Acura TSX 2011 Owner's Manual

Towing a Trailer
Towing Your Vehicle
190Driving
Driving in Hilly TerrainMonitor your temperature gauge. If it nears the red (Hot) mark, turn off the air t
conditioning and reduce speed. Pull to the side of the road safely to cool down
the engine if necessary.
Automatic transmission models
Shift to the tS
position if the transmission shifts frequently.
Towing Your VehicleYour vehicle is not designed to be towed behind a motor home. If your vehicle
needs to be towed in an emergency, refer to the emergency towing information.
Emergency Towing

P. 2 9 8
Driving in Hilly Terrain
If you use the paddle shifters when driving
uphill and downhill, select 3rd, 2nd, or 1st
gear, depending on the vehicle speed and road
conditions. Do not use 4th and 5th gears. Automatic transmission models If the automatic transmission fluid temperature
exceeds the specified limit, the transmission will also
automatically downshift to the 1st gear, even in the
sequential shift mode. The gear position indicator
blinks for a few seconds, then stays on.Gear Position Speed Range
1st 0 - 42 mph (0 - 67 km/h)
2nd,3rd 19 - 62 mph (30 - 100 km/h)

191
Continued
Driving
When DrivingStarting the Engine
1. Make sure the parking brake is applied.
Starting the Engine
Keep your foot firmly on the brake pedal when
starting the engine.
The engine is harder to start in cold weather and
in thinner air found at altitudes above 8,000 feet
(2,400 meters).
When starting the engine in cold weather, turn off
all electrical accessories such as the lights, climate
control system, and rear defogger in order to reduce
battery drain.
If exhaust sounds abnormal or you can smell
exhaust gas inside the vehicle, have your vehicle
checked by a dealer. There may be a problem with
the engine or exhaust system.
Automatic transmission models 2. Check that the shift lever is in P
, then
depress the brake pedal.
Although it is possible to start the
vehicle in N
, it is safer to start it in P
.
Manual transmission models 2. Check that the shift lever is in N
. Then
depress the brake pedal with your right
foot, and the clutch pedal with your left
foot.
The clutch pedal must be fully depressed
to start the engine.
Brake Pedal
Brake Pedal Clutch Pedal

192Driving
When Driving
Starting the Engine
3. Turn the ignition switch to START III

without depressing the accelerator pedal.
Starting the Engine
Do not hold the key in START
III
for more than 15
seconds.
If the engine does not start right away, wait for at
tleast 10 seconds before trying again.
If the engine starts, but then immediately stops, twait at least 10 seconds before repeating step 3
while gently depressing the accelerator pedal.
Release the accelerator pedal once the engine
starts.
The immobilizer system protects your vehicle from
theft. If an improperly coded key (or other device) is
used, the engine's fuel system is disabled
Immobilizer System


P. 9 8
Starting to Drive
Automatic transmission models 1. Keeping your right foot on the brake pedal, release the parking brake. Check
that the brake system indicator has gone off.
Parking Brake

P. 2 1 0
2. Put the shift lever in D
. Select R
when reversing.
3. Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal to
pull away.

193
Driving
When Driving
Precautions While Driving
Precautions While Driving
In Rain
Avoid driving in deep water and on flooded roads. This can damage the engine or
cause electrical component failure.
Other Precautions
If there is a strong impact with something under the vehicle, stop in a safe
location. Check the underside of the vehicle for damage any fluid leaks.
Precautions While Driving NOTICE Do not operate the shift lever while pressing
the accelerator pedal. You could damage the
transmission.
If the ignition switch is turned to ACCESSORY
I or
LOCK
0 while driving, the engine will shut down
and all steering and brake power assist functions
will stop, making it difficult to control the vehicle.
Do not put the shift lever in
N
, as you will lose
engine braking (and acceleration) performance.
During the first 600 miles (1,000 km) of operation,
avoid sudden acceleration or full throttle operation
so as to not damage the engine or powertrain.
Avoid hard braking for the first 200 miles (300 km).
You should also follow this when the brakes are
replaced.

194Driving
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission
Creeping
The following conditions cause the engine to run at high revolutions, and increase
creeping:
Immediately after the engine starts. t
When the climate control system is in use. t
Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed when stopped.
Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator pedal while driving uphill may cause the transmission
to drop to a lower gear, unexpectedly increasing vehicle speed. Depress the
accelerator pedal carefully, especially on slippery roads and curves.

195
Continued
Driving
When Driving
Shifting
Change the shift position in accordance with your driving need.
Shift lever positions
Shifting
You cannot turn the ignition switch to LOCK
0 and
remove the key unless the shift lever is in
P.
The vehicle may move forward very slightly even in
N
while the engine is cold.
Depress the brake pedal firmly and, when necessary,
apply the parking brake.
Auomatic transmission models Shifting
Park
Used when parking or starting the
engine
Reverse
Used when backing up
Neutral
Used when idling
Drive
Used for:
Normal driving (gears change t
between 1st and 5th automatically)
Temporarily driving in the sequential t
mode
Drive (S)
Used for:
Automatically changing gears t
between 1st and 4th (4th gear is
used only at high speed)
Driving in the sequential mode t
P
R
N
D
S

196Driving
When Driving
Shifting
Shift Lever Operation
Shift Lever Operation NOTICE When you change the shift lever from
D
to
R and
vice versa, come to a complete stop and keep the
brake pedal depressed.
Operating the shift lever before the vehicle has
come to a complete standstill can damage the
transmission.
Use the shift lever position indicator to check the
lever position before pulling away.
Whichever position the shift lever is in when driving,
a blinking
D
indicator indicates a transmission
problem.
Avoid sudden acceleration and have the
transmission checked by a dealer as soon as
possible.
The fuel supply may be cut off if you drive at engine
speeds in or over the tachometer red zone (engine
speed limit). If this happens, you may experience a
slight jolt.
It may not be possible to operate the shift lever
if the brake pedal is applied while the shift lever
release button is held down.
Depress the brake pedal first.
Tachometer's red zone
Shift Lever Position Indicator
Depress the brake pedal and
press the shift lever release button to
shift.
Shift without pressing the shift lever
release button.
Press the shift lever release button
and shift.M (Sequential Shift mode) Indicator/
Gear Position Indicator

197
Continued
Driving
When Driving
Shifing
Sequential Shift Mode
Use the paddle shifters to change between 1st and 5th gears without removing
your hands from the steering wheel. The transmission will switch to the sequential
shift mode.
When the shift lever is in
D
:
The vehicle will go into the sequential shift mode momentarily, and the gear
position indicator will come on.
Once you start traveling at a constant speed, the sequential shift mode will
automatically switch off, and the gear position indicator will go off.
Hold the
+ paddle shifter for two seconds to return to normal drive.
When the shift lever is in
S
:
The vehicle will go into the sequential shift mode, and the
M
(sequential shift)
indicator and gear position indicator will come on. At speeds of 6 mph (10 km/h)
or less, the vehicle automatically shifts down into 1st gear. It will not automatically
shift up, even if vehicle speed increases.
You can only pull away in 1st or 2nd gear.
When switching out of the sequential shift mode, move the shift lever from
S

to
D
. When the sequential shift mode is canceled, the sequential shift mode
indicator and shift indicator go off.

198Driving
When Driving
Shifting
Sequential Shift Mode Operation
Sequential Shift Mode Operation
Each paddle shift operation makes a single gear
change.
To change gears continuously, release the paddle
shifter before pulling it again for the next gear.
Recommended Shift Points
Use this table as a guidleline for efficient fuel
economy and effective emission control.
Shift Up Normal Acceleration
1st to 2nd 15 mph (24 km/h)
2nd to 3rd 25 mph (40 km/h)
3rd to 4th 40 mph (64 km/h)
4th to 5th 45 mph (72 km/h)
If the gear position indicator blinks when you try to
shift up or down, this means your vehicle speed is
not in its allowable gear shifting range.
Slightly accelerate to shift up and decelerate to shift
down while the indicator is blinking.
Second gear lock mode
If you pull the
+
paddle shifter while stopped or driving at 6 mph (10 km/h) or
less, the gear position will be locked in 2nd gear. This makes it easier to pull away
on slippery surfaces such as snow covered roads.
To cancel the 2nd gear lock mode, pull the
–
paddle shifter, or move the shift
lever from
S
to
D
.
–
Paddle Shifter
(Shift down)
+
Paddle Shifter
(Shift up)
Downshifting when pulling
the
–
paddle shifter.
(Changes to a lower gear)Upshifting when pulling
the
+
paddle shifter
(Changes to a higher gear)

199
Continued
Driving
When Driving
Shifting
Shift Lever Operation
Fully depress the clutch pedal to operate the shift lever and change gears, then
slowly release the pedal.
Depress the clutch pedal, and pause for a few seconds before shifting into
R
, or
shift into one of the forward gears for a moment. This stops the gears so they do
not “grind.”
Shifting NOTICE Do not shift to
R before the vehicle comes to a
complete stop.
Shifting to
R before stopping can damage the
transmission.
NOTICE Before downshifting, make sure the engine will
not go into the tachometer's red zone. Should this
occur, it can severely damage your engine.
There is a metallic part on the shift lever. If you
leave the vehicle parked outside for a long time on
a hot day, be careful before moving the shift lever.
Because of heat, the shift lever may be extremely
hot. If the outside temperature is low, the shift lever
may feel cold.
Recommended Shift Points
Driving in the highest gear that allows the engine
to run and accelerate smoothly helps to optimize
fuel economy and effective emissions control. The
following shift points are recommended:
Shift Up Normal Acceleration
1st to 2nd 17 mph (27 km/h)
2nd to 3rd 29 mph (46 km/h)
3rd to 4th 37 mph (59 km/h)
4th to 5th 43 mph (69 km/h)
5th to 6th 49 mph (79 km/h)
If you exceed the maximum speed for the gear
you are in, the engine speed will enter into the
tachometer's red zone. When this happens, you
may experience a slight jolt.
Manual transmission models Shifting
When you are not shifting, do not rest your
foot on the clutch pedal. This can cause your
clutch to wear out faster.