engine Acura TSX 2014 Owner's Guide

uu Towing a Trailer u Towing Your Vehicle
192

• Monitor your temperature gauge. If it nears the red (Hot) mark, turn off the air
conditioning and reduce speed. Pull to the side of the road safely to cool down
the engine if necessary.
•Shift to the (S
position if the transmission shifts frequently.
Towing Your Vehicle
Your vehicle is not designed to be towed behind a motor home. If your vehicle needs
to be towed in an emergency, refe r to the emergency towing information.
2Emergency Towing P. 303
■Driving in Hilly Terrain1Driving in Hilly Terrain
If you use the paddle shifte rs 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.
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. Th e gear position indicator
blinks for a few seconds, then stays on. Gear Position
Speed Range
1st0 - 42 mph (0 - 67 km/h)
2nd,3rd 19 - 62 mph (30 - 100 km/h)
Automatic transmission models
Automatic transmission models
Automatic transmission models
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193Continued
When Driving
Starting the Engine
1.Make sure the parkin g brake is applied.
2. Check that the shift lever is in
(P
, then
depress the brake pedal.
u Although it is possible to start the vehicle
in
(N
, it is safer to start it in (P
.
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.
u The clutch pedal must be fully depressed
to start the engine.
1Starting the Engine
Keep your foot firmly on the brake pedal when
starting the engine.
The engine is harder to st art 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 de fogger in order to reduce
battery drain.
If you live in a region where winter is extremely cold,
an engine block heater will improve starting and
warming of the engine. If temperatures consistently
below -22°F (-30°C) are expected, the coolant
mixture should be changed to a higher concentration
to prevent freezing. Cons ult a dealer for details.
If the exhaust system 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.
Brake PedalAutomatic transmission models
Brake Pedal
Clutch Pedal
Manual transmission models
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uu When Driving u Starting the Engine
194

3. Turn the ignition switch to START (e

without depressing the accelerator pedal.
1. Keeping your right foot on the brake peda l, release the parking brake. Check that
the parking brake indicator has gone off.
2 Parking Brake P. 212
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.
1Starting the Engine
Do not hold the key in START
(
e
for more than 15
seconds.
•If the engine does not sta rt right away, wait for at
least 10 seconds before trying again.
•If the engine starts, but then immediately stops,
wait 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 pr otects your vehicle from
theft. If an improperly code d key (or other device) is
used, the engine’s fuel system is disabled.
2 Immobilizer System P. 99
■Starting to Drive
Automatic transmission models
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195
uu When Driving u Precautions While Driving
Precautions While Driving
Avoid driving in deep water and on flooded roads. This can damage the engine or
driveline, or cause electrical component failure.
If there is a strong impact with something under the vehicle, stop in a safe location.
Check the underside of the vehicle for damage or any fluid leaks.
■In Rain
■Other Precautions
1 Precautions While Driving
NOTICE
Do not operate the shift lever while pressing the
accelerator pedal. You could damage the
transmission.
NOTICE
If you repeatedly turn the steering wheel at an
extremely low speed, or hold the steering wheel on
the full left or right position for a while, the electric
power steering (EPS) system heats up. The system
goes into a protective mode, and limits its
performance. The steering wheel becomes harder
and harder to operate. Once the system cools down,
the EPS system is restored.
Repeated operation under these conditions can
eventually damage the system.
If the ignition switch is turned to ACCESSORY
(
q
or
LOCK (
0
while driving, the e ngine will shut down
and all steering and brake pow er 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 acce leration) 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 brake pads are
replaced.
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196
uu When Driving u Automatic Transmission

Automatic Transmission
The engine runs at a higher idle speed and creeping increases. Keep the brake pedal
firmly depressed when stopped.
Quickly depressing the accelerator pedal while driving uphill may cause the
transmission to drop to a lower gear, unex pectedly increasing vehicle speed. Depress
the accelerator pedal carefully, especi ally on slippery roads and curves.
■Creeping
■Kickdown
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197
uu When Driving u Shifting
Continued
Shifting
Change the shift position in accordance with your driving needs.
■Shift lever positions
Automatic transmission models
1Shifting
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 pe dal firmly and, when necessary,
apply the parking brake.Park
Used when parking or starting the
engine
Reverse
Used when reversing
Neutral
Used when idling
Drive
Used:
●For normal driving (gears change
between 1st and 5th automatically)
●When temporarily driving in the
sequential mode
Drive (S)
Used for:
●Automatically changing gears
between 1st and 4th (4th gear is used
only at high speed)
●Driving in the sequential mode
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uu When Driving u Shifting
198

■Shift Lever Operation1Shift 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 be fore the vehicle has come
to a complete standstill can damage the transmission.
Use the shift lever positi on indicator to check the
lever position befo re pulling away.
If the transmission indicator blinks when driving, in
any shift position, there is a problem with the
transmission.
Avoid sudden acceleration and have the transmission
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The fuel supply may be cut of f if you drive at engine
speeds in or over the tachometer’s red zone (engine
speed limit). If this happe ns, 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
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201
uu When Driving u Shifting
Continued
Shifting
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.” When you are not shifting, do not rest your
foot on the clutch pedal. This can cause your
clutch to wear out faster.
■Shift Lever Operation
Manual transmission models
1Shifting
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 su re the engine will not
go into the tachometer’s red zone. Should this occur,
it can severely da mage 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:
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. Shift Up
Normal Acceleration
1st to 2nd17 mph (27 km/h)
2nd to 3rd 29 mph (46 km/h)
3rd to 4th37 mph (59 km/h)
4th to 5th 43 mph (69 km/h)
5th to 6th49 mph (79 km/h)
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202
uu When Driving u Shifting

The manual transmission has a lockout mech anism that stops you from accidentally
shifting into
(R
from a forward gear while the vehi cle is moving at a certain speed.
If you cannot shift to
(R
when the vehicle is stopped, do the following:
1.Depress the clutch pedal, move the shift
lever all the way to the left, and shift to
(R
.
2. If you still cannot shift into
(R
, apply the
parking brake, and turn the ignition switch
to ACCESSORY
(q
or LOCK (0
.
3. Depress the clutch pedal and shift into
(R
.
4. Keep depressing the clutch pedal and start
the engine.
Have the vehicle checked by a dealer if you
have to go through this procedure repeatedly.
■Reverse Lockout
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203
uu When Driving u Cruise Control
Continued
Cruise Control
Maintains a constant vehicle speed without having to keep your foot on the
accelerator. Use cruise control on freeways or open road s where you can travel at a
constant speed with little ac celeration or deceleration.1Cruise Control
It may not be possible to maintain a constant speed
when driving uphill or downhill.
When the engine speed slows down, try to
downshift. You can maintain the set speed if you
change gear within five seconds.
3 WARNING
Improper use of the cruise control can lead
to a crash.
Use the cruise control only when traveling
on open highways in good weather.
■Shift positions for cruise control:
In (
D
or (
S

When to use
Always keep sufficient distance
between you and the vehicle in
front of you.
Automatic transmission models
■Vehicle speed for cruise control:
Desired speed in a range above
roughly 25 mph (40 km/h) ~
How to use
■CRUISE MAIN is on in
the instrument panel.
Cruise control is ready to use.
■Press the CRUISE button on
the steering wheel.
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