maintenance Acura RDX 2008 Owner's Manual

One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new vehicle is to
read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Af terwards, keep this owner’s manual in your vehicle so
youcanrefertoitatanytime.
Several warranties protect your new vehicle. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.As you read this manual, you will
f ind inf ormation that is preceded by
a symbol. This
inf ormation is intended to help you
avoid damage to your vehicle, other
property, or the environment.
Maintaining your vehicle according to the maintenance minder shown in the
instrument panel helps to keep your driving trouble-f ree while it preserves
your investment. When your vehicle needs maintenance, keep in mind that
your dealer’s staf f is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique
to your vehicle. Your dealer is dedicated to your satisf action and will be
pleased to answer any questions and concerns.
Congratulations! Your selection of a 2008 Acura RDX was a wise investment.
It will give you years of driving pleasure.
Introduction
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2008 RDX Online Reference Owner's Manual
Contents

Owner's Identification Form

Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... i A Few Words About Safety .............................................................................................................................. iii Important Handling Information .................................................................................................................... iv
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)
.... 59
Features (
climate control, audio, steering wheel, security, cruise control, HomeLink,and other convenience items)
.. 159
Before Driving (fuel, vehicle break- in, and cargo loading) ..................................................................... 271
Driving (engine and transmission operation) ................................................................................................ 289
Maintenance (minders, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage).......................................... 325
Taking Care of the Unexpected (flat tire, dead battery, overheating, and fuses) ............................. 369
Technical Information (vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls) ....................................... 393
Warranty and Customer Relations (U. S. and Canada only) (warranty and contact information) ... 409
Authorized Manuals (U. S. only) (how to order) ......................................................................................... 413
Index ............................................................................................................................... ........................................ I

Service Information Summary ( fluid capacities and tire pressures)
1 31STK610

A convenient ref erence to the
sections in this manual.
A quick ref erence to the main
controls in your vehicle.
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and gauge,
and how to use the controls on the
dashboard and steering column.What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
The proper way to start the engine,
shif t the transmission, and park; plus
what you need to know if you’re
planning to tow a trailer.
Important inf ormation about the
proper use and care of your vehicle’s
seat belts, an overview of the
supplemental restraint system, and
valuable inf ormation on how to
protect children with child restraints.
How to operate the climate control
system, the audio system, and
other convenience f eatures. 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.ID numbers, dimensions, capaci-
ties, and technical information.
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience,
and details how to handle them. A summary of the warranties
covering your new vehicle, and how
to contact us for any reason. Refer to
your warranty manual f or detailed
inf ormation.
How to order manuals and other
technical literature.
A summary of the inf ormation you
need when you pull up to the f uel
pump.
Overview of Contents
Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Instruments and Controls
FeaturesDriving
Maintenance
Bef ore Driving T echnical Inf ormation
T aking Care of the Unexpected
Warranty and Client Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only)
Index
Service Inf ormation Summary
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This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. 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 Saf ety Features .7
.......................................
Seat Belts .8
...........................................
Airbags .9
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens .11
.....
1.Close and Lock the Doors .11
...........
2.Adjust the Front Seats .12
............
3.Adjust the Seat-Backs .13
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints .14
5.Fasten and Position the
.............................
Seat Belts .14
6.Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .16
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women .17
...
Additional Safety Precautions .18 Additional Inf ormation About
.......................
Your Seat Belts .19
..
Seat Belt System Components .19
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .20
Automatic Seat Belt
...............................
Tensioners .21
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance .22
Additional Inf ormation About ...........................
Your Airbags .23
......
Airbag System Components .23
How Your Front Airbags
.........................................
Work .25
...
How Your Side Airbags Work .29
How Your Side Curtain
..........................
Airbags Work .30
..
How the SRS Indicator Works .31
How the Side Airbag Of f
......................
Indicator Works .31
How the Passenger Airbag ...............
Of f Indicator Works .32
.............................
Airbag Service .33
...
Additional Safety Precautions .34
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .35
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .35 All Children Should Sit in a
.................................
Back Seat .36
The Passenger’s Front Airbag .........
Can Pose Serious Risks .36
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .38
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .38
...
Additional Safety Precautions .39
Protecting Inf ants and Small ...................................
Children .40
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .40
.........
Protecting Small Children .41
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .43
....................
Installing a Child Seat .44
...............................
With LATCH .45
.........
With a Lap/Shoulder Belt .49
..............................
With a Tether .50
...........
Protecting Larger Children .52
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit .52
..................
Using a Booster Seat .53
When Can a Larger Child Sit in
.........................................
Front .54
...
Additional Safety Precautions .55
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard .56
...................................
Saf ety Labels .57
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with airbags,
make sure you and your passengers
always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly (see page ).
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse withevery additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat, not the front seat. Infants and
smallchildrenshouldberestrained
in a child seat. Larger children
should use a booster seat and a lap/
shoulder belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat
(see pages ). Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
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360
14
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Don’t Drink and Drive
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Restrain All ChildrenControl Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
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For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed. If the automatic seat
belt tensioners activate during a
crash, they must be replaced.
If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by your dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
Pull each belt out f ully, and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
the belts retract easily. If a belt does
not retract easily, cleaning the belt
may correct the problem (see page
). Any belt that is not in good
condition or working properly will
not provide good protection and
should be replaced as soon as
possible.
Acura provides a limited warranty on
seat belts. See your booklet f or details.
354
Acura Warranty
Inf ormation
Seat Belt Maintenance
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
22
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly when
needed.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.
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Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly.
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.
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by an authorized dealer or
a knowledgeable body shop.
Your airbag systems are virtually
maintenance f ree, and there are no
parts you can saf ely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:
Even if your
airbags do not inflate, your dealer
should inspect the driver’s seat
position sensor, the f ront
passenger’s weight sensors, the
f ront seat belt tensioners, and all
seat belts worn during a crash to
make sure they are operating
properly.
T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o a
problem.
An airbag ever inf lates. If your vehicle has a moderat e t o
severe impact .Airbag Service
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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Û
Ý
To change the display, press the
SEL/RESET button or INFO ( / )buttononthesteeringwheel
repeatedly until the desired
information appears (see page ).
You can also change the display by
pressing the Select/Reset knob in
the instrument panel. When you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, what you last
selected is displayed.
In the multi-information display, the
system message is also displayed
(see page ) and you can
customize your vehicle control
settings (see page ).
The multi-inf ormation display in the
instrument panel displays various
inf ormation and messages when the
ignition switch is in the ON (II)
position. Some of the messages help
you operate your vehicle more
comf ortably.
Others help to keep you aware of the
periodic maintenance your vehicle
needs f or continued trouble-f ree
driving.
When you open the driver’s door, a
‘‘Welcome’’ message is shown on the
multi-inf ormation display. When you
turn the ignition switch from the ON
(II) position to the ACCESSORY (I)
position, a ‘‘Goodbye’’ message is
shownonthedisplay.
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Multi-Inf ormation Display
72
SEL/RESET
BUTTON
INFO BUTTONS
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This shows the estimated distance
you can travel on the fuel remaining
in the f uel tank. This distance is
estimated f rom the f uel economy
you received over the last several
miles(U.S.) or kilometers (Canada),
so it will vary with changes in speed,
traf f ic, etc.
This shows the time passed traveled
since you last reset it. When you turn
the ignition switch to the ON (II)
position, ELAPSED TIME is reset.
You can customize the ELAPSED
TIME reset condition on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).This shows your vehicle’s average
f uel economy in mpg (U.S. models)
or liter/100 km (Canadian models)
since you last reset the Trip A or
Trip B.
When you reset Trip A, AVG.
SPEED is also reset.
This shows the average speed you
are traveling in miles per hour (mph)
forU.S.modelsorkilometersper
hour (km/h) f or Canadian models.
When the battery is disconnected, or
you ref uel, RANGE is also reset.
The multi-inf ormation display in the
instrument panel shows you the
engine oil lif e and maintenance
service items when the ignition
switch is in the ON (II) position. This
inf ormation helps to keep you aware
of the periodic maintenance your
vehicle needs f or continued trouble-
f ree driving. Ref er to page f or
more inf ormation.
This shows your current f uel
mileage.
When you turn of f the engine, INST.
MPG or INST. L/100 km is also
reset.
The average f uel mileage will be
reset when you reset the trip meter,
or if the vehicle’s battery goes dead
or is disconnected.
You can customize the Trip A and
AVG. FUEL A reset condition on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page).
327
91
93
RANGE
EL A PSED T IME
AVG. FUEL A/B
A VG. SPEED
Maintenance Minder
INST.MPG(U.S.models)/INST.
L /100km (Canadian models)
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Inst rument s and Cont rols
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AcuraLink enhances your ownership
experience by providing a direct
communication link between your
vehicleandtheAcuraServer.
Working through the XM radio
satellite, AcuraLink works in
conjunction with the navigation
system, Bluetooth
HandsFreeLink
(HFL),andaudiosysteminyour
vehicle. It displays and receives
several kinds of messages, including:Operating tips and inf ormation on
your vehicle’s f eatures.
Important recall and safety
inf ormation.
Maintenance inf ormation to keep
your vehicle in top condition.
Diagnostic inf ormation to provide
inf ormation about any problems
with your vehicle. The selector can be pushed lef t,
right, up, down, and in. Use the
selector to scroll through lists, to
select menus, and to highlight menu
items. When you make a selection,
push the center of the selector
(ENTER)togotothatselection.
The knob turns lef t and right. Use it
to make selections or adjustments to
a list or menu on the screen.
Most AcuraLink f unctions are
controlled by the interf ace dial. The
interface dial has two parts, a knob
and a selector.
On U.S. RDX with Technology Package
model except Alaskan and HawaiianInterf ace Dial
AcuraLink
Features
237
ENTER
SELECTOR
KNOB
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