air condition Acura RSX 2006 Owner's Manual

µ
You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important. Excessive speed is a major f actor 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
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with airbags,
make sure you and your passengers
always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly (see page ).
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat, not the front seat. Infants and
smallchildrenshouldberestrained
in a child seat. Larger children
should use a booster seat and a lap/
shoulder belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat (see pages ).
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
15
169
4428
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Restrain All Children Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Don’t Drink and Drive
8

Your vehicle’s exhaust contains
carbon monoxide gas. You should
have no problem with carbon
monoxide entering the vehicle in
normal driving if you maintain your
vehicle properly.High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage.
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:
The vehicle is raised f or an oil
change.
You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust.
The vehicle was in an accident
that may have damaged the
underside. Select the f resh air mode.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
If you must sit in your parked vehicle
with the engine running, even in an
unconfined area, adjust the climate
control system as f ollows: With the hatch open, airflow can pull
exhaust gas into your vehicle’s
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
hatch open, open all the windows,
and set the climate control system as
shown below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
45
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.

The heating and air conditioning
system in your vehicle provides a
comf ortable driving environment in
all weather conditions.
The standard audio system has
many f eatures. This section de-
scribes those f eatures and how to
use them.
Your vehicle has an anti-theft audio
system that requires a code number
to enable it.
The security system helps to dis-
courage vandalism and thef t of your
vehicle................
Vents, Heating, and A/C .88
..................................
Audio System .92
....................
Playing the Radio .93,106
..........................
Playing a Disc .97,113
..........................
Disc Changer .99,115
.......
Disc Player Error Messages .100
Disc Changer
................
Error Messages .101,119
.......................
Playing a Tape .102,110
..................
Setting the Clock .105,120
..................
Protecting Your Discs .121
..
Caring f or the Tape and Player .122
............................
Radio Reception .123
.................
Radio Thef t Protection .125
............................
Security System .126
...............................
Cruise Control .127
Features
Features
87

Vents, Heating, and A/C
88
TEMPERATURE CONTROL DIALMODE CONTROL DIAL
REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER BUTTON
RECIRCULATION BUTTON AIR CONDITIONING BUTTON FAN CONTROL DIAL

To use the heating and cooling
system in automatic mode, set the
system as f ollows.Set the f an control dial to AUTO.
Set the mode control dial to AUTO.
Turn the temperature control dial
to the desired temperature.
Select f resh air mode by pressing
the recirculation button. The
indicator in the switch should be
off.
Turn on the A/C by pressing the
button. Pressing the A/C button turns the
air conditioning ON and OFF. The
indicator in the button comes on
when the A/C is ON.
When you turn the A/C of f , the
system cannot regulate the inside
temperature if you set the dial below
the outside air temperature.
With A/C on, use the temperature
control dial to adjust the temperature
of the air f low to a comf ortable
setting.
Air conditioning also removes mois-
ture from the air as it operates. You
can use it to def og the windows
quickly in cool or damp weather.
Used in combination with the heater,
it also makes the interior warm and
dry.
To heat or cool the interior f aster,
select recirculation mode, and set
the temperature control dial to the
upper or lower limit. The system
runs on f ull cooling or heating only.
It does not regulate the interior temperature. When the temperature
is set between the lower and upper
limits, the system regulates the
interior temperature to the set value.
TurningthefancontroldialtoOFF
shuts the heating and cooling system
completely off. Keep the system
completely of f only f or short periods.
To keep stale air and mustiness from
collecting, you should have the f an
running at all times.
You can manually set the system
controls f or ventilation, air
conditioning, heating, airf low
direction, and fan speed in various
combinations.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
CONT INUED
Vents, Heating, and A/C
Automatic Operation
Manual OperationA ir Condit ioning But t on
Features
89

Air conditioning places an extra load
on the engine. Watch the engine
coolant temperature gauge (see page) when using the A/C in heavy
traf f ic or driving up long hills. If it
moves near the red zone, turn of f the
air conditioning until the gauge
reads normally. The main air flow comes out
of the dashboard vents.
Airf low is divided between
the vents in the dashboard and the
f loor vents.
The main air f low is directed
to the floor vents.
The main air f low is divided
between the f loor vents and
defroster vents at the base of the
windshield.
The main air f low is directed
to the windshield for faster
def rosting or def ogging. To def rost
or defog, turn the temperature
control dial to maximum. Select , and set the f an speed to
high.
This button controls the source of air
going into the system. When the
indicator in this button is on, the
system is recirculating the interior
air (recirculation mode). When the
indicator is of f , f resh air is brought
in f rom outside the vehicle (f resh air
mode). Push the button to change
between recirculated and f resh air.
Use recirculation mode to heat or
cool the interior more quickly or to
keep out smoke and dust. Leaving
the system in the recirculation mode
with the A/C off can cause the
windows to f og up. Switch to f resh air mode as soon as the interior
reaches a comf ortable temperature
or the outside smoky, dusty
condition clears.
When the dial is set to AUTO, the
system controls the f an speed
automatically. You can manually select the f an
speed by turning the f an speed
control dial. Turning this dial
clockwise increases the f an speed,
which increases air flow.
In AUTO mode, the system controls
the airf low direction automatically
between the dashboard vents and
the f loor vents. Some air will come out of the side
vents in all modes. Use this dial to select the direction of
airf low coming out of the system.
58
Vents, Heating, and A/C
Recirculat ion But t on
Fan Speed
Mode Cont rol Dial
90

Your vehicle’s radio can receive the
complete AM and FM bands.
Those bands cover these f requen-
cies:
AM band: 530 to 1,710 kilohertz
FM band: 87.7 to 107.9 megahertzHow well your vehicle’s radio
receives stations is dependent on
many f actors, such as the distance
from the station’s transmitter,
nearby large objects, and
atmospheric conditions.
A radio station’s signal gets weaker
as you get f arther away f rom its
transmitter. If you are listening to an
AM station, you will notice the sound
volume becoming weaker and the
stationdriftinginandout.If youare
listening to an FM station, you will
see the stereo indicator f lickering of f
and on as the signal weakens.
Eventually, the stereo indicator will
go of f and the sound will f ade
completely as you get out of range of
the station’s signal.Driving very near the transmitter of
a station that is broadcasting on a
f requency close to the f requency of
the station you are listening to can
also af f ect your radio’s reception.
You may temporarily hear both
stations,orhearonlythestationyou
are close to.
Radio stations on the AM band are
assigned f requencies at least 10
kilohertz apart (530, 540, 550).
Stations on the FM band are
assigned f requencies at least 0.2
megahertz apart (87.9, 88.1, 88.3).
Stations must use these exact
f requencies. It is f airly common f or
stations to round-of f the f requency in
their advertising, so your radio could
display a f requency of 100.9 even
though the announcer may identif y
the station as ‘‘FM101.’’
CONT INUED
Radio Frequencies
Radio Reception
Radio Reception
Features
123

Always drive in the highest gear
possible.
Try to maintain a constant speed.
Everytimeyouslowdownand
speed up, your vehicle uses extra
f uel. Use cruise control when
appropriate.
Combine several short trips into
one.
The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Usethefresh-air
ventilation when possible.
an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses more f uel.
The build-up of snow or mud on
your vehicle’s underside adds
weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
mileage and reduces the chance of
corrosion.
Drive moderately. Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking use more f uel. Always maintain your vehicle
according to the maintenance
schedule. See on page
.
Refer to
on page f or inf ormation
about checking other items on your
vehicle. 168
168
For example,
Service Station Procedures, Fuel Economy
Improving Fuel EconomyOwner’s
Maintenance Checks
Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
138

Maketurnsmoreslowlyandwider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.
When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red (hot) mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
If the automatic transmission shif ts
f requently while going up a hill, shif t
to D .Always drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the lef t
to get the trailer to move to the lef t,
andturnthewheelrighttomovethe
trailer to the right.
If you must stop when f acing uphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat. When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shif t down to 2nd
gear (manual) or D (automatic). Do
not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and remember
it will take longer to slow down and
stop when towing a trailer.
Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including f irmly setting the
parking brake and putting the
transmission in Park (automatic) or
in 1st or reverse (manual). Also,
place wheel chocks at each of the
trailer’s tires.
Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause the trailer to
sway. When being passed by a large
vehicle, keep a constant speed, and
steer straight ahead. Do not try to
make quick steering or braking
corrections.
3 3
bottom
Towing a Trailer
Making T urns and Braking
Driving on Hills Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ingBacking Up
Parking
164

ÎÌ
Ì
Ì
Î
Follow the Normal Maintenance
Schedule if the severe driving
conditions specif ied in the Severe
Conditions Maintenance Schedule on
the next page do not apply.
CONT INUED
NOT E: If you only OCCASIONALLY
drive under a ‘‘severe’’ condition, you
should f ollow the Normal Conditions
Maintenance Schedule.
Canadian owners should f ollow the
Maintenance Schedule f or Severe
Conditions on the next page.
169
miles x 1,000
km x 1,000
Service the items listed at the indicated distance (or time, if given).
( (
O
O r
re
ev
ve
er
ry
y 6
6y
ye
ea
ar
rs
s, , w
w h
hi
ic
ch h e
ev
ve
er
r c
coo m
m e
es
s f
fi
ir
r s
st t)
)
(
(
O
O t
th
h e
er
rw
w i
is
se e a
ad
d j
ju
u s
stt o
o n
nl
ly
y i
if
f n
n o
oi
is
sy y )
)
Every 10,000 miles (16,000 km)(
(O
O r
re
ev
ve
er
ry
y 1
1y
ye
ea
ar
r,
, w
w h
hi
ic
ch h e
ev
ve
er
r c
coo m
m e
es
s f
fi
ir
r s
st t)
)
Check inflation and condition once a month Check oil and coolant at each fuel stop
10
16
20
3230
4840
6450
8060
9670
112 80
128 100
160
90
144
( ( O
O r
re
ev
ve
er
ry
y 2
2y
ye
ea
ar
rs
s, , w
w h
hi
ic
ch h e
ev
ve
er
r c
coo m
m e
es
s f
fi
ir
r s
st t)
)
120
192 130
208140
224150
240
Every 3 years (independent of mileage) Every 160,000 miles (256,000 km) 110
176
Replace at 120,000 miles (192,000 km) or 6 years, then every 90,000 miles (144,000 km) or 5 years.
( ( O
O r
re
ev
ve
er
ry
y 1
1y
ye
ea
ar
r,
, w
w h
hi
ic
ch h e
ev
ve
er
r c
coo m
m e
es
s f
fi
ir
r s
st t)
)
At 120,000 miles (192,000 km) or 10 years, then
every 60,000 miles (96,000 km) or 5 years
Check engine oil and coolant
Check tires
Replace engine oil
Rotate tires (follow pattern on page
197)
Replace engine oil filter
Check front and rear brakes
Check parking brake adjustment
Inspect the following items: Tie-rod ends, steering gear box and boots
Suspension components
Driveshaft boots
Brake hoses and lines (including ABS)
All fluid levels and condition of fluids
Exhaust system
Fuel lines and connections
Inspect drive belts
Replace dust and pollen filter
Replace air cleaner element
Replace spark plugs
Inspect valve clearance
Replace automatic transmission fluid
Replace manual transmission fluid
Inspect idle speed
Replace engine coolant
Replace brake fluid
See information on maintenance and emissions warranty, page .
1:
: 168
1
Maintenance Schedule for Normal Conditions