steering Acura TSX 2004 Owner's Guide

Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in that position.
Move the steering wheel up or
down, and in or out 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. Make sure you have securely
locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up, down, in,
and out.
Your car comes with two master
keys and a valet key.
The master key fits all the locks on
your car:
 Ignition
 Driver’s door
Glovebox
 Trunk release handle
 Rear seat trunk access
3. 4.
5.
CONT INUED
Keys
Controls Near the Steering Wheel, K eys and L ocks
Inst rument s and Cont rols77
VALET KEY
(LIGHT GREY)
MASTER
KEY
(BLACK)
KEY
NUMBER
TAG

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The ignition switch is on the right
side of the steering column. It has
f our positions:
LOCK(0)
 ACCESSORY (I)
 ON (II)
 START (III) 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.
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.
Ignition Switch
L OCK (0)
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols80
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.

Theclimatecontrolsystemhastwo
sensors. A sunlight sensor is located
in the top of the dashboard and a
temperature sensor is next to the
steering column. Do not cover the
sensors or spill any liquid on them. Sunlight Sensor/T emperature
Sensor
Climat e Cont rol Syst em
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures128
SUNLIGHT SENSORTEMPERATURE SENSOR

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The VOL button adjusts the volume
up ( ) or down ( ). Press the top
or bottom of the button and hold it
until the desired volume is reached,
then release it.
The MODE button changes the
mode. Pressing the button
repeatedly selects FM1, FM2, AM,
CD (if a CD is loaded), or a cassette
(if equipped).
If youareplayingaCD,thesystem
skips to the beginning of the next
track each time you press the top
( ) of the CH button. Press the
bottom ( ) to return to the
beginning of the current track. Press
it again to return to the previous
track. You will see the disc and track
number in the display.
If youareplayingatapeinthe
optional cassette player, press the
top ( ) of the CH button to advance
to the next selection. Press the
bottom( )togobacktothe
previous selection. The system
senses a silent period, then goes
back to Play mode.
If you are listening to the radio, use
the CH button to change stations.
Each time you press the top ( ) of
the button, the system goes to the
next preset station on the band you
are listening to. Press the bottom
( ) to go back to the previous
station.
Three controls f or the audio system
are mounted in the steering wheel
hub. They let you control basic
f unctions without removing your
hands f rom the wheel. Remote Audio Controls
Audio System
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures171
CH BUTTON
VOL BUTTON MODE BUTTON

Accelerate to the desired cruising
speedabove25mph(40km/h). Push in the Cruise Control Master
Buttononthesteeringwheel.The
CRUISE MAIN light on the
instrument panel comes on.Press and release the DECEL/
SET button on the steering wheel.
The CRUISE CONTROL light on
the instrument panel comes on to
show the system is now activated.
Cruise control allows you to maintain
asetspeedabove25mph(40km/h)
without keeping your f oot on the
accelerator pedal. It should be used
f or cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended f or
conditions such as city driving,
winding roads, slippery roads, heavy
rain, or bad weather. You should
have f ull control of the car under
those conditions. The cruise control may not hold the
set speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down to the desired speed. This
will cancel the cruise control. To
resume the set speed, press the
RES/ACCEL button. The CRUISE
CONTROL light on the instrument
panel comes on.
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshifttoholdthesetspeed.
1.
2. 3.
Using the Cruise Control
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures174
CRUISE CONTROL MASTER BUTTON
CANCEL
BUTTON RES/ACCEL
BUTTON
DECEL/SET
BUTTON
Improper use of the cruise
control can lead to a crash.
Use the cruise control only
when traveling on open
highways in good weather.

Push the CANCEL button on the
steering wheel. Tap the brake or clutch pedal.
Youcancancelthecruisecontrolin
any of these ways: When you push the CANCEL button,
or tap the brake or clutch pedal, the
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel will go out and the
car will begin to slow down. You can
use the accelerator pedal in the
normal way.
The system remembers the
previously-set cruising speed. To
return to that speed, accelerate to
above25mph(40km/h),thenpress
and release the RES/ACCEL button.
The CRUISE CONTROL light comes
on, and the car will accelerate to the
same cruising speed as bef ore.
Press the Cruise Control Master
button on the steering wheel. Pressing the Cruise Control Master
button turns the system completely
of f and erases the previous cruising
speed f rom memory. To use the
system again, ref er to
.
Cancelling the Cruise Control
Using t he
Cruise Cont rol
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures176
CANCEL BUTTON
CRUISE CONTROL MASTER BUTTON

If a side airbag
or a side curtain airbag inf lates, a
cupholderorotherhardobject
attached on or near the door could
be propelled inside the car and
hurt someone.
Some examples are:
Lowering the vehicle with an
aftermarket suspension kit that
signif icantly reduces ground
clearance can allow the
undercarriage to impact speed
bumps or other raised objects,
which could cause the airbags to
deploy.
Raising the vehicle with an
af termarket suspension kit can
af f ect the handling and stability.
Af termarket wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components. Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interf ere with the operation of
your vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and
other systems.
Do not modif y your steering wheel
or any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.
Modif ications could make the
system inef f ective.
Any object
attached to or placed on the covers
marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG,’’ in the
center of the steering wheel and
on top of the dashboard, could
interf ere with the proper operation
of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inf late, the objects could be
propelled inside the car and hurt
someone.
If you plan to modif y your vehicle,
consult with your Acura dealer.
Covering the outside edge of a
f ront seat-back, with a non-Acura
seat cover for example, could
prevent the airbag from inflating
properly.
Removing parts f rom your vehicle,
or replacing components with non-
Acura (aftermarket) components
could seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability.
On models equipped with side airbags or
side curtain airbagsModif ications
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Do not at t ach hard object s on ornear a f ront door.
Do not at t ach or place object s on the f ront airbag covers. Do not place any object s over t he
outsideedgeof afront seat-back.
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving192

Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Check that the hood and trunk are
f ully closed.Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the adjustment of the
steering wheel (see page ).
Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
Start the engine (see page ).
Check the gauges and indicator
lights in the instrument panel (see
page ).
Check that any items you may be
carrying with you inside are stored
properly or f astened down
securely. Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments every day bef ore
you drive your car.
3.2.
1.
4. 5.
6.
7.
8.
9. 11.
12. 10.
15
90
102 76 199
59
Preparing to Drive
Driving198

Put your f oot on the brake pedal only
when you intend to brake. Resting
your f oot on the pedal keeps the
brakes applied lightly, causing them
to build up heat. Heat build-up can
reduce how well your brakes work. It
also keeps your brake lights on all
the time, conf using drivers behind
you.Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds
up heat and reduces their ef f ective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by downshif ting to a lower
gear and taking your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal.
Check your brakes af ter driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they f eel
normal. If not, apply them gently and
f requently until they do. Since a
longer distance is needed to stop
with wet brakes, be extra cautious
and alert in your driving.
Your Acura is equipped with disc
brakes at all f our wheels. A power
assist helps reduce the ef f ort needed
on the brake pedal. The ABS helps
you retain steering control when
braking very hard.
All f our brakes have audible brake
wear indicators.
When the brake pads need replacing,
you will hear a distinctive metallic
‘‘screeching’’ sound when you apply
the brakes. If you do not have the
brake pads replaced, they will begin
screeching all the time.
Your brakes may sometimes squeal
or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not conf use this with the
brakewearindicators.Theymakea
very audible ‘‘screeching.’’ Brake Wear Indicators
The Braking System
Driver and Passenger Saf ety212

this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work f or you by always keeping f irm,
steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes ref erred to as
You will f eel a pulsation in the brake
pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is
normal; it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of
traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on
thebrakepedalveryhardbeforeyou
activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
The hydraulic system that operates
the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the car (the lef t-f ront brake is
connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking
at two wheels.
Your car has an Anti-lock Brake
System (ABS) as standard
equipment. ABS helps to prevent the
wheels f rom locking up and skidding
during hard braking, allowing you to
retain steering control.
When the f ront tires skid, you lose
steering control; the car continues
straightaheadeventhoughyouturn
the steering wheel. The ABS helps to
prevent lock-up and helps you retain
steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly; much f aster than a
person can do it.
The ABS also balances the f ront-to
rear braking distribution according
to car loading.
‘‘stomp and steer.’’
CONT INUED
A nti-lock Brakes
You should never pump the
brake pedal;
Brake System Design
The Braking System
Driving213
Front