light Acura RSX 2003 Owner's Guide

Thetwoleversonthesteering
column contain controls f or driving
f eatures you use most of ten. The lef t
lever controls the turn signals,
headlights, and high beams. The
right lever controls the windshield
washers and wipers.
The controls on the dashboard to the
right of the steering column are f or
the instrument panel brightness,
hazard warning lights and rear
window def ogger.
The moonroof switch and cruise
control switch are to the left of the
steering column.
The tilt adjustment lever on the
underside of the steering column
allows you to tilt the steering wheel.
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Inst rument s and Cont rols68
WINDSHIELD
WIPERS/WASHERSHAZARD WARNING LIGHTS REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER
INSTRUMENT PANEL
BRIGHTNESS
HORN
TILT ADJUSTMENT
HEADLIGHTS/
TURN SIGNALS
MOONROOF CRUISE
CONTROL

To f lash the high beams, pull the
turn signal lever back lightly, then
release it. The high beams will come
on and go of f .
The high beams will stay on f or as
long as you hold the lever back, no
matter what position the headlight
switch is in.
With the headlight switch off, the
high beam headlights come on with
reduced brightness when you turn
the ignition switch to ON (II) and
release the parking brake. They
remain on until you turn the ignition
of f , even if you set the parking brake.
To change between low beams and
high beams, pull the turn signal lever
until you hear a click, then let go.
The blue high beam indicator will
light (see page ). The headlights revert to normal
operation when you turn them on
with the switch.
The rotating switch on the lef t lever
controls the lights. Turning this
switch to the ‘‘ ’’ position turns
on the parking lights, taillights,
instrument panel lights, side-marker
lights, and rear license plate lights.
Turning the switch to the ‘‘ ’’
position turns on the headlights. If you leave the lights on with the
ignition switch in ACCESSORY (I)
or LOCK (0), you will hear a
reminder beeper when you open the
driver’s door.
62
Headlights
Daytime Running L ights
(Canadian Models)
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Inst rument s and Cont rols69

To signal a lane change, push lightly
on the turn signal lever in the proper
direction and hold it. The lever will
return to the center position as soon
as you release it.
Signal a turn or lane change with this
lever. Push down on the lever to
signal a lef t turn, and up to signal a
right turn. If you push it up or down
all the way, the turn signal continues
to blink even when you release the
lever. It shuts off automatically as
you complete the turn.
The knob on the instrument panel
controls the brightness of the instru-
ment panel lights. Turn the knob to
adjust the brightness.Inst rument Panel Bright nessTurn Signals
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Inst rument s and Cont rols70
TURN SIGNAL LEVER

This lever controls the windshield
wipers and washers. It has five
positions:MIST: mist
OFF: off
INT: intermittent
LO: low speed
HI: high speed
To select a position, push the lever
up or down. In intermittent, the wipers operate
every f ew seconds. The sweep
interval will change slightly with
speed; getting shorter as you drive
f aster. In low speed and high speed,
the wipers run continuously.
You can vary how of ten the wipers
sweep the windshield by turning the
INT TIME ring next to the rotary
switch.
If you turn the INT TIME ring to the
shortest delay, the wipers will
change from intermittent to low
speed operation when vehicle speed
exceeds 12 mph (20 km/h).
CONT INUED
Windshield Wipers
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Inst rument s and Cont rols71

The rear window def ogger will clear
fog, frost, and thin ice from the
window. Push the def ogger button to
turn it on and of f . The light in the
button lights to show the def ogger is
on. If you do not turn it of f , the
def ogger will shut itself of f af ter
about25minutes.Italsoshutsoff
when you turn of f the ignition. You
have to turn it on again when you
restart the car.
Pushtheredbuttontoturnonthe
hazard warning lights (f our-way
flashers). This causes all four
outside turn signals and both
indicators in the instrument panel to
f lash. Use the hazard warning lights
if you need to park in a dangerous
area near heavy traffic, or if your car
is disabled. Make sure the rear window is clear
and you have good visibility bef ore
starting to drive.
Thedefoggerwiresontheinsideof
the rear window can be accidentally
damaged. When cleaning the glass,
always wipe side to side.
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Hazard Warning
Rear Window Def ogger
73

See page f or important saf etyinf ormation about how to properlyposition the steering wheel. 17
Make any steering wheel adjustment
bef ore you start driving.
To adjust the steering wheel upward
or downward:Push the lever under the steering
column all the way down. Move the steering wheel to the
desired position, making sure the
wheel points toward your chest,
not toward your f ace. Make sure
you can see the instrument panel
gauges and the indicator lights.
Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position.
Make sure you have securely
locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up and down.
1. 3.
4. 2.
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Steering Wheel A djustment
74
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
car and be seriously injured in a
crash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the car is stopped.

CONT INUED
Your car comes with two master
keys and a valet key.The valet key works only in the
ignition and the door locks. You can
keepthegloveboxlockedwhenyou
leave your car and the valet key at a
parking f acility.
These keys contain electronic
circuits that are activated by the
Immobilizer System. They will not
work to start the engine if the
circuits are damaged.
Protect the keys f rom direct
sunlight, high temperature, and
high humidity.
Donotdropthekeysorsetheavy
objects on them.
Keep the keys away f rom liquids.
If they get wet, dry them
immediately with a sof t cloth.
The keys do not contain batteries.
Do not try to take them apart.
The master key fits all the locks on
your car:
 Ignition
 Doors
Glovebox Youshouldhavereceivedakey
number tag with your keys. You will
need this key number if you ever
have to get a lost key replaced. Keep
the tag stored in a safe place. If you
need to replace a key, use only an
Acura-approved key blank.
Keys
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols75
MASTER KEY
(BLACK)
VALET KEY
(GREY)
KEY
NUMBER
TAG

µµ µ
µ
If the f ront wheels are turned, the
anti-thef t lock may sometimes make
it difficult to turn the key from
LOCK to ACCESSORY. Firmly turn
the steering wheel to the lef t or to
the right as you turn the key. You can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
To switch f rom ACCESSORY to
LOCK, you must push the key in
slightly as you turn it. If your car has
an automatic transmission, the shif t
lever must also be in Park. The anti-
thef t lock will lock the steering
column when you remove the key.
This is the normal key
position when driving. All f eatures
and accessories on the car are usable.
Several of the lights on the instru-
ment panel come on as a test when
you turn the ignition switch f rom
ACCESSORY to ON. Use this position
only to start the engine. The switch
returns to ON (II) when you let go of
the key.
The engine will not start if the
Immobilizer System does not
recognize the key’s coding (see page ).
You will hear a reminder beeper if
you leave the key in the ignition
switch in the LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I) position and open
the driver’s door. Remove the key to
turn of f the beeper.
In this position,
you can operate the audio system
and the accessory power socket. 76
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols
LOCK (0)
ON (II)ST A RT (III)
A CCESSORY (I)
78
Removing the key from the
ignition switch while driving
locks the steering. This can
cause you to lose control.
Remove the key from the
ignition switch only when
parked.

You can lock and unlock your car
with the remote transmitter. When
you push the LOCK button, both
doors and the hatch lock.When you push the UNLOCK button
once, only the driver’s door unlocks.
The passenger’s door and the hatch
unlock when you push the button a
second time. The parking lights, side
marker lights, taillights and license
plate light flash twice.
If you unlock the doors and the
hatch with the remote transmitter,
but do not open either door or the
hatch within 30 seconds, the doors
and the hatch automatically relock
and the security system sets.
The ceiling light (if the ceiling light
switch is in the center position) will
come on when you press the
UNLOCK button. If you do not open
either door or the hatch, the light
will go out in about 30 seconds and
the doors and the hatch will
automatically relock. If you relock
the doors and the hatch with the
remote transmitter before 30
seconds have elapsed, the light will
go of f immediately.
You cannot lock the doors and the
hatch with the remote transmitter if
any door or the hatch is not f ully
closed. You cannot lock or unlock
the doors and the hatch with the key
in the ignition switch.
CONT INUED
Remote Transmitter
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols81

Panic mode allows you to remotely
activate your vehicle’s horn and
lights to attract attention. When
activated, the horn will sound, and
the headlights, parking lights, side
marker lights, taillights and
instrument panel lights will f lash f or
about 30 seconds. To activate panic
mode,pressandholdthePANIC
button f or about one second.
To cancel Panic mode bef ore 30
seconds, press any button on the
remote transmitter. You can also
turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Panic mode will not activate if the
key is in the ON (II) position.When the remote transmitter’s
battery begins to get weak, it may
take several pushes on the button to
lock or unlock the doors and the
tailgate, and the LED will get dim.
Replace the battery as soon as
possible.
Battery type: CR2025To replace the battery, place a cloth
on the edge of the transmitter and
remove the upper half by carefully
prying on the edge with a small f lat-
tip screwdriver.
Panic Mode
Replacing t he Bat t ery
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols82