ECU Acura MDX 2018 Workshop Manual

446
Driving
Before Driving
Driving Preparation
Check the following items before you start driving.
• Make sure there are no obstructions on th e windows, door mirrors, exterior
lights, or other parts of the vehicle.
u Remove any frost, snow, or ice.
u Remove any snow on the roof, as this can slip down and obstruct your field of
vision while driving. If frozen solid , remove ice once it has softened.
u When removing ice from around the wheel s, be sure not to damage the wheel
or wheel components.
• Make sure the hood is securely closed.
u If the hood opens while driving, your front view will be blocked.
• Make sure the tires are in good condition.
u Check air pressure, and check for damage and excessive wear.
2 Checking and Maintaining Tires P. 602
•Make sure there are no people or ob jects behind or around the vehicle.
u There are blind spots from the inside.
■Exterior Checks1Exterior Checks
NOTICE
When doors are frozen s hut, use warm water around
the door edges to melt any ice. Do not try to force
them open, as this can damage the rubber trim
around the doors. When done, wipe dry to avoid
further freezing.
Do not pour warm water into the key cylinder.
You will be unable to insert the key if the water
freezes in the hole.
Heat from the engine and exhaust can ignite
flammable material s left under the hood, causing a
fire. If you’ve parked y our vehicle for an extended
period, inspect and remove any debris that may have
collected, such as dried grass and leaves that have
fallen or have been carried in for use as a nest by a
small animal. Also check under the hood for leftover
flammable materials after you or someone else has
performed maintenance on your vehicle.
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Continued447
uuBefore Driving uDriving Preparation
Driving
• Store or secure all items on board properly.
u Carrying too much cargo, or improperly storing it, can affect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, sto pping distance, and tires, and make it unsafe.
2Maximum Load Limit P. 449
•Do not pile items higher than the seat height.
u They can block your view and may be thrown forward in the event of sudden
braking.
• Do not place anything in the front seat footwells. Make sure to secure the floor
mat.
u An object or unsecured floor mat can in terfere with your brake and accelerator
pedal operation while driving.
• If you have any animals on board, do not let them move around in the vehicle.
u They may interfere with driv ing and a crash could occur.
• Securely close and lock al l doors and the tailgate.
2Locking/Unlocking the Doors from the Inside P. 151
•Adjust your seating position properly.
u Adjust the head restraint, too.
2Adjusting the Seats P. 192
2 Adjusting the Front and Second Row Outer Head Restraint Positions P. 198
•Adjust the mirrors and steering wh eel properly for your driving.
u Adjust them while sitting in the proper driving position.
2 Adjusting the Steering Wheel P. 188
2 Adjusting the Mirrors P. 189
■Interior Checks1Interior Checks
The headlight aim is set by the factory, and does not
need to be adjusted. Howeve r, if you regularly carry
heavy items in the cargo area or tow a trailer, have
the aiming readjusted at a dealer or by a qualified
technician.
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461
uuTowing a Trailer uDriving Safely with a Trailer
Continued
Driving
Driving Safely with a Trailer
• Have the trailer properly servic ed and keep it in good condition.
• Make sure that all the weights and load in the vehicle and trailer are within limits.
2Towing Load Limits P. 452
•When towing more than 3,500 lbs (1,590 kg), use of gasoline with a pump
octane number of 91 or higher is recommended.
u Towing performance can be affected by high altitude, high temperature, or
steep uphill.
• Securely attach the hitch, safety chains, and other necessary parts to the trailer.
• Securely store all the items in and on the tra iler so that they do not shift while
driving.
• Check if the lights and brakes on the trailer are working properly.
• Check the pressures of the traile r tires, including the spare.
• Turn off Auto Idle Stop sy stem using Auto Idle Stop OFF button. The trailer
weight can affect your vehicle’s brake effectiveness if Auto Idle Stop is activated
on a hill while towing a trailer.
• Drive slower than normal.
• Obey posted speed limits fo r vehicles with trailers.
• Use the
(D position when towing a trailer on level roads.
■Things You Need To Know Before Towing a Trailer
■Towing Speeds and Gears
1Driving Safely with a Trailer
Parking
In addition to the normal precautions, place wheel
chocks at each of the trailer’s tires.
Models with Auto Idle Stop
1Towing Speeds and Gears
When towing a fixed-sided trailer (e.g., camper), do
not exceed 55 mph (88 km/h).
At higher speeds, the trai ler may sway or affect
vehicle handling.
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uuWhen Driving uStarting the Engine
468
Driving
■To stop the engine
Press and hold the button
for one second.
Go within the range,
and try again.
Amber LED: Blinks when any
button is pressed. Red LED:
●Comes on for one second to let you
know that the engine has stopped.
●Blinks when the remote is out of
the keyless access system range.
The engine will not stop.
1
Remote Engine Start with Vehicle Feedback*
•Another registered keyless access remote is in the
vehicle.
•There is any antenna failure.
•Door is unlocked with the built-in key.
•The engine oil pressure is low.•The engine coolant temper ature is extremely high.
•The telematics unit malfunctions.
•The security system alarm is not set.
Before starting the engine, make sure to check the
door lock status using the remote. When you press
the button, wait for the green LED to blink. If
the red LED turns on, the doors and tailgate did not
lock, and the engine does not start.
While the engine is running, the vehicle will
automatically preconditi on inside the vehicle.
When it is warm outside:
•The air conditioning is acti vated in recirculation
mode.
•The seat ventilation is activated*.
When it is cold outside:
•The defroster is activated at a moderately warm
temperature.
•The rear defogger and door mirror heaters are
activated.
•The seat heaters and heated steering wheel are
activated*.
2 Heated Steering Wheel* P. 216
2 Front Seat Heaters and Seat
Ventilation
* P. 217, 218
* Not available on all models
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528
Driving
Braking
Brake System
Use the parking brake to keep the vehicle stationary when parked. When the
parking brake is applied, you can manually or automatically release it.
■To apply
The electric parking brake can be applied any
time the vehicle has battery, no matter which
power mode the vehicle is in.
Press the electric parking brake switch gently
and securely. u The electric parking brake indicator
comes on.
■Parking Brake1Parking Brake
You may hear the electric parking brake system
motor operating from the re ar wheel area when you
apply or release the parki ng brake, or set the power
mode to OFF. This is normal.
The brake pedal may slightly move due to the electric
parking brake system opera tion when you apply or
release the parking br ake. This is normal.
You cannot apply or release the parking brake if the
battery goes dead. 2 Jump Starting P. 649
If you press and hold the electric parking brake
switch while driving the brakes on all four
wheels are applied (by the VSA ® system) until
the vehicle come to a stop (at which point the
electric parking brake is applied) or the switch is
released.
Electric Parking
Brake Switch
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Continued529
uuBraking uBrake System
Driving
■To release
The power mode must be in the ON position
to release the electric parking brake.
1. Depress the brake pedal fully.
2. Pull the electric parking brake switch up
gently and securely.
u The electric parking brake indicator goes
off.
Manually releasing the parking brake using
the switch helps your vehicle start slowly and
smoothly when facing downhill on steep hills.1 Parking Brake
In the following situations, the parking brake
automatically operates.
•When the vehicle stops more than 10 minutes
while ACC with LSF is activated.
•When the driver’s seat belt is unfastened while
your vehicle is stopped au tomatically by ACC with
LSF.
•When the engine is turned off while ACC with LSF
is activated.
•When the vehicle stops with the automatic brake
hold system activated for more than 10 minutes.
•When the driver’s seat belt is unfastened while
your vehicle is stopped and brake hold is applied.
•When the engine is turned off while brake hold
system is applied.
•When there is a problem with the Brake Hold
System.
Electric Parking
Brake Switch
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582
uuMaintenance Under the Hood uOpening the Hood
Maintenance
Opening the Hood
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface, and set
the parking brake.
2. Pull the hood release handle under the
driver’s side lower co rner of the dashboard.
u The hood will pop up slightly.
3. Push the hood latch lever (located under
the front edge of the hood to the center) to
the side and raise the hood.
Once you have raised the hood slightly, you
can release the lever.
4. Lift the hood up most of the way.
u The hydraulic supports will lift it up the
rest of the way and hold it up.
When closing, lower it to approximately 12
inches (30 cm), then pr ess down firmly with
your hands.1 Opening the Hood
NOTICE
Do not open the hood when the wiper arms are
raised: The hood will strike the wipers, resulting in
possible damage to the hood and/or the wipers.
Do not press the engine cover forcibly. This may
damage the engine cover and component parts.
When closing the hood, check that the hood is
securely latched.
If the hood latch lever moves stiffly, or if you can
open the hood without lifti ng the lever, the latch
mechanism should be cleaned and lubricated.
Do not open the hood while the Auto Idle Stop
function is activated.
Models with Auto Idle Stop
Hood Release Handle
Pull
Lever
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586
uuMaintenance Under the Hood uAdding Engine Oil
Maintenance
Adding Engine Oil
1. Unscrew and remove the engine oil fill cap.
2. Add oil slowly.
3. Reinstall the engine oil fill cap, and tighten
it securely.
4. Wait for three minutes and recheck the
engine oil dipstick.1Adding Engine Oil
NOTICE
Do not fill the engine oil above the upper mark.
Overfilling the engine oil can result in leaks and
engine damage.
If any oil spills, wipe it away immediately. Spilled oil
may damage the engine compartment components.
Engine Oil Fill Cap
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uuMaintenance Under the Hood uChanging the Engine Oil and Oil Filter
588
Maintenance
4. Remove the oil filter and dispose of the
remaining oil.
5. Check that the filter ga sket is not stuck to
the engine contact surface.
u If it is stuck, you must detach it.
6. Wipe away dirt and dust adhering to the
contact surface of the engine block, and
install a new oil filter.
u Apply a light coat of new engine oil to
the filter gasket.
7. Put a new washer on the drain bolt, then
reinstall the drain bolt.
u Tightening torque:
29 lbf∙ft (39 N∙m, 4.0 kgf∙m)
8. Pour the recommended engine oil into the
engine.
u Engine oil change capacity (including
filter):
5.7 US qt (5.4 L)
9. Reinstall the engine oil fill cap securely and
start the engine.
10. Run the engine for a few minutes, and
then check that there is no leak from the
drain bolt or oil filter.
11. Stop the engine, wait for three minutes,
and then check the oil level on the
dipstick.
u If necessary, add more engine oil.1Changing the Engine Oil and Oil Filter
You will need a special wrench to replace the oil
filter. You can buy this wrench from a dealer.
When installing the new oil filter, follow the
instructions supplied with the oil filter.
Reinstall the engine oil fill cap. Start the engine. The
low oil pressure indicator should go off within five
seconds. If it does not, turn off the engine, and check
your work.
Oil Filter
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619
uuCleaning uInterior Care
Maintenance
Wipe using a glass cleaner.
The front and second row passenger’s floor
mats hook over floor anchors, which keep
them from sliding forward. To remove a mat
for cleaning, turn the anchor knobs to the
unlock position. When reinstalling the mat
after cleaning, turn the knobs to the lock
position.
Do not put additional floor mats on top of
the anchored mats.
To properly clean leather:
1. Use a vacuum or soft dry cloth first to remove any dirt or dust.
2. Clean the leather with a soft cloth dampen ed with a solution comprised of 90%
water and 10% neutral soap.
3. Wipe away any soap residu e with a clean damp cloth.
4. Wipe away residual water and allo w leather to air dry in the shade.
■Cleaning the Window
■Floor Mats
1Cleaning the Window
Wires are mounted to the in side of the rear window.
Wipe along the same direct ion as the wires with a
soft cloth so as not to damage them.
Be careful not to spill flui ds, such as water or glass
cleaner, on or around the co ver of both the front
sensor camera and the rainfall/light sensor
*.
2 Automatic Operation (automatic lighting
control) P. 174
2 Automatic Intermittent Wipers
* P. 181
2 Front Sensor Camera P. 487
1Floor Mats
If you use any floor mats that were not originally
provided with your vehicle, make sure they are
designed for your specific ve hicle, fit correctly, and
are securely anchored by the floor anchors.
Position the rear seat floor mat properly. If they are
not properly positioned, th e floor mat can interfere
with the front seat functions.
Lock
Unlock
■Maintaining Genuine Leather1
Maintaining Genuine Leather
It is important to clean or wipe away dirt or dust as
soon as possible. Spills can soak into leather resulting
in stains. Dirt or dust ca n cause abrasions in the
leather. In addition, pl ease note that some dark
colored clothing can rub onto the leather seats
resulting in discol oration or stains.
* Not available on all models
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