automatic transmission Acura MDX 2008 Owner's Manual

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CONT INUED: If equipped
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Your Vehicle at a Glance
3
HOOD RELEASE
HANDLE AUDIO SYSTEM
GAUGES INSTRUMENT PANEL
INDICATORS
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
HEADPHONE CONNECTORS
AUXILIARY INPUT JACKS
FUEL FILL DOOR
RELEASE BUTTON
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES
DRIVING POSITION
MEMORY SYSTEM
CLIMATE CONTROL
SYSTEMMIRROR CONTROL
AUTO BUTTON
PARKING BRAKE
PEDAL REAR CLIMATE
CONTROL SYSTEM
MOONROOF SWITCH
POWER TAILGATE
BUTTON
POWER DOOR LOCK
MASTER SWITCH
PARKING BRAKE
RELEASE HANDLE
(P.63)
(P.72)
(P.130)
(P.132) PASSENGER’S
FRONT AIRBAG
DRIVER’S FRONT
AIRBAG
(P.9,27) HomeLink
BUTTONS
(P.157)
(P.153)
(P.149)
(P.323)
(P.325) (P.153)(P.267) (P.268)
(P.276)
(P.152)
(P.154)
(P.9,27) (P.170)
(P.180)
(P.341)
(P.175)
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2008 MDX

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: If equipped
Control L ocations
62
HOOD RELEASE
HANDLE AUDIO SYSTEM
GAUGES INSTRUMENT PANEL
INDICATORS
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
HEADPHONE CONNECTORS
AUXILIARY INPUT JACKS
FUEL FILL DOOR
RELEASE BUTTON
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES DRIVING POSITION
MEMORY SYSTEM
CLIMATE CONTROL
SYSTEMMIRROR CONTROL
AUTO BUTTON
PARKING BRAKE
PEDAL REAR CLIMATE
CONTROL SYSTEM
MOONROOF SWITCH
POWER TAILGATE
BUTTON
POWER DOOR LOCK
MASTER SWITCH
PARKING BRAKE
RELEASE HANDLE (P.130)
(P.132) (P.63)
(P.72) HomeLink
BUTTONS
(P.157)
(P.153) (P.149)
(P.323)
(P.325) (P.153)(P.267) (P.268)
(P.276)
(P.152)
(P.154)(P.170)
(P.180)
(P.341)
(P.175)
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2008 MDX

This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
This indicator has two f unctions:This indicator monitors the
temperature of the automatic
transmission f luid. It should come on
f or a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it comes on while driving,
it means the transmission fluid
temperature is too high. Pull to the
side of the road when it is saf e, shif t
to Park, and let the engine idle until
the indicator goes out.
You will also see an ‘‘A/T TEMP
HIGH’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
If this happens, pull to the side of
the road when it is saf e, check
which tire has lost pressure on the
multi-inf ormation display, and
determine the cause. If it is
because of a flat tire, have the flat
tire repaired as soon as possible. If
two or more tires are
underinf lated, call a prof essional
towing service. For more
inf ormation, see page .
If this indicator begins to f lash,
there is a problem with the tire
pressure monitoring system
(TPMS). You will also see a
‘‘CHECK TPMS SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display. The indicator continues to
f lash f or a while (approximately 1
minute), then stays on. If this
happens, have your dealer check
the system as soon as possible.
For more inf ormation, see page
.
Check the tire pressure monitor on
the multi-inf ormation display and
determinethecause(seepage).
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ). If it comes on while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are signif icantly low
on pressure.
1.
82
2.
82 446
352 354
Instrument Panel Indicators
Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator A/T Temperature
Indicator
68
Continuing to drive with the A/T
temperature indicator on may cause
serious damage to the transmission.
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2008 MDX

µµ
Rotate the switch
counterclockwise to spray the
window washer.
When you shif t the transmission
to the reverse position with the
f ront windshield wipers activated,
the rear window wiper operates
automatically.
When the wiper control lever
position is INT, the rear wiper
operates intermittently. When it is
LO or HI, the rear wiper operates
continuously. Push down on the
lever to signal a lef t turn and up to
signal a right turn. To signal a lane
change, push lightly on the lever,
and hold it. The lever will return to
center when you release it or
complete a turn.
Turning the switch to the ‘‘ ’’
position turns on the headlights. If
you leave the lights on with the key
removed f rom the ignition switch,
you will hear a reminder chime when
you open the driver’s door.
Turn signal
Of f
Parking and indicator lights
AUTO
Headlights on
High beams
Flashhighbeams
Fog lights of f
Fog lights on
Therearwindowwasherusesthe
same f luid reservoir as the wind-
shield washer. When you turn the wiper switch to
the ‘‘OFF’’ position, the wiper will
return to its parked position.
Turning the
switch to the ‘‘ ’’ position turns
on the parking lights, taillights,
instrument panel lights, side-marker
lights, and rear license plate lights.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
3.
4.
Turn Signal
Turn Signal and Headlights
Headlights On
Windshield Wipers and Washers, Turn Signal and Headlights
118
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2008 MDX

You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the RES/ACCEL
button. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.
Push on the accelerator pedal.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed, then press the SET/
DECEL button. Press and hold the SET/DECEL
button. Release the button when
you reach the desired speed.
Cruise control may not hold the set
speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your vehicle speed
increases going down a hill, use the
brakes to slow down. This will cancel
thecruisecontrol.Toresumetheset
speed, press the RES/ACCEL button.
The CRUISE CONTROL indicator
on the instrument panel will come
back on.
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshif t to hold the set speed. To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/DECEL
button. Each time you do this,
your vehicle will slow down about
1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Tap the brake pedal lightly with
your f oot. The CRUISE
CONTROL indicator on the
instrument panel will go out.
When the vehicle slows to the
desired speed, press the SET/
DECEL button.
To increase the speed in very
small amounts, tap the RES/
ACCEL button. Each time you do
this, your vehicle will speed up
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
CONT INUED
Changing the Set Speed
Cruise Control
Features
271
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2008 MDX

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the super handling-all wheel
stability assist (VSA) system, active
damper system, the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS), and
f acts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer or drive off-high way.........................
Driving Guidelines .338
........................
Preparing to Drive .338
.......................
Starting the Engine .339
Check Starting System .................................
Message .340
..............
Automatic Transmission .341
Super Handling-All Wheel Drive
...........................................
Parking .350
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
......................................
(TPMS) .351
.............................
Braking System .356
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .357
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
........................................
System .359
................
Active Damper System .361
...........................
Towing a Trailer .363
..................
Trailer Stability Assist .375
Of f -Highway Driving
..................................
Guidelines .377
Driving
Driving
337
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drive(SH-AWD®) system, the vehicle(SH-AWD®) System ....................348
2008 MDX

The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it f lashes while driving (in
any shif t position), it indicates a
possible problem in the transmission.
If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem with the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
When the ‘‘D’’ indicator warns of a
possible problem with the
transmission, you will see a ‘‘CHECK
TRANSMISSION’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page).
These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shif t
lever is in. In the Sequential
SportShif t Mode, the ‘‘M’’ indicator
next to the ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on,
and the illuminated number under
the charging system indicator shows
you the gear you have selected. To shif t f rom Park to any position,
pressfirmlyonthebrakepedal,and
pressthereleasebuttononthefront
of the shift lever, then move the
lever. You cannot shift out of Park
when the ignition switch is in the
LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I)
position.
82
CONT INUED
Shif t L ever Position Indicators Shif ting
Automatic Transmission
Driving
341
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µ
µ µ
µ To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop bef ore shif ting
into Park. The shif t lever must be in
Park bef ore you can remove the key
from the ignition switch.
Press the brake
pedal and press the release button
on the f ront of the shif t lever to shif t
f rom Park to reverse. To shif t f rom
reverse to neutral, come to a
completestop,andthenshift.Press
the release button bef ore shif ting
into reverse f rom neutral.
Use neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from neutral to
another gear. Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear (1 through 5) f or your
speed and acceleration. You may
notice the transmission shifting up at
higher engine speeds when the
engine is cold. This helps the engine
warm up f aster.
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and press the release button
on the shif t lever. Make sure your
f oot is of f the accelerator pedal.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page . 346
Do this:
Press the brake pedal, and
press the shift lever release
button.
Press the shift lever release
button.
Move the shift lever.
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR
DtoD DtoD DtoN
NtoDRtoN
3
3
Automatic Transmission
Reverse (R)
Neutral (N) Drive (D)
Park (P) Shif t L ock Release
342
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2008 MDX

µ
´
With the shif t lever in ‘‘D’’ position,
you can select the Sequential
SportShift mode to shift gears much
like a manual transmission, but
without a clutch pedal.
To enter the Sequential SportShif t
mode, move the shif t lever f urther to
the driver’s side. To return to ‘‘D,’’
move the shift lever to the
passenger’s side.
In Sequential SportShif t mode, each
time you push f orward on the shif t
lever, the transmission shifts to a
higher gear. Pull back on the lever to
downshif t. The number of the gear
selected is displayed on the
instrument panel.
When you move the shif t lever f rom
‘‘D’’ to ‘‘M’’ position, the display
shows the selected gear. The transmission remains in the
selectedgear(5,4,3,2,or1).There
is no automatic downshif t when you
push the accelerator pedal to the
f loor.
When you accelerate away f rom a
stop, the transmission starts in f irst
gear. You have to manually upshift
between f irst and f if th gears. Make
sure you upshif t bef ore the engine
speed reaches the tachometer’s red
zone.
CONT INUED
Sequential SportShif t Mode
Automatic Transmission
Driving
343
SELECTED GEAR
( ) DOWN SHIFT
( ) UP SHIFT
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à
à
à
à
The transmission may automatically
downshif t f rom the higher gear to
the lower gear under these
conditions:
Driving on level roads and downhill
Driving uphill
To shift from
43
54
To shift from 43
54 Downshif ting gives you more power
when climbing, and provides engine
braking when going down a steep hill.
If you try to manually downshif t at a
speed that would cause the engine to
exceed the redline in a lower gear,
the transmission does not downshif t.
Thegearindicatorwillflashthe
numberof thelowergearseveral
times, then return to the higher gear.
If the vehicle speed slows to below
the redline of the selected lower gear
position while the indicator is
f lashing, the transmission
downshif ts, and the display shows
the selected lower gear.
Speed range
under 19 mph
(31 km/h)
under 38 mph
(60 km/h)
Speed range
under 34 mph
(55 km/h)
under 47 mph
(75 km/h) The transmission also shif ts
automatically as the vehicle comes to
a complete stop. It downshif ts to f irst
gear when the vehicle speed is under
10 mph (16 km/h).
Automatic Transmission
344
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2008 MDX