roof Acura MDX 2003 Owner's Manua

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To use the horn, press the pad around the ‘‘A’’ logo.
:
Your Vehicle at a Glance
3
HEADLIGHTS/
TURN SIGNALS
MOONROOF
SWITCH
CRUISE CONTROL FOG LIGHTS REMOTE AUDIO
CONTROLS STEERING WHEEL
ADJUSTMENT CRUISE CONTROL
HORN
WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERSLIGHT CONTROL
SWITCH
HAZARD WARNING
LIGHTS
REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER
VTM-4 LOCK
INSTRUMENT PANEL BRIGHTNESS
PASSENGER AIRBAG
CUTOFF INDICATOR
VEHICLE STABILITY
ASSIST SYSTEM
OFF SWITCH (P.82)
(P.79/ 83)
(P.114)
(P.216) (P.267)
(P.88) (P.181) (P.89) (P.216)
(P.83/87) (P.128)
(P.87)
(P.58)
(P.88)
(P.259)

Using this f eature will
prevent children f rom opening the
doors and accidentally f alling out
(see page ). Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states and Canadian provinces,
and can be very hazardous. For
example, inf ants and small
childrenleftinavehicleonahot
day can die f rom heatstroke. And
children lef t alone with the key in
the ignition can accidentally set
the vehicle in motion, possibly
injuring themselves or others. Children who play in vehicles can
accidentally get trapped inside the
vehicle. Teach your children not to
play in or around vehicles.
Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition,
and open the tailgate, which can
lead to accidental injury or death.
Using
this f eature will prevent children
f rom playing with the windows,
which could expose them to
hazards or distract the driver (see
page ). 99
111
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Use childproof door locks t o
prevent children f rom opening t hedoors. Do not leave children alone in your
vehicle. Lock all doors and the tailgate
when your vehicle is not in use.
K eep vehicle keys and remot etransmitters out of the reach ofchildren.
Use t he main power window
swit ch t o prevent children f romopening t he rear windows.
Protecting Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety26

This section gives inf ormation about
the controls and displays that
contribute to the daily operation of
your Acura. All the essential controls
are within easy reach............................
Control Locations .66
...............................
Indicator Lights .67
.............................................
Gauges .74
Controls Near the Steering .......................................
Wheel .78
...................................
Headlights .79 ....................
Automatic Lighting .80
Automatic Lighting Off .....................................
Feature .81
............
Daytime Running Lights . 82
....
Instrument Panel Brightness . 82
................................
Turn Signals .83
.....................
Windshield Wipers .83
..................
Windshield Washers . 87
Rear Window Wiper and .....................................
Washer .87
..........................
Hazard Warning .87
.............
Rear Window Def ogger . 88
.....................................
Fog Light .88
......
Steering Wheel Adjustment . 89
...............................
Keys and Locks .90
..............................................
Keys .90
....................
Immobilizer System . 91
............................
Ignition Switch .92
......................
Power Door Locks .93
...................
Remote Transmitter . 95
..............
Childproof Door Locks . 99
........................................
Tailgate .99
..................................
Glove Box .100
...............................................
Seats .101
..........
Power Seat Adjustments . 101
.........
Driver’s Lumbar Support . 102 ........
Manual Seat Adjustments . 103
Second and Third Row seat ..........................
Adjustments .104
........................
Head Restraints .105
......................
Rear Seat Access .106
..........
Folding the Second Seat . 106
.............
Folding the Third Seat . 107
.................
Detachable Anchors . 109
..................................
Seat Heaters .110
............................
Power Windows .111
.......................................
Moonroof .114
...........................................
Mirrors .115
...............................
Parking Brake .117
Driving Position Memory ........................................
System .118
...........................
Beverage Holder .121
.................
Console Compartment . 123
.......................
Rear Compartment .123
.................................
Cargo Hooks .123
........................
Sunglasses Holder .124
........................................
Sun Visor .124
................................
Vanity Mirror .125
............
Accessory Power Sockets . 125
........................................
Coin Box .127
......................................
Coat Hook .127
...............................
Interior Lights .128
Instruments and Controls
Inst rument s and Cont rols65

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Thetwoleversonthesteering
column contain controls f or driving
f eatures you use most of ten. The lef t
lever controls the turn signals,
headlights, and high beams. The
right lever controls the windshield
washers and wipers.
The switches for the hazard warning
lights and rear window def ogger are
located to the right of the steering
column.
The controls under the lef t air vent
areforthecruisecontrol,the
moonroof , the f og lights, and the
VSA light.To use the horn, press the pad
around the ‘‘A’’ logo.
The tilt adjustment lever on the
underside of the steering column
allows you to tilt the steering wheel.
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Inst rument s and Cont rols78
VEHICLE
STABILITY
ASSIST
SYSTEM
OFF
SWITCH HEADLIGHTS/
TURN SIGNALS
FOG LIGHTS
CRUISE
CONTROL
MOONROOF
SWITCH REMOTE AUDIO
CONTROLS
STEERING WHEEL
ADJUSTMENT HORN
CRUISE
CONTROL
WINDSHIELD
WIPERS/WASHERSLIGHT CONTROL
SWITCH HAZARD
WARNING
LIGHTS
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VTM-4
LOCK
INSTRUMENT PANEL
BRIGHTNESS
PASSENGER
AIRBAG
CUTOFF
INDICATOR
(P.79/
83)
(P.88)
(P.267)
(P.216) (P.114)
(P.181) (P.89)(P.216)
(P.83/87)(P.128)
(P.
87)
(P.
58)
(P.
88)
(P.259)
(P.82)

See page for information on
cargo loading. Keep the tailgate
closed at all times while driving to
avoid damaging the tailgate and to
prevent exhaust gas f rom getting
into the interior. Seeon page .
To open the tailgate, pull the handle,
then lif t up the tailgate.
The childproof door locks are
designed to prevent children seated
in the rear f rom accidentally opening
the rear doors. Each rear door has a
lock lever near the edge. With the
lever in the LOCK position, the door
cannot be opened f rom the inside
regardless of the position of the lock
tab. To open the door, pull the lock
tab up and use the outside door
handle. To close the tailgate, use the inner
handle to pull the tailgate down, then
press down on the back edge.
245
62
Carbon
Monoxide Hazard
Childproof Door L ocks
T ailgate
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols99
LOCK LEVER HANDLE

To get into the third row seats, pull
uptheleveronthesideof the
passenger’s side second row seat-
back. The seat-back will tilt f orward,
and the seat will slide f orward.
After you return the seat-back to the
upright position, push the whole seat
backwards until it latches. Make
sure the seat is f ully latched bef ore
sitting in it.The lef t and right halves of the
second seat can be f olded up
separately to create more cargo
space.
If you are f olding the lef t half of
the seat, use the ignition key to
release the center seat belt from
the detachable anchor. Allow the
seat belt to retract into the roof.
Insert the latch plate into the roof
holder. Fold the seat-back forward.
Reverse this procedure to return the
seat to the upright position. Make
sure the seat is locked securely
bef ore driving.
(Lef t half ) Remove the center seat
belt f rom its holder in the roof , and
connect it to the detachable anchor
(see page ).
Pull up the handle on the outside
of the seat-back. Lower the head restraint to its
lowest position.
2.
3.
1.
4.
109
Rear Seat A ccess
Folding the Second Seat
Seats
Inst rument s and Cont rols106
RELEASE LEVER HANDLE

The moonroof has two positions: it
can be tilted up in the back f or
ventilation, or it can be slid back into
the roof . Use the switch under the
lef t dashboard vent to operate the
moonroof . The ignition switch must
be ON (II).To tilt up the back of the moonroof ,
press and hold the center button
( ). To close the moonroof ,
press and hold the top of the switch
( ). To open the moonroof ,
press and hold the bottom of the
switch ( ). Release the switch
when the moonroof gets to the
desired position. Make sure
everyone’s hands are away f rom the
moonroof bef ore opening or closing
it.
The moonroof has a key-of f delay.
You can still open and close the
moonroof f or up to ten minutes af ter
you turn of f the ignition. The key-of f
delay cancels as soon as you open
either f ront door. You must then
turn the ignition ON (II) for the
moonroof to operate.
Moonroof
Inst rument s and Cont rols114
MOONROOF SWITCH
Opening or closing the
moonroof on someone’s hands
or fingers can cause serious
injury.
Make sure all hands and fingers
are clear of the moonroof
before opening or closing it.If you try to open the moonroof in
below-f reezing temperatures, or when
it is covered with snow or ice, you can
damage the moonroof panel or motor.

µµ
You can also quickly set the time to
the nearest hour. Press the CLOCK
button, then press the RESET button.
If the displayed time is before the
half hour, it will reset back to the
previous hour. If the displayed time
is af ter the half hour, it will reset
f orward to the next hour.
For example:
1:06 will reset to 1:00
1:52 will reset to 2:00
The compass shows your direction
of travel. It indicates eight directions.
Compass operation can be af f ected
by driving near power lines or
stations, across bridges, through
tunnels, over railroad crossings, past
large vehicles, or driving near large
objects that can cause a magnetic
disturbance.
It can also be af f ected by accessories
such as antennas and roof racks that
are mounted by magnets.The compass may need to be
manually calibrated af ter exposure to
a strong magnetic field. If the
compassseemstobecontinually
showing the wrong direction and is
not self -calibrating, do the f ollowing.
NOTE: You should do this procedure
in an open area, away from buildings,
power lines, and other vehicles.
The compass is self -calibrating. If
you see ‘‘ ’’ in the direction
display and ‘‘Calibrate’’ is blinking,
the compass is self -calibrating.
CONT INUED
Trip Computer
Compass Operation
Compass Calibration
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures223

If you use an accessory roof rack,
the roof rack weight limit may be
lower. Ref er to the inf ormation that
came with your roof rack.If you carry any items on a roof
rack,besurethetotalweightof
the rack and the items on it does
not exceed 165 lb (75 kg).
Distribute cargo evenly on the
f loor of the cargo area, placing the
heaviest items on the bottom and
as f ar f orward as possible. Tie
down items that could be thrown
about the vehicle during a crash or
sudden stop.
If you carry large items that
prevent you f rom closing the
tailgate, exhaust gas can enter the
passenger area. To avoid the
possibility of carbon monoxide
poisoning, f ollow the instructions
on page .
Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurt
someone during a crash.
Be sure items placed on the f loor
behind the f ront seats cannot roll
under the seats and interf ere with
the driver’s ability to operate the
pedals, or with the proper
operation of the seats.
Keep the glove box closed while
driving. If it is open, a passenger
could injure their knees during a
crash or sudden stop.
62
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving
Carrying Cargo in the Cargo A rea
or on a Roof Rack
Carrying Items in the Passenger
Compartment
247

Your MDX has higher ground
clearance than a passenger vehicle
designed f or use only on pavement.
Higher ground clearance has many
advantages for off-highway driving.
It allows you to travel over bumps,
obstacles, and rough terrain. It also
provides good visibility so you can
anticipate problems earlier.
Theseadvantagescomeatsomecost.
Because your vehicle is taller and
rides higher of f the ground, it has a
high center of gravity. This means
that your vehicle can tip or roll over
if you make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicles have a signif icantly higher
rollover rate than other types of
vehicles.
To prevent the risk of rollover or
loss of control:Take corners at slower speeds
than you would with a passenger
vehicle. Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers whenever possible.
Do not modif y your vehicle in any
way that would raise the center of
gravity.
Do not carry heavy cargo on the
roof .
See page f or additional guidelines
f or driving of f -highway. 285
Driving
Driving Guidelines
250