tow Acura RDX 2013 Owner's Manual

ContentsThis owner’s manual should be considered a permanent part of the
vehicle and should remain with the vehicle when it is sold.
This owner’s manual covers all models of your vehicle. You may find
descriptions of equipment and features that are not on your
particular model.
Images throughout this owner’s manual (including the front cover)
represent features and equipment that are available on some, but
not all, models. Your particular model may not have some of these
features.
This owner’s manual is for vehicles sold in the United States and
Canada.
The information and specifications included in this publication were
in effect at the time of approval for printing. Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
reserves the right, however, to discontinue or change specifications
or design at any time without notice and without incurring any
obligation.
2Safe Driving P. 23For Safe Driving P. 24 Seat Belts P. 29 Airbags P. 372Instrument Panel P. 67Indicators P. 68 Gauges and Multi-Information Display P. 822Controls P. 95Setting the Clock P. 96 Locking and Unlocking the Doors P. 97
Opening and Closing the Moonroof P. 118
Adjusting the Seats P. 1362Features P. 157Audio System P. 158 Audio System Basic Operation P. 161
HomeLink ® Universal Transceiver P. 1942 Driving P. 227Before Driving P. 228 Towing a Trailer P. 233Parking Your Vehicle P. 261
Multi-View Rear Camera P. 262
2Maintenance P. 267Before Performing Maintenance P. 268 Maintenance Minder
TM P. 271
Checking and Maintaining Wiper Blades P. 297
Climate Control System Maintenance P. 312 Cleaning P. 313
2 Handling the Unexpected P. 317Tools P. 318 If a Tire Goes Flat P. 319
Overheating P. 331 Indicator, Coming On/Blinking P. 3332Information P. 343Specifications P. 344 Identification Numbers P. 346
Emissions Testing P. 349 Warranty Coverages P. 351

Contents
Child Safety P. 52Exhaust Gas Hazard P. 64 Safety Labels P. 65Opening and Closing the Tailgate P. 107 Security System P. 113 Opening and Closing the Windows P. 115
Operating the Switches Around the Steering Wheel P. 119 Adjusting the Mirrors P. 133
Interior Lights/Interior Convenience Items P. 143 Climate Control System P. 152Audio Error Messages P. 187General Information on the Audio System P. 190
Bluetooth ® HandsFreeLink ® P. 196 Compass
* P. 225
Off-Highway Driving Guidelines P. 238 When Driving P. 240 Braking P. 257
Refueling P. 263 Fuel Economy P. 265Accessories and Modifications P. 266Maintenance Under the Hood P. 275 Replacing Light Bulbs P. 287
Checking and Maintaining Tires P. 301 Battery P. 310 Remote Transmitter Care P. 311Engine Does Not Start P. 325Jump Starting P. 328 Shift Lever Does Not Move P. 330
Fuses P. 337 Emergency Towing P. 340
When You Cannot Open the Tailgate P. 341
Devices that Emit Radio Waves P. 347 Reporting Safety Defects P. 348
Authorized Manuals P. 353 Client Service Information P. 354
Quick Reference Guide
P. 2
Safe Driving
P. 23
Instrument Panel
P. 67
Controls
P. 95
Features
P. 157
Driving
P. 227
Maintenance
P. 267
Handling the Unexpected
P. 317
Information
P. 343
Index
P. 355

9Quick Reference Guide
Controls
(P 95)
Clock
(P 96)
a
Press and hold the CLOCK (AUX)
button until Adjust Clock appears.
b
Press Preset
(4
(Hour) or
(5
(Minute)
to set the time.
c
Press the CLOCK button again to set
the time.
To set the time to the nearest hour: Press
and hold the CLOCK button until Adjust
Clock appears, then press the
(6
(Reset)
button.
Depending on the displayed time, the clock
sets forward or backward.
Example:
1:06 will reset to 1:00
1:53 will reset to 2:00
The navigation system receives signals from
GPS satellites, updating the clock
automatically.
Models without navigation systemModels with navigation system
ENGINE START/STOP
Button
(P 119)
Press the button to changes the vehicle's
power mode.
Turn Signals
(P 122)
Turn Signal Control Lever
Right
Left
Lights
(P 122)
Wipers and Washers
(P 126)
Light Control Switches
Low Beam High Beam
FlashingWiper/Washer Control Lever Adjustment Ring: Long Delay
: Short Delay
MIST
OFF
INT : Low speed with intermittent
LO : Low speed wipe
HI : High speed wipe Pull toward
you to spray
washer fluid.
*
Not available on all models

10Quick Reference Guide
Steering Wheel
(P 132)
● To adjust, pull the adjustment lever
towards you, adjust to the desired
position, then lock the lever back in place.
Unlocking the Front Doors
from the Inside
(P 104)
● Pull either front door inner handle to
unlock and open it at the same time.
Tailgate
(P 107)
● With all the doors unlocked, press the
tailgate release button and lift open the
tailgate.
● Touch the tailgate release button to
unlock and open the tailgate.
● Press the power tailgate button on the
instrument panel or the remote
transmitter to open and close the power
tailgate.
Models with the power tailgate

Quick Reference Guide17
Handling the Unexpected
(P 317)
Flat Tire
(P 319)
● Park in a safe location and replace the
flat tire with the compact spare tire in the
cargo area.
Indicators Come On
(P 333)
● Identify the indicator and consult the
owner's manual.
Engine Won't Start
(P 325)
● If the battery is dead, jump start using a
booster battery.
Blown Fuse
(P 337)
● Check for a blown fuse if an electrical
device does not operate.
Overheating
(P 331)
● Park in a safe location. If you do not see
steam under the hood, open the hood,
and let the engine cool down.
Emergency Towing
(P 340)
● Call a professional towing service if you
need to tow your vehicle.

42
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe Driving
■
When front airbags should not deploy
Minor frontal crashes: Front airbags were designed to supplement seat belts and
help save lives, not to prevent minor scrapes, or even broken bones that might occur
during a less than moderate-to-severe frontal crash.
Side impacts: Front airbags can provide protection when a sudden deceleration
causes a driver or front passenger to move towards the front of the vehicle. Side
airbags and side curtain airbags have been specifically designed to help reduce the
severity of injuries that can occur during a moderate-to-severe side impact which
can cause the driver or passenger to move towards the side of the vehicle.
Rear impacts: Head restraints and seat belts are your best protection during a rear
impact. Front airbags cannot provide any significant protection and are not designed
to deploy in such collisions.
Rollovers: Seat belts and, in vehicles equipped with a rollover sensor, side airbags
and side curtain airbags offer the best protection in a rollover. Because front airbags
could provide little if any protection, they are not designed to deploy during a
rollover.
■
When front airbags deploy with little or no visible damage
Because the airbag system senses sudden deceleration, a strong impact to the
vehicle framework or suspension might cause one or more of the airbags to deploy.
Examples include running into a curb, the edge of a hole, or other low fixed object
that causes a sudden deceleration in the vehicle chassis. Since the impact is
underneath the vehicle, damage may not be readily apparent.
■
When front airbags may not deploy, even though exterior damage
appears severe
Since crushable body parts absorb crash energy during an impact, the amount of
visible damage does not always indicate proper airbag operation. In fact, some
collisions can result in severe damage but no airbag deployment because the airbags
would not have been needed or would not have provided protection even if they
had deployed.

45
uuAirbags uSide Airbags
Continued
Safe Driving
■
When a side airbag deploys wi th little or no visible damage
Because the airbag system senses sudden acceleration, a strong impact to the side
of the vehicle's framework can cause a side airbag to deploy. In such cases, there
may be little or no damage, but the side impact sensors detected a severe enough
impact to deploy the airbag.
■
When a side airbag may not deploy, even though visible damage appears
severe
It is possible for a side airbag to not deploy during an impact that results in
apparently severe damage. This can occur when the point of impact was towards
the far front or rear of the vehicle, or when the vehicle's crushable body parts
absorbed most of the crash energy. In either case, the side airbag would not have
been needed nor provided protection even if it had deployed.

126
uuOperating the Switches Around the Steering Wheel uWipers and Washers
Controls
Wipers and Washers
The windshield wipers and washers can be
used when the power mode is in ON.■
MIST
The wipers run at high speed until you release
the lever.
■
Wiper switch (OFF, INT, LO, HI)
Change the wiper switch setting according to
the amount of rain.
■
Adjusting the delay
Turn the adjustment ring to adjust the wiper
delay.
■
Washer
Sprays while you pull the lever toward you.
When you release the lever, the wipers make
two or three more sweeps before stopping.
■
Front Wiper/Washer
1 Wipers and Washers
NOTICEDo not use the wipers when the windshield is dry.
The windshield will get scratched, or the rubber
blades will get damaged.NOTICEIn cold weather, the blades may freeze to the
windshield, becoming stuck.
Operating the wipers in this condition may damage
the wipers. Use the defroster to warm the
windshield, then turn the wipers on.
If the vehicle speeds up while the wipers are
operating intermittently, the length of the wipe
interval shortens.
When the vehicle starts moving, the wipers make a
single sweep.
When the vehicle speeds up, the wiper operation’s
shortest delay setting ( ) and the LO setting become
the same.
Turn the washers off if no washer fluid comes out.
The pump may get damaged.
The wiper motor is equipped with a breaker that may
stop motor operation temporarily to prevent an
overload. Wiper operation will return to normal
within a few minutes, once the circuit has returned to
normal.
Intermittent Time
Adjustment Ring
a
MIST
c
INT
: Low speed with intermittent
b
OFF
d
LO
: Low speed wipe
e
HI : High speed wipe Pull to
use
washer.
a
b
c
d
e
Long delay
Short delay

227
Driving
This chapter discusses driving, refueling, and information on items such as accessories.
Before DrivingDriving Preparation .......................... 228
Maximum Load Limit........................ 231
Towing a Trailer Towing Preparation .......................... 233
Driving Safely with a Trailer .............. 236
Towing Your Vehicle ........................ 237
Off-Highway Driving Guidelines General Information ......................... 238
Important Safety Precautions............ 238
Avoiding Trouble ............................. 239
When Driving Starting the Engine .......................... 240 Precautions While Driving ................ 242
Automatic Transmission ................... 243
Shifting ............................................ 244
Cruise Control ................................. 248
VSA
® (Vehicle Stability Assist), aka ESC
(Electronic Stability Control), System .. 251AWD (All-Wheel Drive) with Intelligent Control System
*..................................................... 253
TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) ... 253Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) - Required Federal Explanation ......... 255
Braking Brake System ................................... 257 ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) ........... 259
Brake Assist System ......................... 260
Parking Your Vehicle When Stopped ................................ 261
Multi-View Rear Camera .................. 262
Refueling Fuel Information .............................. 263
How to Refuel ................................. 264
Fuel Economy .................................... 265
Improving Fuel Economy .................. 265
Accessories and Modifications Accessories ...................................... 266
Modifications................................... 266
* Not available on all models

Continued
229
uuBefore Driving uDriving Preparation
Driving
• Store or secure all items on board properly.
u Carrying too much cargo, or improp erly storing it, can affect your vehicle's
handling, stability, stopping distance, and tires, and make it unsafe.
2 Maximum Load Limit P. 231
•Do not pile items higher than the seat height.
u They can block your view and may be thrown forward in the event of sudden
braking.
• Do not place anything in the front seat footwells. Make sure to secure the floor
mat.
u An object or unsecured floor mat can interfere with your brake and accelerator
pedal operation while driving.
• If you have any animals on board, do not let them move around in the vehicle.
u They may interfere with driving and a crash could occur.
• Securely close and lock all doors and the tailgate.
2 Locking/Unlocking the Doors from the Inside P. 104
•Adjust your seating position properly.
u Adjust the head restraint, too.
2 Adjusting the Seats P. 136
2 Adjusting the Head Restraints P. 138
•Adjust the mirrors and steering wheel properly for your driving.
u Adjust them while sitting in the proper driving position.
2 Adjusting the Steering Wheel P. 132
2 Adjusting the Mirrors P. 133
■
Interior Checks
1Interior Checks
The headlight aim is set by the factory, and does not
need to be adjusted. However, if you regularly carry
heavy items in the cargo area or tow a trailer, have
the aiming readjusted at a dealer or by a qualified
technician.