tire type Acura MDX 2006 Owner's Manual

You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with airbags,
make sure you and your passengers
always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly (see page ). While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat. Infants and small children
should be restrained in a child seat.
Larger children should use a booster
and a lap/shoulder belt until they
canusethebeltproperlywithouta
booster (see page ). 16
51 231
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Restrain All Children Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Don’t Drink and Drive
Important Saf ety Precautions
8

Your vehicle has several convenient
storage areas:Glove box
Front door and seat-back pockets
Rear cargo area, including the
second and third row seats when
folded flat
Console compartment
Rear compartment
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. Roof -rack (if equipped)
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving
195
CARGO AREA
CONSOLE COMPARTMENT SEAT-BACK POCKETS GLOVE BOX
DOOR POCKETS
REAR COMPARTMENT

Your vehicle has higher ground
clearance that allows you to travel
over bumps, obstacles, and rough
terrain. It also provides good
visibility so you can anticipate
problems earlier.
Because your vehicle rides higher
of f the ground, it has a high center
of gravity that can cause it to roll
over if you make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicles have a signif icantly higher
roll over rate than other types of
vehicles.
To prevent rollovers or loss of
control:Take corners at slower speeds
than you would with a passenger
vehicle.
Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers whenever possible. Do not modif y your vehicle in any
way that would raise the center of
gravity.
Do not carry heavy cargo on the
roof .
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments bef ore you drive
your vehicle. Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice. Make sure the doors and tailgate
are securely closed and locked. Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page ). Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ). Check the seat adjustment (see
page ). Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
f astened down securely.
When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicators in the
instrument panel (see page ).
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure. Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).
1.
2. 3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
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1659
86
78
See page f or of f -highway drivingguidelines. 224
Driving Guidelines, Preparing to Drive
Driving Guidelines
Preparing to Drive
200

Without VSA, your vehicle will have
normal braking and cornering ability,
but it will not have VSA traction and
stability enhancement.VSA is turned on every time you
start the engine, even if you turned it
off the last time you drove the
vehicle.
Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the VSA to
malf unction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are of the same size
and type as your original tires (see
page ).
Deactivate the VSA system if you
need to drive with the compact spare
tire installed (see page ).
If you install winter tires, make sure
they are the same size as those that
were originally supplied with your
vehicle. Exercise the same caution
during winter driving as you would if
your vehicle was not equipped with
VSA.
When VSA is off, the VSA activation
indicator comes on as a reminder.
If the indicator does not come on
when the ignition switch is turned to
the ON (II) position, there may be a
problem with the VSA system. Have
your dealer inspect your vehicle as
soon as possible.
This switch is under the lef t vent.
Press it to turn the VSA system on
and off. 255
260
VSA Of f Switch
VSA and Tire Sizes
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
214

Your vehicle has been designed to
primarily carry passengers and their
cargo. You can also use it to tow a
trailer if you caref ully observe the
load limits, use the proper equipment,
and f ollow the guidelines in this
section.The weight that the tongue of a f ully
loaded trailer puts on the hitch
shouldbe5to10percentof thetotal
trailer weight f or boat trailers, and 8
to 15 percent of total trailer weight
f or all other trailers. (See pagef or limits f or your towing
situation). Too much tongue load
reduces front-tire traction and
steering control. Too little tongue
load can make the trailer unstable
and cause it to sway.
The maximum allowable weight of
the trailer and everything in or on it
depends on the number of occupants
inyourvehicleandthetypeof trailer
being towed (see page ).
Towing a trailer that is too heavy can
seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling and perf ormance. It can
also damage the engine and driven.
Be sure to read the
sectiononpage
if you plan to tow of f paved
surf aces.
217
217
224
Towing Weight Limits
Load Limit
Off-Highway
Driving Guidelines
T ot al T railer Weight Tongue Load
Driving
215
Exceeding any load limit or
improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously hurt
or killed.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully
beforestartingtodrive.

Acura requires that any trailer with a
total trailer weight of 1,000 lbs (455
kg) or more have its own brakes.
There are two common types of
trailer brakes: surge and electric.
Surge brakes are common f or boat
trailers, since the brakes will get wet.
If you choose electric brakes, be
sure they are electrically actuated.
Do not attempt to tap into your
vehicle’s hydraulic system. No
matter how successf ul it may seem,
any attempt to attach trailer brakes
to your vehicle’s hydraulic system
will lower braking ef f ectiveness and
create a potential hazard.
Seeyourtrailermanufacturerfor
more inf ormation on installing
electric brakes.Always use saf ety chains when you
tow a trailer. Make sure the chains
are secured to the trailer and hitch,
and that they cross under the tongue
and can catch the trailer if it
becomes unhitched. Leave enough
slack to allow the trailer to turn
corners easily, but do not let the
chains drag on the ground.
This device is recommended if your
trailer tends to sway. Your trailer
maker can tell you what kind of sway
control you need and how to install it.
Many states and provinces require
special exterior mirrors when towing
a trailer. Even if they don’t, you
should install special mirrors if you
cannot clearly see behind you, or if
the trailer creates a blind spot.When towing a trailer, we
recommend that you carry a f ull-size
spare wheel and tire for your vehicle
and trailer. See page f or proper
tire size, page f or how to store a
full size wheel and tire, and page
f or inf ormation on changing a
flat tire.
Remember to unhitch the trailer
bef ore changing a f lat. Ask your
trailer sales or rental agency where
and how to store the trailer’s spare
tire. 255
266
261
Towing a Trailer
Trailer Brakes Saf ety Chains
Sway Cont rolTrailer Mirrors Spare Tires
220

CONT INUED
Trailer lights and equipment must
comply with f ederal, state, province,
and local regulations. Check trailer
light requirements f or the areas
where you plan to tow, and use only
equipment designed f or your vehicle.
To get to your vehicle’s trailer
lighting connector, open the tailgate,
remove the cargo cover, then
remove the rear panel trim. The
connector is on the lef t side.We recommend that you have your
dealer install a Acura wiring harness
and converter. This harness has
been designed f or your vehicle.
If you use a non-Acura trailer
lighting harness and converter, you
cangetthematingconnectorand
pins that mate with the connector in
your vehicle f rom your dealer.
When preparing to tow, and bef ore
driving away, be sure to check the
f ollowing:
The vehicle has been properly
serviced, and the tires, brakes,
suspension, cooling system, and
lights are in good operating
condition. If you tow f requently,
f ollow the severe conditions
maintenance schedule.
The trailer has been properly
serviced and is in good condition.
All weights and loads are within
limits.
Allitemsonandinthetrailerare
properly secured and cannot shif t
while you drive.
Since lighting and wiring vary with
trailer type and brand, you should
also have a qualif ied mechanic install
a suitable connector between the
vehicleandthetrailer.
Thehitch,safetychains,andany
other attachments are secure.
Towing a Trailer
T railer L ights Pre-T ow Checklist
Driving
221
GROUND
(BLACK)
RIGHT TURN
SIGNAL
(GREEN/
YELLOW) TAILLIGHT
(RED/
BLACK)
BRAKE
LIGHT
(WHITE/
BLACK) LEFT TURN
SIGNAL
(GREEN/
BLUE)
BATTERY
POWER
(WHITE)

To saf ely operate your vehicle, your
tires must be the proper type and
size, in good condition with adequate
tread, and correctly inf lated.Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort.
The tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS)willwarnyouwhenatire
pressure is low. See page f or
inf ormation on the TPMS.
The f ollowing pages give more
detailed inf ormation on how to take
care of your tires and what to do
when they need to be replaced.
Underinf lated tires wear unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel
economy, and are more likely to
fail from being overheated.
Overinf lated tires can make your
vehicleridemoreharshly,are
more prone to damage f rom road
hazards, and wear unevenly.
We recommend that you visually
check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge. Thecompactsparetirepressureis:
For convenience, the recommended
tire sizes and cold tire pressures are
on a label on the driver’s doorjamb.
Tire pressure f or high speed driving
is the same as f or normal driving.
For additional technical information
about your tires, see page .
Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure in each type at least once a
month. Even tires that are in good
condition may lose one to two psi (10
to 20 kPa, 0.1 to 0.2 kgf /cm ) per
month. Remember to check the
sparetireatthesametime.
207
288Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving
Tire SizeInf lation Guidelines
Tires
252
P235/65R17 103T 32 psi (220 kPa ,
2.2 kgf/cm
)
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.

It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, replace the two f ront
tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
af f ect your vehicle’s handling.
If you ever replace a wheel, make
sure that the wheel’s specif ications
match those of the original wheels.
Replace your tires with radial tires of
the same size, load range, speed
rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire’s sidewall).
Also be sure you use only TPMS
specif ic wheels. If you do not, the
tire pressure monitoring system will
notworkonthattire.
Replacement wheels are available at
your Acura dealer.Wheel:
Tires:
See page f or DOT tire quality
grading inf ormation, and page
f or tire size explanation.
Mixing radial and bias-ply tires on
your vehicle can reduce braking
ability, traction, and steering
accuracy. Using tires of a dif f erent
size or construction can cause the
ABS and vehicle stability assist
system (VSA) to work inconsistently.
286
288
Wheel and T ire Specif ications
Replacing T ires and Wheels
Tires
Maint enance
255
17x61/2JJ
P235/65R17 103T Installing improper tires on your
vehicle can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner’s manual.

´
Tires marked ‘‘M S’’ or ‘‘All
Season’’ on the sidewall have an all-
weather tread design suitable for
most winter driving conditions.
For the best perf ormance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under
certain conditions.
If you mount snow tires on your
vehicle, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as original tires. Mount snow tires on
all f our wheels. The traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
maybelowerthanyouroriginaltires.
Check with the tire dealer f or
maximum speed recommendations. Because your vehicle has limited tire
clearance, mount only SAE Class ‘‘S’’
cable-type traction devices, with
rubber chain tensioners, on the f ront
tires. Do not use any chains on the
rear wheels. Use traction devices
only when required by driving
conditions or local laws. Make sure
they are the correct size f or your
tires. Metal link-type ‘‘chains’’ should
not be used.
When installing cables, f ollow the
manuf acturer’s instructions, and
mount them as tight as you can.
Make sure they are not contacting
the brake lines or suspension. Drive
slowly with them installed. If you
hear them coming into contact with
the body or chassis, stop and
investigate. Remove them as soon as
you begin driving on cleared roads.
Winter Driving
Snow T ires
Tire Chains
Tires
256
Traction devices that are the wrong
size or improperly installed can
damage your vehicle’s brake lines,
suspension, body, and wheels. Stop
driving if they are hitting any part of
the vehicle.