weight Acura RDX 2008 Owner's Guide

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To achieve a proper tongue load,
start by loading 60 % of the load
toward the front of the trailer and
40 % toward the rear, then re-adjust
the load as needed.
The maximum
allowable weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, all accessories, all cargo,
and the tongue load is 4,894 lbs
(2,220 kg).
The maximum
allowable weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, all accessories, all cargo,
and the tongue load must not exceed
2,546 lbs (1,155 kg) on the f ront axle,
and 2,381 lbs (1,080 kg) on the rear
axle. The maximum
allowable weight of the f ully loaded
vehicle and trailer is 6,394 lbs (2,900
kg)
Towing can require a variety of
equipment, depending on the size of
your trailer, how it will be used, how
much load you are towing, and
where you tow.
Discuss your needs with your trailer
sales or rental agency, and f ollow the
guidelines in this section. Also make
sure that all equipment is properly
installed and maintained, and that it
meets f ederal, state, province, and
local regulations.
If you normally pull the same load
each time you tow a trailer, you can
use a suitable scale or a special
tongue load gauge to check the
tongue load the f irst time you set up
a towing combination (a f ully loaded
vehicle and trailer), then recheck the
tongue load whenever the conditions
change.
Thebestwaytoconfirmthatall
loads are within limits is to check
them at a public scale. For public
scales in your area, check your local
phone book, or contact your trailer
dealer or rental agency for
assistance.
If you cannot get to a public scale,
you can estimate the total trailer
weight by adding the weight of your
trailer (as quoted by the
manuf acturer) with everything in or
on the trailer.
CONT INUED
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR)
Gross Axle Weight Ratings
(GA WR) Gross Combined Weight Rating
(GCWR)
T owing Equipment and
A ccessories
Checking L oads
Towing a Trailer
Driving
315
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Trailer lights and equipment must
comply with f ederal, state/province,
and local regulations. Check with
your local trailer sales or rental
agencies f or the requirements in the
area where you plan to tow, and use
only equipment designed f or your
vehicle.
Acura requires that any trailer with a
total trailer weight of 1,000 lbs (455
kg) or more have its own brakes.
If you choose electric brakes, be
sure they are electronically actuated.
Do not attempt to tap into your
vehicle’s hydraulic system. No
matter how successf ul it may seem,
any attempt to attach trailer brakes
to your vehicle’s hydraulic system
will lower braking ef f ectiveness and
create a potential hazard.
Seeyourtrailerdealerorrental
agency f or more inf ormation on
installing electric brakes.
Any hitch used on your vehicle must
be properly bolted to the underbody.
Always use saf ety chains when you
tow a trailer. Make sure the chains
are secured to the trailer and hitch,
and that they cross under the tongue
and can catch the trailer if it
becomes unhitched. Leave enough
slack to allow the trailer to turn
corners easily, but do not let the
chains drag on the ground.
T railer L ights
Trailer Brakes
Hitches
Saf et y Chains
Towing a Trailer
316
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The lights and brakes on your
vehicle and the trailer are working
properly.
When preparing to tow, and bef ore
driving away, be sure to check the
f ollowing: The trailer has been properly
serviced and is in good condition.
All weights and loads are within
limits.
Thehitch,safetychains,andany
other attachments are secure.
All items in or on the trailer are
properly secured and cannot shif t
while you drive.Your vehicle tires and spare are
properly inf lated, and the trailer
tires and spare are inflated as
recommended by the trailer
maker.
You may want to fill the fuel tank
with premium f uel. Premium f uel
provides improved perf ormance.
The vehicle has been properly
serviced, and the suspension,
cooling system, and lights are in
good operating condition.
Pre-T ow Checklist
Towing a Trailer
318
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When driving down hills, reduce
your speed, and shif t down to S
the lower gear (3, 2 or 1)in the S
not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and remember,
it will take longer to slow down and
stop when towing a trailer.
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
Use the D position when towing a
trailer on level roads. See ‘‘
’’ in the next column f or
additional gear inf ormation. Do not
exceed 55 mph (88 km/h). At higher
speeds, the trailer may sway or
af f ect vehicle handling.
Maketurnsmoreslowlyandwider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.
The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
in this section.
When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge (see page
). If it nears the H (Hot) mark,
turn the A/C of f , reduce speed and,
if necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool. 76
CONT INUED
Driving on Hills
T owing Speeds and Gears
Driving on
Hills
Making T urns and BrakingDriving Saf ely With a T railer
Towing a Trailer
Driving
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position.Whentowingatrailer,do
position,or use the paddle shif t to
2008 RDX

The oil viscosity or weight is
provided on the container’s label.
5W-30 oil is f ormulated f or year-
round protection of your vehicle to
improve cold weather starting and
f uel economy.Your vehicle does not require any oil
additives. Additives may adversely
af f ect the engine or transmission
perf ormance and durability.
Engine Oil A dditives
A dding Engine Oil
Maint enance
337
Ambient Temperature
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If your seat belts get dirty, use a sof t
brush with a mixture of mild soap
and warm water to clean them. Do
not use bleach, dye, or cleaning
solvents. Let the belts air-dry bef ore
you use the vehicle.
Dirt build-up in the loops of the seat
belt anchors can cause the belts to
retract slowly. Wipe the insides of
the loops with a clean cloth
dampened in mild soap and warm
water or isopropyl alcohol.The driver’s f loor mat that came
with your vehicle hooks over the
f loor mat anchors. This keeps the
f loor mat f rom sliding f orward and
possibly interf ering with the pedals.
If you remove the driver’s f loor mat,
make sure to re-anchor it when you
putitbackinyourvehicle.A non-Acura f loor mat may not f it
your vehicle properly. This could
prevent the proper operation of the
f olding rear seats and the passenger’s
seat weight sensors. We recommend
using genuine Acura f loor mats. Do
not put additional f loor mats on top
of the anchored mat.
Cleaning the Seat Belts Floor Mats
Cleaning the Seat Belts, Floor Mats
354
LOOP
FLOOR MAT ANCHORS
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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.
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. The service lif e of your tires is
dependent on many f actors,
including, but not limited to, driving
habits, road conditions, vehicle
loading, inf lation pressure,
maintenance history, speed, and
environmental conditions (even
when the tires are not in use).
In addition to your regular
inspections and inf lation pressure
maintenance, it is recommended that
you have annual inspections
perf ormed once the tires reach f ive
years old. It is also recommended
that all tires, including the spare, be
removed from service after 10 years
from the date of manufacture,
regardless of their condition or state
of wear.
The last f our digits of the TIN (tire
identif ication number) are f ound on
the sidewall of the tire and indicate
the date of manufacture (See
on page ).
Your tires have wear indicators
molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down, you will see a 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.
400
Tires
T ire Maintenance
Tire Service Lif e
Tire
Labeling
362
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle’s aluminum wheels. Use
only Acura wheel weights f or balancing.
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Î
Î
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Specif ications
396
Dimensions
Weights
Engine
Seating CapacitiesCapacities
Length
Width
Height
Wheelbase
Track 65.2 in (1,655 mm)
104.3 in (2,650 mm)
61.9 in (1,572 mm)
62.6 in (1,590 mm)
Gross vehicle weight rating See the certification label attached to the driver’s doorjamb.
Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs 3.39 x 3.90 in (86.0 x 99.0 mm)
140.4 cu-in (2,300 cm
)
8.8 : 1
180.7 in (4,590 mm)
73.6 in (1,870 mm)
SILKR8A-S 4.8 US qt (4.5
)
2.6 US qt (2.5)
2.9 US qt (2.7
)
2.6 US qt (2.5)
8.2 US qt (7.8
)
3.5 US qt (3.3)
2.22 US gal (8.4)
1.85 US gal (7.0)
18.0 US gal (68
)
5.0 US qt (4.7
)
4.8 US qt (4.5)
6.1 US qt (5.8)
Excluding the oil remaining in the engine
Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in the
engine
Reserve tank capacity:
0.18 US gal (0.7
)
Total
Front
Rear 0.45 US qt (0.43
)
0.48 US qt (0.45)
5
2
3 Fuel tank
Engine oil
Engine
coolant
Automatic
transmission
fluid
Rear
differential
fluid
Transfer
assembly
fluid
Windshield
washer
reservoir
Water cooled 4-stroke DOHC
i-VTEC 4-cylinder gasoline engine with turbo charger, intercooler Approx.
Front
Rear
1:
2:
(NGK) Change
Total
Change
Total
Change
Total
Change
Total
U.S. Vehicles
Canada
Vehicles
Change
Including filter
Without filter
Total
2
1
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CONT INUED
GaugesEngine Coolant .....................
Temperature .73,76
...............................................
Fuel .71
.................................
Tachometer .71
.....................
Turbo Boost Meter .71
...............................
Speedometer .71
............
Gearshif t Lever Positions .293
......................................
Glove Box .153
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
.....................................
(GVWR) .315
.............
Halogen Headlight Bulbs .347
..................................
Hanger Bars .287
......
HandsFreeLink
, Bluetooth.252
............
Hazard Warning Flashers .118
Headlights
........................................
Aiming .347
.........
Daytime Running Lights .116
..................
High Beam Indicator .67
High-Intensity Discharge
......................................
Lamp .347
.........................
Reminder Tone .114
........
Replacing Halogen Bulbs .347 .................................
Turning on .114
.............
Headlight Auto Of f Timer .98
............................
Head Restraints .133
.............................
Heated Mirrors .145
.................................
Heaters, Seat .139
..........................
High Beam Lever .114
HomeLink
Universal
................................
Transceiver .247
.......................
Hood, Opening the .275
...........................................
Horn.4,111
...
Identif ication Number, Vehicle .394
Ignition
............................................
Keys .119
.........................................
Switch .122
............
Timing Control System .404
......................
Immobilizer System .121
.........
Important Safety Precautions .6
Indicators
......
ABS (Anti-Lock Brake) .64,305
.......................
A/T Temperature .63
...................
Brake (Amber) .65,385
.........................
Brake (Red) .65,383
................
Charging System .63,381 .............................
Cruise Control .67
.................................
Cruise Main .67
.....................................
Fog Light .68
...................................
High Beam .67
........
Key (Immobilizer System) .64
......................................
Low Fuel .66
................
Low Oil Pressure .63,381
.....................................
Lights On .68
Low Tire Pressure/
...............................
TPMS .69,307
..................
Maintenance Minder .70
.....
Malf unction Indicator Lamp .63
.................
Passenger Airbag Of f .32
..................
Security System .68,233
......................................
SH-AWD .68
.....................
Side Airbag Of f .31,64
.........................................
SRS .31,63
.........................
System Message .70
.
TPMS, Low Tire Pressure .69,307
Turn Signal and Hazard
...................................
Warning .67
VSA (Vehicle Stability ..............................
Assist) .66,312
....................
VSA Activation .67,312
Index
INDEX
H I
V
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Î
Î
Î Î
µ Unexpected, Taking Care..........................................
of the .369
..
Unif orm Tire Quality Grading .398
........................
Unleaded Gasoline .272
.......
Used Oil, How to Dispose of .339
.................
Vehicle Capacity Load .284
......................
Vehicle Dimensions .396
....
Vehicle Identif ication Number .394
Technical Descriptions
....
DOT Tire Quality Grading .398
.....
Emissions Control Systems .403
....................
Emissions Testing .406
Three Way Catalytic
...............................
Converter .405
.............................
Tire Labeling .400
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS) Required .........
Federal Explanation .401
.................
Temperature Gauge .73,76
..............
Temperature, Outside .73,74
..............
Tether Anchorage Points .50
................
Thef t Protection, Radio .232
..
Three Way Catalytic Converter .417
.........
Tighten Fuel Cap Message .274
................
Tilt the Steering Wheel .119
..........................
Time, Setting the .188
....................................
Tire Chains .365
.........
Tire, How to Change a Flat .371
.........................
Tire Inf ormation .398
...............................................
Tires .360
..............................
Air Pressure .361
........................................
Chains .365
.........................
Checking Wear .362
....
DOT Tire Quality Grading .398 ......................................
Inf lation .360
..................................
Inspection .361
.....................................
Labeling .400
Low Tire Pressure/TPMS
...........................
Indicator .69,307
..............................
Maintenance .362
......................
Pressure Monitor .308
..
Pressure Monitoring System .307
...................................
Replacing .363
......................................
Rotating .363
................................
Service Lif e .362
...........................................
Snow .364
....................
Specif ications .364,397
...................
Tools, Tire Changing .372
Towing
.....................................
A Trailer .314
................
Emergency Wrecker .391
....
Equipment and Accessories .315
....................
Pre-Tow Checklist .318
.............................
Weight Limit .314
TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring ..................................
System) .307
...............................
Indicator .69,307
Required Federal
............................
Explanation .401
.....................
Trailer Loading .314,315 ......................
Trailer Towing Tips .319
Transmission
Checking Fluid Level, ..............................
Automatic .343
...........................
Fluid Selection .344
..............
Identif ication Number .395
.............
Shif ting the Automatic .293
.....................................
Treadwear .362
.................................
Trip Meter .73,74
.........................
Turbo Boost Meter .71
..................................
Turn Signals .114
Index
U
V
X
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