engine Acura MDX 2008 Manual Online

If the indicator comes on repeatedly,
even though it may turn of f as you
continue driving, have your vehicle
checked by the dealer as soon as
possible.
If this indicator comes on
while driving, it means one
of the engine’s emissions control
systems may have a problem. Even
though you may f eel no dif f erence in
your vehicle’s perf ormance, it can
reduce your f uel economy and cause
increased emissions. Continued
operation may cause serious damage.
If you have recently ref ueled your
vehicle, the indicator coming on
could be due to a loose or missing
f uel f ill cap. Tighten the cap until it
clicks at least once. Tightening the
cap will not turn the indicator of f
immediately; it can take several days
of normal driving. You will also see a ‘‘CHECK
EMISSION SYSTEM’’ message on
the multi-information display (see
page ).
Your vehicle has certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that are part of the on-board
diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. In some states, part of the
emissions testing is to make surethese codes are set. If they are not
set, the test cannot be completed.
If the battery in your vehicle has
been disconnected or gone dead,
thesecodesmaybeerased.Ittakes
several days of driving under various
conditions to set the codes again.
To check if they are set, turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position, without starting the engine.
The malf unction indicator lamp will
come on f or 20 seconds. If it then
goes of f , the readiness codes are set.
If it blinks f ive times, the readiness
codes are not set. If possible, do not
take your vehicle f or an emissions
test until the readiness codes are set.
Refer to for
more information (see page ).
81
463
Malf unction Indicator L amp
Readiness CodeEmissions T esting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
437
If you keep driving with the
malf unction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your vehicle’s emissions
controls and engine. Those repairs may
not be covered by your vehicle’s
warranties.
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2008 MDX

Your vehicle has several identif ying
numbers located in various places.
The vehicle identif ication number
(VIN) is the 17-digit number your
dealer uses to register your vehicle
f or warranty purposes. It is also
necessary f or licensing and insuring
your vehicle. The easiest place to
find the VIN is on a plate fastened to
the top of the dashboard. You can
seeitbylookingthroughthe
windshield on the driver’s side. It is
also on the certification label
attached to the driver’s doorjamb,
and is stamped on the engine
compartment bulkhead. The VIN is
also provided in bar code on the
certif ication label.
Identif ication Numbers
450
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERCERTIFICATION LABEL
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The engine number is stamped into
the engine block. It is on the f ront.
The transmission number is on a
label on top of the transmission.
Identif ication Numbers
Technical Inf ormation
451
ENGINE NUMBERAUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NUMBER
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Specif ications
452
Dimensions
Air Conditioning
Weights
Capacities
Seating Capacities 1.93 US gal (7.3
)
2.43 US gal (9.2)
4.5 US qt (4.3
)
4.2 US qt (4.0
)
5.3 US qt (5.0
)
3.0 US qt (2.8)
8.3 US qt (7.9)
190.7 in (4,844 mm)
77.0 in (1,955 mm)
68.2 in (1,733 mm)
21.00 US gal (79.5
)
Length
Width
Height
Wheelbase
Track 108.3 in (2,750 mm)
67.7 in (1,720 mm)
67.5 in (1,715 mm)
See the tire information label atta-
ched to the driver’s doorjamb. 10,053 lbs (4,560 kg)
2.6 US qt (2.5
)
2.9 US qt (2.7)
0.4 US qt (0.4
)
0.4 US qt (0.4)
4.2 US qt (4.0
)
6.1 US qt (5.8)
Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in the
engine
Reserve tank capacity:
0.18 US gal (0.7
)
Excluding the oil remaining in the engine
The GCWR must be reduced 2 percent for every 1,000 feet (305
meters) of elevation.
Refrigerant type
Charge quantity
Lubricant type HFC-134a (R-134a)
21.2 22.9 oz (600 650 g) ND-OIL8
Gross vehicle weight rating
Gross combined weight
rating (GCWR) Fuel tank
Engine
coolant
Engine oil
Automatic
transmission
fluid
Rear
differential
fluid
Transfer
assembly
fluid
Windshield
washer
reservoir
Total
Front
Second
Third 7
2
3
2 Approx.
Front
Rear
1:
2:U.S. vehicles
Canadian
vehicles
Change
Total
Change
Including
filter
Without
filter
Total
Change
Total
Change
Total
Change
Total
1:
1 1
2
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µ
µ
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µ
µ
µ
µ
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Specif ications
Technical Inf ormation
453
Battery Engine
Fuses
Tires
Alignment
Lights
60 W
12 V
12 V 35 W
12 V 5 W
12 V 5 W
8W
5W
2W
3.4 W
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
The low beam headlights are high voltage discharged type.
Replacement of a low beam headlight bulb should be performed by
your dealer.
Capacity 12 V Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs
11.0 : 1
223.5 cu-in (3,664 cm
)
3.54 x 3.78 in (90.0 x 96.0 mm) Water cooled 4-stroke SOHC
VTEC V6 gasoline engine
Interior
Rear
Under-hood
12 V
12 V
21 W
3CP
SKJ20DR-M11
12 V 3 CP
12 V 18 W
12 V 3 CP
21 W
12 V
12 V 3.4 W 55 W
12 V
12 V 3 CP 60 W
12 V
12 V 65 AH/5 HR
76 AH/20 HR
Size
Pressure 60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm
)
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm)
T165/80D17 104M P255/55R18 104H
Toe-in
Camber
Caster 4°12’
0°30’
0°30’
0.08 in (2.0 mm)
0.00 in (0.0 mm)
Headlights
Daytime running light
Front side marker lights
Front turn signal lights
Parking lights
Fog light
Front foot lights
Rear turn signal lights
Rear side marker light
Backup lights
License plate lights
Individual map lights
Cargo area light
Tailgate light
Vanity mirror light
Door light
IZFR6K11
See page445or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box lid.
See page444or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box lid.
See page443and 444 or the fuse
box cover.
Front/Rear
Spare
Front/Rear
Spare
Front
Rear
Front
Rear
Front
Front
Rear
High
Low
: (H11)
(HB3)
(D2S)
(HB3)
DENSO:
NGK:
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2008 MDX

Î
ÎThe burning of gasoline in your
vehicle’s engine produces several by-
products. Some of these are carbon
monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen
(NOx), and hydrocarbons (HC).
Gasoline evaporating f rom the tank
also produces hydrocarbons. Con-
trolling the production of NOx, CO,
and HC is important to the environ-
ment. Under certain conditions of
sunlight and climate, NOx and HC
react to f orm photochemical ‘‘smog.’’
Carbon monoxide does not contri-
bute to smog creation, but it is a
poisonous gas. The United States Clean Air Act
sets standards f or automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
workandwhattodotomaintain
them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.
Scheduled maintenance is on page
.
In Canada, Acura vehicles comply
with the Canadian emission
requirements, as specif ied in an
agreement with Environment
Canada, at the time they are
manuf actured.
Your vehicle has a positive
crankcase ventilation system. This
keeps gasses that build up in the
engine’s crankcase f rom going into
the atmosphere. The positive crankcase ventilation valve routes
them from the crankcase back to the
intake manif old. They are then
drawn into the engine and burned.
As gasoline evaporates in the f uel
tank, an evaporative emissions
control canister f illed with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is of f . Af ter
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine
and burned during driving.
The onboard ref ueling vapor
recovery (ORVR) system captures
the f uel vapors during ref ueling. The
vapors are adsorbed in a canister
f illed with activated carbon. While
driving, the f uel vapors are drawn
into the engine and burned of f .
390
The Clean Air Act
Crankcase Emissions Control
System Evaporative Emissions Control
System
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
Recovery
Emissions Cont rols
460
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The exhaust emissions controls
include f our systems: PGM-FI,
ignition timing control, exhaust gas
recirculation, and three way catalytic
converter. These f our systems work
together to control the engine’s
combustion and minimize the
amount of HC, CO, and NOx that
come out the tailpipe. The exhaust
emissions control systems are
separate f rom the crankcase and
evaporative emissions control
systems.
The PGM-FI system uses sequential
multiport f uel injection.
It has three subsystems: air intake,
engine control, and f uel control. The
powertrain control module (PCM)
uses various sensors to determine
how much air is going into the
engine. It then controls how much
f uel to inject under all operating
conditions.This system constantly adjusts the
ignition timing, reducing the amount
of HC, CO, and NOx produced.
The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)
system takes some of the exhaust
gas and routes it back into the intake
manif old. Adding exhaust gas to the
air/f uel mixture reduces the amount
of NOx produced when the f uel is
burned.
The three way catalytic converter is
in the exhaust system. Through
chemical reactions, it converts HC,
CO, and NOx in the engine’s exhaust
to carbon dioxide (CO ), nitrogen
(N ), and water vapor.
The emissions control systems are
covered by warranties separate from
the rest of your vehicle. Read your
warranty manual for more informa-
tion.
The emissions control systems are
designed and certif ied to work
together in reducing emissions to
levels that comply with the Clean Air
Act. To make sure the emissions
remain low, you should use only new
Acura replacement parts or their
equivalent f or repairs. Using lower
qualitypartsmayincreasethe
emissions f rom your vehicle.
2
2
Exhaust Emissions Controls Replacement Parts
PGM-FI System Ignit ion T iming Cont rol Syst em
Exhaust Gas Recirculat ion (EGR)Syst em
Three Way Catalytic Converter
Emissions Cont rols
Technical Inf ormation
461
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2008 MDX

The three way catalytic converter
contains precious metals that serve
as catalysts, promoting chemical
reactions to convert the exhaust
gasses without af f ecting the metals.
The catalytic converter is ref erred to
as a three-way catalyst, since it acts
on HC, CO, and NOx. A replacement
unit must be an original Acura part
or its equivalent.
The three way catalytic converter
must operate at a high temperature
for the chemical reactions to take
place. It can set on f ire any
combustible materials that come
near it. Park your vehicle away from
high grass, dry leaves, or other
f lammables.A defective three way catalytic
converter contributes to air pollution,
and can impair your engine’s per-
f ormance. Follow these guidelines to
protect your vehicle’s three way
catalytic converter.
Always use unleaded gasoline.
Even a small amount of leaded
gasoline can contaminate the
catalyst metals, making the three
way catalytic converter inef f ective. Keep the engine well maintained.
Have your vehicle diagnosed and
repaired if it is misf iring, back-
f iring, stalling, or otherwise not
running properly.
Three Way Catalytic Converter
462
THREE WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTER
WARM UP THREE WAY CATALYTIC
CONVERTERS
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If you take your vehicle f or an
emissions test shortly af ter the
battery has been disconnected or
gone dead, it may not pass the test.
This is because of certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that must be set in the on-
board diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. These codes are erased
when the battery is disconnected,
and set again only after several days
of driving under a variety of
conditions.If the testing f acility determines that
the readiness codes are not set, you
will be requested to return at a later
date to complete the test. If you must
get the vehicle retested within the
next two or three days, you can
condition the vehicle f or retesting by
doing the f ollowing.
Make sure the gas tank is nearly,
but not completely, f ull (around
3/4). Without touching the accelerator
pedal, start the engine, and let it
idle f or 20 seconds.
Keep the vehicle in Park. Increase
the engine speed to 2,000 rpm, and
hold it there until the temperature
gauge rises to at least 1/4 of the
scale (about 3 minutes).
Make sure the vehicle has been
parked with the engine of f f or 6
hours or more.
Make sure the ambient
temperature is between 40° and
95°F. Without touching the accelerator
pedal, let the engine idle f or 20
seconds.
1.
2.
3. 4.
5.
6.
CONT INUED
T esting of Readiness Codes
Emissions T esting
Technical Inf ormation
463
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Make sure the vehicle has been
parked with the engine off for 30
minutes.
If the testing f acility determines the
readiness codes are still not set, see
your dealer.
Then drive in city/suburban
traffic for at least 10 minutes.
When traf f ic conditions allow, let
the vehicle coast f or several
seconds without using the
accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal.
Select a nearby lightly traveled
major highway where you can
maintain a speed of 50 to 60 mph
(80to97km/h)foratleast20
minutes. Drive on the highway in
D. Do not use cruise control.
When traffic allows, drive for 90
seconds without moving the
accelerator pedal. (Vehicle speed
may vary slightly; this is okay.) If
you cannot do this f or a
continuous 90 seconds because of
traf f ic conditions, drive f or at least
30 seconds, then repeat it two
more times (for a total of 90
seconds).
7.
8. 9.
Emissions T esting
464
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