service Acura TSX 2008 Owner's Manual

Calif ornia Proposition 65 WarningThis product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth
def ects or other reproductive harm.
Event Data Recorders
This data belongs to the vehicle owner and may not be accessed by anyone else
except as legally required or with the permission of the vehicle owner.
Service Diagnostic Recorders
This vehicle is equipped with service-related devices that record inf ormation about powertrain perf ormance. The data
can be used to verif y emissions law requirements and/or help technicians diagnose and solve service problems. It may
also be combined with data f rom other sources f or research purposes, but it remains conf idential.
WARNING:
This vehicle is equipped with one or more devices commonly ref erred to as event data recorders. These
devices record f ront seat belt use, f ront passenger seat occupancy, airbag deployment data, and the f ailure
of any airbag system component.
Introduction
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2008 TSX Online Reference Owner's Manual
Contents

Owner's Identification Form

Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... i A Few Words About Safety .............................................................................................................................. iii
Your Vehicle at a Glance (main controls) .................................................................................................... 3
Driver and Passenger Safety (seat belts, SRS, and child protection) .................................................... 5
Instruments and Controls
(indicators, gauges, multi-information display, dashboard and steering column)
.......... 59
Features (
climate control,audio,steering wheel,security,cruise control,HomeLink®,and other convenience items
) ........... 159
Before Driving (fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading) ...................................................................... 231
Driving (engine and transmission operation) ................................................................................................ 247
Maintenance (minder, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)........................................... 277
Taking Care of the Unexpected (flat tire, dead battery, overheating, and fuses) .............................. 323
Technical Information (vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls) ....................................... 347
Warranty and Customer Relations (U. S. and Canada only) (warranty and contact information) ... 365
Authorized Manuals (U. S. only) (how to order) ......................................................................................... 369
Index ............................................................................................................................... ........................................ I

Service Information Summary ( fluid capacities and tire pressures)

1
00X31-TL1-6000

A convenient ref erence to the
sections in this manual.
A quick ref erence to the main
controls in your vehicle.ID numbers, dimensions, capacities,
and technical information.
Important inf ormation about the
proper use and care of your vehicle’s
seat belts, an overview of the
supplemental restraint system, and
valuable inf ormation on how to
protect children with child restraints.
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and gauge,
the multi-information display, and
how to use the controls on the
dashboard and steering column.
How to operate the climate control
system, the audio system, and other convenience f eatures.
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience,
and details how to handle them.
The maintenance minder shows you
when you need to take your vehicle
to the dealer for maintenance service.
There is also a list of things to check
and instructions on how to check
them.
The proper way to start the engine,
shif t the transmission, and park; plus
what you need to know if you’re
planning to tow a trailer.
What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
A summary of the warranties
covering your new vehicle, and how
to contact us for any reason. Refer to
your warranty manual f or detailed
inf ormation.
How to order manuals and other
technical literature.
A summary of the inf ormation you
need when you pull up to the f uel
pump.
Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Instruments and Controls
T echnical Inf ormation
T aking Care of the Unexpected
Maintenance
Driving
Bef ore Driving
Features Warranty and Client Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only)
Index
Service Inf ormation Summary
Overview of Contents
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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 .6
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features .7
.......................................
Seat Belts .8
...........................................
Airbags .9
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens .11
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors .11
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats .12
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs .13
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints .14
5. Fasten and Position the Seat
.....................................
Belts .15
6. 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 .20
Automatic Seat Belt ...............................
Tensioners .21
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance .22
Additional Inf ormation About ...........................
Your Airbags .23
......
Airbag System Components .23
How Your Front Airbags
.........................................
Work .26
...
How Your Side Airbags Work .30
How Your Side Curtain Airbags
.........................................
Work .31
..
How the SRS Indicator Works .32
How the Side Airbag Of f
......................
Indicator Works .32
How the Passenger Airbag Of f ......................
Indicator Works .33
.............................
Airbag Service .34
...
Additional Safety Precautions .35
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .36
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .36
All Children Should Sit in a .................................
Back Seat .37The Passenger’s Front Airbag
.........
Can Pose Serious Risks .37
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .39
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .39
...
Additional Safety Precautions .40
Protecting Inf ants and .........................
Small Children .41
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .41
.........
Protecting Small Children .42
......................
Selecting Child Seats .44
....................
Installing a Child Seat .45
Installing a Child Seat ............................
with LATCH .46
......
with a Lap/Shoulder Belt .48
...........................
with a Tether .49
...........
Protecting Larger Children .51
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit .51
..................
Using a Booster Seat .52
When Can a Larger Child Sit
....................................
in Front .53
...
Additional Safety Precautions .54
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard .55
...................................
Saf ety Labels .56
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
5
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Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly.
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.
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by an authorized dealer or
a knowledgeable body shop.
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:
Even if your
airbags do not inflate, your dealer
should inspect the driver’s seat
position sensor, the f ront
passenger’s weight sensors, the
f ront seat belt tensioners, and all
seat belts worn during a crash to
make sure they are operating
properly.
T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o a
problem.
An airbag ever inf lates. If your vehicle has a moderat e t o
severe impact .Airbag Service
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
34
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Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
If water or
another liquid soaks into a seat-
back, it can prevent the side airbag
cutof f system f rom working
properly. Improperly replacing
or covering f ront seat-back covers
can prevent your side airbags f rom
inf lating during a side impact. This could make the
driver’s seat position sensor or the
f ront passenger’s weight sensors
inef f ective. If it is necessary to
remove or modif y a f ront seat to
accommodate a person with
disabilities, f irst contact Acura
Client Services at 800-382-2238.
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason.
Do not expose the f ront passenger’sseat-back to liquid. Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ingyour dealer. Do not remove or modif y a f ront
seat without consulting yourdealer.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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This indicator comes on when the
security system is set. For more
inf ormation, see page .This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
This indicator has two f unctions:
If it comes on while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are signif icantly low
on pressure.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
You may see one or more of the low
pressure tire positions displayed
along with this message.
Check the tire pressure monitor on
the multi-inf ormation display and
determinethecause(seepage). If this happens, pull to the side of the
road when it is safe, check which tire
has lost pressure on the multi-
inf ormation display, and determine
the cause. If it is because of a flat tire,
have the flat tire repaired as soon as
possible. If two or more tires are
underinf lated, call a prof essional
towing service. For more
inf ormation, see page .
If this indicator begins to f lash,
there is a problem with the tire
pressure monitoring system
(TPMS). You will also see a
‘‘CHECK TPMS SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display. The indicator continues to
f lash f or a while (approximately 1
minute), then stays on. If this
happens, have your dealer check
the system as soon as possible.
For more inf ormation, see page .
205 1.
265
265 345
2.
267
Instrument Panel Indicators
Security System Indicator Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
67
SECURITY SYSTEM INDICATOR
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When the engine oil lif e reaches 15 %,
the display shows ‘‘SERVICE DUE
SOON’’ and the code f or the
maintenance items to be perf ormed.
When the engine oil lif e reaches 5 %,
the display shows ‘‘SERVICE DUE
NOW’’ along with the same
maintenance items.Have your dealer do the indicated
maintenance as soon as you see this
message, and have them reset the
display af ter completing the service.
If you do not perf orm the indicated
maintenance or do not reset the
display, the message changes to
‘‘SERVICE PAST DUE’’ when the
engine oil lif e becomes 0 %.These messages appear on the multi-
inf ormation display each time you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position.
For more inf ormation about
Maintenance Messages, see
‘‘
’’ on page
.
Also ref er to page f or important
maintenance saf ety precautions. 280
278
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Maintenance Messages
Maintenance Minder
74
U.S.model is shown
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Depending on where you drive, you
may experience reception problems.
Interf erence can be caused by any of
these conditions:If you decide to purchase XM
satellite radio service, contact XM
Radio at , or at
1-800-852-9696. You will need to give
them your radio I.D. number and
your credit card number.Turn the TUNE knob until ‘‘0’’
appears in the display. Your I.D. will
appear in the display.
Af ter you have registered with XM
Radio, keep your audio system in the
SAT Radio mode while you await
activation. This should take about 30
minutes.
While awaiting activation, make sure
your vehicle remains in an open area
with good reception. Once your
audio system is activated, ‘‘category’’
or ‘‘CH’’ will appear on the display
and you will be able to listen to XM
Radio broadcasts. XM Radio will
continue to send an activation signal
to your vehicle for at least 12 hours
from activation request. If the
service has not been activated after
36 hours, contact XM Radio.
If your XM Radio service has expired
or you purchased your vehicle f rom
a previous owner, you can listen to a
sampling of the broadcasts available
on XM Satellite Radio. With the
ignition switch in the ACCESSORY
(I) or ON (II) position, push the
VOL/PWR knob to turn on the audio
system and press the CD/AUX XM
button. A variety of music types and
styles will play.
Driving on the north side of an
east/west mountain road.
Driving on the north side of a
large commercial truck on an
east/west road.
Driving in tunnels.
Driving on a road beside a vertical
wall, steep clif f , or hill to the south
of you.
Driving on the lower level of a
multi-tiered road.
Driving on a single lane road
alongside dense trees taller than
50 ft. (15 m) to the south of you.
There may be other geographic
situations that could af f ect satellite
radio reception.As required by the FCC: Changes or modif ications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible f orcompliance could void the user’sauthority to operate the equipment.
www.xmradio.com
Playing the XMSatellite Radio (U.S. Models)
Receiving Satellite Radio Service To get your XM Satellite radio ID
number:Features
183
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Bef ore you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use and how to check the
levels of important f luids. You also
need to know how to properly store
luggage or packages. The
inf ormation in this section will help
you. If you plan to add any
accessories to your vehicle, please
read the information in this section
first..............................
Break-in Period .232
.................
Fuel Recommendation .232
...........
Service Station Procedure .233
....................................
Ref ueling .233
OpeningandClosingthe .......................................
Hood .234
...................................
Oil Check .236
.............
Engine Coolant Check .236
...............................
Fuel Economy .237
...
Accessories and Modif ications .240
.............................
Carrying Cargo .242
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
231
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