Acura MDX 2004 Owner's Manual

2004 MDX Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com. Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
............................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety ........................................................................\
.................................................. ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance ........................................................................\
....................................................... 2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
............................................... 5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
...................................................55
Instrument panel indica tor and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
............................... 103
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
....................................................... ..............157
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
...................................................................................169
The proper way to start the engine, shift the tr ansmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
....................................................... ..................195
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................229
This section covers several problems motorists someti mes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
....................................................... 251
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)......................................................................265
A summary of the warranties covering your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
....................................... 269
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index ........................................................................\
......................................................................................... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

T his Owner’s Manual should be considered
a permanent part of the vehicle, and should
remain with the vehicle when it is sold.
T his Owner’s Manual covers all models of
theMDX.Youmayfinddescriptionsof
equipment and f eatures that are not on your
particular model.
T he inf ormation and specif ications included
in this publication were in ef f ect at the time
of approval f or printing. Honda Motor Co.,
Ltd. reserves the right, however, to
discontinue or change specif ications or
design at any time without notice and
without incurring any obligation whatsoever.
Owner’s Identif ication
POUR CLIENTS CANADIEN
A VIS IMPORT A NT : Si vous avez
besoin d’un Manuel du Conduct eur
en f rançais, veuillez demander à
votreconcessionnairede
commander le numéro de pièce
33S3V830
OWNER
ADDRESS
V. I. N.
DELIVERY DATE
DEALER NAMEDEALER NO.
ADDRESS
OWNER’S SIGNATURE
DEALER’S SIGNATURE
STREET
CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP CODE/
POSTAL CODE
(Date sold to original retail purchaser)
STREET
CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP CODE/
POSTAL CODE

Congratulations! Your selection of a 2004 Acura MDX was a wise investment.
It will give you years of driving pleasure.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Acura is to read
this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Af terwards, keep this owner’s manual in your vehicle so
youcanrefertoitatanytime.
Several warranties protect your new Acura. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.
Maintaining your vehicle according to the schedules given in this manual
helps to keep your driving trouble-f ree while it preserves your investment.
When your vehicle needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Acura dealer’s
staf f is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to your Acura.
Your Acura dealer is dedicated to your satisf action and will be pleased to
answer any questions and concerns.
Calif ornia Proposition 65 WarningThis product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of
Calif ornia to cause cancer and birth def ects or other reproductive harm. As you read this manual, you will
f ind inf ormation that is preceded by
a symbol. This inf ormation
is intended to help you avoid damage
to your Acura, other property, or the
environment.
Introduction
WARNING:
NOTICE:
i

µ
µ
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µ
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Your safety, and the safety of others,
is very important. And operating this
vehicle safely is an important
responsibility.
To help you make inf ormed
decisions about saf ety, we have
provided operating procedures and
other inf ormation on labels and in
this manual. This inf ormation alerts
you to potential hazards that could
hurt you or others.
Of course, it is not practical or
possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or
maintaining your vehicle. You must
use your own good judgement. You will f ind this important saf ety inf ormation in a variety of f orms,
including:
preceded by a saf ety alert symbol and one of
three signal words: , , or .
These signal words mean:
such as Important Saf ety Reminders or Important
Safety Precautions. such as Driver and Passenger Safety.
how to use this vehicle correctly and safely.
This entire book is f illed with important saf ety inf ormation please read it
caref ully. on the vehicle.
AFewWordsAboutSafety
Saf ety Messages
Saf ety Headings
Saf ety Section
Instructions Saf ety L abels
DANGER WARNING CAUTION
ii
You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don’t follow instructions.
You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don’t follow instructions.
You CAN be HURT if you don’t follow
instructions.

Your MDX has higher ground clearance than a passenger vehicle designed f or use only on pavement. Higher ground
clearance has many advantages f or of f -highway driving. It allows you to travel over bumps, obstacles, and rough
terrain. It also provides good visibility so you can anticipate problems earlier.
These advantages come at some cost. Because your vehicle is taller and rides higher of f the ground, it has a high
center of gravity. This means 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. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is signif icantly
more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. As a reminder, make sure you and your passengers always wear
seat belts.
For inf ormation on how to reduce the risk of rollover, read ‘‘Driving Guidelines’’ on page of this manual and thesection on page . Failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or an
accident. 170
192
Of f -Highway Guidelines
Important Handling Inf ormation
iii

Your Vehicle at a Glance
2
POWER DOOR LOCK
SWITCHES
MIRROR
CONTROLSPOWER WINDOW
SWITCHES
HOOD RELEASE
HANDLE FUEL FILL DOOR
RELEASE PARKING BRAKE
PEDAL REAR A/C CONTROL ACCESSORY POWER SOCKET GLOVE BOX AUDIO SYSTEM
CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM
GAUGES INSTRUMENT PANEL (P. 57)
(P.66)
(P.80)
(P.90)
(P.160) (P.159) (P.92) (P.109)
(P.101)(P.99) (P.110)
(P.104)
(P.92)

Î
Î
To use the horn, press the pad around the ‘‘A’’ logo.
:
Your Vehicle at a Glance
3
HEADLIGHTS/
TURN SIGNALS
FOG LIGHTS REMOTE AUDIO
CONTROLS STEERING WHEEL
ADJUSTMENT CRUISE CONTROL
HORN
WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS
VEHICLE STABILITY
ASSIST SYSTEM
OFF SWITCH
CRUISE CONTROL INSTRUMENT PANEL BRIGHTNESS
REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VTM-4 LOCK
(P.72)
(P.184)
(P.144)
(P.75) (P.128) (P.76) (P.144)
(P.69) (P.
74)
(P.
75)
(P.
30)
(P.176)
(P.74) PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
INDICATOR
HAZARD WARNING
BUTTON

4

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This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains how your airbag
work, and it tells you how to properly
restrain inf ants and children in your
vehicle.
.........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features . 7
.......................................
Seat Belts .8
...........................................
Airbags .9
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens . 11
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 11
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 11
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 12
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 13
5. Fasten and Position the Seat .....................................
Belts .14
....
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel . 16
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .16
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 17
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 17Additional Inf ormation About Your
.................................
Seat Belts .19
..
Seat Belt System Components . 19
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .19
........ 20
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 21
Additional Inf ormation About Your .....................................
Airbags .22
......
Airbag System Components . 22
......... 23
........................
Advanced Airbag .25
...
How Your Side Airbags Work . 27
How Your Side Curtain Airbag .........................................
Work .28
How the SRS Indicator Light .......................................
Works .28
How The Side Airbag Of f ......................
Indicator Works .29
How the Passenger Airbag ...............
Of f indicator Works . 30
.............................
Airbag Service .31
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 32
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .33
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .33 All Children Should Sit in a Back
...........................................
Seat .34
The Passenger’s Front Airbag Can Pose Serious Risks to ...............................
Children .34
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .36
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .36
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 36
Protecting inf ants and .........................
Small Children .38
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .38
.........
Protecting Small Children . 39
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .40
....................
Installing a Child Seat .41
Installing a Child Seat with .....................................
LATCH .42
Installing a Child Seat with ...............
a Lap/Shoulder Belt . 44
Installing a Child Seat with ...................................
a Tether .45
...........
Protecting Larger Children . 47
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 51
...................................
Saf ety Labels .52
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
How Your Front Airbags Work
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety5

You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe frontal impact,
side impact, or rollover collision. So
even though your vehicle is equipped
with airbags, make sure you and
your passengers always wear your
seat belts, and wear them properly
(see page ).
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat. Infants and small children
should be restrained in a child seat.
Larger children should use a booster and a lap/shoulder belt until they
canusethebeltproperlywithouta
booster (see page ).
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either. While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
14 49
197
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Restrain All Children Don’t Drink and Drive Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
6