tow Acura TSX 2011 Owner's Manual

This owner’s manual should be considered a permanent part of
the vehicle and should remain with the vehicle when it is sold.
This owner’s manual covers all models of the TSX. You may find
descriptions of equipment and features that are not on your
particular model.
Images throughout this owner’s manual (including the front cover)
represent features and equipment that are available on some, but
not all, models. Your particular model may not have some of these
features.
The information and specifications included in this publication
were in effect at the time of approval for printing. Honda Motor
Co., Ltd. reserves the right, however, to discontinue or change
specifications or design at any time without notice and without
incurring any obligation.
Safe Driving P. 2 1For Safe Driving P. 22 Seat Belts P. 26 Airbags P. 33 Instrument Panel P. 6 3Indicators P. 64 Gauges and Multi-Information Display P. 75 Controls P. 8 7Setting the Clock P. 88 Locking and Unlocking the Doors P. 89
Opening and Closing the Moonroof P. 103
Adjusting the Seats P. 116 Features P. 13 7Audio System P. 138 Audio System Basic Operation P. 141
General Information on the Audio System P. 161 Driving P. 1 8 1Before Driving P. 182 Towing a Trailer P. 187
Refueling P. 215 Fuel Economy P. 218 Maintenance P. 2 2 1Before Performing Maintenance P. 222 Maintenance Minder™ P. 225
Checking and Maintaining Wiper Blades P. 257
Climate Control System Maintenance P. 270 Handling the Unexpected P. 2 7 5Tools P. 276 If a Tire Goes Flat P. 277
Overheating P. 288 Indicator, Coming On/Blinking P. 290
When You Cannot Unlock the Fuel Fill Door P. 299 Information P. 3 0 1Specifications P. 302 Identification Numbers P. 306
Emissions Testing P. 309 Warranty Coverages P. 311

Contents
Quick Reference Guide
P. 2
Safe Driving
P. 2 1
Instrument Panel
P. 6 3
Controls
P. 8 7
Features
P. 13 7
Driving
P. 1 8 1
Maintenance
P. 2 2 1
Handling the Unexpected
P. 2 7 5
Information
P. 3 0 1
Index
P. 3 15
Child Safety P. 48 Exhaust Gas Hazard P. 60 Safety Labels P. 61
Opening and Closing the Trunk P. 95 Security System P. 98 Opening and Closing the Windows P. 100
Operating the Switches Around the Steering Wheel P. 104 Adjusting the Mirror P. 114
Interior Lights/Interior Convenience Items P. 125 Climate Control System P. 133
Audio Error Messages P. 158 Audio Remote Controls P. 160
HomeLink
® Universal Transceiver P. 165Bluetooth
® HandsFreeLink
® P. 167 Compass P. 179
When Driving P. 191 Braking P. 210 Parking Your Vehicle P. 214
Accessories and Modifications P. 219
Maintenance Under the Hood P. 229 Replacing Light Bulbs P. 247
Checking and Maintaining Tires P. 259 Battery P. 268 Remote Transmitter Care P. 269
Cleaning P. 271
Engine Does Not Start P. 283 Jump Starting P. 284 Shift Lever Does Not Move P. 287
Fuses P. 294 Emergency Towing P. 298
When you Cannot Open the Trunk P. 300
Devices that Emit Radio Waves P. 307 Reporting Safety Defects P. 308
Authorized Manuals P. 313 Client Service Information P. 314

9Quick Reference Guide
Right
Low BeamHigh Beam
LeftFlashingAdjustment Ring
: Low speed: High speed
Pull toward
you to spray
washer fluid.
MIST
OFF
INT
LO
HI Turn Signal Control Lever Light Control Switches Wiper/ Washer Control Lever
Controls

P.87
Turn Signals

P.105
Lights

P.105
Wipers and Washers

P.108
* Not available on all models

10Quick Reference Guide
Trunk ReleaseSelector
Switch
Adjustment SwitchIndicator
Main Switch
Window
Switch
Steering Wheel

P.113
To adjust, pull the adjustment lever
towards you, adjust to the desired position,
then lock the lever back in place.Tr u n k

P.95
Push the trunk release on the driver's
door, or on the remote transmitter.
With the doors unlocked, press the trunk
release switch on the trunk lid to open it.
Door Mirrors

P.114
With the ignition switch in ON
, move
the selector switch to L or R.
Push the appropriate edge of the
adjustment switch to adjust the mirror. Place the selector switch in the R
position to use the reverse tilt door
mirror feature.
Power Windows

P.100
With the ignition switch in ON
, open
and close the power windows.
If the main switch is in the OFF position,
each passenger's window can be opened
and closed with its own switch. If the main switch is in the ON position
(indicator is on), each passenger's window
switch is disabled.

16Quick Reference Guide
Flat Tire
P.277
Park in a safe location and replace the
flat tire with the compact spare tire in the
trunk.
Engine Won't Start
P.283
If the battery is dead, jump start using a
booster battery.
Overheating
P.288
Park in a safe location. If you do not see
steam under the hood, open the hood,
and let the engine cool down.
Handling the Unexpected

P.275
Indicators Come On

P.290 Identify the indicator and consult the
owner's manual.
Blown Fuse
P.294
Check for a blown fuse if an electrical
device does not operate.
Emergency Towing
P.298
Call a professional towing service if you
need to tow your vehicle.

38Safe Driving
Airbags
Front Airbags (SRS)
When front airbags should not deploy
Minor frontal crashes: Front airbags were designed to supplement seat belts
and help save lives, not to prevent minor scrapes, or even broken bones that might
occur during a less than moderate-to-severe frontal crash.
Side impacts: Front airbags can provide protection when a sudden deceleration
causes a driver or front passenger to move towards the front of the vehicle. Side
airbags and side curtain airbags have been specifically designed to help reduce the
severity of injuries that can occur during a moderate-to-severe side impact which
can cause the driver or passenger to move towards the side of the vehicle.
Rear impacts: Head restraints and seat belts are your best protection during a
rear impact. Front airbags cannot provide any significant protection and are not
designed to deploy in such collisions.
Rollovers: Seat belts, and in vehicles equipped with a rollover sensor, side airbags,
and side curtain airbags offer the best protection in a rollover. Because front
airbags could provide little if any protection, they are not designed to deploy
during a rollover. When front airbags deploy with little or no visible damage
Because the airbag system senses sudden deceleration, a strong impact to the
vehicle framework or suspension might cause one or more of the airbags to
deploy. Examples include running into a curb, the edge of a hole, or other low
fixed object that causes a sudden deceleration in the vehicle chassis. Since the
impact is underneath the vehicle, damage may not be readily apparent. When front airbags may not deploy, even though exterior damage
appears severe
Since crushable body parts absorb crash energy during an impact, the amount of
visible damage does not always indicate proper airbag operation. In fact, some
collisions can result in severe damage but no airbag deployment because the
airbags would not have been needed or would not have provided protection even
if they had deployed.

Airbags
Side Airbags
41
Continued
Safe Driving
When a side airbag deploys with little or no visible damage
Because the airbag system senses sudden acceleration, a strong impact to the side
of the vehicle's framework can cause a side airbag to deploy. In such cases, there
may be little or no damage, but the side impact sensors detected a severe enough
impact to deploy the airbag. When a side airbag may not deploy, even though visible damage
appears severe
It is possible for a side airbag to not deploy during an impact that results in
apparently severe damage. This can occur when the point of impact was towards
the far front or rear of the vehicle, or when the vehicle's crushable body parts
absorbed most of the crash energy. In either case, the side airbag would not have
been needed nor provided protection even if it had deployed.

Operating the Switches Around the Steering Wheel
Wipers and Washers
108Controls
Wipers and Washers
The windshield wipers and washers can be
used when the ignition switch is in ON
II
.
MIST
The wipers run at high speed until you
release the lever. Wiper switch (OFF, INT, LO, HI)
Change the wiper switch setting according to
the amount of rain. Adjusting the delay
Turn the adjustment ring to adjust the wiper
delay.
Windshield Wipers and Washers NOTICE Do not use the wipers when the windshield is dry.
The windshield will get scratched, or the rubber
blades will get damaged. NOTICE In cold weather, the blades may freeze to the
windshield, becoming stuck.
Operating the wipers in this condition may
damage the wipers. Use the defroster to warm the
windshield, then turn the wipers on.
If the vehicle speeds up while the wipers are
operating intermittently, the length of the wipe
interval shortens. When the vehicle starts moving,
the wipers make a single sweep.
The wiper operation of the shortest delay setting
(
) and the LO setting become the same when the
vehicle speeds up.
Turn the washers off if no washer fluid comes out.
The pump may get damaged.
Long delayShort delay
Washer
Sprays while you pull the lever toward you.
When you release the lever, the wipers make
two or three more sweeps before stopping.
MIST OFF INT: Low speed with
intermittent LO: Low speed wipe HI: High speed wipe Intermittent Time
Adjustment RingPull
to use
washer.

181
This chapter discusses driving, refueling, and information on items such as accessories.
Driving
Cruise Control .................................... 201
VSA
® (Vehicle Stability Assist), aka
ESC (Electronic Stability Control),
System ............................................ 204
TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring
System) ............................................ 206
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)-
Required Federal Explanation ........... 208
Braking
Brake System ......................................210
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) .............212
Brake Assist System .............................213Parking Your Vehicle
When Stopped ....................................214
Parking ...............................................214
Refueling
Fuel Information .................................215
How to Refuel .....................................216
Fuel Economy ...................................... 218
Improving Fuel Economy .....................218
Accessories and Modifications
Accessories .........................................219
Modifications ......................................219 Before Driving
Driving Preparation ............................ 182
Maximum Load Limit ......................... 185
Towing a Trailer
Towing Preparation ............................ 187
Driving Safely with a Trailer ................ 189
Towing Your Vehicle .......................... 190
When Driving
Starting the Engine .............................191
Precautions While Driving ...................193
Automatic Transmissions .................... 194
Shifting (Automatic Transmission) ...... 195
Shifting (Manual Transmission) ........... 199

Before Driving
Driving Preparation
183
Continued
Driving
Do not pile items higher than the seat height. t
They can block your view and may be thrown forward in the event of sudden
braking.
Do not place anything in the front seat footwells. Make sure to secure the floor t
mat. An object or unsecured floor mat can interfere with your brake and
accelerator pedal operation while driving.
If you have any animals on board, do not let them move around in the vehicle. t They may interfere with driving and a crash could occur.
Securely close and lock all doors and the trunk. t
Locking/Unlocking the Door from Inside

P. 9 3
Adjust your seating position properly. t
Adjusting the head restraint, too.
Adjusting the Seats

P.11 6
Adjusting the Head Restraints


P.11 8
Adjust the mirrors and steering wheel properly for your driving. t
Adjust them while sitting in the proper driving position.
Adjusting the Mirrors

P.114
Steering Wheel Adjustments


P.113
Interior ChecksStore or secure all items on board properly. t
Carrying too much cargo, or improperly storing it, can affect your vehicle's
handling, stability, stopping distance, and tires, and make it unsafe.
Maximum Load Limit

P.1 8 5
Interior Checks
The headlight aim is set by the factory, and typically
does not need to be adjusted. However, if you
regularly carry heavy items in the trunk or tow a
trailer, have the aiming readjusted at a dealer or by
a qualified technician.