display Acura MDX 2011 Owner's Manual

If the malfunction 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-information display (see page
87). Shifting
To shift from Park to any position,
press firmly on the brake pedal, and
press the release button on the front
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.
To shift from:
Do this:
PtoR Press the brake pedal, and
press the shift lever release
button.
RtoP
NtoR DtoS Press the shift lever release
button.
StoD
DtoN
NtoD
RtoN Move the shift lever.Park (P)
－This position
mechanically locks the transmission.
Use Park whenever you are turning
off or starting the engine. To shift out
of Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and press the release button on
the shift lever. Make sure your foot is
off the accelerator pedal.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on
page 440.
Automatic Transmission43810/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

To shift up or down, use the＋
(right) or －(left) paddle shifter on
either side of the steering wheel.
Each time you pull ＋(right), the
transmission shifts to a higher gear.
Pull －(left) to downshift. You will
see the selected gear number on the
instrument panel.When you pull either paddle shifter,
the gear position indicator shows you
the selected gear number. The transmission control system
monitors the accelerator pedal use
and your driving conditions. When
you press the accelerator pedal as in
normal driving, the system judges
that you are driving at a constant
cruising speed without using the
paddle shifters. Under these
conditions, D-paddle shift mode is
canceled, and the transmission
automatically returns to drive mode
(D).
Hold the
＋(right) paddle shifter for
2 seconds to return to drive mode
(D).
When the transmission returns to
drive mode (D), the displayed gear
number goes out.
The transmission remains in the
selected gear if you do not
accelerate. Each time you pull either paddle
shifter, the transmission shifts one
gear up or down. If you want to shift
up or down more than two gears, pull
the paddle shifter twice, pause, and
then pull it again.
The automatic transmission will not
allow you to shift up or down if:
●
You downshift before the engine
speed reaches the highest
threshold of the lower gear.
If you try to do this, the gear
position indicator will flash the
number of the lower gear several
times, then return to a higher gear.
●
You upshift before the engine
speed reaches the lowest
threshold of the higher gear.
●
You press both paddle shifters at
the same time.
GEAR POSITION INDICATOR
Driving with the Paddle Shifters44210/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

●
You press one of the two paddle
shifters while another paddle
shifter is being pressed.
●
You are trying to downshift from
second to first with the accelerator
pedal off. This will only work when
the accelerator pedal is applied
deeply.
The transmission downshifts to first
gear and returns to drive mode (D)
when the vehicle comes to a
complete stop and the vehicle speed
is about 6 mph (9 km/h).
If there is a problem in the
transmission while you are driving
with the paddle shifters, the D
indicator flashes, the D-paddle shift
mode is canceled, and the
transmission returns to drive mode
(D). Using the Paddle Shifters in the S
position (Sequential Shift Mode)
With the shift lever in the S position,
you can select the sequential shift
mode to shift gears; much like a
manual transmission using the
paddle shifters, but without a clutch
pedal.
To enter the sequential shift mode,
press the release button on the front
of the shift lever, move the lever to
the S position, then pull either paddle
shifter. To cancel the sequential shift
mode and return to the ordinary
automatic transmission, move the
shift lever from S position. When
moving the shift lever, be careful not
to operate incorrectly. While you are
driving in the sequential shift mode,
the transmission will not
automatically return to ordinary
automatic transmission.
When you move the shift lever from
‘‘
D ’’to ‘‘S ’’ position and pull either
paddle shifter, the gear position
indicator displays the selected gear
number.
Shifting between first and second
gears may occur automatically.
Downshifting from second to first
with the accelerator pedal off is not
allowed.
GEAR POSITION INDICATOR
CONTINUED
Driving with the Paddle Shifters
443
Driving
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Starting in Second GearWhen you are in sequential shift
mode, and the vehicle is stopped,
pull the＋(right) paddle shifter to
shift to second gear. You will see ‘‘2’’
in the display. Starting in second
gear helps to reduce wheelspin in
deep snow or on a slippery surface. Recommended Shift Points
Drive in the highest gear that lets the
engine run and accelerate smoothly.
This will give you good fuel economy
and effective emissions control. The
following shift points are
recommended:
Shift Up Normal acceleration
1st to 2nd
2nd to 3rd
3rd to 4th4th to 5th
5th to 6th 15 mph (24 km/h)
25 mph (40 km/h)
40 mph (64 km/h)
45 mph (72 km/h)
50 mph (80 km/h)
Driving with the Paddle Shifters
445
Driving
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The super handling-all wheel drive
(SH-AWD) system is a full time all-
wheel-drive system that
automatically controls and transfers
varying amounts of engine torque to
all wheels independently, according
to the driving conditions.
While the SH-AWD system helps to
enhance the vehicle's driving
stability in all situations, it is still
your responsibility to drive and
corner at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety.SH-AWD Torque Distribution
Monitor
The SH-AWD torque distribution
monitor on the multi-information
display shows you the amount of
torque being sent to the wheels.
Each wheel-right front (RF), left front
(LF), right rear (RR), and left rear
(LR)-has its own torque indicator.Each torque indicator is displayed as
a bar graph divided into 5 segments.
The number of segments represents
the amount of torque distributed to
each wheel.
When there is only a slight change in
torque distribution while driving,
such as cruising on level roads at the
same speed, the torque distribution
monitor may stop displaying the
amount of torque. This is not a
system problem. The monitor will
show the amount if the system
senses any change in torque
distribution.
TORQUE INDICATOR
TORQUE INDICATOR
Super Handling-All Wheel Drive
™(SH-AWD
®) System
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If the SH-AWD indicator blinks while
driving, it indicates the differential
temperature is too high. You will also
see an‘‘SH-AWD DIFF TEMP.
HIGH ’’message on the multi-
information display. If this happens,
pull to the side of the road when it is
safe, shift to Park, and let the engine
idle until the indicator goes out. If
the indicator does not go out, take
your vehicle to a dealer to have it
checked.
If the SH-AWD indicator on the
instrument panel stays on, and the
‘‘ CHECK SH-AWD SYSTEM ’’
message also appears on the multi-
information display, there is problem
with the SH-AWD system. Your vehicle still has normal front-
wheel drive with vehicle stability
assist (VSA), but does not have the
advantages of SH-AWD. Have your
vehicle checked by a dealer as soon
as possible.
Super Handling-All Wheel Drive
™(SH-AWD
®) System
447
Driving
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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 page 545).
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)
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Driving
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For example, if you check and fill
your tires in a warm area, then drive
in extremely cold weather, the tire
pressure will be lower than
measured and could be underinflated
and cause the low tire pressure/
TPMS indicator to come on. Or, if
you check and adjust your tire
pressure in cooler conditions, and
drive into extremely hot conditions,
the tire may become overinflated.
However, the low tire pressure/
TPMS indicator will not come on if
the tires are overinflated.
Refer to page 534 for tire inflation
guidelines.
If there is a problem with the TPMS,
this indicator begins to flash. It stops
flashing after approximately 1
minute, then stays on. You will also
see a‘‘CHECK TPMS SYSTEM ’’
message on the multi-information
display (see page 87). Although your tire pressure is
monitored, you must manually check
the tire pressures monthly.
Each tire, including the spare, should
be checked monthly when the
vehicle is cold, and set to the
recommended inflation pressure as
specified on the vehicle placard and
in the owner's manual (see page
535).
Tire Pressure Monitor
To select the tire pressure monitor,
press the INFO button several times
with the ignition switch in the ON
(II) position.
You will see the above display on the
multi-information display when all
tire pressures are normal.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)45010/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

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)
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Driving
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If any of the tires has low pressure,
the tire pressure monitor also shows
the above message to warn you
about the low tire pressure when you
select the display by pressing the
INFO button several times.
Following this display, press the
SEL/RESET button to see each tire
pressure. When you continue driving
after installing the spare tire, you will
also see this message on the multi-
information display.
If there is a problem with the TPMS,
the tire pressure monitor shows a
‘‘SYSTEM FUNCTION ERROR ’’
message and the tire pressure
readings are not displayed. If this
happens, you will first see a system
warning message ‘‘CHECK TPMS
SYSTEM ’’on the multi-information
display. TPMS System Failure
If there is a problem with the TPMS,
you will see the above message on
the multi-information display.
If you see this message, the system
is off and is not monitoring the tire
pressures. Have the system checked
by your dealer as soon as possible.
Also, the low tire pressure/TPMS
indicator begins to flash, then stays
on (see page 449).
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)45210/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu