instrument panel Acura MDX 2009 Service Manual

Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that turns on every time you start the
engine and monitors the pressure in
your tires while driving.
Each tire has its own pressure
sensor. If the air pressure of a tire
becomes significantly low, the sensor
in that tire immediately sends a
signal that causes the low tire
pressure/TPMS indicator in the
instrument panel to come on. If this
happens, you will see which tire is
losing pressure on the multi-
information display along with a
‘‘CHECK TIRE PRESSURE ’’
message.
Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator
When the low tire pressure/TPMS
indicator is on, one or more of your
tires is significantly underinflated.
You should stop and check your tires
as soon as possible, and inflate them
to the proper pressure as indicated
on the vehicle's tire information
placard.
It is possible that the pressures
shown on the multi-information
display and the pressures you
manually measure are slightly
different.
If the difference is significant or you
cannot make the low tire pressure/
TPMS indicator and message on the
multi-information display go out after
inflating the tires to the specified
values, have your dealer check the
system as soon as possible. If you think you can safely drive a
short distance to a service station,
proceed slowly to the station, then
inflate the tire to the recommended
pressure.
If the tire is flat, or if the tire pressure
is too low to continue driving, replace
the tire with the compact spare tire
(see page425).
Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle's handling and
stopping ability.
Because tire pressure varies by
temperature and other conditions,
the low tire pressure/TPMS
indicator may come on unexpectedly.
CONTINUED
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
351
Driving
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2009 MDX

To see the inflation pressures of all
four tires, press the SEL/RESET
button. The display changes as
shown above.
Each tire pressure is shown in PSI
(U.S. models) or in kPa (Canadian
models).
Each tire has its own pressure
sensor. If the air pressure of a tire
becomes significantly low, the sensor
in that tire immediately sends a
signal that causes the low tire
pressure/TPMS indicator in the
instrument panel to come on. If this
happens, you will see which tire is
losing pressure on the multi-
information display along with a
‘‘CHECK TIRE PRESSURE ’’
message.
U.S. model
Canadian model
This shows that front left tire
is losing pressure.
CONTINUED
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
353
Driving
08/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX

Active Damper System
Indicator
If there is a problem with the active
damper system, the active damper
system shuts down and the active
damper system indicator on the
instrument panel comes on.
You will also see the ‘‘CHECK ADS
SYSTEM ’’message appear on the
multi-information display. If you see this warning indicator and
message, have your vehicle checked
at your dealer as soon as possible.
In this case, your vehicle still has the
normal damper function, but it will
not have the active damper function.
Towing a Trailer
Your vehicle has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and
their cargo. You can also use it to tow
a trailer if you carefully observe the
load limits, use the proper
equipment, and follow the guidelines
in this section.
Break-In PeriodAvoid towing a trailer during your
vehicle's first 600 miles (1,000 km)
(see page322).
Be sure to read the
Off-Highway
Driving Guidelines section on page
378if you plan to tow off paved
surfaces.
Your vehicle is equipped with a
trailer stability assist to help stabilize
the vehicle/trailer combination by
reducing the vehicle speed. For more
information, see page376.
CONTINUED
Active Damper System, Towing a Trailer
363
Driving
08/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX

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
431
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
08/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX

Indicators, Instrument Panel
........
63
ABS (Anti-lock Brake)
..............
66
Active Damper System
......
71, 361
A/T Temp
................................
68
Brake (Parking and Brake System)
.........................
65, 438
Charging System
..............
65, 436
Cruise Control
..........................
70
Cruise Main
.............................
70
Fog Lights
................................
70
High Beam
...............................
70
Key (Immobilizer System)
.......
70
Lights On
.................................
70
Low Fuel
..................................
71
Low Oil Pressure
..............
65, 436
Low Tire Pressure
....................
68
Maintenance Minder
...............
383
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
...................................
437
Passenger Airbag Off
.. .............
34
Seat Belt Reminder
.............
20, 64
Security System
.......................
71
SH-AWD
®.................................
69
Side Airbag Off
............ .............
66
SRS
.....................................
33, 66
System Message
.................
69, 80 Tire Pressure Monitor
..............
68
Turn Signal and Hazard Warning
...............................
67
VSA Activation
.........................
67
VSA System
.............................
67
Individual Map Lights
................
160
Infant Restraint
............................
42
Infant Seats
..................................
42
Tether Anchorage Point
...........
51
Inflation, Proper Tire
..................
415
Inside Mirror
.............................
154
Inspection, Tire
..........................
417
Installing a Child Seat
..................
46
Instrument Panel
..........................
63
Instrument Panel Brightness
..............................
123
Instruments and Controls
.............
61
Interface Dial
.............................
200
Interior Lights
............................
159
Introduction
...................................
i
J
Jacking up the Vehicle
...............
425
Jack, Tire
...................................
425 Jump Starting
.............................
432
K
Keyless Memory Settings
..........
139
Keys
...........................................
126
L
Label, Certification
.....................
450
Lane Change, Signaling
.............
118
Lap/Shoulder Belt
.................
15, 21
LATCH Anchorage System
..........
47
Light Control Switch
..................
159
Lights Bulb Replacement
...................
403
Indicator
.......... .........................
63
Interior
....................................
159
Parking
...................................
118
Load Limit
...........................
333, 364
LOCK (Ignition Key Position)
.................................
129
Locks Anti-theft Steering Column
......
129
Childproof Door
......................
131
IndexVI08/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX