service Acura TSX 2009 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
ii
\f—\f—\fy\f
y
)!
\f\fy\f\f\fy
2009 TSX

2009 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)
.......... 57
Features (
climate control,audio,steering wheel,security,cruise control,HomeLink®,and other convenience items
) ........... 165
Before Driving (fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading) ...................................................................... 355
Driving (engine and transmission operation) ................................................................................................ 373
Maintenance (minder, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)........................................... 407
Taking Care of the Unexpected (flat tire, dead battery, overheating, and fuses) .............................. 457
Technical Information (vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls) ....................................... 483
Warranty and Client Relations (U. S. and Canada only) (warranty and contact information) .......... 501
Authorized Manuals (U. S. only) (how to order) ......................................................................................... 505
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
2
\f—\f—\fy\fy
)!
\f\fy\f\f\fy
2009 TSX

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 .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 .13
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs .14
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints .14
5. Fasten and Position the
.............................
Seat Belts .15
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .17
.....
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 .25
...
How Your Side Airbags Work .29
How Your Side Curtain Airbags
.........................................
Work .31
..
How the SRS Indicator Works .31
How the Side Airbag Of f
......................
Indicator Works .32
How the Passenger Airbag Of f ......................
Indicator Works .33
.............................
Airbag Service .34
...
Additional Safety Precautions .34
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .36
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .36 All Children Should Sit in a
.................................
Back Seat .37
The 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 .39
Protecting Inf ants and .........................
Small Children .41
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .41
.........
Protecting Small Children .42
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .43
....................
Installing a Child Seat .44
...............................
With LATCH .46
.........
With a Lap/Shoulder Belt .48
..............................
With a Tether .50
...........
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
 — — y y
)!
  y  
 y
2009 TSX

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 and their anchors worn
during a crash to make sure they
are operating properly. 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
cutoff system from working
properly.
T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o a
problem.
A n airbag ever inf lat es. If your vehicle has a moderat e t o severe impact .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.Airbag Service Additional Saf ety Precautions
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
34
\f—\f—\fy\fy
)!
\f\fy\f\fy
2009 TSX

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 Inf ormation About Your Airbags
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.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
35
\f—\f—\fy\fy
)!
\f\fy\f\f\fy
2009 TSX

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 ).
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 saf e, 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 . The lef t or right turn signal indicator
blinks when you signal a lane change
or turn. If an indicator does not blink
or blinks rapidly, it usually means
one of the turn signal bulbs is
burned out (see pages and ).
Replace the bulb as soon as possible,
since other drivers cannot see that
you are signaling.
When you press the hazard warning
button, both turn signal indicators
and all turn signals on the outside of
the vehicle f lash.
1.
2.
394 394 395 481
434436
Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator
Turn Signal and
Hazard Warning
Indicators
Instrument Panel Indicators
64
\f—\f—\fy\f
y
)!
\f\fy\f\fy
2009 TSX

On the FM band, you can select a
favorite station and display the
program service name according to
the inf ormation provided by the
radio data system (RDS).
Theprogramservicenamedisplay
f unction shows the name of the
station you are listening to. With the
audio system on and the FM band
selected, you can turn this f unction
on or of f . To switch the f unction between onand off, press and release the TITLE
button. With the system on, you will
see the ‘‘PS ON’’ message on the
display. If the station you are
listening to is an RDS station, the
displayed f requency switches to the
station name.If the station you are listening to is
not an RDS station, the display
continues to show the f requency
with the PS name display function on.
When you turn of f this f unction by
pressing the TITLE button, the
display shows ‘‘PS OFF.’’
CONT INUED
Radio Data System (RDS)
Program Service (PS) Name Display
Playing the FM/A M Radio (Models without navigation system)
Features
179
PROGRAM SERVICE
NAME DISPLAY ON
\f—\f—\fy\f\fy
)!
\f\fy\f
y
2009 TSX

There may be other geographic
situations that could affect XM
Satellite Radio reception.After you’ve registered with XM
Radio, keep your audio system in the
XM Satellite Radio mode while you
wait f or activation. This should take
about 30 minutes.
While waiting for activation, make
sure your vehicle remains in an open
area with good reception. Once your
audio system is activated,
‘‘CATEGORY’’ or ‘‘CHANNEL’’ will
appear in the display, and you’ll be
able to listen to XM Satellite Radio
broadcasts. XM Radio will continue
to send an activation signal to your
vehicle for at least 12 hours from the
activation request. If the service has
not been activated after 36 hours,
contact XM Radio.
If your XM Satellite 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 the ON (II)
position, press the button. A
variety of music types and styles will
play.
If you decide to purchase XM
Satellite Radio service, contact XM
Radio at , or at
1-800-852-9696. In Canada, contact
, or call 1-877-438-
9677. You will need to give them
your radio I.D. number and your
credit card number. To get your
radio I.D. number, press the button, then turn the
selector knob until ‘‘CH 000’’ appears
in the display. Your I.D. will appear
in the display.
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
www.xmradio.ca
Playing the XMSatellite Radio (Models without navigation system)
Receiving XM Satellite Radio
Service
188
\f—\f—\fy\f\fy
)!
\f\fy\f
y
2009 TSX

ToswitchthePSnamedisplay
f unction on and of f , press and
release the TITLE button. With the
system on, you will see the ‘‘PS ON’’
message on the center display. If the
station you are listening to is an RDS
station, the displayed f requency
switches to the station name.
On the FM band, you can select a
favorite station and display the
program service name according to
the inf ormation provided by the
radio data system (RDS).
Theprogramservicenamedisplay
f unction shows the name of the
station you are listening to. With the
audio system on and the FM band
selected, you can turn this f unction
on or of f .
You will see ‘‘0’’ displayed if auto
select cannot f ind a strong station f or
every preset button.
You can also press the A.SEL side of
the SCAN/A.SEL bar. You will see
A.SEL on the screen, and the system
goes into scan mode f or several
seconds. The system stores the
f requencies of six AM and twelve
FM stations in the preset buttons. press ENTER
on the interf ace selector.
If you do not like the stations auto
select has stored, you can store
other f requencies on the preset
buttons (icons) as previously
described.
For inf ormation on FM/AM radio
f requencies and reception, see page . ,pressthe
A. SEL side of the bar. This restores
the presets you originally set.
285
CONT INUED
To turn of f auto select,
To turn of f auto selectRadio Data System (RDS)
Program Service (PS) Name Display
Playing the FM/A M Radio (Models with navigation system)
Features
227
PS ON MESSAGE
\f—\f—\fy
\f
\fy
)!
\f\fy\fy
2009 TSX