tow Acura ZDX 2012 Owner's Manual

Contents
A convenient reference to the
sections in this manual.
Your Vehicle at a Glance
A quick reference to the main
controls in your vehicle.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Important information about the
proper use and care of your vehicle's
seat belts, an overview of the
supplemental restraint system, and
valuable information on how to
protect children with child restraints.
Instruments and Controls
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and
gauge, and how to use the controls
on the dashboard and steering
column.
Features
How to operate the climate control
system, the audio system, and other
convenience features.Before Driving
What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
Driving
The proper way to start the engine,
shift the transmission, and park; plus
what you need to know if you're
planning to tow a trailer.
Maintenance
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.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience, and
details how to handle them.
Technical Information
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities,
and technical information.
Warranty and Client Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
A summary of the warranties
covering your new vehicle, and how
to contact us for any reason. Refer to
your warranty manual for detailed
information.
Index
Service Information Summary
A summary of the information you
need when you pull up to the fuel
pump.Overview of Contents209/10/28 17:15:37 10 ACURA ZDX KA KC New North America Own 50 31SZN600 enu

Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator
This indicator normally comes on for
a few seconds when you turn the
ignition switch
ꭧto the ON (II)
position.
This indicator has two functions:
1. If it comes on while driving, it indicates that one or more of your
vehicle's tires are significantly low
on pressure.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE ’’message on the multi-
information display (see page 91).
Check the tire pressure monitor on
the multi-information display and
determine the cause (see page 491). If this happens, pull to the side of the
road when it is safe, check which tire
has lost pressure on the multi-
information 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
underinflated, call a professional
towing service. For more
information, see page 602.
2. If this indicator begins to flash,
there is a problem with the tire
pressure monitoring system
(TPMS). You will also see a
‘‘CHECK TPMS SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-information
display. The indicator continues to
flash for a while (approximately 1
minute), then stays on. If this
happens, have your dealer check
the system as soon as possible.
For more information, see page
493.
Message Indicator
This indicator comes on when there
is a system message on the multi-
information display. Press the INFO
button on the steering wheel (see
page 79) to see the message (see
page 90).
Most of the time, this indicator
comes on along with other indicators
in the instrument panel such as the
seat belt reminder indicator, SRS
indicator, VSA system indicator, etc.Door/Tailgate Open
Indicator
This indicator comes on red if any
door or the tailgate is open.
You will also see a corresponding
indicator(s) on the multi-information
display to indicate which door and/or
the tailgate is open (see page 12).
CONTINUED
Instrument Panel Indicators
69
Instruments and Controls
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1. MIST
2. OFF
3. INT－Intermittent
4. LO －Low speed
5. HI －High speed
6. Windshield washers Push the right lever up or down to
select a position.
MIST
－The wipers run at high
speed until you release the lever.
OFF －The wipers are not activated.
INT －The length of the wipe
interval is varied automatically
according to vehicle speed.
Vary the delay by turning the
adjustment ring.
If you turn it to the shortest delay (
position), the wipers change to low
speed operation when the vehicle
speed exceeds 12 mph (20 km/h). LO
－The wipers run at low speed.
HI －The wipers run at high speed.
Windshield Washers －Pull the
wiper control lever toward you, and
hold it. The washers spray until you
release the lever. The wipers run at
low speed, then complete one more
sweep after you release the lever.
On Canadian modelsWhen you activate the windshield
washer with the headlights turned
on, the headlight washer will be
activated under certain conditions.
For more information, see
Headlight
Washers
section in the next column.
ADJUSTMENT RING
CONTINUED
Windshield Wipers and Washers
137
Instruments and Controls
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Make any steering wheel adjustment
before you start driving.
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle and be seriously injured
in a crash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Move the steering wheel in, out, up,
or down by pushing and holding the
adjustment switch in that direction.Release the switch when the steering
wheel reaches the desired position.
Make sure the steering wheel points
towards your chest, not toward your
face, and that you can see the
instrument panel gauges and
indicators.
ADJUSTMENT SWITCH
CONTINUED
Steering Wheel Adjustments
145
Instruments and Controls
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Break-in Period
Help assure your vehicle's future
reliability and performance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:●Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.●Avoid hard braking for the first 200
miles (300 km).●Do not change the oil until the
multi-information display indicates
it is needed.●Do not tow a trailer.
You should also follow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Fuel Recommendation
Your vehicle is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with
a pump octane of 91 or higher. If this
octane grade is unavailable, regular
unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane of 87 or higher may be used
temporarily. The use of regular
unleaded gasoline can cause metallic
knocking noises in the engine and
will result in decreased engine
performance. The long-term use of
regular-grade gasoline can lead to
engine damage.
We recommend quality gasolines
containing detergent additives that
help prevent fuel system and engine
deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
performance, fuel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
fuel additives such as MMT.Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely affect performance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your dealer for service.
Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10% ethanol by
volume and up to 15% MTBE by
volume. Do not use gasoline
containing methanol.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation45409/10/28 17:15:37 10 ACURA ZDX KA KC New North America Own 50 31SZN600 enu

For further important fuel-related
information for your vehicle, or on
information on gasoline that does not
contain MMT, visit My Acura atowners.acura.com
In Canada, visit
www.acura.ca
for additional
information on gasoline. Refueling
1. Park with the driver's side closest to
the service station pump and turn off
the engine.
2. Make sure that the driver's door is unlocked. The fuel fill door always
locks or unlocks in conjunction with
the driver's door. The vehicle doors and the fuel fill
door will automatically relock if the
remote transmitter unlock function
is used. In this instance, the security
relock function can be deactivated
by briefly opening then closing the
driver's door.
3. Outside of the vehicle, push on the right side edge of the fuel fill door in
the middle. The fuel fill door will pop
up slightly. Pull it outward to open it.
Gasoline is highly flammable and
explosive. You can be burned or
seriously injured when handling
fuel.●Stop the engine, and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.●Handle fuel only outdoors.●Wipe up spills immediately.
FUEL FILL DOOR
Push
Pull out
CONTINUED
Fuel Recommendation, Service Station Procedures
455
Before Driving
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3. Lift the hood up most of the way.The hydraulic supports will lift it
up the rest of the way and hold it
up.
To close the hood, lower the hood to
about a foot (30 cm) above the
fender, then press down firmly with
your hands. Make sure it is securely
latched. Oil Check
Wait a few minutes after turning the
engine off before you check the oil.
1. Remove the dipstick (orange loop).
2. Wipe off the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
3. Insert the dipstick all the way back into its hole.
4. Remove the dipstick again, andcheck the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see Adding Engine Oil on page 545.
DIPSTICK
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
Service Station Procedures45809/10/28 17:15:37 10 ACURA ZDX KA KC New North America Own 50 31SZN600 enu

Load Limits
The maximum load for your vehicle
is 830 lbs (380 kg).
See Tire And Loading Information
label attached to the driver's
doorjamb.
Label Example
This figure includes the total weight
of all occupants, cargo, and
accessories, and the tongue load if
you are towing a trailer.
Overloading or improper
loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in
which you can be hurt or killed.
Follow all load limits and other
loading guidelines in this
manual.
Steps for Determining Correct Load
Limit －
(1) Locate the statement ‘‘The
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lbs. ’’on your
vehicle's placard.
(2) Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle.
(3) Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
XXX kg or XXX lbs. (4) The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For
example, if the ‘‘XXX ’’amount
equals 1,400 lbs. and there will
be five 150 lb. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load capacity
is 650 lbs.
(1,400 －750 (5 ╳150) = 650
lbs.)
(5) Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being
loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the
available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in Step 4.
(6) If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will
be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity
of your vehicle.
Carrying Cargo46609/10/28 17:15:37 10 ACURA ZDX KA KC New North America Own 50 31SZN600 enu

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important information on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the Super Handling-All
Wheel Drive™(SH-AWD
®) system,
the vehicle stability assist (VSA
®),
aka electronic stability control (ESC)
system, active damper system (if
equipped), the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS), the
collision mitigation braking system ™
(CMBS ™) (if equipped), the blind
spot information system (BSI) (if
equipped), and facts you need if you
are planning to tow a trailer or drive
off-high way. Driving Guidelines
......................
472
Preparing to Drive
......................
472
Starting the Engine (Models without Keyless Access
System)
...........................
473
Check Starting System
Message
.............................
474
Starting the Engine (Models with Keyless Access System)
......
475
Check Starting System Message
.............................
476
Automatic Transmission
.............
477
Driving with the Paddle
Shifters
...................................
482
Super Handling-All Wheel
Drive ™(SH-AWD
®)
System
................................
487
Parking
.......................................
489
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
...................................
490
Braking System
..........................
495
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
...............
496
Collision Mitigation Braking System ™(CMBS ™)
...............
498Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
®),
aka Electronic Stability Control
(ESC), System
.....................
508
Blind Spot Information System
(BSI)
.......................................
511
Integrated Dynamics System
(IDS)
.......................................
519
Towing a Trailer
..........................
522
Off-Highway Driving
Guidelines
...............................
528
Driving
471
Driving
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Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. Make sure the
parking brake is set firmly, or your
vehicle may roll if it is parked on an
incline.
Set the parking brake before you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the vehicle from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission.Parking Tips
●Make sure the panoramic glass
roof and the windows are closed.●Turn off the lights.●Place any packages, valuables, etc.
in the cargo area or take them with
you.●Lock the doors and the tailgate.
●Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other flammable
materials. The hot three way
catalytic converter could cause
these materials to catch on fire.●If the vehicle is facing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb.●If the vehicle is facing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb.●Check the indicator on the
instrument panel to verify that the
security system is set.●Make sure the parking brake is
fully released before driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or
damage the rear brakes.
Parking
489
Driving
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