ignition Acura MDX 2012 Owner's Guide

Headlight Auto Off TimerThe headlights, parking lights, side
marker lights, taillights, and license
plate lights go off after the selected
time when you remove the key from
the ignition switch and close the
driver's door. To change how long
the lights stay on before they go off,
follow these instructions:
You can choose this customizable
item from‘‘LIGHTING SETUP’’by
pressing the INFO (
/
) button
repeatedly.
Press the SEL/RESET button to see
the selections.
Select the desired setting by
pressing the INFO (
/
) button,
then enter your selection by pressing
the SEL/RESET button.
Multi-Information Display112

When your selection is successfully
completed, the display changes as
shown above, and then goes back to
the customize item screen.
If the‘‘SETTING INCOMPLETE’’
message appears, go back to‘‘AUTO
DOOR LOCK’’and repeat the
procedure again.
Auto Door UnlockThere are three settings you can
choose from:
SHIFT TO P－The driver's door or
all the doors, depending on the door
lock mode setting (see page 116),
unlock when you move the shift lever
to Park with the brake pedal
depressed.
IGN OFF－The driver's door or all
the doors, depending on the door
lock mode setting (see page 116),
unlock when you turn the ignition
switch to the LOCK (0) position.
OFF－The auto door unlock is
deactivated all the time. This is the
factory default setting.
You can choose this customizable
item from‘‘DOOR/WINDOW
SETUP’’by pressing the INFO (
/
) button repeatedly.
CONTINUED
Multi-Information Display
117
Instruments and Controls

Headlight Washers
(On Canadian models)The headlight washers can be
operated at any time by pressing the
headlight washer button located next
to the steering wheel column. The
headlights must be turned on to use
this button. In addition, the headlight
washer operates without pressing the
button the first time you turn on the
windshield washers with the ignition
switch in the ON (II) position.The headlight washers use the same
fluid reservoir as the windshield
washers.Rear Window Wiper and Washer
1. Rotate the switch clockwise to turn
the rear window wiper ON.
2. Hold past ON to turn the rear
window wiper on and to spray the
rear window washer.
CONTINUED
Windshield Wipers and Washers
127
Instruments and Controls

3. When you turn the wiper switch to
the‘‘OFF’’position, the wiper will
return to its parked position.
4. Rotate the switch
counterclockwise to spray the
window washer.
When you shift the transmission to
the reverse position with the front
windshield wipers activated, the
rear window wiper operates
automatically.
When the wiper control lever
position is INT, the rear wiper
operates intermittently. When it is
LO or HI, the rear wiper operates
continuously.
The rear window washer uses the
same fluid reservoir as the
windshield washer.Turn Signal and Headlights
1. Turn signal
2. Off
3. Parking and indicator lights
4. AUTO
5. Headlights on
6. High beams
7. Flash high beams
8. Fog lights off
9. Fog lights onTurn Signal－Push down on the
lever to signal a left turn and up to
signal a right turn. To signal a lane
change, push lightly on the lever,
and hold it. The lever will return to
center when you release it or
complete a turn.
Headlights On－Turning the
switch to the‘‘
’’position turns on
the parking lights, taillights,
instrument panel lights, side-marker
lights, and rear license plate lights.
Turning the switch to the‘‘
’’
position turns on the headlights. If
you leave the lights on with the key
removed from the ignition switch,
you will hear a reminder chime when
you open the driver's door.
Windshield Wipers and Washers, Turn Signal and Headlights128

When the light switch is in either of
these positions, the lights on
indicator comes on as a reminder.
This indicator stays on if you leave
the lights on and turn the ignition
switch to the ACCESSORY (I) or
LOCK (0) position.
High Beams－To switch from low
beams to high beams, push the left
lever forward until you hear a click.
The blue high beam indicator will
come on (see page 74). Pull it back to
return to low beams. To flash the
high beams, pull the lever back
lightly, then release it. The high
beams stay on as long as you hold
the lever back.AUTO－The automatic lighting
feature turns on the headlights and
all other exterior lights, when it
senses low ambient light.
To turn on automatic lighting, turn
the light switch to AUTO at any time.
The lights will come on automatically
when the outside light level becomes
low (at dusk, for example). The
lights on indicator comes on as a
reminder. The lights and indicator
will turn off automatically when the
system senses high ambient light.
The lights will remain on when you
turn off the ignition switch. They will
turn off automatically when you
remove the key and open the driver's
door. To turn them on again, either
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position or turn the light switch
to the
position.Even with the automatic lighting
feature turned on, we recommend
that you turn on the lights manually
when driving at night or in a dense
fog, or when you enter dark areas
such as long tunnels or parking
facilities.
To change the‘‘AUTO LIGHT
SENSITIVITY’’setting, see page 113.
Do not leave the light switch in
AUTO if you will not be driving the
vehicle for an extended period (a
week or more). You should also turn
off the lights if you plan to leave the
engine idling or off for a long time.
CONTINUED
Turn Signal and Headlights
129
Instruments and Controls

The automatic lighting feature is
controlled by a sensor located on top
of the dashboard. Do not cover this
sensor or spill liquids on it.Fog Lights
Turn the fog lights on and off by
turning the switch next to the
headlight switch.
You can use the fog lights only when
the headlights are on low beam.
With the light switch in the AUTO
position, you can also use the fog
lights when the headlights turn on
automatically. They will go off when
the headlights turn off.Daytime Running Lights
With the headlight switch off, the
daytime running lights come on
when you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position and release the
parking brake. They remain on until
you turn the ignition switch off, even
if you set the parking brake.
When the headlights are on, the
daytime running lights are off.
LIGHT SENSOR
Turn Signal and Headlights130

If you see a‘‘CHECK DRL SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-information
display, there is a problem with the
daytime running light system. Take
your vehicle to a dealer to have it
checked.
When the multi-information display
shows a‘‘DRL OFF’’message, the
daytime running lights are off.
Follow the procedure in the left
column to turn them on.Automatic Lighting Off Feature
This feature turns off the headlights,
all other exterior lights, and the
instrument panel lights within 15
seconds after you remove the key
and close the driver's door.
To change the‘‘HEADLIGHT AUTO
OFF TIMER’’setting, see page 112.
The automatic lighting off feature
activates if you leave the headlight
switch in the‘‘
’’or‘‘
’’
position or if the lights are turned on
by setting the switch in the‘‘AUTO’’
position, and you remove the key,
then open and close the driver's
door.If you turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position with the headlight
switch on, but do not open the door
the lights turn off after 10 minutes (3
minutes, if the switch is in the
‘‘AUTO’’position).
The lights turn on again when you
unlock or open the driver's door.
If you unlock the door, but do not
open it within 15 seconds, the lights
go off. With the driver's door open,
you will hear a lights-on reminder
chime.
Turn Signal and Headlights
131
Instruments and Controls

Hazard Warning ButtonPush the button between the center
vents to turn on the hazard warning
lights (four-way flashers). This
causes all four outside turn signals
and both indicators in the instrument
panel to flash. Use the hazard
warning lights if you need to park in
a dangerous area near heavy traffic,
or if your vehicle is disabled.Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger will clear
fog, frost, and thin ice from the
window. Push the defogger button to
turn it on and off. The indicator in the
button lights to show the defogger is
on. If you do not turn it off, the
defogger will shut itself off after
about 15 minutes. It also shuts off
when you turn off the ignition. You
have to turn it on again when you
restart the vehicle.Make sure the rear window is clear
and you have good visibility before
starting to drive.
The defogger wires on the inside of
the rear window can be accidentally
damaged. When cleaning the glass,
always wipe side-to-side.
Pushing this button also turns the
mirror heaters on or off. For more
information, see page 167.
Hazard Warning Button, Rear Window Defogger132

When you remove the key from the
ignition switch, the steering wheel
automatically moves fully in and up.
To change the‘‘AUTO TILT &
TELESCOPE STEERING WHEEL’’
setting, see page 109.
The steering wheel then returns to
its original position when you insert
the key back in the ignition switch.
Steering wheel movement is also
controlled by the driving position
memory system (see page 168).If your vehicle's battery is
disconnected or goes dead, or the
fuse for the power tilt and telescopic
steering wheel is removed, the
power tilt and telescopic steering
wheel system needs to be reset when
you reconnect the battery or install
the fuse.
Insert the key into the ignition
switch, and remove it. The steering
wheel automatically moves fully in
and up to let you know the system is
reset.
Steering Wheel Adjustments
135
Instruments and Controls

The master key fits all the locks on
your vehicle. The valet key works
only in the ignition and the driver's
door lock. You can keep the glove
box locked when you leave your
vehicle and the valet key at a parking
facility.You should have received a key
number tag with your keys. You will
need this key number if you ever
have to get a lost key replaced. Use
only Acura-approved key blanks.These keys contain electronic
circuits that are activated by the
immobilizer system. They will not
work to start the engine if the circuits
are damaged.
●
Protect the keys from direct
sunlight, high temperature, and
high humidity.
●
Do not drop the keys or set heavy
objects on them.
●
Keep the keys away from liquids.
If they get wet, dry them
immediately with a soft cloth.
The valet key does not contain a
battery. Do not try to take it apart.
KEY
NUMBER
TAGMASTER KEY
WITH REMOTE
TRANSMITTERVALET KEY
(Light Gray)Keys and Locks136