tow Acura MDX 2008 Owner's Guide

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 .424
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .425
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start .431
................................
Jump Starting .432
..............
If the Engine Overheats .434
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator .436
..........
Charging System Indicator .436
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp .437
...............
Brake System Indicator .438
..............................................
Fuses .439
..............................
Fuse Locations .443
Opening the Fuel Fill Door
....................................
Manually .446
......................
Emergency Towing .446
..........
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck .447
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
423
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Slowly turn the wheel nut wrench
clockwisetotakeuptheslackof
the hoist cable. Make sure the
bracketisseatedinthecenter
hole of the f lat tire.
Turn the wheel nut wrench
clockwise until the f lat tire rests
against 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.
355
Changing a Flat Tire
Changing a T ire with
TPMS
430
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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Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er toon page .
Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the warning indicator may
not be working.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
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.
339
440 446 Starting the
Engine
Emergency
Towing Jump Starting
If the Engine Won’t Start, Jump Starting
To Jump Start Your Vehicle:
432
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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If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.
Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (seeon page ).
If you do not f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Add coolant
if the level is below the MIN mark.
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may need to add
coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, bef ore check-
ing the radiator. Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the f irst stop. Af ter the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap, and turn it until it comes
off.Start the engine and set the
climate control to AUTO at ‘‘Hi.’’
Add coolant to the radiator up to
the base of the f iller neck. If you
do not have the proper coolant
mixture available, you can add
plain water. Remember to have
the cooling system drained and
ref illed with the proper mixture as
soon as you can.
Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine, and check
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair (see
on page ).
If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
4.
5.
6.
7. 8.9.
10.
11.
446
446
If theEngineOverheats
Emergency
Towing
Emergency
Towing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
435
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.
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2008 MDX

You will also see a ‘‘CHECK BRAKE
SYSTEM’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
However, if the brake pedal does not
f eel normal, you should take
immediate action. A problem in one
part of the system’s dual circuit
design 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 brake system
indicator normally
comes on when you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position, and as
a reminder to check the parking
brake. It will stay on if you do not
f ully release the parking brake.
If the brake system indicator comes
on while driving, the brake f luid level
is probably low. Press lightly on the
brake pedal to see if it f eels normal.
If it does, check the brake f luid level
thenexttimeyoustopataservice
station (see page ).
You will also see a ‘‘LOW BRAKE
FLUID’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ). If the f luid level is low, take your
vehicle to a 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 long
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 caref ully.
If the ABS indicator and the VSA
system indicator come on with the
brake system indicator, have your
vehicle inspected by your dealer
immediately.
81
81
401 446
Brake System Indicator
Emergency
Towing
438
U.S. Canada
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The vehicle’s f uses are located in
four fuse boxes.
The interior f use box is underneath
the dashboard on the driver’s side.
To remove the f use box lid, put your
f inger in the notch on the lid, pull it
toward you, and take it out of its
hinges.Therearfuseboxislocatedatthe
lef t side of cargo area.
To open it, push the tabs as shown.
The primary under-hood f use box is
located next to the battery. The
secondary f use box is on the
passenger’s side.
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
439
UNDER-HOOD (SECONDARY)
UNDER-HOOD (PRIMARY)
INTERIOR
LID LID
TAB
TAB
REAR
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If the f uel f ill door release button
does not work, use the release lever
inside the rear f use box lid in the
cargo area.To open the f uel f ill door, pull the
release lever rearward.Any other method of towing will
damage the drive system. When you
contact the towing agency, inf orm
them a f lat-bed is required.The operator will load
your vehicle on the back of a truck.
If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a professional towing service or
organization. Never tow your vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous.
Opening the Fuel Fill Door
Manually
The only way you can saf ely tow
your vehicle is with f lat-bed
equipment.
Emergency T owing
Opening the Fuel Fill Door Manually, Emergency Towing
446
LID
RELEASE LEVER
Towing with only two tires on the
ground will damage parts of the
all-wheel-drive system. Your vehicle
should be transported on a f lat-bed
truck or trailer.
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If your vehicle gets stuck in sand,
mud, or snow, call a towing service
to pull it out (see the previous page).The cover is attached to the bumper
with a tether.
Remove the cover, put cloth on the
edge of the cover and caref ully pry
with a small f lat-tip screwdriver or
a metal fingernail file.
For very short distances, such as
f reeing the vehicle, you can use the
detachable towing hook that mounts
on the anchors in the front and rear
bumpers.
1.
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
447
Front RearCOVER
COVER
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2008 MDX

Remove the towing hook and
wheel nut wrench placed behind a
cover under the cargo area.
Screw the towing hook into the
hole, and tighten it with the wheel
nut wrench.
2.
3.
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck
448
WHEEL NUT WRENCH
Front TOWING HOOK WHEEL NUT WRENCH
TOWING HOOK
Rear
To avoid damage to your vehicle, use
the towing hook f or straight, f lat
ground towing only. Do not tow at an
angle. The tow hook should not be used
to tow the vehicle onto a f lat bed. Do
not use it as a tie down.
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µ
µ µ
µ
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µ µ
µ
covers your new vehicle, except f or
the battery, emissions control
systems, and accessories, against
def ects in materials and
workmanship.
these two
warranties cover your vehicle’s
emissions control systems. Time,
mileage, and coverage are
conditional. Please read your
warranty booklet f or exact
inf ormation. provides
coverageforaslongasthepur-
chaser of the muf f ler owns the
vehicle.
Your new vehicle is covered by these
warranties:
provides prorated
coverage f or a replacement battery
purchased f rom your dealer.
this warranty gives up
to 100 % credit toward a replacement
battery. a seat
belt that f ails to f unction properly is
covered by a limited warranty.
Please read your warranty booklet
f or details.
all exterior body panels are
covered f or rust-through f rom the
inside f or the specif ied time period
with no mileage limit.
Acura accessories are covered under
this warranty. Time and mileage
limits depend on the type of
accessory and other f actors. Please
read your warranty manual f or
details.
covers all Acura
replacement parts against defects in
materials and workmanship. Restrictions and exclusions apply to
all these warranties. Please read the
2008 Acura warranty inf ormation
booklet that came with your vehicle
f or precise inf ormation on warranty
coverages. Your vehicle’s original
tires are covered by their
manuf acturer. Tire warranty
inf ormation is in a separate booklet.
Please ref er to the 2008 warranty
manual that came with your vehicle.
Warranty Coverages
U.S. Owners
Canadian Owners
New Vehicle L imit ed Warrant yEmissions Cont rol Syst ems Def ect sWarrant y and EmissionsPerf ormance Warranty Replacement Muf f ler L if et ime
Limited Warranty
Replacement Bat t ery L imit ed
Warranty
Original Equipment Bat t ery L imit ed Warranty Seat Belt Limited Warranty
Rust Perf orat ion L imit ed Warrant yAccessory Limited Warranty
Replacement Part s L imit edWarranty
Warrant y and Client Relat ions
467
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