service Acura MDX 2012 Owner's Manual

California Proposition 65 Warning
WARNING:This product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth
defects or other reproductive harm.Service Diagnostic Recorders
This vehicle is equipped with service-related devices that record information about powertrain performance. The data
can be used to verify emissions law requirements and/or help technicians diagnose and solve service problems. It
may also be combined with data from other sources for research purposes, but it remains confidential.California Perchlorate Contamination Prevention Act
The airbags, seat belt tensioners, and CR type batteries in this vehicle may contain perchlorate materials - special
handling may apply. See
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate/
Introduction
iii

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)
...........
65
Features(
climate control, audio, rear entertainment, steering wheel, security, cruise control, and other convenience items
)..
181
Before Driving(fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading)
.......................................................................................
421
Driving(engine and transmission operation)
...........................................................................................................
439
Maintenance(minder, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)
...........................................................
505
Taking Care of the Unexpected(flat tire, Jump starting, overheating, and fuses)
...................................................
549
Technical Information(vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls)
........................................................
575
Warranty and Client Relations (U.S. and Canada only)(warranty and contact information)
...............................
593
Index
..............................................................................................................................................................................
I
INDEX
Service Information Summary(fluid capacities and tire pressures)
...............................................................
last page
Contents
1

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 Contents2

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
.......
21Lap/Shoulder Belt
........................
22
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
.....
23
Seat Belt e-pretensioners
...............
24
Seat Belt Maintenance
..................
25
Additional Information About Your
Airbags
...................................
27
Airbag System Components
..........
27
How Your Front Airbags Work
......
30
How Your Side Airbags Work
........
33
How Your Side Curtain Airbags
Work
......................................
35
How the SRS Indicator Works
.......
36
How the Side Airbag Off Indicator
Works
.....................................
36
How the Passenger Airbag Off
Indicator Works
.......................
37
Airbag Service
.............................
38
Additional Safety Precautions
........
39
Protecting Children－General
Guidelines
..............................
40
All Children Must Be
Restrained
...............................
40
All Children Should Sit in a Back
Seat
........................................
41
The Passenger's Front Airbag Can
Pose Serious Risks
...................
41If You Must Drive with Several
Children
..................................
43
If a Child Requires Close
Attention
.................................
43
Additional Safety Precautions
........
44
Protecting Infants and Small
Children
.................................
45
Protecting Infants
.........................
45
Protecting Small Children
.............
46
Selecting a Child Seat
......................
48
Installing a Child Seat
......................
49
Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
...................................
50
Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/
Shoulder Belt
...........................
53
Installing a Child Seat with a
Tether
.....................................
54
Protecting Larger Children
...............
57
Checking Seat Belt Fit
..................
57
Using a Booster Seat
....................
58
When Can a Larger Child Sit in
Front
.......................................
59
Additional Safety Precautions
........
60
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
................
61
Safety Labels
..................................
62
Driver and Passenger Safety
5
Driver and Passenger Safety

Airbag Service
Your airbag systems are virtually
maintenance free, and there are no
parts you can safely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:●
An airbag ever inflates.
Any airbag
that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. Any
seat belt tensioner that activates
must also be replaced.
We recommend against the use of
salvaged airbag system
components, including the airbag,
tensioners, sensors, and control
unit.
Do not try to remove or replace
any airbag by yourself. This must
be done by an authorized dealer or
a knowledgeable body shop.
●
The SRS indicator alerts you to a
problem.
Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly.
●
If your vehicle has a moderate to
severe impact.
Even if your airbags
do not inflate, your dealer should
inspect the driver's seat position
sensor, the front passenger's
weight sensors, the front seat belt
tensioners, and all seat belts and
their anchors worn during a crash
to make sure they are operating
properly.
Additional Information About Your Airbags38

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 88).
Check the tire pressure monitor on
the multi-information display and
determine the cause (see page 456).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 572.
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
458.
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 88).
Continuing to drive with the A/T
temperature indicator on may cause
serious damage to the transmission.
Instrument Panel Indicators72

Depending on where you drive, you
may experience reception problems.
Interference can be caused by any of
these conditions:●
Driving on the north side of an
east/west mountain road.
●
Driving on the north side of a large
commercial truck on an east/west
road.
●
Driving in tunnels.
●
Driving on a road beside a vertical
wall, steep cliff, or hill to the south
of you.
●
Driving on the lower level of a
multi-tiered road.
●
Driving on a single lane road
alongside dense trees taller than
50 ft. (15 m) to the south of you.
●
Large items carried on a roof rack.
There may be other geographic
situations that could affect XM Radio
reception.
As required by the FCC:
Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user's
authority to operate the equipment.
This Category II radiocommunication
device complies with Industry Canada
Standard RSS-310.
Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) this device may not cause
interference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference, including
interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device.Receiving XM Radio Service
If your XM Radio service has expired
or you purchased your vehicle from a
previous owner, you can listen to a
sampling of the broadcasts available
on XM Radio. With the ignition
switch in the ACCESSORY (I) or the
ON (II) position, push the VOL/knob to turn on the audio system,
and press the
button. A
variety of music types and styles will
play.If you decide to purchase XM Radio
service, contact XM Radio at
www.
siriusxm.com,
or at 1-800-852-9696. In
Canada, contact XM CANADA
®at
www.xmradio.ca,
or at 1-877-209-0079.
You will need to give them your radio
I.D. number and your credit card
number. To get your radio I.D.
number, press the
button,
then turn the selector knob until‘‘CH
000’’appears in the display. Your I.D.
will appear in the displays.
After you've registered with XM
Radio, keep your audio system in the
XM Radio mode while you wait for
activation. This should take about 30
minutes.CONTINUED
Playing the XM
®
Radio (Models without navigation system)
201
Features

While waiting for activation, make
sure your vehicle remains in an open
area with good reception. Once your
audio system is activated,
‘‘CATEGORY’’or‘‘CHANNEL’’will
appear in the display, and you'll be
able to listen to XM Radio
broadcasts. XM Radio will continue
to send an activation signal to your
vehicle for at least 12 hours from the
activation request. If the service has
not been activated after 36 hours,
contact XM
®Radio. In Canada,
contact XM CANADA
®.
Playing the XM
®
Radio (Models without navigation system)
202

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
CONTINUED
Playing the AM/FM Radio (Models with navigation system)
217
Features

Receiving XM Radio Service
If your XM Radio service has expired
or you purchased your vehicle from a
previous owner, you can listen to a
sampling of the broadcasts available
on XM Radio. With the ignition
switch in the ACCESSORY (I) or the
ON (II) position, press thebutton. A variety of music types and
styles will play.
If you decide to purchase XM Radio
service, contact XM Radio atwww.siriusxm.com,
or at 1-800-852-
9696. In Canada, contact XM
CANADA
®www.xmradio.ca,
or at call
1-877-209-0079. You will need to give
them your radio I.D. number and
your credit card number. To get your
radio I.D. number, turn the TUNE
knob until‘‘0’’appears in the display.
Your I.D. will appear in the displays.After you have registered with XM
Radio, keep your audio system in the
XM Radio mode while you wait for
activation. This should take about 30
minutes.
While waiting for activation, make
sure your vehicle remains in an open
area with good reception. Once your
audio system is activated, CAT
(category) or CH (channel) will
appear in the audio display, and
you'll be able to listen to XM Radio
broadcasts. XM Radio will continue
to send an activation signal to your
vehicle for at least 12 hours from the
activation request. If the service has
not been activated after 36 hours,
contact XM
®Radio. In Canada,
contact XM CANADA
®.
Playing the XM
®
Radio (Models with navigation system)
234