ). If
the seat belt does not f it properly,
the child should not sit in the f ront.
To saf ely ride in f ront, a child must
be able to f ollow the rules, including
sitting properly and wearing the seat
belt properly throughout a ride.
Of course, children vary widely. And
while age may be one indicator of
when a child can saf ely ride in the
f ront, there are other important
f actors you should consider.
15 39
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Physical Size
Maturity
41

Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position.
Make sure you have securely
locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up and down.
To adjust the steering wheel upward
or downward: Push the lever under the steering
column all the way down.
Move the steering wheel to the
desired position, making sure the
wheel points toward your chest,
not toward your f ace. Make sure
you can see the instrument panel
gauges and the indicator lights.
Make any steering wheel adjustment
bef ore you start driving.
3.
4.
1.
2.
See page f or important saf ety inf ormation about how to properlyposition the steering wheel. 18
Steering Wheel A djustment
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Inst rument s and Cont rols89
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle and be seriously injured
inacrash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the vehicle is stopped.

To use the sun visor, pull it down.
You can also use the sun visor at the
side window. Remove the support
rod f rom the clip and swing the sun
visor toward the side window. In this
position, the sun visor can be
extended by sliding out the
extension.
To open the sunglasses holder, push
on the f ront edge. It will unlatch and
swing down. To close it, push it until
it latches. Make sure the holder is
closed while you are driving.
Some larger styles of sunglasses
may not f it in the holder.Sun Visor
Sunglasses Holder
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Sunglasses Holder, Sun Visor
124
EXTENSION
SUN VISOR

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration. Youshouldfollowthesesamere-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are replaced.
Do not change the oil until the
recommended time or mileage
intervalshowninthemaintenance
schedule.
Avoidhardbraking.Newbrakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use f or the f irst 200 miles (300
km). Your Acura is designed to operate on
premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane number of 91 or higher.
Use of a lower octane gasoline can
cause occasional, metallic knocking
noises in the engine and will result in
decreased engine perf ormance.
We recommend gasolines containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your vehicle’s emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
We also recommend that you do not
tow a trailer during the f irst 500
miles (800 km).
Break-in Period, Gasoline
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period
Gasoline
236

Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.Insert it all the way back in its tube.
Check the engine oil level every time
you f ill the vehicle with f uel. Wait a
f ew minutes af ter turning the engine
of f bef ore you check the oil.
Remove the dipstick (orange
handle). 3.
2.
1.
Oil Check
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving240
DIPSTICK

Your vehicle has several convenient
storage areas so you can stow cargo
saf ely.
The glove box, and the pockets in
the f ront doors and seat-backs, are
designed f or small, lightweight items.
The cargo area is intended f or larger,
heavier items. The second and third
row seats can be f olded f lat to allow
you to carry more cargo or longer
items.
However, carrying too much cargo,
or improperly storing it, can af f ect
your vehicle’s handling, stability,
stopping distance, and tires, and
make it unsaf e. Bef ore carrying any
type of cargo, be sure to read the
f ollowing pages.
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving245
GLOVE BOXDOOR POCKET
REAR COMPARTMENT
SEAT-BACK POCKET CARGO AREA