the Acura RDX 2017 Owner's Manual

273
uuWhen Driving uPrecautions While Driving
Driving
Precautions While Driving
Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles.
To prevent rollovers or loss of control:
• Take corners at slower speeds than yo u would with a passenger vehicle.
• Avoid sharp turns and abrupt maneuvers whenever possible.
• Do not modify your vehicle in any way th at you would raise the center of gravity.
• Never carry more than 165 lbs (75 kg) of ca rgo on the roof rack (Acura accessory).
Avoid driving in deep water and on flooded roads. This can damage the engine,
driveline, or cause electrical component failure.
If there is a strong impact with something un der the vehicle, stop in a safe location.
Check the underside of the vehicle for damage or any fluid leaks.
■Driving Guidelines for Your Utility Vehicle
■In Rain
■Other Precautions
1 Driving Guidelines for Your Utility Vehicle
Failure to operate your vehicle correctly might result
in a crash or a rollover. 2 Important Handling Information P. 26
1Precautions While Driving
NOTICE
Do not operate the shift lever while pressing the
accelerator pedal. You could damage the transmission.
NOTICE
If you repeatedly turn the steering wheel at an
extremely low speed, or hold the steering wheel on the
full left or right position for a while, the electric power
steering (EPS) system heats up . The system goes into a
protective mode, and limits its performance. The
steering wheel becomes harder and harder to operate.
Once the system cools down, the EPS system is restored.
Repeated operation under these conditions can
eventually damage the system.
If the power mode is set to ACCESSORY while
driving, the engine will shut down and all steering
and brake power assist functi ons will stop, making it
difficult to control the vehicle.
Do not put the shift lever in
( N, as you will lose
engine braking (and acce leration) performance.
During the first 600 miles (1,000 km) of operation,
avoid sudden acceleration or full throttle operation so
as not to damage the engine or powertrain.
Avoid hard braking for the first 200 miles (300 km). You
should also follow this when the brake pads are replaced.

274
uuWhen Driving uAutomatic Transmission
Driving
Automatic Transmission
The engine runs at a higher id le speed and creeping increases.
Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed when stopped.
Quickly depressing the accelerator pedal while driving uphill may cause the
transmission to drop to a lower gear, unexp ectedly increasing vehicle speed. Depress
the accelerator pedal carefully, especi ally on slippery roads and curves.
■Creeping
■Kickdown

275
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
Shifting
Change the shift position in accordance with your driving needs.
■Shift lever positions
1Shifting
You cannot change the pow er mode from ON to
VEHICLE OFF (LOCK) unless the shift lever is in
( P.
The vehicle may move forward very slightly even in
(N while the engine is cold.
Depress the brake pe dal firmly and, when necessary,
apply the parking brake.
When shifting gears in extremely low temperatures (-
22°F/-30°C), there may be a short delay before the
shift indicated in the display. Always confirm you are
in the correct gear before driving.
Park
Used when parking or starting the
engine
Reverse
Used when reversing
Neutral
Used when idling
Drive
Used:
●For normal driving (gear change
between 1st and 6th automatically)
●When temporally driving in the
sequential mode
Drive (S)
Used:
●For automatically changing gears
between 1st and 6th (6th gear is used
only at high speed)
●When driving in the sequential mode
Release Button

uuWhen Driving uShifting
276
Driving
■Shift Lever Operation1Shift Lever Operation
NOTICE
When you change the shift lever from (D to (R and
vice versa, come to a complete stop and keep the
brake pedal depressed.
Operating the shift lever be fore the vehicle has come
to a complete standstill can damage the transmission.
Use the shift lever position indicator to check the
lever position befo re pulling away.
Whichever position the shift lever is in when driving,
a blinking transmission indicator indicates a
transmission problem.
Avoid sudden acceleration and have the transmission
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The fuel supply may be cut of f if you drive at engine
speeds in or over the tachometer’s red zone (engine
speed limit). If this happe ns, you may experience a
slight jolt.
It may not be possible to operate the shift lever if the
brake pedal is applied while the shift lever release
button is held down.
Depress the brake pedal first.
Tachometer’s red zone Shift Lever Position Indicator
Depress the brake pedal and press
the shift lever release button to shift.
Shift without pressing the shift lever
release button.
Press the shift lever release button
and shift.
( M (Sequential Shift mode) Indicator/
Gear Position Indicator
Models without
full color display

277
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
Use the paddle shifters to change between 1st and 6th gears without removing your
hands from the steering wheel. The transmiss ion will switch to the sequential shift
mode.
■When the shift lever is in (D:
The vehicle will go into the sequential shi ft mode momentarily, and the gear position
indicator will come on.
Once you start traveling at a constant speed, the sequential shift mode will
automatically switch off, and the g ear position indicator will go off.
Hold the
(+ paddle shifter for two seconds to return to normal drive.
■When the shift lever is in (S:
The vehicle will go into the se quential shift mode, and the M (sequential shift mode)
indicator and gear position indicator will come on. At speeds of 6 mph (10 km/h) or
less, the vehicle automatically shifts down in to 1st gear. It will not automatically shift
up, even if vehicle speed increases.
You can only pull away in 1st or 2nd gear.
When switching out of the sequential shift mode, move the shift lever from
(S to
(D. When the sequential shift mode is canceled, the M indicator and gear position
indicator go off.
■Sequential Shift Mode

uuWhen Driving uShifting
278
Driving
■Second gear lock mode
If you pull the
(+ paddle shifter while stopped or dr iving at 6 mph (10 km/h) or less,
the gear position will be lock ed in 2nd gear. This makes it easier to pull away on
slippery surfaces such as snow covered roads.
To cancel the 2nd gear lock mode, pull the
(- paddle shifter, or move the shift lever
from
(S to (D.
■Sequential Shift Mode Operation1 Sequential Shift Mode Operation
Each paddle shift operation makes a single gear
change.
To change gears continuously, release the paddle
shifter before pulling it again for the next gear.
Recommended Shift Points
Use this table as a guideline for efficient fuel
economy and effectiv e emission control.
The gear position indicato r blinks when you cannot
shift up or down. It indicate s that your vehicle speed
is not in its allowabl e gear shifting range.
Slightly accelerate to shift up and decelerate to shift
down while the indi cator is blinking.
Shift Up Normal Acceleration
1st to 2nd15 mph (24 km/h)
2nd to 3rd 25 mph (40 km/h)
3rd to 4th40 mph (64 km/h)
4th to 5th 45 mph (72 km/h)
5th to 6th50 mph (80 km/h)
Paddle Shifter
(Shift down)
Downshifting when
pulling the
( - paddle
shifter.
(Changes to a lower
gear.) Upshifting when pulling
the (
+ paddle shifter.
(Changes to a higher
gear.)
( -
(+Paddle Shifter
(Shift up)

279
uuWhen Driving uCruise Control*
Continued
Driving
Cruise Control*
Maintains a constant vehicle speed without having to keep your foot on the
accelerator. Use cruise control on freeways or open road s where you can travel at a
constant speed with little ac celeration or deceleration.1Cruise Control*
It may not be possible to maintain a constant speed
when driving uphill or downhill.
When not using cruise control:
Turn off cruise control by pressing the CRUISE
button.
3WARNING
Improper use of the cruise control can lead
to a crash.
Use the cruise control only when traveling
on open highways in good weather.
■Shift positions for cruise control:
In ( D or (S
When to use
Always keep sufficient distance
between you and the vehicle in
front of you.■Vehicle speed for cruise control:
Desired speed in a range above
roughly 25 mph (40 km/h) ~
How to useCRUISE MAIN is on in the
instrument panel.
Cruise control is ready to use.
■Press the CRUISE
button on the
steering wheel.
Models with full
color display
Models without
full color display
* Not available on all models

280
uuWhen Driving uCruise Control*
Driving
Take your foot off the pedal and press the DECEL/SET button when you reach the
desired speed.
The moment you release the DECEL/SET button, the set speed is fixed, and cruise
control begins. The CRUISE CONTROL indicator comes on.
■To Set the Vehicle Speed
DECEL/SET Button
On when cruise control beginsPress and release
Models without
full color display
Models with full
color display
Models without
full color display
Models with full
color display

281
uuWhen Driving uCruise Control*
Driving
Increase or decrease the vehicle speed using the RES/ACCEL or DECEL/SET buttons
on the steering wheel.
• Each time you press the button, the vehicl e speed is increased or decreased by
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
• If you keep the button pressed, the vehicl e speed increases or decreases until you
release it. This speed is then set.
To cancel cruise control, do any of the
following:
•Press the CANCEL button.
• Press the CRUISE button.
• Depress the brake pedal.
The CRUISE CONTROL indicator goes off.
■To Adjust the Vehicle Speed
■To Cancel
To decrease speed
To increase speed
1To Cancel
Resuming the prior set speed:
After cruise control has be en canceled, you can still
resume the prior set speed by pressing the RES/
ACCEL button while driving at a speed of at least 25
mph (40 km/h) or more.
You cannot set or resume in the following situations:
•When vehicle speed is less than 25 mph (40 km/h)
•When the CRUISE button is turned off
At vehicle speeds of 22 m ph (35 km/h) or less, cruise
control is canceled automatically.
CRUISE
Button
CANCEL
Button

282
uuWhen Driving uFront Sensor Camera*
Driving
Front Sensor Camera*
The camera, used in systems su ch as LDW, LKAS, ACC, and CMBSTM, is designed to
detect an object that triggers any of the systems to operate its functions.
This camera is located behind the rearview
mirror.
To help reduce the likelihood that high interior
temperatures will cause the camera’s sensing
system to shut off, when parking, find a shady
area or face the front of the vehicle away from
the sun. If you use a re flective sun shade, do
not allow it to cover the camera housing.
Covering the camera can concentrate heat on
it.
■Camera Location and Handling Tips
1 Front Sensor Camera*
Never apply a film or attach any objects to
windshield, the hood, or the front grill that could
obstruct the camera’s fiel d of vision and cause the
system to operate abnormally.
Scratches, nicks, and othe r damage to the windshield
within the camera’s fiel d of vision can cause the
system to operate abnormall y. If this occurs, we
recommend that you replac e the windshield with a
genuine Acura replacement windshield. Making even
minor repairs within the ca mera’s field of vision or
installing an aftermarke t replacement windshield
may also cause the system to operate abnormally.
After replacing the winds hield, have a dealer
recalibrate the camera. Pr oper calibration of the
camera is necessary for the system to operate
properly.
Do not place an object on the top of the instrument
panel. It may reflect onto the windshield and prevent
the system from detecting lane lines properly.
If the Some Driver Assist Systems Cannot
Operate: Camera Temperature Too High message
appears:
•Use the climate control system to cool down the
interior and, if necessary, also use defroster mode
with the air flow directed towards the camera.
•Start driving the vehicle to lower the windshield
temperature, which cool s down the area around
the camera.
Front Sensor Camera
* Not available on all models