brake Acura RDX 2012 User Guide

Do not put any heavy items on the
seat-back when it is folded down.
Make sure all items in the cargo area
are secured. Loose items can fly
forward and cause injury if you have
to brake hard (SeeCarrying Cargo
on page 365).
Make sure that the folded down rear
seat does not interfere with the front
passenger's seat-back. This will
cause the front passenger's weight
sensors and the front passenger's
seat belt reminder indicator to work
improperly (see pages 21 and 33).
Also check the passenger airbag off
indicator to assure proper operation
of the passenger's front airbag.
After returning the seat-back to the
upright position, tug on the seat-back
to make sure it is latched. If the seat-
back is not latched fully, the seat belt
will not work properly and you will
see the red indicator behind the
release lever as shown. To return the seat cushion to its
original position, lift up the seat
cushion, then place the rear of the
seat cushion at the base of the seat-
back. Use the seat buckles as guides.
Lower the front of the seat cushion
until it locks into place.
Make sure the seat-back and seat
cushion are locked securely and all
rear shoulder belts are positioned in
front of the rear seat-backs.
RELEASE
LEVER
INDICATOR
Seats14011/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

To stop the system's automatic
adjustment, do any of these actions:●Press any button on the control
panel: SET, 1, or 2.●Push any of the adjustment
switches for the seat.●Shift out of Park.●Adjust the outside mirrors.
If desired, you can use the
adjustment switches to change the
positions of the seat or outside
mirrors after they are in their
memorized positions. If you change
the memorized position, the indicator
in the memory button will go out. To
keep this driving position for later
use, you must store it in the driving
position memory. Parking Brake
To apply the parking brake, push the
pedal down with your foot. To
release it, push on the pedal again.
The parking brake indicator on the
instrument panel should go out when
the parking brake is fully released
(see page 67).
Driving the vehicle with the parking
brake applied can damage the rear
brakes and axles. A beeper will sound if
the vehicle is driven with the parking
brake on.
You will also see a
‘‘RELEASE
PARKING BRAKE ’’message on the
multi-information display (see page
79).
Push
PARKING BRAKE PEDAL
Driving Position Memory System, Parking Brake15011/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

Cruise control allows you to maintain
a set speed above 25 mph (40 km/h)
without keeping your foot on the
accelerator pedal. It should be used
for cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended for
city driving, winding roads, slippery
roads, heavy rain, or bad weather.
Improper use of the cruise
control can lead to a crash.
Use the cruise control only
when traveling on open
highways in good weather.Using Cruise Control
1. Push in the CRUISE button on the
steering wheel. The CRUISE
MAIN indicator on the instrument
panel comes on.
2. Accelerate to the desired cruising speed above 25 mph (40 km/h). 3. Press and release the SET/
DECEL button on the steering
wheel. The CRUISE CONTROL
indicator on the instrument panel
comes on to show the system is
now activated.
Cruise control may not hold the set
speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your vehicle speed
increases going down a hill, use the
brakes to slow down. This will cancel
the cruise control. To resume the set
speed, press the RES/ACCEL
button. The CRUISE CONTROL
indicator on the instrument panel will
come back on.
CRUISE BUTTON
RES/ACCEL
BUTTON
SET/DECEL
BUTTON
CANCEL BUTTON
Cruise Control30011/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

Changing the Set Speed
You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:●Press and hold the RES/ACCEL
button. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.●Push on the accelerator pedal.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed, then press the SET/
DECEL button.●To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RES/
ACCEL button. Each time you do
this, the vehicle speeds up about 1
mph (1.6 km/h).You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
NOTE
: If you need to decrease your
speed quickly, use the brakes as you
normally would.
●Press and hold the SET/DECEL
button. Release the button when
you reach the desired speed.●To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/DECEL
button. Each time you do this,
your vehicle will slow down about
1 mph (1.6 km/h).●Tap the brake pedal lightly with
your foot. The CRUISE CONTROL
indicator on the instrument panel
will go out. When the vehicle
slows to the desired speed, press
the SET/DECEL button. Even with cruise control on, you can
still use the accelerator pedal to
speed up for passing. After
completing the pass, take your foot
off the accelerator pedal. The vehicle
will return to the set cruising speed.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal
causes cruise control to cancel.
CONTINUED
Cruise Control
301
Features
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Canceling Cruise ControlYou can cancel cruise control in any
of these ways:●Tap the brake pedal.●Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel.●Push the CRUISE button on the
steering wheel.The cruise control will be canceled
when the vehicle speed reaches
about 25 mph (40 km/h) or less.
Tapping either of the paddle shifters
shifts the gear up or down, but the
cruise control will be canceled if you
downshift to first gear.
For more information on driving with
paddle shifters, see page 380.
Resuming the Set Speed
When you push the CANCEL button
or tap the brake pedal, the system
remembers the previously set speed.
To return to that speed, accelerate to
above 25 mph (40 km/h), then press
and release the RES/ACCEL button.
The CRUISE CONTROL indicator
comes on. The vehicle accelerates to
the same speed as before.
Pressing the CRUISE button turns
the system completely off and erases
the previous cruising speed.CRUISE BUTTON
CANCEL BUTTONCruise Control30211/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

Break-in Period
Help assure your vehicle's future
reliability and performance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:●Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.●Avoid hard braking for the first 200
miles (300 km).●Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.●Do not tow a trailer.
You should also follow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Fuel Recommendation
Your vehicle is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with
a pump octane of 91 or higher. If this
octane grade is unavailable, regular
unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane of 87 or higher may be used
temporarily. The use of regular
unleaded gasoline can cause metallic
knocking noises in the engine and
will result in decreased engine
performance. The long-term use of
regular-grade gasoline can lead to
engine damage.
Avoid driving with an extremely low
fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, damaging
the catalytic converter.
To help prevent harmful fuel system and
engine deposits, use high quality fuel
containing detergent and additives. In
addition, in order to maintain good
performance, fuel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain harmful manganese-
based fuel additives such as MMT, if
such gasoline is available.
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation35211/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

Opening and Closing the Hood1. Park the vehicle, and set theparking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
2. Put your fingers under the frontedge of the hood near the center.
Slide your hand to the left until
you feel the hood latch handle.
Push this handle up to release it.
Lift up the hood.
If the hood latch handle moves stiffly,
or if you can open the hood without
lifting the handle, the mechanism
should be cleaned and lubricated.
3. Holding the grip, pull the support rod out of its clip. Insert the end
into the designated hole in the
hood.
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
LATCH
GRIP
SUPPORT ROD CLIP
Service Station Procedures35611/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
vehicle's handling, stability, and
performance, and cause a
crash in which you can be hurt
or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner's manual regarding
accessories and modifications.
When properly installed, cellular
phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems should
not interfere with your vehicle's
computer controlled systems, such
as your airbags, anti-lock brakes, and
tire pressure monitoring system. Before installing any accessory:
●Make sure the accessory does not
obscure any lights, or interfere
with proper vehicle operation or
performance.●Be sure electronic accessories do
not overload electrical circuits (see
page 469) or interfere with proper
operation of your vehicle.●Before installing any electronic
accessory, have the installer
contact your dealer for assistance.
If possible, have your dealer
inspect the final installation.●Do not install accessories on the
side pillars or across the rear
windows. Accessories installed in
these areas may interfere with
proper operation of the side
curtain airbags.Modifying Your Vehicle
Removing parts from your vehicle, or
replacing components with non-
Acura components could seriously
affect your vehicle's handling,
stability, and reliability.
Here are some examples:
●Lowering the vehicle with a non-
Acura suspension kit that
significantly reduces ground
clearance can allow the
undercarriage to hit speed bumps
or other raised objects, which
could cause the airbags to deploy.●Raising your vehicle with a non-
Acura suspension kit can affect the
handling, stability, and reliability.
CONTINUED
Accessories and Modifications
363
Before Driving
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●Non-Acura wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components and will not be
compatible with the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS).●Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interfere with the operation of
your vehicle's anti-lock brakes and
other systems.●Modifying your steering wheel or
any other part of your vehicle's
safety features can make the
systems ineffective.
If you plan to modify your vehicle,
consult your dealer.Accessories and Modifications36411/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important information on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the Super Handling-All
Wheel Drive™(SH-AWD
®) system,
the vehicle stability assist (VSA
®)
system, the tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS), and facts you need
if you are planning to tow a trailer or
drive off-highway. Driving Guidelines
......................
372
Preparing to Drive
......................
373
Starting the Engine
.....................
374
Automatic Transmission
.............
376
Driving with the Paddle Shifters
...................................
380
Super Handling-All Wheel Drive ™(SH-AWD
®)
System
................................
384
Parking
.......................................
386
Braking System
..........................
387
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
...............
388
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)
...................................
390
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
®),
aka Electronic Stability Control (ESC), System
.....................
395
Towing a Trailer
..........................
397
Off-Highway Driving Guidelines
...............................
405
Driving
371
Driving
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