Acura MDX 2009 Owner's Manual

The wheel nut wrench supplied with
your vehicle is specially adapted to fit
the hoist shaft. Do not use any other
tool.8. Put the wheel nut wrench on the hoist shaft. Turn the wrench
counterclockwise to lower the
spare tire to the ground.
9. Keep turning the wheel nutwrench to create slack in the
cable.
10. Remove the bracket from the spare tire.
11. Loosen each wheel nut 1/2 turnwith the wheel nut wrench.
WHEEL NUT WRENCH
BRACKET
WHEEL NUT WRENCH
CONTINUED
Changing a Flat Tire
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12. Place the jack under the jackingpoint 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
resting in the jack notch.
13. Use the extension and the wheelnut wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the flat tire is off the
ground.
14. Remove the wheel nuts, then remove the flat tire.
15. Before mounting the spare tire,wipe any dirt off the mounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully; it may be hot from
driving.
JACKING POINT
EXTENSION
WHEEL NUT WRENCH
BRAKE HUB
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16. Put on the spare tire. Put thewheel nuts back on finger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is firmly against the
hub. Do not try to tighten the
wheel nuts fully.
17. Lower the vehicle to the ground, and remove the jack.
18. Tighten the wheel nuts securely inthe same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
facility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
94 lbf·ft (127 N·m, 13 kgf·m)
19. Remove the center cap from the flat tire. 20. Place the flat tire face up under the
hoist.
21. Insert the hoist bracket into the center hole of the flat tire.
CONTINUED
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22. Slowly turn the wheel nut wrenchclockwise to take up the slack of
the hoist cable. Make sure the
bracket is seated in the center hole
of the flat tire.
23. Turn the wheel nut wrench clockwise until the flat tire rests
against the underbody of the
vehicle and you hear the hoist
click.
Always raise the spare tire hoist, even if
you are not stowing a tire. If the hoist is
left down, it will be damaged during
driving and need to be replaced.
24. Store the jack in its holder. Turn the jack's end bracket to lock it in
place. Store the tools, and install
the cover.
25. Refer to Changing a Tire with
TPMS (see page355).
Loose items can fly around the
interior in a crash and could
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.
WHEEL NUT WRENCH
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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.
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
When 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 these things:
●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
Jump Starting
on page432.●Turn the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the fuses. If the fuses
are OK, there is probably
something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to
determine the problem. See
Emergency Towing on page446.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
connections (see page421).You
can then try jump starting the
vehicle from a booster battery (see
page432).
The Starter Operates Normally
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 instrument panel
to blink rapidly (see page70).
CONTINUED
If the Engine Won't Start
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●Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer toStarting the
Engine on page339.●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
page440).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find the
problem. See Emergency Towing on
page446. Jump Starting
Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
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.
You cannot start your vehicle by
pushing or pulling it.
To Jump Start Your Vehicle:1. 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 frozen, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can freeze. Attempting
to jump start with a frozen battery can
cause it to rupture.
2. Turn off all the electricalaccessories: heater, A/C, climate
control, audio system, lights, etc.
Put the transmission in neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
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The numbers in the illustration show
you the order to connect the jumper
cables.3. Connect one jumper cable to the positive (＋ ) terminal on your
vehicle's battery. Connect the
other end to the positive (＋ )
terminal on the booster battery.
4. Connect the second jumper cable to the negative (－ ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the grounding strap
as shown. Do not connect this
jumper cable to any other part of
the engine. 5. If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start that
vehicle and run it at a fast idle.
6. Start your vehicle. If the starter motor still operates slowly, check
that the jumper cables have good
metal-to-metal contact.
7. Once the vehicle is running, disconnect the negative cable from
your vehicle, then from the
booster battery. Disconnect the
positive cable from your vehicle,
and then from the booster battery.
Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the vehicle until everything is
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short.
BOOSTER BATTERY
Jump Starting
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The pointer of your vehicle's
temperature gauge should stay in the
midrange under most conditions. If it
climbs to the red mark, you should
determine the reason (hot day,
driving up a steep hill, etc.).
If the vehicle overheats, you should
take immediate action. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or spray
coming from under the hood.Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to the engine.
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.1. Safely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Park, and
set the parking brake. Turn off all
accessories, and turn on the
hazard warning indicators.
2. If you see steam and/or spray coming from under the hood, turn
off the engine. Wait until you see
no more signs of steam or spray,
then open the hood.
3. If you do not see steam or spray, leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to
overloading, the engine should
start to cool down almost
immediately. If it does, wait until
the temperature gauge comes
down to the midpoint, then
continue driving.
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4. If the temperature gauge stays atthe red mark, turn off the engine.
5. Look for any obvious coolant leaks, such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you find a leak, it
must be repaired before you
continue driving (see Emergency
Towing on page446).
6. If you do not find an obvious leak, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Add coolant
if the level is below the MIN mark.
7. 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
temperature gauge, or lower,
before checking the radiator.
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.
8. Using gloves or a large heavy cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the first stop. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap, and turn it until it comes
off. 9. Start the engine and set the
climate control to AUTO at ‘‘Hi. ’’
Add coolant to the radiator up to
the base of the filler neck. If you
do not have the proper coolant
mixture available, you can add
plain water. Remember to have the
cooling system drained and refilled
with the proper mixture as soon as
you can.
10. 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 Emergency
Towing on page446).
11. 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.
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Low Oil Pressure Indicator
This indicator should never
come on when the engine is
running. If it starts flashing or stays
on, the oil pressure has dropped very
low or lost pressure. Serious engine
damage is possible, and you should
take immediate action.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK
ENGINE OIL LEVEL’’ message on
the multi-information display when
this indicator comes on.
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn off
the engine as soon as you can safely get
the vehicle stopped. 1. Safely pull off the road, and shut
off the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
2. Let the vehicle sit for a minute. Open the hood, and check the oil
level (see page326).An engine
very low on oil can lose pressure
during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
3. If necessary, add oil to bring the level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page393).
4. Start the engine, and watch the oil pressure indicator. If it does not go
out within 10 seconds, turn off the
engine. There is a mechanical
problem that needs to be repaired
before you can continue driving
(see Emergency Towing on page
446). Charging System Indicator
If the charging system
indicator comes on brightly
when the engine is running, the
battery is not being charged.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK
CHARGING SYSTEM ’’message on
the multi-information display (see
page81).
Immediately turn off all electrical
accessories. Try not to use other
electrically operated controls such as
the power windows. Keep the engine
running; starting the engine will
discharge the battery rapidly.
Go to a service station or garage
where you can get technical
assistance.
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