climate control Acura MDX 2012 Owner's Guide

The tires on your vehicle meet all U.
S. Federal Safety Requirements. All
tires are also graded for treadwear,
traction, and temperature
performance according to
Department of Transportation (DOT)
standards. The following explains
these gradings.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A
All passenger car tires must conform
to Federal Safety Requirements in
addition to these grades.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the wear
rate of the tire when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified
government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and one-half (1 1/2) times
as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.Traction
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire's ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
CONTINUED
DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
581
Technical Information

The burning of gasoline in your
vehicle's engine produces several
byproducts. Some of these are
carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of
nitrogen (NOx), and hydrocarbons
(HC). Gasoline evaporating from the
tank also produces hydrocarbons.
Controlling the production of NOx,
CO, and HC is important to the
environment. Under certain
conditions of sunlight and climate,
NOx and HC react to form
photochemical‘‘smog.’’Carbon
monoxide does not contribute to
smog creation, but it is a poisonous
gas.The Clean Air Act
The United States Clean Air Act
ᤳ
sets standards for automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
work and what to do to maintain
them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.
Scheduled maintenance is on page
514.ᤳ
In Canada, Acura vehicles comply
with the Canadian emission
requirements, as specified in an
agreement with Environment
Canada, at the time they are
manufactured.Crankcase Emissions Control
System
Your vehicle has a positive crankcase
ventilation system. This keeps
gasses that build up in the engine's
crankcase from going into the
atmosphere. The positive crankcase
ventilation valve routes them from
the crankcase back to the intake
manifold. They are then drawn into
the engine and burned.
Evaporative Emissions Control
System
As gasoline evaporates in the fuel
tank, an evaporative emissions
control canister filled with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is off. After
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine
and burned during driving.
CONTINUED
Emissions Controls
587
Technical Information

A
Accessories and
Modifications
..........................
431
ACCESSORY (Ignition Key
Position)
.................................
139
Accessory Power Sockets
..........
177
AC Power Outlet
........................
178
Active Damper System
...............
484
Active Head Restraints
...............
152
AcuraLink
®(U.S. models
only)
.......................................
402
Adaptive Cruise Control
(ACC)
.....................................
348
Additives, Engine Oil
.................
518
Adjusting the Steering Wheel
....
134
Advanced Airbags
........................
31
Airbag (SRS)
..........................
10, 27
Air Conditioning System
............
182
Rear A/C Control
....................
187
Air Outlets (Vents)
.....................
189
Air Pressure, Tires
..............
540, 541
Alcohol in Gasoline
....................
422
Antifreeze
...................................
520Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
Indicator
............................
70, 462
Operation
................................
461
Anti-theft, Audio System
.............
308
Anti-theft Steering Column
Lock
.......................................
139
Audio System
......................
192, 212
Automatic Climate Control
.........
183
Automatic Lighting Off
Feature
...................................
131
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners...
23
Automatic Speed Control
...........
345
Automatic Transmission
............
443
Capacity, Fluid
........................
578
Checking Fluid Level
..............
523
Driving with the Paddle
Shifters
................................
447
Shifting
...................................
444
Shift Lever Position
Indicators
............................
443
Shift Lever Positions
...............
444
Shift Lock Release
...................
446
Auxiliary Input Jack
...................
307B
Battery
Charging System
Indicator
........................
69, 562
Jump Starting
..........................
558
Maintenance
...........................
547
Specifications
..........................
579
Before Driving
...........................
421
Belts, Seat
................................
9, 21
Beverage Holders
......................
174
Blind Spot Information System
(BSI)
......................................
476
Bluetooth
®Audio
.......................
298
Bluetooth
®HandsFreeLink
®
(Models with navigation
system)
...............................
383
Bluetooth
®HandsFreeLink
®
(Models without navigation
system)
...............................
365
Booster Seats
...............................
58
CONTINUED
Index
I
INDEX

Brakes
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
...........
461
Break-in, New Linings
.............
422
Fluid
.......................................
525
Parking
...................................
164
System Design
........................
461
System Indicator
...............
69, 564
Wear Indicators
.......................
461
Braking System
..........................
460
Break-in, New Vehicle
................
422
Brightness Control,
Instruments
............................
133
Bulb Replacement
Back-up Lights
................
531, 532
Front Parking Lights
...............
529
Front Side Marker Lights
........
529
Headlights
..............................
527
High-mount Brake Light
.........
533
Rear Bulbs
..............................
531
Rear License Plate Lights
........
533
Specifications
..........................
579
Taillights
.................................
531
Bulbs, Halogen
..........................
527C
Capacities Chart
.........................
578
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
............
61
Cargo
.........................................
433
Cargo Hooks
..............................
437
Cargo, How to Carry
..................
433
Carrying Cargo
..........................
433
CAUTION, Explanation of
.............
iv
CD Care
.....................................
247
CD Error Messages
...................
246
CD Player
..................................
235
Certification Label
......................
576
Chains, Tires
..............................
546
Changing a Flat Tire
..................
551
Changing Oil
How to
....................................
518
When to
..................................
507
Charging System
Indicator
...........................
69, 562
Checklist, Before Driving
...........
441
Childproof Door Locks
...............
141
Child Safety
..................................
40
Booster Seats
...........................
58
Child Seats
....................
45, 46, 48Important Safety Reminders
.....
44
Infants
......................................
45
Larger Children
.......................
57
LATCH
.....................................
50
Risks with Airbags
...................
41
Small Children
.........................
46
Tethers
....................................
54
Warning Labels
........................
42
Where Should a Child Sit?
........
41
Child Seats
.............................
40, 48
LATCH Anchorage Points
........
50
Tether Anchorage Points
.........
54
Cleaning the Seat Belts
..............
534
Client Service Information
..........
594
Climate Control System
.............
182
Clock
..........................................
309
Code, Audio System
...................
308
CO in the Exhaust
................
61, 587
Cold Weather, Starting in
...........
442
Collision Mitigation Braking
System™(CMBS™)
...............
463
Compact Spare Tire
....................
550
Compass Operation
....................
342
Console Compartment
...............
175
Consumer Information
...............
594
Controls, Instruments and
............
65
IndexII