ACURA RDX 2010 Owners Manual

Crossing a Stream
Avoid driving through deep water. If
you encounter water in your route (a
small stream or large puddle, for
example), evaluate it carefully before
going ahead. Make sure it is shallow,
flowing slowly, and has firm ground
underneath. If you are not sure of the
depth or the ground, turn around and
find another route.
Driving through deep water can also
damage your vehicle. The water can
get into the transmission and
differential, diluting the lubricant and
causing an eventual failure. It can
also wash the grease out of the wheel
bearings.If You Get Stuck
Avoid driving on soft sand, deep
mud, or other surfaces where you
could get stuck. If you do happen to
get stuck because of inclement
weather or other conditions, choose
a safe and appropriate course of
action.
You should never use a jack to try
getting unstuck. A jack only works
on firm, level ground. Also, your
vehicle could easily slip off the jack
and hurt you or someone else.
If you spin the wheels excessively
trying to get unstuck, you may
overheat the components of the
SH-AWD system. The SH-AWD
indicator on the instrument panel will
blink to indicate the rear differential
temperature is too high.
You will also see an
‘‘SH-AWD DIFF
TEMP. HIGH ’’message on the multi-
information display (see page 80).
If this happens, stop and allow
everything to cool down. The
SH-AWD indicator goes off after the
rear differential temperature drops.
Off-Highway Driving Guidelines
407
Driving
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This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to follow basic
maintenance safety precautions.
This section also includes
instructions on how to read the
maintenance minder messages on
the multi-information display, and
instructions for simple maintenance
tasks you may want to take care of
yourself.
If you have the skills and tools to
perform more complex maintenance
tasks on your vehicle, you may want
to purchase the service manual. See
page497for information on how to
obtain a copy, or see your dealer. Maintenance Safety
.....................
410
Maintenance Minder
..................
411
Fluid Locations
...........................
419
Adding Engine Oil
......................
420
Required Engine Oil
...............
420
Changing the Engine Oil and
Filter
.......................................
422
Engine Coolant
...........................
424
Windshield Washers
...................
426
Automatic Transmission Fluid
....
427
Brake Fluid
.................................
429
Power Steering Fluid
..................
430
Lights
..........................................
431
Cleaning the Seat Belts
...............
438
Floor Mats
..................................
438
Audio Antenna
............................
439
Intercooler
..................................
439
Dust and Pollen Filter
.................
439
Wiper Blades
..............................
440
Wheels
........................................
443
Tires
...........................................
444
Checking the Battery
..................
450
Vehicle Storage
...........................
452
Maintenance
409
Maintenance
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All service items not detailed in this
section should be performed by a
certified technician or other qualified
mechanic.
Important Safety Precautions
To eliminate potential hazards, read
the instructions before you begin,
and make sure you have the tools
and skills required.●Make sure your vehicle is parked
on level ground, the parking brake
is set, and the engine is off.●To clean parts, use a commercially
available degreaser or parts
cleaner, not gasoline.●To reduce the possibility of fire or
explosion, keep cigarettes, sparks,
and flames away from the battery
and all fuel-related parts.●Wear eye protection and protective
clothing when working with the
battery or compressed air.
Improperly maintaining this
vehicle, or failing to correct a
problem before driving can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection
and maintenance
recommendations and
schedules in this owner's
manual.
Potential Vehicle Hazards●Carbon Monoxide poison from
engine exhaust. Be sure there is
adequate ventilation whenever you
operate the engine.●Burns from hot parts. Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
down before touching any parts.
●Injury from moving parts. Do
not run the engine unless
instructed to do so.Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures
and precautions in this owner's
manual.
Some of the most important safety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every
conceivable hazard that can arise in
performing maintenance. Only you
can decide whether or not you
should perform a given task.
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One of the most convenient and
important features of the multi-
information display on your vehicle is
the maintenance minder.
Based on engine operating
conditions and accumulated engine
revolutions, the onboard computer in
your vehicle calculates the remaining
engine oil life and displays it as a
percentage.
The system also displays the code for
other scheduled maintenance items
needing service.Engine Oil Life
To see the current engine oil life
displayed on the multi-information
display, turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, and press the
SEL/RESET button on the steering
wheel repeatedly until the engine oil
life is displayed.The remaining engine oil life is
shown on the display according to
this table:
Calculated Engine
Oil Life (%) Displayed
Engine Oil Life (%)
100% －91% 100%
90% －81% 90%
80% －71% 80%
70% －61% 70%
60% －51% 60%
50% －41% 50%
40% －31% 40%
30% －21% 30%
20% －16% 20%
15% －11% 15%
10% －6% 10%
5% －1% 5%
0% 0%
INFO
BUTTONS
SEL/RESET BUTTON
ENGINE OIL
LIFE DISPLAY
CONTINUED
Maintenance Minder
411
Maintenance
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When the remaining engine oil life is
15 to 6 percent, the multi-information
display shows a‘‘SERVICE DUE
SOON ’’message along with the
maintenance schedule code
indicating the main and sub items
required at the time of the oil
change. Refer to page 418for a
complete list of the maintenance
main items and sub items.
When the remaining oil life is 5 to 1
percent, the multi-information display
shows a ‘‘SERVICE DUE NOW ’’
message with the same maintenance
items ‘‘SERVICE DUE SOON’’ was
displayed with. When you see this
message have the indicated
maintenance performed as soon as
possible.
Press the SEL/RESET button on the
steering wheel repeatedly to select
the engine oil life. The message
‘‘ SERVICE ’’, along with ‘‘5% ’’, and the
maintenance item code are displayed
on the lower part of the multi-
information display when the
calculated engine oil life is 1－ 5
percent (see page 411).
MAINTENANCE ITEM CODE(S)
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If the indicated maintenance service
is not done and the remaining engine
oil life reaches 0%, the multi-
information display will show the
message‘‘SERVICE PAST DUE ’’and
the maintenance item code(s). This
message is displayed when the total
distance traveled is less than 10
miles (for U.S. models) or 10 km (for
Canadian models) after the engine
oil life became 0%. These messages will come on every
time you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position.
Immediately have the service
performed, and make sure to reset
the oil life minder as previously
described.
The message will be canceled if the
or
button on the steering wheel
is pressed. Press the
or
button
to see the message again.
Press the SEL/RESET button on the
steering wheel repeatedly to select
the engine oil life. The message
‘‘ SERVICE ’’, along with ‘‘0% ’’, and the
maintenance item code are displayed
on the lower part of the multi-
information display when the
calculated engine oil life is 0－ 1%.
CONTINUED
Maintenance Minder
413
Maintenance
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If the indicated required service is
not done and the remaining engine
oil life becomes 0%, the multi-
information display will show a
‘‘SERVICE PAST DUE ’’message, the
total distance traveled after the
remaining oil life became 0%, and the
maintenance item code(s). This message is displayed again
when you drive over 10 miles (for U.
S. models) or 10 km (for Canadian
models) after seeing the 0% message.
Immediately have the service
performed, and make sure to reset
the display as previously described.
The message will be canceled if the
or
button on the steering wheel
is pressed. Press the
or
button
to see the message again.
When you press the SEL/RESET
button to select the engine oil life,
the message ‘‘SERVICE ’’, along with
the maintenance item code and the
total negative distance traveled after
the oil life became 0%, will be
displayed on the lower part of the
multi-information display.
TOTAL PAST DUE
DISTANCE TRAVELED
CANADA MAINTENANCE CODE
U.S.
U.S.
CANADA
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Maintenance Main Items and Sub
ItemsAll the maintenance items displayed
on the multi-information display are
in code.
For an explanation of the
maintenance codes, see page418.Resetting the Engine Oil Life
Display
Your dealer will reset the display
after completing the required
maintenance service. You will see
‘‘
OIL LIFE 100% ’’on the display the
next time you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position.
If maintenance service is done by
someone other than your dealer,
reset the maintenance minder as
follows:
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON (II) position.
2. Press the SEL/RESET button on the steering wheel until you see
the engine oil life display.
3. Press and hold the SEL/RESETbutton on the steering wheel for
more than 10 seconds. The
remaining engine oil life reset
mode will be shown on the multi-
information display.
MAINTENANCE SUB ITEMS
MAINTENANCE MAIN ITEM
CONTINUED
Maintenance Minder
415
Maintenance
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4. Select‘‘RESET ’’by pressing the
INFO (
/
) button, then press
the SEL/RESET button to reset
the engine oil life display. The
maintenance item code(s) will
disappear, and the engine oil life
will reset to ‘‘100. ’’If you want to
cancel the oil life reset mode,
select ‘‘CANCEL. ’’ Important Maintenance
Precautions
If you have the required service done
but do not reset the display, or reset
the display without doing the service,
the system will not show the proper
maintenance intervals. This can lead
to serious mechanical problems
because you will no longer have an
accurate record of when
maintenance is needed.
Your authorized dealer knows your
vehicle best and can provide
competent, efficient service.
However, service at a dealer is not
mandatory to keep your warranties in
effect. Maintenance may be done by
any qualified service facility or
person who is skilled in this type of
automotive service. Keep all receipts
as proof of completion, and have the
person who does the work fill out
your Maintenance Journal or
Canadian Maintenance Log. Check
your warranty booklet for more
information.
We recommend using Acura parts
and fluids whenever you have
maintenance done. These are
manufactured to the same high-
quality standards as the original
components, so you can be confident
of their performance and durability.
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