maintenance Acura RDX 2012 Owner's Manual

Congratulations! Your selection of a 2012 Acura RDX was a wise investment.
It will give you years of driving pleasure.
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. Afterwards, keep this owner's manual in your vehicle so
you can refer to it at any time.
Several warranties protect your new vehicle. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.
Maintaining your vehicle according to the Maintenance Minder
TM
shown in
the instrument panel helps to keep your driving trouble-free while it
preserves your investment. When your vehicle needs maintenance, keep in
mind that your dealer's staff is specially trained in servicing the many
systems unique to your vehicle. Your dealer is dedicated to your satisfaction
and will be pleased to answer any questions and concerns. As you read this manual, you will find
information that is preceded by a
symbol. This information is
intended to help you avoid damage to
your vehicle, other property, or the
environment.
Introduction
i
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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)
...........
61
Features (
climate control, audio, steering wheel, security, cruise control, HomeLink
®, and other convenience items
)...
163
Before Driving (fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading)
.......................................................................................
351
Driving (engine and transmission operation)
...........................................................................................................
371
Maintenance (minders, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)
..........................................................
409
Taking Care of the Unexpected (flat tire, jump starting, overheating, and fuses)
...................................................
453
Technical Information (vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls)
........................................................
477
Warranty and Client Relations (U.S. and Canada only) (warranty and contact information)
...............................
493
Index
..............................................................................................................................................................................
I
INDEX
Service Information Summary (fluid capacities and tire pressures)
...............................................................
last page
Contents
1
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Contents
A convenient reference to the
sections in this manual.
Your Vehicle at a Glance
A quick reference to the main
controls in your vehicle.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Important information about the
proper use and care of your vehicle's
seat belts, an overview of the
supplemental restraint system, and
valuable information on how to
protect children with child restraints.
Instruments and Controls
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and
gauge, and how to use the controls
on the dashboard and steering
column.
Features
How to operate the climate control
system, the audio system, and other
convenience features.Before Driving
What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
Driving
The proper way to start the engine,
shift the transmission, and park; plus
what you need to know if you're
planning to tow a trailer.
Maintenance
The Maintenance Minder
TM
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.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience, and
details how to handle them. Technical Information
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities,
and technical information.
Warranty and Client Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
A summary of the warranties
covering your new vehicle, and how
to contact us for any reason. Refer to
your warranty manual for detailed
information.
Index
Service Information Summary
A summary of the information you
need when you pull up to the fuel
pump.
Overview of Contents211/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

This section gives you important
information 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 Safety Features
............
8
Seat Belts
.....................................
9
Airbags
.......................................
10
Protecting Adults and Teens
.............
12
1. Close and Lock the Doors
..........
12
2. Adjust the Front Seats
...............
13
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs
................
14
4. Adjust the Head Restraints
.........
15
5. Fasten and Position the Seat Belts
...................................
15
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting Position
...............................
17
Advice for Pregnant Women
..........
18
Additional Safety Precautions
........
19
Additional Information About Your
Seat Belts
...............................
20
Seat Belt System Components
.......
20
Lap/Shoulder Belt
........................
21 Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
.....
22
Seat Belt Maintenance
..................
23
Additional Information About Your Airbags
...................................
24
Airbag System Components
..........
24
How Your Front Airbags Work
......
26
How Your Side Airbags Work
........
30
How Your Side Curtain Airbags Work
......................................
31
How the SRS Indicator Works
.......
32
How the Side Airbag Off Indicator Works
.....................................
32
How the Passenger Airbag Off Indicator Works
.......................
33
Airbag Service
.............................
34
Additional Safety Precautions
........
35
Protecting Children －General
Guidelines
..............................
36
All Children Must Be Restrained
...............................
36
All Children Should Sit in a Back Seat
........................................
37
The Passenger's Front Airbag Can Pose Serious Risks
...................
37
If You Must Drive with Several Children
..................................
39 If a Child Requires Close
Attention
.................................
39
Additional Safety Precautions
........
40
Protecting Infants and Small Children
.................................
41
Protecting Infants
.........................
41
Protecting Small Children
.............
42
Selecting a Child Seat
......................
44
Important considerations when selecting a child seat
.................
44
Installing a Child Seat
......................
45
Installing a Child Seat with LATCH
...................................
46
Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/
Shoulder Belt
...........................
50
Installing a Child Seat with a Tether
.....................................
51
Protecting Larger Children
...............
53
Checking Seat Belt Fit
..................
53
Using a Booster Seat
....................
54
When Can a Larger Child Sit in Front
.......................................
55
Additional Safety Precautions
........
56
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
................
57
Safety Labels
..................................
58
Driver and Passenger Safety
5
Driver and Passenger Safety
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Pay Appropriate Attention to the
Task of Driving Safely
Engaging in mobile phone
conversation or other activities that
keep you from paying close attention
to the road, other vehicles and
pedestrians could lead to a crash.
Remember, situations can change
quickly, and only you can decide
when it is safe to divert attention
away from driving.Control Your Speed
Excessive speed is a major factor 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
faster than is safe for current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Keep Your Vehicle in Safe
Condition
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical failure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition frequently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page 444).
Important Safety Precautions
7
Driver and Passenger Safety
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Seat Belt Maintenance
For safety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out fully, and look for
frays, 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
438). 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
Acura Warranty
Information
booklet for details. If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
you should have your dealer inspect
the belt, and replace it if necessary. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the
anchors for damage and replace
them if needed. If the automatic seat
belt tensioners activate during a
crash, they must be replaced.
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.
Additional Information About Your Seat Belts
23
Driver and Passenger Safety
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Airbag Service
Your airbag systems are virtually
maintenance free, and there are no
parts you can safely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:●An airbag ever inflates.
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.
We recommend against the use of
salvaged airbag system
components, including the airbag,
tensioners, sensors, and control
unit.
Do not try to remove or replace
any airbag by yourself. This must
be done by an authorized dealer or
a knowledgeable body shop.
●The SRS indicator alerts you to a
problem.
Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly.
●If your vehicle has a moderate to
severe impact.
Even if your airbags
do not inflate, your dealer should
inspect the driver's seat position
sensor, the front passenger's
weight sensors, the front seat belt
tensioners, and all seat belts and
their anchor worn during a crash
to make sure they are operating
properly.
Additional Information About Your Airbags3411/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

The multi-information display in the
instrument panel displays various
information and messages when the
ignition switch is in the ON (II)
position. Some of the messages help
you operate your vehicle more
comfortably.
Others help to keep you aware of the
periodic maintenance your vehicle
needs for continued trouble-free
driving.
When you open the driver's door, a
‘‘Welcome ’’message is shown on the
multi-information display. When you
turn the ignition switch from the ON
(II) position to the ACCESSORY (I)
position, a ‘‘Goodbye ’’message is
shown on the display.
To change the display, press the
SEL/RESET button or INFO (
/
)
button on the steering wheel
repeatedly until the desired
information appears (see page 75).
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, your last
selection is displayed.
In the multi-information display, the
system message is also displayed
(see page 79) and you can customize
your vehicle control settings (see
page 82).
INFO BUTTONS
SEL/RESET
BUTTON
Multi-Information Display7411/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

Maintenance Minder
TM
The multi-information display in the
instrument panel shows you the
engine oil life and maintenance
service items when the ignition
switch is in the ON (II) position. This
information helps to keep you aware
of the periodic maintenance your
vehicle needs for continued trouble-
free driving. Refer to page 411 for
more information.
INST. MPG (U.S. models)/INST.
L/100 km (Canadian models)
This shows your instant fuel
economy.
When you turn off the engine, INST.
MPG or INST. L/100 km is also
reset.RANGE
This shows the estimated distance
you can travel on the fuel remaining
in the fuel tank. This distance is
estimated from the fuel economy you
received over the last several miles
(U.S.) or kilometers (Canada), so it
will vary with changes in speed,
traffic, etc.
When the battery is disconnected, or
you refuel, RANGE is also reset.
ELAPSED TIME
This shows the accumulated
traveling time 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-
information display (see page 95).AVG. SPEED
This shows the average speed you
are traveling in miles per hour (mph)
for U.S. models or kilometers per
hour (km/h) for Canadian models.
When you reset Trip A, AVG. SPEED
is also reset.
AVG. FUEL A/B
This shows your vehicle's average
fuel economy in mpg (U.S. models)
or liter/100 km (Canadian models)
since you last reset Trip A or Trip B.
You can customize the Trip A and
AVG. FUEL A reset condition on the
multi-information display (see page
93).
The average fuel economy will be
reset when you reset the trip meter,
or if the vehicle's battery goes dead
or is disconnected.
CONTINUED
Multi-Information Display
77
Instruments and Controls
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On models with navigation systemexcept Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto RicoAcuraLink enhances your ownership
experience by providing a direct
communication link between your
vehicle and the Acura Server.
Working through the XM radio
satellite, AcuraLink works in
conjunction with the navigation
system,
Bluetooth
®HandsFreeLink
®
(HFL), and audio system in your
vehicle. It displays and receives
several kinds of messages, including:●Operating tips and information on
your vehicle's features.●Important recall and safety
information.●Maintenance information to keep
your vehicle in top condition.●Diagnostic information to provide
information about any problems
with your vehicle. Interface Dial
Most AcuraLink functions are
controlled by the interface dial. The
interface dial has two parts, a knob
and a selector.
The knob turns left and right. Use it
to make selections or adjustments to
a list or menu on the screen.
The selector can be pushed left,
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) to go to that selection.
KNOB
ENTER
SELECTOR
AcuraLink
®(U.S. models only)
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