climate control 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.

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)

Your vehicle’s exhaust contains
carbon monoxide gas. You should
have no problem with carbon
monoxide entering the vehicle in
normal driving if you maintain your
vehicle properly.
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:The vehicle is raised f or an oil
change.
You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust.
The vehicle was in an accident
that may have damaged the under-
side. High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage. With the tailgate open, air flow can
pull exhaust gas into your vehicle’s
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
tailgate open, open all the windows
and set the heating and cooling
system/climate control system as
shown below.
If you must sit in your parked vehicle,
even in an unconf ined area, with the
engine running, adjust the heating
and cooling system/climate control
system as f ollows:
Select the Fresh Air mode.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Driver and Passenger Saf ety51
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.

Control L ocations
Inst rument s and Cont rols56
MIRROR
CONTROLS
HOOD RELEASE
HANDLEPARKING BRAKE
PEDALREAR A/C CONTROL ACCESSORY POWER SOCKET GLOVE BOX AUDIO SYSTEM
CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM
GAUGES
POWER DOOR LOCK
SWITCHES
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES FUEL FILL DOOR
RELEASE
INSTRUMENT PANEL (P.
57)
(P.66)
(P.80)
(P.92)
(P.90)
(P.160) (P.159) (P.92) (P.109)
(P.101)(P.110)
(P.99)
(P.104)

The climate control system in your
Acura provides a comf ortable driving
environment in all weather
conditions.
The standard audio system has
many f eatures. This section de-
scribes those f eatures and how to
use them. (If you selected an
optional audio system, ref er to the
operating instructions that came
with it.)
Your Acura has an anti-theft audio
system that requires a code number
to enable it..............
Vents, Heating, and A/C . 104
.............................
Airflow Buttons .105
...................
Rear Climate Control . 109
..............
Climate Control Sensors . 109
..........................
Playing the Radio .110
............................
Radio Reception .113
..................................
Playing a CD .115
....................
Protecting Your CDs .119
.........
CD Player Error Messages . 120
.....
CD Changer Error Messages . 122
...............................
Playing a Tape .125
.............
Steering Wheel Controls . 128
.................
Radio Thef t Protection . 129
..........................
Setting the Clock .130
........
Rear Entertainment System . 131
............................
Security System .143
...............................
Cruise Control .144
..............................
Trip Computer .146
........................
Rear View Camera .152
HomeLink Universal ................................
Transceiver .153
Comf ort and Convenience Features
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures103

The Automatic Climate Control
system can adjust the f an speed and
airflow levels to maintain the interior
temperature you select.Press the AUTO button.
Set the desired temperature with
the temperature control buttons.
You will see FULL AUTO in the
system’s display.
The system automatically selects the
proper mix of conditioned and/or
heated air that will, as quickly as
possible, raise or lower the interior
temperature f rom its current level to
the set temperature. In FULL AUTO
the rear A/C control panel cannot be
used. In cold weather, the f an will not
come on automatically until the
heater starts to develop warm air.
You can manually select various
f unctions of the Climate Control
system when it is in FULL AUTO.
All other f eatures remain
automatically controlled.
Manually selecting a f unction causes
thewordFULLinthedisplaytogo
out.
Press the OFF button. However, a
lack of air f low can cause the
windows to fog up. It is
recommended that you keep the f an
on at all times so stale air and
moisture do not build up in the
interior and cause fogging.
If you set the temperature to its
lower or its upper limit, the system
runs at f ull cooling or heating only. It
does not regulate the interior
temperature.
Select . The system
automatically switches to Fresh
Air mode and turns on the A/C.
The A/C indicator will not come
on in U.S. vehicles.
Select .
Set the f an and temperature
controls to maximum level.
To clear the windows f aster, you can
close the dashboard corner vents by
rotating the wheel below each vent.
This sends more warm air to the
windshield def roster vents. Once the
windshield is clear, select Fresh Air
mode to avoid f ogging the windows.
For your saf ety, make sure you have
a clear view through all the windows
bef ore driving. 1.
2.
1.
2.
3.
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Vents, Heating, and A/C
T o Remove Exterior Frost or Ice
From the Windows
Manual Operation
To Turn Everything Of f
Using A utomatic Climate Control
108

Theclimatecontrolsystemhastwo
sensors. A sunlight sensor is in the
top of the dashboard, and a
temperature sensor is next to the
steering column. Do not cover the
sensors or spill any liquid on them.
Press the RR A/C MANUAL button
to enable the rear A/C control panel.
The light in the button will come on.
A passenger in the second row can
then use the temperature control dial,
f an speed dial, and mode buttons to
adjust the temperature and airflow to
their pref erence. This is limited by
the system’s minimum and
maximum temperature.
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
Rear Climate Control, Climate Control Sensors
Sunlight and T emperature
Sensors
Using the Rear A /C Unit
109
SUNLIGHT SENSOR TEMPERATURE SENSOR
TEMPERATURE CONTROL DIAL
MODE BUTTONS
FAN SPEED CONTROL DIAL

Clock
Direction of travel
Outside temperature
Instantaneous f uel mileageTheAvgdisplayshowsyouthe
average f uel economy since you
last reset the display.
The E/T is the elapsed time that
the ignition has been on. It
automatically resets to 0.0 when it
reaches twelve hours. This display
can be reset at any time.
The display also has manual
f unctions f or the Climate Control
System. Ref er to page .
All models of MDX have a trip
computer. To operate the trip
computer on models with the
navigation system, ref er to the
navigation manual.
The Trip Computer displays the
f ollowing inf ormation.
The temperature sensor is located
in the f ront bumper, and can be
affected by heat from the road
surf ace, engine heat, and the
exhaust f rom the surrounding
traf f ic. Because of these
conditions, it may take a while f or
the temperature to read correctly. The Range, or estimated distance
you can travel on the fuel
remaining in the tank estimated
f rom the f uel economy you have
gotten over the last several miles
(kilometers).
The Trip display shows you the
total distance you have driven
since it was last reset.
Press the TRIP button to show either
the range and Avg f uel economy, or
the E/T and Trip odometer.
To reset the Avg f uel economy, E/T,
and Trip odometer, press and hold
the RESET button until you hear a
beep.
The outside temperature, f uel
economy, range, and trip odometer
can be displayed in either English or
Metric units. To change between
units, press the TRIP button and
hold it f or f ive seconds.
104
Trip Computer
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures
(Without Navigation System) Changing and Resetting the
Display
Changing Units of Measurement
147

´´
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to
on page .
Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the warning indicator may
not be working.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page . Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
To jump start your vehicle:
You cannot start your Acura by
pushing or pulling it. Open the hood, and check the
physical condition of the battery.
In very cold weather, check the
condition of the electrolyte. If it
seems slushy or like ice, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.
Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, climate
control, audio system, lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
Acura’s battery. Connect the other
end to the positive ( ) terminal
on the booster battery.
1.
2.
3.
171
246 244 Starting the
Engine
Emergency
Towing Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
If the Engine Won’t Start, Jump Starting
238
NOTICE:
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery. If a battery sits in extreme
cold, the electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.
Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (seeon page ). Start the engine and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum (climate control to
FULL AUTO at 90°F/32°C). Add
coolant to the radiator up to the
base of the f iller neck. If you do
not have the proper coolant
mixture available, you can add
plain water. Remember to have
the cooling system drained and
ref illed with the proper mixture as
soon as you can.
Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine, and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair (see
on page ).
If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
If you don’t f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Add coolant
if the level is below the MIN mark.
If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may need to add
coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, bef ore check-
ing the radiator.
Using gloves or large heavy cloth,
turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the f irst stop. Af ter the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap, and turn it until it comes
off.
4.
5.
6.
7. 8.
10.
11.9.
244 244
If Your Engine Overheats
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Emergency
Towing
Emergency
Towing
241
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.