Acura MDX 2007 Owner's Manual

This section covers the more
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your vehicle towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire .418
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .419
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start .425
................................
Jump Starting .426
..............
If the Engine Overheats .428
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator .430
..........
Charging System Indicator .430
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp .431
...............
Brake System Indicator .432
Opening the Fuel Fill Door
....................................
Manually .433
......................
Emergency Towing .433
..........
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck .434
..............................................
Fuses .436
..............................
Fuse Locations .440
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
417
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Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced,
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
Follow these precautions:Do not mount snow chains on a
compact spare.
Do not use the compact spare tire
if you are towing a trailer.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement should be the same size
and design tire, mounted on the
same wheel. The spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road
surf aces. Use greater caution
while driving. The low tire pressure indicator
stays on when you are driving with
thecompactsparetire.TheTPMS
indicator may also come on after
several miles (kilometers) driving.
Compact Spare Tire
418
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
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If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Drive slowly along the shoulder until
you get to an exit or an area to stop
that is far away from the traffic lanes.Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park. Apply the
parking brake. Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position. Have all
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire.
Open the tailgate.Push the rear edge of the handle
to raise the handle loop and pull up
the loop to raise the cargo area
f loor.
2.
1.
3.4.
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Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
419
JACK
TOOLS SPARE TIRE
CARGO AREA
FLOOR
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.
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The spare tire is stored
underneath the rear cargo area.
Remove the plastic cover on the
cargo area lining to access the
shaft for the spare tire hoist.
The tools and jack are under the
cargo area behind a cover on the
driver’s side. Remove the cover by
turning the knobs
counterclockwise, then pulling out
the cover. Turn the jack’s end bracket
counterclockwise to loosen it, then
remove the jack.
5. 6. 7.
Changing a Flat Tire
420
COVER
KNOB PLASTIC COVER
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Remove the bracket from the
spare tire. Keep turning the wheel nut
wrench to create slack in the cable.Loosen each wheel nut 1/2 turn
with the wheel nut wrench.
Put the wheel nut wrench on the
hoist shaf t. Turn the wrench
counterclockwise to lower the
spare tire to the ground. 11.
10.
8. 9.
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Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
421
BRACKET
WHEEL NUT WRENCH
WHEEL NUT WRENCH
The wheel nut wrench supplied with
your vehicle is specially adapted to f it
the hoist shaf t. Do not use any other
tool.
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Use the extension and the wheel
nut wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.
Remove the wheel nuts, then
remove the f lat tire.Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipe any dirt of f the mounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.
Place the jack under the jacking
point nearest the tire you need to
change. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch.
12. 13.
14.15.
Changing a Flat Tire
422
EXTENSION
BRAKE HUB
WHEEL NUT WRENCH
JACKING POINT
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Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
Remove the center cap from the
flat tire.Place the f lat tire f ace up under
the hoist.
Insert the hoist bracket into the
center hole of the f lat tire.
Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten the
wheel nuts f ully.
Lower the vehicle to the ground,
and remove the jack. 20.
21.
18.
19.
17. 16.
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Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
423
94 lbf·ft (127 N·m , 13 kgf·m)
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Slowly turn the wheel nut wrench
clockwisetotakeupthe slackof
the hoist cable. Make sure the
bracketisseatedinthecenter
hole of the flat tire.
Turn the wheel nut wrench
clockwise until the flat tire rests
ag ainst the underbody of the
vehicle and you hear the hoist
click. Store
the jack in its holder. Turn
the jack’s end bracket to lock it in
place. Store the tools, and install
the cover.
Refer to (see page ).
22.
23. 25. 24.
347
Changing a Flat Tire
Changing a T ire with
TPMS
424
WHEEL NUT WRENCH
Loose items can fly around the
interiorinacrashandcould
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.
Always raise the spare tire hoist, even
if you are not stowing a tire. If the
hoist is lef t down, it will be damaged
during driving and need to be replaced.
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Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position: 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
faster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
Wh en you turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, you do not
hear the normal noise of the engine
trying to start. You may hear a
clicking sound, a series of clicks, or
nothing at all. Check
the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
or neutral or the starter will not
operate.
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Turn on the
headlights, and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or do not come on at all,
the battery is discharged. See
on page . If
the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is
discharged 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
from a booster battery (see page
).
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position, but the engine does not run.
Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly(seepage ).
Check these things: Turn
the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the fuses. If the fuses
areOK,thereisprobably
something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to
determine the problem. See
on page . 426
433 415
426
69
CONT INUED
If Your Engine Won’t Start
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly Jump Starting T he Starter Operates Normally
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
425
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Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer to
on page .
Do you have fuel? Check the fuel
gauge; the warning indicator may
not be working.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses
(see page ).
Ifyoufindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See
on page . Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
You cannot start your vehicle by
pushing or pulling it.
Put the transmission in neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake. Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, climate
control, audio system, lights, etc. Open the hood, and check the
physical condition of the battery.
In very cold weather, check the
condition of the electrolyte. If it
seems slushy or f rozen, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.
1.
2.
436
433331
Starting the
Engine
Emergency
Towing Jump Starting
If the Engine Won’t Start, Jump Starting
To Jump Start Your Vehicle:
426
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.
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