ECO mode Acura MDX 2015 Owner's Manual

7Quick Reference Guide
❙Side Curtain Airbags
(P50)
❙Coat Hook
(P180)
❙Grab Handle❙Seat Belt with Detachable Anchor
(P36)
❙Accessory Power Socket
(P179)❙Side Airbags
(P48)
❙Map Lights
(P173)
❙Seat Belts
(P34)
❙Front Seat
(P161)
❙Moonroof Switch
(P140)
❙Sunglasses Holder
(P181)
❙Sun Visors❙Vanity Mirrors
❙Seat Belt to Secure a Child Seat
(P61)
❙LATCH to Secure a Child Seat
(P59)
❙Seat Belt (Installing a Child Seat)
(P61)
❙Third Row Seat
(P170)
❙Second Row Seat
(P162)
❙HDMI Jack
* () See the Navigation System Manual
❙AC Power Outlet
* (P179)
❙Cargo Area Light
(P173)
* Not available on all models

22Quick Reference Guide
The rear door cannot be
opened from inside the
vehicle. Why?
Check if the childproof lock is in the
lock position. If so, open the rear
door with the outside door handle.
To cancel this function, push the
lever to the unlock position.
Why do the doors lock
after I unlocked the doors
using a remote
transmitter?
If you do not open the doors within 30 seconds, the doors are
relocked automatically for security.
Why does the beeper
sound when I open the
driver’s door?
The beeper sounds when:●The exterior lights are left on.●The power mode is in ACCESSORY.
Why does the beeper
sound when I start driving?
The beeper sounds when:●Driver and/or front passenger are not wearing their seat belts.●The parking brake lever is not fully released.

uuSeat Belts uAbout Your Seat Belts
32Safe Driving
■Proper use of seat belts
Follow these guidelines for proper use:
• All occupants should sit upright, well back in the seat, and remain in that position
for the duration of the trip. Slouching and leaning reduce the effectiveness of the
belt and can increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.
• Never place the shoulder part of a lap/shoulder seat belt under your arm or
behind your back. This could cause very serious injuries in a crash.
• Two people should never use the same seat belt. If they do, they could be very
seriously injured in a crash.
• Do not put any accessories on the seat belts. Devices intended to improve comfort
or reposition the shoulder part of a seat belt can reduce the protective capability
and increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.
Your vehicle monitors front seat belt use. If
the power mode is set to ON before the
driver’s seat belt is fastened, the beeper will
sound and the indicator will blink. If the driver
does not fasten the belt before the beeper
stops, the indicator will remain on.
The beeper will also periodically sound and
the indicator will blink while driving until the
driver’s and front passenger’s seat belts are
fastened.■
Seat Belt Reminder
1About Your Seat Belts
If a rear seat passenger moves around and extends
the seat belt, the lockable retractor may activate. If
this happens, release the retractor by unfastening the
seat belt and allow the belt to retract completely.
Then refasten the belt.1 Seat Belt Reminder
The indicator will also come on if a front passenger
does not fasten their seat be lt within six seconds after
the power mode is set to ON.
When no one is sitting in the front passenger’s seat,
the indicator will not come on and the beeper will not
sound.
The indicator also may not come on and the beeper
may not sound when the occupant is not heavy
enough to trigger the weight sensor. Such occupants
(e.g., infants and smaller children) should be moved
to the rear seat as a depl oying front airbag likely will
injure or kill them. 2 Protecting Child Passengers P. 54

40
uuAirbags uAirbag System Components
Safe Driving
The front, driver’s knee, front side, and side
curtain airbags are deployed according to
the direction and severity of impact. Both
side curtain airbags are deployed in a
rollover. The airbag system includes:aTwo SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
front airbags. The driver’s airbag is stored
in the center of the steering wheel; the
front passenger’s airbag is stored in the
dashboard. Both are marked SRS
AIRBAG.bDriver’s knee airbag. The knee airbag is
stored under the steering column. It is
marked SRS AIRBAG .cTwo side airbags, one for the driver and
one for a front passenger. The airbags are
stored in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG.dTwo side curtain airbags, one for each
side of the vehicle. The airbags are stored
in the ceiling, above the side windows.
The front and rear pillars are marked
SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG .
eAn electronic control unit that continually
monitors and can record information
about the sensors, the airbag activators,
the seat belt tensioners, and driver and
front passenger seat belt use when the
power mode is in ON.fAutomatic front seat belt tensioners. The
driver’s and front passenger’s seat belts
incorporate sensors that detect whether
or not they are fastened.
The front seat belt tensioners also include
the e-pretensioners.gA driver’s seat position sensor. If the seat
is too far forward, the airbag will inflate
with less force.hWeight sensors in the front passenger’s
seat. The front passenger’s airbag will be
turned off if the weight on the seat is 65
lbs (29 kg) or less (the weight of an infant
or small child).Models with CMBS
TM
iImpact sensors that can detect a
moderate-to-severe front or side impact.jAn indicator on the dashboard that alerts
you that the front passenger’s front
airbag has been turned off.kAn indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you to a possible problem with your
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.lSafing SensormA rollover sensor that detects whether
the vehicle is about to roll over.

Continued
43
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe Driving
Front airbags are designed to inflate during moderate-to-severe frontal collisions.
When the vehicle decelerates suddenly, the sensors send information to the control
unit which signals one or both front airbags to inflate.
A frontal collision can be either head-on or angled between two vehicles, or when a
vehicle crashes into a stationary object, such as a concrete wall.
While your seat belt restrains your torso, the
front airbag provides supplemental protection
for your head and chest.
The front airbags deflate immediately so that
they won’t interfere with the driver’s visibility
or the ability to steer or operate other
controls.
The total time for inflation and deflation is so fast that most occupants are not
aware that the airbags deployed until they see them lying in front of them.■
Operation
■
How the Front Airbags Work
1 How the Front Airbags Work
Although the driver’s and front passenger’s airbags
normally inflate within a split second of each other, it
is possible for only one airbag to deploy. This can
happen if the severity of a collision is at the margin,
or threshold that determines whether or not the
airbags will deploy. In such cases, the seat belt will
provide sufficient protection, and the supplemental
protection offered by the airbag would be minimal.

Continued
51
uuAirbags uAirbag System Indicators
Safe Driving
■When side curtain airbags deploy in a frontal collision
One or both side curtain airbags may inflate in a moderate to severe angled frontal
collision.
In this case, the side curtain airbags will deploy slightly after the front airbags.Airbag System IndicatorsIf a problem occurs in the airbag system, the SRS indicator will come on and a
message appears on the MID.
■When the power mode is set to ON
The indicator comes on for a few seconds,
then goes off. This tells you the system is
working properly.
If the indicator comes on at any other time, or
does not come on at all, have the system
checked by a dealer as soon as possible. If you
don’t, your airbags and seat belt tensioners
may not work properly when they are needed.
■
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Indicator
1 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Indicator
3
WARNING
Ignoring the SRS indicator can result in
serious injury or death if the airbag systems
or tensioners do not work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a dealer as
soon as possible if the SRS indicator alerts
you to a possible problem.

53
uuAirbags uAirbag Care
Safe Driving
Airbag CareYou do not need to, and should not, perform any maintenance on or replace any
airbag system components yourself. However, you should have your vehicle
inspected by a dealer in the following situations:■When the airbags have deployed
If an airbag has inflated, the control unit and other related parts must be replaced.
Similarly, once an automatic seat belt tensioner has been activated, it must be
replaced.■When the vehicle has been in a moderate-to-severe collision
Even if the airbags did not inflate, have your dealer inspect the following: the driver’s
seat position sensor, weight sensors in the passenger’s seat, front seat belt
tensioners, and each seat belt that was worn during the crash.■Do not remove or modify a front seat without consulting a dealer
This would likely disable the driver’s seat position sensor or the weight sensors in the
passenger’s seat. If it is necessary to remove or modify a front seat to accommodate
a person with disabilities, contact an Acura dealer. For U.S. vehicles, Acura Client
Relations at 800-382-2238 and for Canadian vehicles, Acura Client Services at 1-
888-9-ACURA-9.
1 Airbag Care
We recommend against the use of salvaged airbag
system components, including the airbag, tensioners,
sensors, and control unit.

67Safe Driving
Safety LabelsLabel LocationsThese labels are in the locations shown. They warn you of potential hazards that can cause serious injury or death. Read these labels
carefully.
If a label comes off or becomes hard to read (except for the U.S. dashboard label which may be removed by the owner), contact a dealer
for a replacement.
Sun Visor
U.S. models Canadian models
Radiator Cap U.S. models
U.S. models only
Dashboard
Canadian modelsDoorjambs
U.S. models only
Sun Visor

70Instrument Panel
IndicatorsIndicator
Name
On/Blinking
Explanation
Message
Parking Brake
and Brake
System Indicator
(Red)
●Comes on for a few seconds when
you set the power mode to ON,
then goes off if the parking brake
has been released.●Comes on when the parking brake
is applied, and goes off when it is
released.●Comes on when the brake fluid
level is low.●Comes on if there is a problem with
the brake system.●The beeper sounds and the
indicator comes on if you drive with
the parking brake not fully released.
●Comes on while driving - Make sure the
parking brake is released. Check the brake
fluid level.
2 What to do when the indicator comes
on while driving P. 472
●Comes on along with the ABS indicator
- Have your vehicle checked by a dealer.
2 If the Brake System Indicator (Red)
Comes On P. 472
Brake System
Indicator
(Amber)
●Comes on for a few seconds when
you set the power mode to ON,
then goes off.●Comes on if there is a problem with
a system related to braking other
than the conventional brake
system.
●Comes on while driving - Have your
vehicle checked by a dealer.●With this indicator on, your vehicle still has
normal braking ability.
U.S.Canada(Red)U.S.Canada(Amber)
U.S.Canada

71
uuIndicators u
Continued
Instrument Panel
Indicator
Name
On/Blinking
Explanation
Message
Low Oil Pressure
Indicator
●Comes on when you set the power
mode to ON, and goes off when
the engine starts.●Comes on when the engine oil
pressure is low.
●Comes on while driving - Immediately
stop in a safe place.
2 If the Low Oil Pressure Indicator
Comes On P. 470
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
●Comes on when you set the power
mode to ON, and goes off either
when the engine starts or after
several seconds if the engine did
not start. If “readiness codes” have
not been set, it blinks five times
before it goes off.●Comes on if there is a problem with
the emissions control systems.●Blinks when a misfire in the
engine’s cylinders is detected.
●Readiness codes are part of the on board
diagnostics for the emissions control
systems.
2Testing of Readiness Codes P. 489
●Comes on while driving - Have your
vehicle checked by a dealer.●Blinks while driving - Stop in a safe place
where there are no flammable objects.
Stop the engine for 10 minutes or more,
and wait for it to cool down. Then, take
your vehicle to a dealer.
2 If the Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Comes On or Blinks P. 471
Charging System
Indicator
●Comes on when you set the power
mode to ON, and goes off when
the engine starts.●Comes on when the battery is not
charging.
●Comes on while driving - Turn off the
climate control system and rear defogger in
order to reduce electricity consumption.
2 If the Charging System Indicator
Comes On P. 470