Control Acura RDX 2018 Owner's Guide

48
uuAirbags uSide Curtain Airbags
Safe Driving
Side Curtain Airbags
Side curtain airbags help protect the head s of the driver and passengers in outer
seating positions during a moderate-to-sever e side impact. The side curtain airbags
equipped in this vehicle are also designed to help reduce the likelihood of partial and
complete ejection of vehicle occupants thro ugh side windows in crashes, particularly
rollover crashes.
The side curtain airbags are located in the
ceiling above the side windows on both sides
of the vehicle.
The side curtain airbag is designed to deploy
in a rollover or a moderate-to-severe side
impact.
■Housing Locations
1Side Curtain Airbags
If the SRS control unit sens es that your vehicle is
about to rollover, it imme diately deploys both side
curtain airbags and activates both front seat belt
tensioners.
If the impact is on the passenger’s side, the
passenger’s side curtain airbag will inflate even if
there are no occupants on that side of the vehicle.
To get the best protecti on from the side curtain
airbags, occupants should wear their seat belts
properly and sit upr ight and well back in their seats.
Do not attach any objects to the side windows or roof
pillars as they can interfere with the proper operation
of the side curtain airbags.
Side Curtain Airbag Storage
■Operation
Deployed Side Curtain Airbag

51
uuAirbags uAirbag Care
Safe Driving
Airbag Care
You do not need to, and should not, perform any maintenance on or replace any
airbag system components yourself. However, you should have your vehicle
inspected by a dealer in the following situations:
■When the airbags have deployed
If an airbag has inflated, the control unit and other related parts must be replaced.
Similarly, once an automatic seat belt te nsioner has been activated, it must be
replaced.
■When the vehicle has been in a moderate-to-severe collision
Even if the airbags did not infl ate, have your dealer inspect the following: the driver’s
seat position sensor, weight sensors in the passenger’s seat, front seat belt
tensioners, and each seat belt that was worn during the crash.
■Do not remove or modify a front seat without consulting a dealer
This would likely disable the driver’s seat position sensor or the weight sensors in the
passenger’s seat. If it is necessary to remove or modify a front seat to accommodate
a person with disabilities, contact an Acur a dealer. For U.S. vehicles, Acura Client
Service at 1-800-382-2238 and for Canadian vehicles, Acura Client Service at
1-888-9-ACURA-9.
1 Airbag Care
We recommend against the use of salvaged airbag
system components, including the airbag, tensioners,
sensors, and control unit.

52
Safe Driving
Child Safety
Protecting Child Passengers
Each year, many children are injured or killed in vehicle crashes because they are
either unrestrained or not properly restra ined. In fact, vehicle accidents are the
number one cause of death of children ages 12 and under.
To reduce the number of child deaths and in juries, every state, Canadian province
and territory requires that infants and childre n be properly restrained when they ride
in a vehicle.
Children should sit properly restrained in a rear seat. This is because:
• An inflating front or side airbag can injure
or kill a child sitting in the front seat.
• A child in the front seat is more likely to
interfere with the driver ’s ability to safely
control the vehicle.
• Statistics show that ch ildren of all sizes and
ages are safer when they are properly
restrained in a rear seat.1 Protecting Child Passengers
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
and Transport Canada recommend that all children
ages 12 and under be properl y restrained in a rear
seat. Some states or provin ces/territories have laws
restricting where ch ildren may ride.
3WARNING
Children who are unrestrained or
improperly restrained can be seriously
injured or killed in a crash.
Any child too small for a seat belt should be
properly restrained in a child seat. A larger
child should be properly restrained with a
seat belt, using a booster seat if necessary.

53
uuChild Safety uProtecting Child Passengers
Safe Driving
• Any child who is too small to wear a seat belt correctly must be restrained in an
approved child seat that is properly secured to the vehicle using either the lap belt
portion of the lap/shoulder belt or the lower anchors of the LATCH system.
• Never hold a child on your lap because it is impossible to protect them in the
event of a collision.
• Never put a seat belt over yourself and a child. During a crash, the belt would
likely press deep into the child and cause serious or fatal injuries.
• Never let two children use the same seat belt. Both children could be very
seriously injured in a crash.
• Do not allow children to operate the doors, windows or seat adjustments.
• Do not leave children in the vehicle unatte nded, especially in hot weather when
the inside of the vehicle can get hot enough to kill them. They could also activate
vehicle controls causing it to move unexpectedly.1 Protecting Child Passengers
To deactivate a lockable retractor, release the buckle
and allow the seat belt to wind up all the way.
To remind you of the pa ssenger’s front airbag
hazards and child safety, y our vehicle warning came
with a label on the dashboard (U.S. models) and has
labels on the front visors. Pl ease read and follow the
instructions on these labels.
2 Safety Labels P. 65
3WARNING
Allowing a child to play with a seat belt or
wrap one around their neck can result in
serious injury or death.
Instruct children not to play with any seat
belt and make sure any unused seat belt a
child can reach is buckled, fully retracted,
and locked.

64
Safe Driving
Exhaust Gas Hazard
Carbon Monoxide Gas
The engine exhaust from this vehicle contains carbon monoxide, a colorless,
odorless, and highly toxic gas. As long as you properly maintain your vehicle, carbon
monoxide gas will not get into the interior.
■Have the exhaust system in spected for leaks whenever
• The exhaust system is m aking an unusual noise.
• The exhaust system may have been damaged.
• The vehicle is raised for an oil change.
When you operate a vehicle with the tailgat e open, airflow can pull exhaust gas into
the interior and create a hazardous conditio n. If you must drive with the tailgate
open, open all the windows and set the climate control system as shown below.
1. Select the fresh air mode.
2. Select the mode.
3. Set the fan speed to high.
4. Set the temperature control to a comfortable setting.
Adjust the climate control system in the same manner if you sit in your parked
vehicle with the engine running.
1 Carbon Monoxide Gas
An enclosed area such as a garage can quickly fill up
with carbon monoxide gas.
Do not run the engine with the garage door closed.
Even when the garage door is open, drive out of the
garage immediately afte r starting the engine.
3WARNING
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause unconsciousness and
even kill you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or activities that
expose you to carbon monoxide.

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uuIndicators u
Continued
Instrument Panel
*1:On the left: Models wi thout full color display
On the right: Models with full color display
IndicatorNameOn/BlinkingExplanationMessage*1
Low Oil Pressure
Indicator
●Comes on when you set the power
mode to ON, and goes off when the
engine starts.
●Comes on when the engine oil
pressure is low.
●Comes on while driving -
Immediately stop in a safe place.
2If the Low Oil Pressure
Indicator Comes On P. 422
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
●Comes on when you set the power
mode to ON, and goes off either when
the engine starts or after several
seconds if the engine does not start. If
“readiness codes” have not been set,
it blinks five times before it goes off.
●Comes on if there is a problem with
the emissions control system.
●Blinks when a misfire in the engine’s
cylinders is detected.
●Readiness codes are part of the
on board diagnostics for the
emissions control systems.
2Testing of Readiness Codes
P. 437
●Comes on while driving - Have
the vehicle checked by a dealer.
●Blinks while driving - Stop in a
safe place where there are no
flammable objects. Stop the
engine for 10 minutes or more,
and wait for it to cool down.
Then, take the vehicle to a dealer.
2 If the Malfunction Indicator
Lamp Comes On or Blinks
P. 423

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uuIndicators u
Instrument Panel
*1:On the left: Models without full color display
On the right: Models with full color display
*2:Models with full color display
*3:Models without full color display
IndicatorNameOn/BlinkingExplanationMessage*1
Charging System
Indicator
●Comes on when you set the power
mode to ON, and goes off when the
engine starts.
●Comes on when the battery is not
charging.
●Comes on while driving - Turn
off the climate control system and
rear defogger in order to reduce
electricity consumption.
2 If the Charging System
Indicator Comes On P. 422
Shift Lever
Position
Indicator●Indicates current shift lever position.2Shifting P. 277——
Transmission
Indicator
●Blinks if the transmission system has a
problem.●Blinks while driving - Avoid
sudden starts and acceleration
and have the vehicle checked by a
dealer immediately.
M (sequential
shift mode)
Indicator/Gear
Position
Indicator●Comes on when the manual
sequential shift mode is applied.
2 Sequential Shift Mode P. 279——
*2
*3
*2
*3
*2
*3

72
uuIndicators u
Instrument Panel
*1:On the left: Models without full color display
On the right: Models with full color display
IndicatorNameOn/BlinkingExplanationMessage*1
Supplemental
Restraint System
Indicator
●Comes on for a few seconds when
you set the power mode to ON,
then goes off.
●Comes on if a problem with any of
the following is detected:
-Supplemental restraint system
- Side airbag system
- Side curtain airbag system
- Seat belt tensioner
●Stays on constantly or does not
come on at all - Have the vehicle
checked by a dealer.
All-Wheel Drive
( AWD ) with
Intelligent
Control System
Indicator
*
●Comes on for a few seconds when
you set the power mode to ON,
then goes off.
●Comes on if there is a problem with
the AWD with intelligent control
system.
●Blinks when the AWD with
intelligent control system is
overheated. The system is inactive.
●Stays on constantly - the engine
drives only the front wheels in this
state. Have the vehicle checked by a
dealer.
●Blinks while driving - the engine
drives only the front wheels in this
state. Stop in a safe place, shift to
(P,
and idle the engine until the indicator
goes off. If the indicator does not
stop blinking, take your vehicle to a
dealer.
2 All-Wheel Drive (AWD) with
Intelligent Control System*
P. 316
—
—
* Not available on all models

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uuIndicators u
Continued
Instrument Panel
*1:On the left: Models wi thout full color display
On the right: Models with full color display
IndicatorNameOn/BlinkingExplanationMessage*1
Vehicle Stability
Assist (VSA ®)
System Indicator
●Comes on for a few seconds when
you set the power mode to ON, then
goes off.
●Blinks when VSA ® is active.●Comes on if there is a problem with
the VSA® system or hill start assist
system.
●Stays on constantly - Have the
vehicle checked by a dealer.
2 Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA ®),
aka Electronic Stability Control
(ESC), System P. 311
Vehicle Stability
Assist (VSA®)
OFF Indicator
●Comes on for a few seconds when
you set the power mode to ON, then
goes off.
●Comes on when you deactivate
VSA ®.
2 VSA ® On and Off P. 312——

78
uuIndicators u
Instrument Panel
*1:On the left: Models without full color display
On the right: Models with full color display
*2:Models with full color display
*3:Models without full color display
IndicatorNameOn/BlinkingExplanationMessage*1
CRUISE MAIN
Indicator*
●Comes on when you press the
CRUISE button.
2Cruise Control * P. 281——
CRUISE
CONTROL
Indicator
*
●Comes on if you have set a speed
for cruise control.
2 Cruise Control * P. 281——
Keyless Access
System Indicator
●Comes on for a few seconds when
you change the power mode to ON,
then goes off.
●Comes on as soon as a problem is
detected in the keyless access
system or keyless starting system.
●Have your vehicle ch ecked by a dealer.
*2
*3
*2
*3
* Not available on all models