when to service Acura MDX 2011 Owner's Manual

Contents
A convenient reference to the
sections in this manual.
Your Vehicle at a Glance
A quick reference to the main
controls in your vehicle.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Important information about the
proper use and care of your vehicle's
seat belts, an overview of the
supplemental restraint system, and
valuable information on how to
protect children with child restraints.
Instruments and Controls
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and
gauge, and how to use the controls
on the dashboard and steering
column.
Features
How to operate the climate control
system, the audio system, rear
entertainment system, and other
convenience features.Before Driving
What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
Driving
The proper way to start the engine,
shift the transmission, and park; plus
what you need to know if you're
planning to tow a trailer.
Maintenance
The Maintenance Minder
™shows
you when you need to take your
vehicle to the dealer for maintenance
service. There is also a list of things
to check and instructions on how to
check them.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience, and
details how to handle them. Technical Information
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities,
and technical information.
Warranty and Client Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
A summary of the warranties
covering your new vehicle, and how
to contact us for any reason. Refer to
your warranty manual for detailed
information.
Index
Service Information Summary
A summary of the information you
need when you pull up to the fuel
pump.Overview of Contents210/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

This section gives you important
information about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It shows
you how to use seat belts. It explains
how your airbags work. And it tells you
how to properly restrain infants and
children in your vehicle.
Important Safety Precautions
..............
6
Your Vehicle's Safety Features
............
8
Seat Belts
.....................................
9
Airbags
.......................................
10
Protecting Adults and Teens
.............
12
1. Close and Lock the Doors
..........
12
2. Adjust the Front Seats
...............
14
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs
................
15
4. Adjust the Head Restraints
.........
15
5. Fasten and Position the Seat Belts
...................................
16
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting Position
...............................
18
Advice for Pregnant Women
..........
19
Additional Safety Precautions
........
20
Additional Information About Your Seat Belts
...............................
21
Seat Belt System Components
.......
21 Lap/Shoulder Belt
........................
22
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
.....
23
Seat Belt e-pretensioners
...............
24
Seat Belt Maintenance
..................
25
Additional Information About Your
Airbags
...................................
26
Airbag System Components
..........
26
How Your Front Airbags Work
......
29
How Your Side Airbags Work
........
32
How Your Side Curtain Airbags Work
......................................
34
How the SRS Indicator Works
.......
35
How the Side Airbag Off Indicator Works
.....................................
35
How the Passenger Airbag Off Indicator Works
.......................
36
Airbag Service
.............................
37
Additional Safety Precautions
........
38
Protecting Children －General
Guidelines
..............................
39
All Children Must Be Restrained
...............................
39
All Children Should Sit in a Back Seat
........................................
40
The Passenger's Front Airbag Can Pose Serious Risks
...................
40 If You Must Drive with Several
Children
..................................
42
If a Child Requires Close Attention
.................................
42
Additional Safety Precautions
........
43
Protecting Infants and Small Children
.................................
44
Protecting Infants
.........................
44
Protecting Small Children
.............
45
Selecting a Child Seat
......................
47
Installing a Child Seat
......................
48
Installing a Child Seat with LATCH
...................................
49
Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/
Shoulder Belt
...........................
52
Installing a Child Seat with a Tether
.....................................
53
Protecting Larger Children
...............
56
Checking Seat Belt Fit
..................
56
Using a Booster Seat
....................
57
When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
.......................................
58
Additional Safety Precautions
........
59
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
................
60
Safety Labels
..................................
61
Driver and Passenger Safety
5
Driver and Passenger Safety
10/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator
This indicator normally comes on for
a few seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
This indicator has two functions:
1. If it comes on while driving, it indicates that one or more of your
vehicle's tires are significantly low
on pressure.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE ’’message on the multi-
information display (see page 87).
Check the tire pressure monitor on
the multi-information display and
determine the cause (see page 450). If this happens, pull to the side of the
road when it is safe, check which tire
has lost pressure on the multi-
information display, and determine
the cause. If it is because of a flat tire,
have the flat tire repaired as soon as
possible. If two or more tires are
underinflated, call a professional
towing service. For more
information, see page 566.
2. If this indicator begins to flash,
there is a problem with the tire
pressure monitoring system
(TPMS). You will also see a
‘‘CHECK TPMS SYSTEM ’’
message on the multi-information
display. The indicator continues to
flash for a while (approximately 1
minute), then stays on. If this
happens, have your dealer check
the system as soon as possible.
For more information, see page
452.
A/T Temperature
Indicator
This indicator monitors the
temperature of the automatic
transmission fluid. It should come on
for a few seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it comes on while driving,
it means the transmission fluid
temperature is too high. Pull to the
side of the road when it is safe, shift
to Park, and let the engine idle until
the indicator goes out.
You will also see an ‘‘A/T TEMP
HIGH ’’message on the multi-
information display (see page 87).
Continuing to drive with the A/T
temperature indicator on may cause
serious damage to the transmission.
Instrument Panel Indicators7010/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

Radio Data System (RDS)
On the FM band, you can select a
favorite station and display the
program service name according to
the information provided by the radio
data system (RDS) if the station has
the RDS information available.RDS INFO DisplayThe RDS INFO display function
shows the name of the station you
are listening to. With the audio
system on and the FM band selected,
you can turn this function on or off.
To switch the RDS INFO display
function on and off, press and release
the TITLE button. With the system
on, you will see the‘‘RDS INFO ON ’’
message on the audio display. If the
station you are listening to is an RDS
station, the displayed frequency
switches to the station name. If the station you are listening to is
not an RDS station, the navigation
screen and the audio display
continue to show the frequency.
When you turn off this function by
pressing the TITLE button, the audio
display shows
‘‘RDS INFO OFF. ’’
NOTE: If the station you are listening
to is an RDS station, the audio screen
will always display the RDS
information.
RDS INFO MESSAGE
Playing the AM/FM Radio (Models with navigation system)21410/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

Gracenote Music Recognition
Service (CDDB)
Music recognition technology and
related data are provided by
Gracenote
®. Gracenote is the
industry standard in music
recognition technology and related
content delivery. For more
information, please visit http://www.
gracenote.com/.
When music is recorded to the HDD
from a CD, information such as the
recording artist and track name are
retrieved from the Gracenote
Database and displayed (when
available). Gracenote may not
contain information for all albums. Gracenote is an internet-based music
recognition service that allows artist,
album, and track information from
CDs to display on the HDD.
Gracenote users are allowed 4 free
updates a year. More information
about Gracenote, its features, and
downloads are available at
www.acura.com
(in U.S.) or
www.acura.ca
(in Canada).
CD and music-related data from
Gracenote, Inc., copyright
©2000 －
2010 Gracenote. Gracenote Software, copyright
©2000
－ 2010 Gracenote. This product and
service may practice one or more of
the following U.S. Patents: ＃
5,987,525; ＃6,061,680; ＃6,154,773,
＃ 6,161,132, ＃6,230,192, ＃
6,230,207, ＃6,240,459, ＃6,330,593,
and other patents issued or pending.
Some services supplied under
license from Open Globe, Inc. for U.
S. Patent: ＃6,304,523.
Gracenote and CDDB are registered
trademarks of Gracenote. The
Gracenote logo and logotype, and the
‘‘ Powered by Gracenote ’’logo are
trademarks of Gracenote.
Playing Hard Disc Drive (HDD) Audio (Models with navigation system)27210/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

Overview
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) allows
you to maintain a set speed and keep
the vehicle ahead of you and your
vehicle at a safe distance without
having to use the accelerator pedal or
the brake pedal.
When the vehicle ahead of you slows
down or speeds up, ACC senses the
change in distance and compensates
by adjusting your vehicle speed
accordingly. The distance between
vehicles is based on your speed: the
faster you go, the longer the distance
will be; the slower you go, the
shorter it will be.If the vehicle ahead of you slows
down suddenly or another vehicle
cuts in front of your vehicle, ACC
alerts you by sounding a beeper and
displaying a message on the multi-
information display.
The ACC radar sensor in the front
grille can detect and monitor the
distance of a vehicle up to 328 feet
(100 meters) ahead of your vehicle.
For more information on the radar
sensor, see page 458.
Important Safety Precautions
As with any system, there are limits
to ACC. Inappropriate use of ACC
can result in a serious accident. Use
the brake pedal whenever necessary,
and always keep a safe distance
between your vehicle and other
vehicles.Do not use ACC under these
conditions:
●
In poor visibility.
●
In heavy traffic.
●
When you must slow down and
speed up repeatedly.
●
On winding roads.
●
When you enter a toll gate,
interchange, service area, parking
area, etc. In these areas, there is
no vehicle ahead of you, but ACC
would still try to accelerate to your
set speed.
●
In bad weather (rain, fog, snow,
etc.)
●
On a slippery road (for example a
road covered with ice or snow).
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)34610/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

Feature GuideDuring the first 90 days of
ownership, a number of messages
appears each day. These messages
help you to use and understand the
features of your vehicle.Maintenance Minder
™
These messages provide detailed
information about the service needed
for your vehicle. When a
maintenance message appears on the
multi-information display, a list of
needed maintenance items is
provided through an AcuraLink
message. These messages tell you
the exact maintenance needed,
helping you to avoid unnecessary
maintenance costs. You can use the following message
options:
●
Make an appointment from the
schedule at the dealer.
●
Reschedule the appointment with
the dealer.
●
Call your dealer for an
appointment.
●
Find the nearest dealer.
AcuraLink
®
(U.S. models only)
40410/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

Depending on the severity of the
problem, the message will let you
know if you should see your dealer
immediately or if you can wait until a
later date.
You can then use the message
options to call your dealer for an
appointment or to find the nearest
dealer.
When viewing a diagnostic info
message through the INFO menu,
you can use the Diagnostic Info
button to connect to the Acura server
and retrieve the latest information
regarding the problem.
NOTE: There may not be any
additional information, depending on
the time elapsed since the previous
time you retrieved the information
from the Acura server.Reminder Massage
When you make an appointment
through My Acura's online
Scheduling Service Appointment,
you can be reminded in advance
about that appointment through
AcuraLink.
If you need to reschedule or cancel
the appointment, see page 406.
AcuraLink
®
(U.S. models only)
41010/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

New Message Notification－
Select ON if you want to be notified
of new messages (envelope icon
appears on the navigation screen).
Select OFF if you do not want to be
notified of new messages (envelope
icon does not appear on the screen).
Messages can still be accessed using
the INFO menu. If you would like to
stop receiving messages, visit the My
Acura website at
www.owners.acura.
com
to change your messaging
preferences.
Auto Reading －Select ON to have
the system automatically read each
message to you. Select OFF to
manually select the Voice button
when you want a message read to
you. Phone-Data Connection
－Select
this option to begin the process
required to connect to Acura. This is
used to access the most recent
diagnostic information when a
problem occurs.
NOTE: For the Phone Data
Connection button to be active, you
need a
Bluetooth
®compatible and
enabled cell phone paired to the
Bluetooth
®HandsFreeLink
®(HFL).
To complete the data connection
setup, the paired phone must have a
compatible data service.
AcuraLink
®
(U.S. models only)
41210/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu

Break-in Period
Help assure your vehicle's future
reliability and performance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:●
Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
●
Avoid hard braking for the first 200
miles (300 km).
●
Do not change the oil until the
multi-information display indicates
it is needed.
●
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also follow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Fuel Recommendation
Your vehicle is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane of 91 or higher. If this
octane grade is unavailable, regular
unleaded gasoline with a pump octane
of 87 or higher may be used
temporarily. The use of regular
unleaded gasoline can cause metallic
knocking noises in the engine and
will result in decreased engine
performance. The long-term use of
regular-grade gasoline can lead to
engine damage.
We recommend quality gasolines
containing detergent additives that
help prevent fuel system and engine
deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
performance, fuel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
fuel additives such as MMT. Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely affect performance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact your
dealer for service.
Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10% ethanol by
volume and up to 15% MTBE by
volume. Do not use gasoline
containing methanol.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
For further important fuel-related
information for your vehicle, or
information on gasoline that does not
contain MMT, visit My Acura at
owners.acura.com.
In Canada, visit
www.acura.ca
for additional
information on gasoline.
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation41810/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu