maintenance Acura RSX 2006 Owner's Manual

2006 RSX Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com.

Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
............................................................................. i
A Few Wo r

ds About Safety ........................................................................\
.................................................. ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
.......................................................4
Driver and Pas

senger Safety ........................................................................\
...............................................7
P r

oper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Cont r
ols........................................................................\
...................................................49
Instrument panel indica tor and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
............................... 87
How t o
op era

te the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
...................................................... .
............. .

131
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
...................................................................................145
The proper way to start

the engine, shift the transmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.........................................................................165
T h
e Ma int

enance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................203
This section covers severa l pr

oblems motorists someti mes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
.......................................................227
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and techni

cal information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)..................................................................... 239
A summary of th
e warr anties coverin

g your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
.......................................243
How t o
order manuals an

d other technical literature.
Index ........................................................................\
......................................................................................... I
Service Inf ormat

ion Summary
A summary of informat

ion you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

Several warranties protect your new vehicle. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.As you read this manual, you will
f ind inf ormation that is preceded by
a
symbol. This
inf ormation is intended to help you
avoid damage to your vehicle, other
property, or the environment.
Calif ornia Proposition 65 Warning
This product contains
or emits chemicals known to the
state of California to cause cancer
and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Event Data Recorders
This vehicle is equipped with one or
more recording devices commonly
ref erred to as event data recorders
or sensing and diagnostic modules.
Congratulations! Your selection of a 2006 Acura RSX was a wise investment.
It will give you years of driving pleasure.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new vehicle is to
read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Af terwards, keep this owner’s manual in your vehicle so
youcanrefertoitatanytime.
Maintaining your vehicle according to the schedules given in this manual
helps to keep your driving trouble-f ree while it preserves your investment.
When your vehicle needs maintenance, keep in mind that your dealer’s staf f
is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to your vehicle.
Your dealer is dedicated to your satisf action and will be pleased to answer
any questions and concerns.
Introduction
WARNING:
i

µ
This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts. It
explains how your airbags work. And
it tells you how to properly restrain
inf ants and children in your vehicle.
.........
Important Safety Precautions .8
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features .9
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens .13
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors .13
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats .13
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs .14
4. Fasten and Position the
.............................
Seat Belts .155. Maintain a Proper Sitting
................................
Position .16
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 17
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 18
Additional Inf ormation About .......................
Your Seat Belts .19
..
Seat Belt System Components . 19
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .19
Automatic Seat Belt ...............................
Tensioners .20
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 21
Additional Inf ormation About ...........................
Your Airbags .22
......
Airbag System Components . 22
How Your Front Airbags .........................................
Work .23
...
How Your Side Airbags Work . 25
..
How the SRS Indicator Works . 26
How the Side Airbag Of f ......................
Indicator Works .27
.............................
Airbag Service .27
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 27
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .28
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .28 All Children Should Sit in a
.................................
Back Seat .29
The Passenger’s Front Airbag .........
Can Pose Serious Risks . 29
If You Must Drive with .....................
Several Children .30
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .31
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 31
Protecting Inf ants and Small ...................................
Children .32
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .32
.........
Protecting Small Children . 33
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .34
....................
Installing a Child Seat .35
...............................
With LATCH .36
.........
With a Lap/Shoulder Belt . 38
..............................
With a Tether .39
...........
Protecting Larger Children . 41
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit . 41
..................
Using a Booster Seat . 42
When Can a Larger Child Sit in .........................................
Front .43
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 44
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 45
...................................
Saf ety Labels .46
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
7

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

For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Acura provides a lif etime warranty
on seat belts f or U.S. models. See
your
booklet f or details. Pull each belt out f ully and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
the belts retract easily. Any belt that
is not in good condition or not
working properly will not provide
good protection and should be
replaced as soon as possible.If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by your dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
For inf ormation on how to clean your
seat belts, see page . The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed. If the automatic seat
belt tensioners activate during a
crash, they must be replaced.
191
Acura Warranty Inf ormation
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Seat Belt Maintenance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
21
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly when
needed.
Check your seat belts regularly,
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.

Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by your dealer or a
knowledgeable body shop.Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly. Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
Improperly replacing
or covering f ront seat-back covers
can prevent your side airbags f rom
inf lating during a side impact.
This indicator
alerts you that the
passenger’s side airbag has been
automatically shut off. It does
mean there is a problem with your
side airbags.
When you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, the indicator
should come on brief ly and go out
(see page ). If it doesn’t come on,
it stays on, or it comes on while
driving without a passenger in the
f ront seat, have the system checked. Any airbag
that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. Any
seat belt tensioner that activates
must also be replaced.
If water or another liquid
soaks into a seat-back, it can
prevent the side airbag cutof f
system f rom working properly.
Your airbag systems are virtually
maintenance f ree, and there are no
parts you can saf ely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:
52
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
How the Side Airbag Of f
Indicator Works Airbag Service
Additional Saf ety Precautions
T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o a
problem. Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason.
Do not cover or replace f ront seat -back covers wit hout consult ingyour dealer.
not
An airbag ever inf lates.
Do not expose the f ront seat-backsto liquid.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
27
U.S. Canada

ÎÎ
ÎThe U.S. instrument panel is shown. Dif f erences f or the Canadian models are noted in the text.
Instrument Panel
Inst rument s and Cont rols
51
HIGH BEAM INDICATOR
CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR
PARKING BRAKE AND BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATOR
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP
LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR
CHARGING SYSTEM INDICATOR MAINTENANCE REQUIRED
INDICATOR
IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM
INDICATOR
SECURITY SYSTEM
INDICATOR (P.54)
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR (P.53) (P.54)
(P.54)
(P.56) (P.55)
(P.53)SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM INDICATOR
(P.52)
SIDE AIRBAG OFF INDICATOR (P.52) TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD
WARNING INDICATOR (P.54)
(P.52)
SEAT BELT REMINDER
INDICATOR
(P.54) DOOR-OPEN INDICATOR
(P.217)
(P.53,216)
(P.53,216) SELECT/RESET
KNOB
(P.56)
(P.55)
LOW FUEL INDICATOR

This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position with the headlight
switch of f and the parking brake set.
It should go of f if you turn on the
headlights or release the parking
brake. If it comes on at any other
time, it means there is a problem
withtheDRL.Theremayalsobea
problem with the high beam
headlights.This indicator comes on when the
washer f luid level is low. Add washer
f luid when you see this indicator
come on (see page ).
This indicator reminds you that it is
time to take your vehicle in for
scheduled maintenance.
Ref er to the maintenance schedule
f or normal and severe driving
conditions on pages and .
For the f irst 8,000 miles (12,800 km)
af ter the maintenance required
indicator is reset, it will come on f or
2 seconds when you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position.
Between 8,000 miles (12,800 km)
and 10,000 miles (16,000 km), it will
come on f or 2 seconds when you
first turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position, and then f lash f or
10 seconds.
This indicator comes on as a
reminder that you must ref uel soon.
When the indicator comes on, there
is about 1.9 US gal (7.5
)of fuel
remaining in the tank bef ore the
reading reaches E. There is a small
reserve of f uel remaining in the tank
when the reading does reach E. 179
169170
Canadian models only Canadian models only
Instrument Panel Indicators
Washer L evel IndicatorMaintenance Required
Indicator
Low Fuel Indicator
Daytime Running L ights
Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
55

This indicator comes on when the
security system is set. See pagef or more inf ormation on the
security system.
If you exceed 10,000 miles (16,000
km) without having the scheduled
maintenance perf ormed, this
indicator will remain on as a constant
reminder.
Your dealer will reset this indicator
af ter completing the scheduled
maintenance. If this maintenance is
done by someone other than your
dealer, reset the indicator as f ollows.
Turn of f the engine. Press and hold the select/reset
knob in the instrument panel, then
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position.
Hold the knob f or about10
seconds until the indicator goes
off.
1.
2.
3. 126
Security System Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
56
SECURITY SYSTEM INDICATOR
SELECT/RESET KNOB

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Your vehicle is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane of 91 or higher. Use of
a lower octane gasoline can cause
occasional metallic knocking noises
in the engine and will result in
decreased engine perf ormance. Use
of a gasoline with a pump octane less
than 87 can lead to engine damage. Your vehicle is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 87 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise that can lead to engine damage.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline. Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 percent ethanol
by volume and up to 15 percent
MTBE by volume. Do not use
gasoline containing methanol. Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your dealer f or service.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
We recommend gasoline containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits.All models except Type-S Type-S
All models
Break-in Period Fuel Recommendation
Quick Start Guide
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
Bef ore Driving
133