brake Acura ZDX 2012 Owner's Guide

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uuWhen Driving uACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)*
Continued
Driving
ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)*
Maintains a constant vehicle speed and a safe distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle ahead of you without having to keep your foot on the brake pedal or
accelerator.1 ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)*
Important Safety Reminder
As with any system, th ere are limits to ACC.
Inappropriate use of ACC can result in a serious
accident. Use the brake pedal whenever necessary,
and always keep a safe distance between your vehicle
and other vehicles.
The radar sensor for ACC is shared with the CMBS
TM
(collision mitigation braking systemTM).
2 CMBSTM (Collision Mitigation Braking
SystemTM)* P. 257
3WARNING
Improper use of ACC can lead to a crash.
Use ACC only when traveling on open
highways in good weather.When to use
■Vehicle speed for adaptive cruise control:
Desired speed in a range above roughly 25
mph (40 km/h) ~
■Shift positions for adaptive cruise control:
In ( D or (S
The radar sensor is under the
emblem in the front grille.
How to use
■Press the MAIN button on
the steering wheel. ACC (green) is
on in the
instrument panel.
Adaptive cruise control is
ready to use.
* Not available on all models

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uuWhen Driving uACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)*
Driving
The radar sensor monitors the distance be tween your vehicle and a vehicle ahead of
you. When the sensor detects a change in distance, the system compensates it by
accelerating or braking your vehicle in order to maintain the cruising speed you
previously set.
■When in Operation1 When in Operation
If the vehicle ahead of you slows down abruptly, or if
another vehicle cuts in front of you, the beeper
sounds and a message ap pears on the multi-
information display to alert you.
Depress the brake pedal, and keep an appropriate
distance from the vehicle ahead. 2 CMBS
TM (Collision Mitigation Braking
SystemTM)* P. 257
If the CMBS
TM has been turned off, there is no
audible or visible alert available.
Even if the distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle ahead is short, CMBS
TM may not alert you or
ACC may start accelerating your vehicle under the
following circumstances:
•The vehicle ahead of you is going at almost the
same speed as, or faster than your vehicle.
•A vehicle cuts in front of you is going faster than
your vehicle, gradually distancing.
If you do not want to hear a beep when the system
detects a vehicle, or when the vehicle goes out of
ACC range, you can change the pre-running detect
car beep setting. 2 Customized Features P. 94
■When ACC detects a
vehicle within ACC range:■When the vehicle goes
out of ACC range:
a beeper sounds once and a
vehicle icon appears on the
multi- information display. a beeper so
unds once and
the vehicle icon on the
multi- information display
becomes a dotted-line
contour.
ACC Range: 328 ft. (100 m)
* Not available on all models

uuWhen Driving uACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)*
238
Driving
■There is no vehicle ahead
Your vehicle cruises at the set speed.
■A vehicle ahead is within ACC range and going slower than the set speed
Your vehicle slows down, and maintains the same speed as the speed of the vehicle
ahead.
■A vehicle ahead is within ACC range and going at a steady speed
Your vehicle follows the vehicle ahead of it, keeping a constant distance, without
going beyond the set speed.
■A vehicle ahead goes out of range
ACC accelerates your vehicle to the set speed, and then maintains it.
■When you depress the accelerator pedal
You can temporarily increase the vehicle speed . In this case, there is no audible or
visual alerts even if a vehicle is in ACC range.
ACC stays on unless you cancel it. Once you release the accelerator pedal, the
system resumes the set speed.
1 When in Operation
Limitations
Use the brake pedal to mainta in a safe distance with
other vehicles in the follo wing cases. ACC may not
work properly when:
•Vehicles ahead of you are going slower than 13
mph (20 km/h) or vehicles are parked.
•Motorcycles or other small vehicles are ahead of
you.
ACC may momentarily apply brakes or sounds a beep
against a vehicles beside you or even a building
beside you if:
•You drive at a sudden curve or on a narrow road.•You abruptly move the steering wheel.•You are in an unusual position within your lane.

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uuWhen Driving uACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)*
Driving
Increase or decrease the vehicle speed using the RES/ACCEL or DECEL/SET buttons
on the steering wheel.
• Each time you press the button, the vehicl e speed is increased or decreased by
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
• If you keep the button pressed, the vehicl e speed increases or decreases until you
release it. This speed is then set.
■To Adjust the Vehicle Speed1 To Adjust the Vehicle Speed
If a vehicle ahead is going at a speed slower than your
increased set speed, ACC may not accelerate your
vehicle. This is to maintain the distance between your
vehicle and the vehicle ahead.
You can set the vehicle speed using the DECEL/SET
button on the steering wh eel when adjusting the
speed with the accelera tor and brake pedals.
To increase speed
To decrease speed

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uuWhen Driving uACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)*
Driving
To cancel adaptive cruise control, do any of
the following:
• Press the CANCEL button.
• Press the MAIN button.
u ACC indicator goes off.
• Depress the brake pedal.
■Automatic cancellan
The beeper sounds and a message appears on the multi-information display when
ACC is automatically canceled. Any of these conditions may cause the ACC
cancellation:
• The vehicle speed slows down to 22 mph (35 km/h) and below.
• Bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.)
• When the radar sensor in the front grille gets dirty.
• The vehicle ahead of you cannot be detected.
• An abnormal tire condition is detected, or the tires are skidding.
• Driving on a mountainous road, or dr iving off road for extended periods.
• Abrupt steering wheel movement.
• When the ABS or VSA is activated.
• When the VSA indicator comes on.
■To Cancel1To Cancel
Resuming the prior set speed: After you have
canceled adaptive cruise co ntrol, you can resume the
prior set speed while it is still displayed. Press the
RES/ACCEL button when driving at a speed of at
least 25 mph (40 km/h) or more.
You cannot set or resume in the following situations:
•When vehicle speed is less than 25 mph (40km/h)•When the MAIN button is turned off
CANCEL
Button MAIN
Button
1 Automatic cancellan
Even though adaptive cruise control has been
automatically canceled, you can still resume the prior
set speed. Wait until the condition that caused ACC
to cancel improves, then press the RES/ACCEL
button.

243
uuWhen Driving uVSA ® (Vehicle Stability Assist), aka ESC (Electronic Stability Control), System
Continued
Driving
VSA ® (Vehicle Stability Assist), aka ESC (Electronic
Stability Control), System
VSA ® helps to stabilize the vehicle during corn ering if the vehicle turns more or less
than what was intended. It also assists in maintaining traction on slippery surfaces.
It does so by regulating engine ou tput and selectively applying the brakes.
When VSA ® activates, you may notice that the
engine does not respon d to the accelerator.
You may also notice some noise from the
hydraulic system. You will also see the
indicator blink.
■VSA ® Operation
1 VSA ® (Vehicle Stability Assist), aka ESC (Electronic Stability
Control), System
The VSA ® may not function properly if tire type and
size are mixed. Make sure to use the same size and
type of tire, and the air pressures as specified.
When the VSA ® indicator comes on and stays on
while driving, there may be a problem with the
system. While this may no t interfere with normal
driving, have your vehi cle checked by a dealer
immediately.
VSA ® cannot enhance stability in all driving situations
and does not control the entire braking system. You
still need to drive and corner at speeds appropriate
for the conditions and always leave a sufficient
margin of safety.
The main function of the VSA ® system is generally
known as Electronic Stability Control (ESC). The
system also includes a traction control function.
VSA ® System
Indicator

245
uuWhen Driving uSH-AWD ® (Super Handling-All Wheel DriveTM)
Driving
SH-AWD ® (Super Handling-All Wheel DriveTM)
The system controls and transfers varying amounts of engine torque to each wheel
in accordance with the driving conditions.
SH-AWD® helps to enhance driving stability, and lets you handle situations like
slippery surfaces, such as snow, sand, mud, and steep hill, better than when driving
with two wheel drive. However, the system does not help to enhance braking. Be
precautious about the following:
• It is still your responsibility to drive sa fely when you steer, accelerate, and apply
brakes.
• Leave a sufficient margin when braking on slippery surfaces.1SH-AWD ® (Super Handling-All Wheel DriveTM)
NOTICEAvoid continuously driving in sand or mud where a
wheel is likely to spin out, and do not drive once the
SH-AWD ® indicator starts blinking. Driving
continuously under such conditions can damage the
system’s torque distribution unit.
Do not drive through deep water.
The SH-AWD ® system may not function properly if
tire type and size are mixed.
Make sure to use the same size and type of tire, and
the air pressures as specified.

253Continued
Driving
Braking
Brake System
Use the parking brake to keep the vehicle stationary when parking.
To apply:
Push the pedal down with your foot.
To release:
Push the pedal again.
■Parking Brake1 Parking Brake
NOTICERelease the parking brake fully before driving. The
rear brakes and axle can be damaged if you drive
with the parking brake applied.
If you start driving without fully releasing the parking
brake, a buzzer sounds as a warning, and RELEASE
PARKING BRAKE appears on the multi-information
display.
Always apply the parking brake when parking.
To prevent the parking brake from freezing when the
outside temperature is extremely cold, do not apply
it, but do the following:
Put the shift lever in
( P, then use a block or other
wheel chock to stop the wheels from turning.
Parking Brake Pedal

uuBraking uBrake System
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Driving
Your vehicle is equipped with disc brakes at all four wheels. A power assist helps
reduce the effort needed on the brake pedal. The brake assist system increases the
stopping force when you depress the brake pe dal hard in an emergency situation.
The anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps you re tain steering control when braking very
hard.
2 Brake Assist System P. 256
2 ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) P. 255
■Foot Brake1Foot Brake
Check the brakes after driv ing through deep water,
or if there is a buildup of road surface water. If
necessary, dry the brakes by lightly depressing the
pedal several times.
If you hear a continuous metallic friction sound when
applying the brakes, the brake pads need to be
replaced. Have the vehicl e checked by a dealer.
Constantly using the brak e pedal while going down a
long hill builds up heat, which reduces the brake
effectiveness. Apply engine braking by taking your
foot off the accelerator pedal and downshifting to a
lower gear.
Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, as it will lightly apply the brakes and cause
them to lose effectiveness over time and reduce pad
life. It will also confuse drivers behind you.

255
uuBraking uABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Driving
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Helps prevent the wheels from locking up, an d helps you retain steering control by
pumping the brakes rapidly, much faster than you.
The electronic brake distribution (EBD) sy stem, which is part of the ABS, also
balances the front-to-rear braking distri bution according to vehicle loading.
You should never pump th e brake pedal. Let the ABS work for you by always
keeping firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal. This is sometimes referred to as
“stomp and steer.”
■ABS operation
The brake pedal may pulsate slightly when the ABS is working. Keep holding the
pedal firmly down. On dry pavement, you will need to press on the brake pedal very
hard before the ABS activates. However, you may feel the ABS activate immediately
if you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
When the vehicle speed goes under 6 mph (10 km/h), the ABS stops.
■ABS1 ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
NOTICEThe ABS may not function correctly if you use an
incorrect tire type and size.
When the ABS indicator comes on while driving,
there may be a problem with the system.
While normal braking is no t affected, there is a
possibility of the ABS not operating. Have the vehicle
checked by a dealer immediately.
The ABS does not reduce the ti me or distance it takes
to stop the vehicle. It only helps with steering control
during hard braking.
In the following cases, your vehicle may need more
stopping distance than a vehicle without the ABS:
•When driving on rough road surfaces, including
when driving on uneven surfaces, such as gravel or
snow.
•When tire chains are installed.
You may hear a motor sound coming from the
engine compartmen t while system checks are being
performed immediately after starting the engine or
while driving. This is normal.