Acura RDX 2007 Owner's Manual

Your vehicle is equipped with a
intercooler on the engine to cool the
air f low f rom a turbo charger into
the engine. The intercooler f ins bend
easily. Do not push them with your
f inger.Have your dealer replace the filter
when this service is indicated by a
maintenance message on the
inf ormation display or multi-
inf ormation display (depending on
the models). It should be replaced
every 15,000 miles (24,000 km) if you
drive primarily in urban areas that
have high concentrations of soot in
the air, or if the flow from the
heating and cooling system becomes
less than usual. This f ilter removes the dust and
pollenthatisbroughtinfromthe
outside through the heating and
cooling system.
A udio A ntenna, Intercooler, Dust and Pollen Filter
A udio A ntenna
Intercooler
Dust and Pollen Filter
Maint enance
367
ANTENNA
INTERCOOLER
Your vehicle is equipped with an
antenna at the rear of the roof . Bef ore
using a ‘‘drive-through’’ car wash,
remove the antenna by unscrewing it by
hand. This prevents the antenna f rom
being damaged by the car wash brushes. Do not spray water (f rom such sources
as garden hoses, high pressure
sprayers) into the engine compartment.
It may cause serious damage to your
vehicle, and could also damage the
intercooler f ins.
——
y

y
() yy

To replace a f ront wiper blade:Disconnect the blade assembly
from the wiper arm: Press and hold the lock tab.
Slide the blade assembly toward
the lock tab until it releases
from the wiper arm.
When replacing a wiper blade,
make sure not to drop the wiper
blade or wiper arm down on the
windshield.
Raise each wiper arm of f the
windshield, lif ting the driver’s side
first, then the passenger’s side.
Check the condition of the wiper
blades at least every six months.
Look f or signs of cracking in the
rubber, or areas that are getting
hard. Replace the blades if you f ind
these signs, or if they leave streaks
and unwiped areas when used.
2.
1.
Wiper Blades
368
WIPER ARMS
Do not open the hood when the wiper
arms are raised, or you will damage the
hood and the wiper arms.
——
y
y
() yy

á
á
á
CONT INUED
Examine the new wiper blades. If
they have no plastic or metal
reinf orcement along the back
edge, remove the metal
reinf orcement strips f rom the old
wiper blade, and install them in
the slots along the edge of the new
blade. Install the new blade onto the
blade assembly:
Find two tabs with a ‘‘SET’’ and
‘‘ ’’ mark on the wiper blade
assembly.Thisisthedirectionyou
install.
Slide the blade onto the assembly
until it is locked by the tabs.
Remove the blade from the blade
assembly:
Pull out the blade by grabbing
the end of the blade as shown
above illustration. Find two tabs with a ‘‘SET’’ and
‘‘ ’’ mark on the wiper blade
assembly. The opposite side of
the ‘‘ ’’ mark is the direction
you pull out the wiper blade. 5.
3. 4.
Wiper Blades
Maint enance
369
REINFORCEMENTBLADE
BLADE TABS
——
y
y
() yy

Slide the wiper blade assembly
onto the wiper arm. Make sure it
locks in place.
Make sure the blade is completely
installed and that its edge is not
bunched up.
Lower the wiper arm down against
the windshield, the passenger’s
side first, then the driver’s side.To replace the rear wiper blade:Raise the wiper arm of f the rear
window. Slidethebladeoutof thewiper
arm.
6.
7.
1.2.
8.
Wiper Blades
370
BLADE
WIPER ARM
——
y
y
() yy

Examine the new wiper blades. If
they have no plastic or metal
reinf orcement along the back
edge, remove the metal
reinf orcement strips f rom the old
wiper blade, and install them in
the slots along the edge of the new
blade.Slide the new blade into the wiper
arm. Make sure it is engaged in
the slot along its f ull length.
Lower the wiper arm.
5.
3.
4.
Wiper Blades
Maint enance
371
REINFORCEMENTBLADE
——
y
y
() yy

Clean the wheels as you would the
rest of the exterior. Wash them with
thesamesolution,andrinsethem
thoroughly.
Aluminum alloy wheels have a
protective clear-coat that keeps the
aluminum from corroding and
tarnishing. Cleaning the wheels with
harsh chemicals (including some
commercial wheel cleaners) or a stiff
brush can damage the clear-coat. To
clean the wheels, use a mild
detergent and a soft brush or sponge. To
safely operate your vehicle, your
ti res must be the proper type and
size, in good condition with adequate
tread, and correctly inflated.
The following pages give more
detailed information on how to take
care of your tires and what to do
when they need to be replaced. Keeping
the tires properly inflated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread life, and riding
comfort.
Underinflated tires wear unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel
economy, and are more likely to
fail from being overheated.
Overinflated tires can make your
vehicleridemoreharshly,are
more prone to damage from road
hazards, and wear unevenly.
The tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS)willwarnyouwhenatire
pressure is low. See page f or
inf ormation on the TPMS. 309
Tires
Wheels
T ires Inf lation Guidelines
372
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.
——
y
y
() yy

Even though your vehicle is
equipped with TPMS, we
recommend that you visually check
your tires every day. If you think a
tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.
Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure in each tire at least once a
month. Even tires that are in good
condition may lose 1 to 2 psi (10 to
20 kPa, 0.1 to 0.2 kgf/cm ) per
month. Remember to check the
sparetireatthesametime. If
you check air pressures when the
tires are hot [driven for several miles
(kilometers)], you will see readings 4
to6psi(30to40kPa,0.3 to0.4
kgf/cm ) higher than the cold
readings. This is normal. Do not let
air out to match the recommended
cold air pressure. The tire will be
underinflated.
While tubeless tires have some
ability to self-seal if they are
punctured, you should look closely
for punctures if a tire starts losing
pressure. Youshoulduseyourowntire
pressure gauge whenever you check
your tire pressu res. This will make it
easier for you to tell if a pressure
loss is due to a tire problem and not
due to a variation between gauges. The following chart shows the
recommended cold tire pressures f or
most normal and high-speed driving
conditions.
For additional inf ormation about
your tires, see page . For convenience, the recommended
tire sizes and cold tire pressures are
on a label on the driver’s doorjamb. Thecompactsparetirepressureis:
Check the air pressures when the
tires are cold. This means the
vehicle has been parked f or at least 3
hours, or driven less than 1 mile (1.6
km). Add or release air, if needed, to
match the recommended cold tire
pressures. 412
Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving
Tire Size
Front/Rear:
Tires
Recommended T ire Pressures
Maint enance
373
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
P235/55R18 99V 32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
)
——
y
y
() yy

Every time you check inf lation, you
should also examine the tires f or
damage, f oreign objects, and wear.
Youshouldlookfor:Bumps or bulges in the tread or
side of the tire. Replace the tire if
youfindeitherof theseconditions.
Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side
of the tire. Replace the tire if you
can see f abric or cord.
Excessive tread wear. Your tires have wear indicators
molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down, you will see a
band 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread
lef t on the tire.
A tire this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see three
or more tread wear indicators. In addition to proper inf lation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you f ind a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
Have your dealer check the tires if
you f eel a consistent vibration while
driving. A tire should always be
rebalanced if it is removed f rom the
wheel. When you have new tires
installed, make sure they are
balanced. This increases riding
comf ort and tire lif e. For best results,
have the installer perform a dynamic
balance.
Tires
Tire Inspection
Tire Maintenance
374
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle’s aluminum wheels. Use
only genuine Acura wheels weights f or
balancing.
——
y
y
() yy

To help increase tire lif e and
distribute wear more evenly, rotate
the tires according to the
maintenance messages displayed on
the inf ormation display or multi-
inf ormation display (depending on
models). Move the tires to the
positions shown in the diagram each
time they are rotated. If you
purchase directional tires, rotate
only f ront-to-back.Replace your tires with radial tires of
the same size, load range, speed
rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire’s sidewall).
Mixing radial and bias-ply tires on
your vehicle can reduce braking
ability, traction, and steering
accuracy. Using tires of a dif f erent
size or construction can cause the
ABS and vehicle stability assist
system (VSA) to work inconsistently.
TheABSworksbycomparingthe
speed of the wheels. When replacing
tires, use the same size originally
supplied with the vehicle. Tire size
and construction can affect wheel
speed and may cause the system to
activate.
It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, replace the two f ront
tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
af f ect your vehicle’s handling.
If you ever replace a wheel, make
sure the new one matches the
specif ications of the original.
Replacement wheels are available at
your dealer.
Tires
T ire Rotation
Replacing T ires and Wheels
Maint enance
375
Front Front
(For Non-directional
Tires and Wheels) (For Directional
Tires and Wheels)
——
y
y
() yy

´
Tires marked ‘‘M S’’ or ‘‘All
Season’’ on the sidewall have an all-
weather tread design suitable for
most winter driving conditions.
For the best performance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under
certain conditions.
Wheels:
Tires:
See
page for info rmation about
DOT Tire Quality Grading, and page
f or tire size and labeling
inf ormation.
If you mount snow tires on your
vehicle, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as the original tires. Mount snow
tires on all f our wheels. The traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
maybelowerthanyouroriginaltires.
Check with the tire dealer f or
maximum speed recommendations.
410
412 Winter Driving
Wheel and T ire Specif ications
Snow T ires
Tires
376
18x71/2J
P235/55R18 99V(TPMS)
Installing improper tires on your
vehicle can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner’s manual.
——
y
y
() y
y