ECU Acura MDX 2011 Owner's Manual

Your Vehicle at a Glance(main controls)
....................................................................................................................
3
Driver and Passenger Safety (seat belts, SRS, and child protection)
...........................................................................
5
Instruments and Controls (indicators, gauges, multi-information display, dashboard, and steering column)
...........
63
Features (
climate control, audio, rear entertainment, steering wheel, security, cruise control, and other convenience items
)..
179
Before Driving (fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading)
.......................................................................................
417
Driving (engine and transmission operation)
...........................................................................................................
433
Maintenance (minder, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)
...........................................................
499
Taking Care of the Unexpected (flat tire, Jump starting, overheating, and fuses)
...................................................
543
Technical Information (vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls)
........................................................
569
Warranty and Client Relations (U.S. and Canada only) (warranty and contact information)
...............................
585
Index
..............................................................................................................................................................................
I
INDEX
Service Information Summary (fluid capacities and tire pressures)
...............................................................
last page
Contents
1
10/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

Improperly positioning head
restraints reduces their
effectiveness and you can be
seriously injured in a crash.
Make sure head restraints are
in place and positioned properly
before driving.
Properly adjusted head restraints will
help protect occupants from whiplash
and other crash injuries.
See page 149 for how to adjust the
head restraints and how the driver's
and front passenger's active head
restraints work. 5. Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts
Insert the latch plate into the buckle,
then tug on the belt to make sure the
belt is securely latched. Check that
the belt is not twisted, because a
twisted belt can cause serious
injuries in a crash.
The second row center seat, and
both third row seats, have a
detachable shoulder belt that can be
unlatched and retracted, to allow the
seats to be folded down. See page
154 for how to unlatch and relatch
the seat belts.
Position the lap part of the belt as low
as possible across your hips, then
pull up on the shoulder part of the
belt so the lap part fits snugly. This
lets your strong pelvic bones take the
force of a crash and reduces the
chance of internal injuries.
Protecting Adults and Teens1610/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

If the indicator comes on or the
beeper sounds when the driver's seat
belt is latched and there is no front
seat passenger and no items on the
front seat, something may be
interfering with the monitoring
system. Look for and remove:●
Any items under the front
passenger's seat.
●
Any object(s) hanging on the seat
or in the seat-back pocket.
●
Any object(s) touching the rear of
the seat-back.
If no obstructions are found, have
your vehicle checked by a dealer. Lap/Shoulder Belt
The lap/shoulder belt goes over your
shoulder, across your chest, and
across your hips.
To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched (see page 16 for how to
properly position the belt).
To unlock the belt, press the red
PRESS button on the buckle. Guide
the belt across your body so that it
retracts completely. After exiting the
vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the
way and will not get closed in the
door.All seat belts have an emergency
locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move freely in
your seat while it keeps some tension
on the belt. During a collision or
sudden stop, the retractor
automatically locks the belt to help
restrain your body.
The seat belts in all positions except
the driver's have a lockable retractor
that must be activated to secure a
child seat (see page 52).
If the shoulder part of the belt is
pulled all the way out, the lockable
retractor will activate. The belt will
retract, but it will not allow the
passenger to move freely.
To deactivate the lockable retractor,
unlatch the buckle and let the seat
belt fully retract. To refasten the seat
belt, pull it out only as far as needed.
Additional Information About Your Seat Belts2210/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

Children depend on adults to protect
them. However, despite their best
intentions, many adults do not know
how to
properly
protect child
passengers.
If you have children, or ever need to
drive with a child in your vehicle, be
sure to read this section. It begins
with important general guidelines,
then presents special information for
infants, small children, and larger
children. All Children Must Be Restrained
Each year, many children are injured
or killed in vehicle crashes because
they are either unrestrained or not
properly restrained. In fact, vehicle
collisions are the number one cause
of the death of children age 12 and
under.
To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state,
Canadian province and territory
requires that infants and children be
properly restrained when they ride in
a vehicle.
Infants and small children must be
restrained in an approved child seatthat is properly secured to the vehicle(see pages 44 －55).
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in a
crash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt and
use a booster seat if necessary.
Larger children must be restrained
with a lap/shoulder belt and ride on a
booster seat until the seat belt fits
them properly
(see pages 56 －59).
Protecting Children －General Guidelines
39
Driver and Passenger Safety
10/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

If You Must Drive with Several
Children
Your vehicle has two rows of back
seats where children can be properly
restrained. If you ever have to carry a
group of children, and a child must
ride in front:●
Place the largest child in the front
seat, provided the child is large
enough to wear the lap/shoulder
belt properly (see page 56).
●
Move the vehicle seat as far to the
rear as possible (see page 148).
●
Have the child sit upright and well
back in the seat (see page 18).
●
Make sure the seat belt is properly
positioned and secured (see page
16).If a Child Requires Close
Attention
Many parents say they prefer to put
an infant or a small child in the front
passenger seat so they can watch the
child, or because the child requires
attention.
Placing a child in the front seat
exposes the child to hazards in a
frontal collision, and paying close
attention to a child distracts the
driver from the important tasks of
driving, placing both of you at risk.
If a child requires close physical
attention or frequent visual contact,
we strongly recommend that another
adult ride with the child in a back
seat. The back seat is far safer for a
child than the front.
Protecting Children
－General Guidelines4210/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

Child Seat PlacementWe strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat, not the front.Placing a forward-facing child seat inthe front seat of a vehicle equippedwith a passenger's airbag can be
hazardous.
If the vehicle seat is too
far forward, or the child's head is
thrown forward during a collision, an
inflating airbag can strike the child
with enough force to cause very
serious or fatal injuries. Even with advanced front airbags
that automatically turn the
passenger's front airbag off (see page
36), a back seat is the safest place for
a small child.
If it is necessary to put a forward-
facing child seat in the front, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, be sure the child seat is
firmly secured to the vehicle and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.
Placing a forward-facing child
seat in the front seat can result
in serious injury or death if the
front airbag inflates.
If you must place a forward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible, and properly restrain
the child.
Protecting Infants and Small Children4610/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

When buying a child seat, you need
to choose either a conventional child
seat, or one designed for use with
the Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren (LATCH) system.
Conventional child seats must be
secured to a vehicle with a seat belt,
whereas LATCH-compatible seats
are secured by attaching the seat to
hardware built into the second-row
seats.
Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt.
Whatever type of seat you choose, to
provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:
1.
The child seat should meet Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213.
Look for FMVSS
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.
2.
The child seat should be of the proper type and size to fit the child.Rear-facing for infants, forward-
facing for small children. 3.
The child seat should fit the vehicle
seating position (or positions)where it will be used.
Before purchasing a conventional
child seat, or using a previously
purchased one, we recommend that
you test the seat in the specific
vehicle seating position or positions
where the seat will be used.
Selecting a Child Seat
47
Driver and Passenger Safety
10/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

After selecting a proper child seat
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:1.
Properly secure the child seat to the vehicle.
All child seats must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of a lap/shoulder belt or with
the LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers for CHildren) system. A
child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash.
2.
Make sure the child seat is firmly secured.
After installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
forward and from side-to-side to
verify that it is secure. A child seat secured with a seat belt
should be installed as firmly as
possible. However, it does not need
to be
‘‘rock solid. ’’Some side-to-side
movement can be expected and
should not reduce the child seat's
effectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a different seating
position, or use a different style of
child seat that can be firmly secured.
3.
Secure the child in the child seat.Make sure the child is properly
strapped in the child seat
according to the child seat maker's
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
can be seriously injured in a crash. The following pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A forward-facing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same for a rear-
facing child seat.
Installing a Child Seat4810/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers
for CHildren) at each of the second
row seats.
The lower anchors are located
between the seat-back and seat
bottom, and are to be used only with
a child seat designed for use with
LATCH.
The location of each lower anchor is
indicated by a small button above the
anchor point.
When you install a child seat in the
second row seating position, use the
lower anchors as shown in the
illustration. You can install up to
three child seats at a time with
LATCH.
Do not attach two child seat
connectors to a single lower anchor
at a time.
Using the Outer LATCHTo install a LATCH-compatible child
seat in either outer second row seat:
1. Move the seat belt buckle ortongue away from the lower
anchors.
2. Make sure there are no objects near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors.
MARKS
LOWER ANCHORS
CONTINUED
Installing a Child Seat
49
Driver and Passenger Safety
10/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

6. Attach the tether strap hook to thetether anchor, then tighten the
strap as instructed by the child
seat maker.
If the tether strap is too long and
cannot be tightened firmly, find a
route where the strap can be
tightened securely.
7. Push and pull the child seat forward and from side-to-side to
verify that it is secure.
Using the Center LATCHTo install a LATCH-compatible child
seat in the center seating position on
the second row seat, use the center
lower anchors as shown above.
1. Pull up the cover below thearmrest and find one of the
anchors. The other anchor is
located underneath the flap at the
bottom of the outer seat's inner
bolster. 2. Follow step 1 through 4 as
described previously to secure the
child seat.
3. Lower the head restraint first. Route the tether strap over the
head restraint and seat-back, then
attach the tether strap hook to the
anchor, making sure the strap is
not twisted.
4. Push and pull the child seat forward and from side-to-side to
verify that it is secure.
Installing a Child Seat
51
Driver and Passenger Safety
10/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu