light Acura MDX 2009 Owner's Guide

When the light switch is in either of
these positions, the lights on
indicator comes on as a reminder.
This indicator stays on if you leave
the lights on and turn the ignition
switch to the ACCESSORY (I) or
LOCK (0) position.
High Beams－To switch from low
beams to high beams, push the left
lever forward until you hear a click.
The blue high beam indicator will
come on (see page70).Pull it back to
return to low beams. To flash the
high beams, pull the lever back
lightly, then release it. The high
beams stay on as long as you hold
the lever back. AUTO
－The automatic lighting
feature turns on the headlights and
all other exterior lights, when it
senses low ambient light.
To turn on automatic lighting, turn
the light switch to AUTO at any time.
The lights will come on automatically
when the outside light level becomes
low (at dusk, for example). The
lights on indicator comes on as a
reminder. The lights and indicator
will turn off automatically when the
system senses high ambient light.
The lights will remain on when you
turn off the ignition switch. They will
turn off automatically when you
remove the key and open the driver's
door. To turn them on again, either
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position or turn the light switch
to the
position. Even with the automatic lighting
feature turned on, we recommend
that you turn on the lights manually
when driving at night or in a dense
fog, or when you enter dark areas
such as long tunnels or parking
facilities.
To change the
‘‘AUTO LIGHT
SENSITIVITY ’’setting, see page103.
Do not leave the light switch in
AUTO if you will not be driving the
vehicle for an extended period (a
week or more). You should also turn
off the lights if you plan to leave the
engine idling or off for a long time.
CONTINUED
Turn Signal and Headlights
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The automatic lighting feature is
controlled by a sensor located on top
of the dashboard. Do not cover this
sensor or spill liquids on it.Fog Lights
Turn the fog lights on and off by
turning the switch next to the
headlight switch.
You can use the fog lights only when
the headlights are on low beam.
With the light switch in the AUTO
position, you can also use the fog
lights when the headlights turn on
automatically. They will go off when
the headlights turn off.
Daytime Running Lights
With the headlight switch off, the
daytime running lights come on
when you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position and release the
parking brake. They remain on until
you turn the ignition switch off, even
if you set the parking brake.
When the headlights are on, the
daytime running lights are off.
LIGHT SENSOR
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If you see a‘‘CHECK DRL SYSTEM ’’
message on the multi-information
display, there is a problem with the
daytime running light system. Take
your vehicle to a dealer to have it
checked.
When the multi-information display
shows a ‘‘DRL OFF ’’message, the
daytime running lights are off.
Follow the procedure in the left
column to turn them on. Automatic Lighting Off Feature
This feature turns off the headlights,
all other exterior lights, and the
instrument panel lights within 15
seconds after you remove the key
and close the driver's door.
To change the
‘‘HEADLIGHT AUTO
OFF TIMER ’’setting, see page102.
The automatic lighting off feature
activates if you leave the headlight
switch in the ‘‘
’’or ‘‘
’’
position or if the lights are turned on
by setting the switch in the ‘‘AUTO ’’
position, and you remove the key,
then open and close the driver's
door. If you turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position with the headlight
switch on, but do not open the door
and get out, the lights turn off after
10 minutes (3 minutes, if the switch
is in the
‘‘AUTO ’’position).
The lights turn on again when you
unlock or open the driver's door.
If you unlock the door, but do not
open it within 15 seconds, the lights
go off. With the driver's door open,
you will hear a lights-on reminder
chime.
Turn Signal and Headlights
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Hazard Warning ButtonPush the button between the center
vents to turn on the hazard warning
lights (four-way flashers). This
causes all four outside turn signals
and both indicators in the instrument
panel to flash. Use the hazard
warning lights if you need to park in
a dangerous area near heavy traffic,
or if your vehicle is disabled.Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger will clear
fog, frost, and thin ice from the
window. Push the defogger button to
turn it on and off. The indicator in the
button lights to show the defogger is
on. If you do not turn it off, the
defogger will shut itself off after
about 15 minutes. It also shuts off
when you turn off the ignition. You
have to turn it on again when you
restart the vehicle.Make sure the rear window is clear
and you have good visibility before
starting to drive.
The defogger wires on the inside of
the rear window can be accidentally
damaged. When cleaning the glass,
always wipe side-to-side.
Pushing this button also turns the
mirror heaters on or off. For more
information, see page156.
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2009 MDX

Adjust the brightness of the
instrument panel by pressing the＋
or － button. Press the ＋button to
increase the brightness and the －
button to decrease it. The brightness
can be set differently for when the
headlights are on, and when they are
off.
The level of brightness is shown on
the multi-information display while
you adjust it. It goes out 5 seconds
after you finish adjusting. To reduce glare at night, the
instrument panel illumination dims
when you turn the light switch to
or
. To cancel the glare reduction
function, set the brightness to the
highest level, then press the ＋
button. You will hear a beep when it
is canceled.
You can customize when the glare
reduction function starts. To change
‘‘ AUTO INTERIOR
ILLUMINATION ’’, see page95for
more information.
Instrument Panel Brightness
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The master key fits all the locks on
your vehicle. The valet key works
only in the ignition and the driver's
door lock. You can keep the glove
box locked when you leave your
vehicle and the valet key at a parking
facility.
You should have received a key
number tag with your keys. You will
need this key number if you ever
have to get a lost key replaced. Use
only Acura-approved key blanks.These keys contain electronic
circuits that are activated by the
immobilizer system. They will not
work to start the engine if the circuits
are damaged.
●Protect the keys from direct
sunlight, high temperature, and
high humidity.●Do not drop the keys or set heavy
objects on them.●Keep the keys away from liquids.
If they get wet, dry them
immediately with a soft cloth.
The valet key does not contain a
battery. Do not try to take it apart.
Models without power tailgate KEY
NUMBER
TAG
MASTER KEY
WITH REMOTE
TRANSMITTER
VALET KEY
(Light Gray)
KEY
NUMBER
TAGMASTER KEY
WITH REMOTE
TRANSMITTER VALET KEY
(Light Gray)
Models with power tailgate
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The ignition switch has four
positions: LOCK (0), ACCESSORY
(I), ON (II), and START (III).
LOCK (0)－You can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
To turn the key to the LOCK (0)
position, the shift lever must be in
Park, and you must push the key in
slightly.
If the front wheels are turned, the
anti-theft lock may make it difficult to
turn the key. Firmly turn the steering
wheel to the left or right as you turn
the key. ACCESSORY (I)
－You can operate
the audio system and the accessory
power sockets in this position.
ON (II) －This is the normal key
position when driving. Several of the
indicators on the instrument panel
come on as a test when you turn the
ignition switch from the
ACCESSORY (I) to the ON (II)
position.
START (III) －Use this position
only to start the engine. The switch
returns to the ON (II) position when
you let go of the key. You will hear a reminder beeper if
you leave the key in the ignition
switch in the LOCK (0) or the
ACCESSORY (I) position and open
the driver's door. Remove the key to
turn off the beeper.
The shift lever must be in Park
before you can remove the key from
the ignition switch.
Ignition Switch
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Power TailgateIf equippedThe tailgate can be opened and
closed with the remote transmitter
(see page135)or the switch in the
driver's door pocket when both front
doors are unlocked.
Press and hold the tailgate button on
the remote transmitter or the switch
for about 1 second to open or close
the tailgate. Each time you press the
button on the remote transmitter or
the switch, you will hear a beep, and
some front and rear lights will flash.If you push the same button or
switch again while the tailgate is
opening or closing, you will hear
three beeps, and the tailgate will stop
moving, reverse direction, and stop
at the fully opened or closed position.
The tailgate can also be closed by
pressing the button on the tailgate. If
you press the button again while the
tailgate is closing, you will hear three
beeps, and the tailgate will stop
moving, reverse direction, and stop
at the fully opened position.
POWER TAILGATE SWITCH
TAILGATE SWITCH
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Models without power tailgateIf you cannot open the tailgate,
remove the cover on the back of the
tailgate (see page134).Push the
release lever to the right as shown,
then pull the outer handle to open
the tailgate.Remote Transmitter
LOCK
－Press this button once to
lock all doors and the tailgate. Some
exterior lights will flash. When you
push LOCK twice within 5 seconds,
you will hear a beep to verify that the
doors and tailgate are locked and the
security system has set. This button
does not work if any door or tailgate
is not fully closed.
To change the ‘‘KEYLESS LOCK
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ’’setting,
see page110.
Models without power tailgate
UNLOCK
BUTTON LOCK
BUTTON
PANIC
BUTTON
Models with power tailgate
UNLOCK
BUTTON LOCK
BUTTON
PANIC
BUTTON
TAILGATE
BUTTON
CONTINUED
Tailgate, Remote Transmitter
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UNLOCK－Press this button once
to unlock the driver's door. Push it
twice to unlock the other doors.
Some exterior lights will flash twice
when you push the button. If you do
not open any door or the tailgate
within 30 seconds, they will
automatically relock.
To change the ‘‘KEY AND REMOTE
UNLOCK MODE ’’setting, see page
109.
To change the ‘‘SECURITY RELOCK
TIMER ’’setting, see page111. When you press the UNLOCK
button, the front and rear individual
map lights and the cargo area light,
depending on their switch positions,
will come on (see page160).If you
do not open any door or the tailgate,
the lights stay on for about 30
seconds, then go out. If you relock
the doors and the tailgate with the
remote transmitter before 30 seconds
have elapsed, the lights will go off
immediately.
Models with power tailgateTAILGATE
－Press and hold the
TAILGATE button to open or close
the power tailgate. When the tailgate
begins to move, you will hear a beep,
and some front and rear lights will
flash. If you push the same button again
while the tailgate is opening or
closing, three beeps sound, the
tailgate stops moving, reverses
direction and stops in the fully
opened or fully closed position.
PANIC
－Press and hold this
button for about 1 second to attract
attention; the horn will sound, and
the exterior lights will flash for about
30 seconds. To cancel panic mode,
press any other button on the remote
transmitter, or turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position. Panic
mode does not work when the key is
in the ignition switch.
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