ignition Acura MDX 2006 Workshop Manual

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This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page .
To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop bef ore shif ting
into Park. The shif t lever must be in
Park bef ore you can remove the key
from the ignition switch. Press the brake
pedal, making sure to keep your f oot
of f the accelerator pedal, then shif t
f rom Park to Reverse. To shif t f rom
Neutral to Reverse, come to a
completestopandthenshift. Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press the
brake pedal, making sure to keep
your f oot of f the accelerator pedal,
when you are moving the shif t lever
f rom Neutral to another gear.
Your vehicle has a reverse lockout so
you cannot accidentally shif t to
Reverse from Neutral or any other
driving position when the vehicle
speed exceeds 7 9 mph (12 14
km/h).
If you cannot shif t to Reverse when
the vehicle is stopped, press the
brake pedal and slowly shift to
Neutral, and then to Reverse.
If there is a problem in the reverse
lockout system, or your vehicle’s
battery is disconnected or goes dead,
you cannot shif t to reverse. (Ref er to
on page ). Use this position f or
normal driving. The transmission
automatically selects a suitable gear
f or your speed and acceleration. You
may notice the transmission shif ting
up at higher speeds when the engine
is cold. This helps the engine warm
up f aster.
205
205
Automatic Transmission
Park (P)Shif t L ock Release Reverse (R)
Neutral (N)
Shif t L ock Release Drive (D )
5Driving
203

Set the parking brake.
Make sure the ignition switch is in
the LOCK (0) position.
To release the Reverse Lockout,
make sure the ignition switch is in
the ACCESSORY (I) position. Put a cloth on the edge of the Shif tLock Release slot cover. Using a
key, caref ully pry on the edge of
the cover to remove it.
Insert the key in the shift lock
release slot.
Push down on the key and move
the shift lever out of Park to
Neutral.To release the reverse lockout,
move the shift lever from neutral
to reverse, then to Park.
Do this if pushing on the brake pedal
does not shif t the transmission out of
Park. This procedure is also used to
release the Reverse Lockout.
Remove the key from the Shift
Lock Release slot. Press the brake
pedal and restart the engine.
If you need to use the shif t lock
release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have it
checked by your dealer.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.6.
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ock Release
Driving
205
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
COVER

The variable torque management
4WD (VTM-4) system automatically
transf ers varying amounts of engine
torque to the rear wheels under
lower traction conditions.The vehicle must be stopped with
the engine running.
If more traction is needed when your
vehicle is stuck, or is likely to
become stuck, you can use the
VTM-4 lock button to increase
torque to the rear wheels. Move the shift lever to first (1),
second (2), or reverse (R) gear.
Press the VTM-4 lock button. The
indicator in the button comes on.
do
any of the f ollowing: Press the VTM-4 LOCK button.
Move the shift lever to D , D or
D.
Turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position.
The VTM-4 lock will temporarily
disengage when the vehicle speed
exceeds 18 mph (30 km/h). It will
automatically engage again as the
speed slows below 18 mph (30
km/h). The indicator in the button
will remain on.
To get unstuck, apply light pressure
to the accelerator pedal. Do not spin
the f ront tires f or more than a f ew
seconds. Because of the amount of
torque applied to the rear tires, they
should not spin. This is normal. If
you are not able to move the vehicle,
stop and reverse direction. 1.
2.
3.
54
3
To Engage the VTM-4 Lock To Disengage the VTM-4 Lock,
VTM-4 System
206
Do not continuously spin the f ront tires
of your vehicle. Continuously spinning
the f ront tires can cause transmission
or rear dif f erential damage.
Do not use the VTM-4 LOCK button on
dry, paved roads. Driving on dry,
paved roads with VTM-4 Lock ON may
damage the rear dif f erential when
making a turn. Strange noise and
vibration can also result.

Without VSA, your vehicle will have
normal braking and cornering ability,
but it will not have VSA traction and
stability enhancement.VSA is turned on every time you
start the engine, even if you turned it
off the last time you drove the
vehicle.
Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the VSA to
malf unction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are of the same size
and type as your original tires (see
page ).
Deactivate the VSA system if you
need to drive with the compact spare
tire installed (see page ).
If you install winter tires, make sure
they are the same size as those that
were originally supplied with your
vehicle. Exercise the same caution
during winter driving as you would if
your vehicle was not equipped with
VSA.
When VSA is off, the VSA activation
indicator comes on as a reminder.
If the indicator does not come on
when the ignition switch is turned to
the ON (II) position, there may be a
problem with the VSA system. Have
your dealer inspect your vehicle as
soon as possible.
This switch is under the lef t vent.
Press it to turn the VSA system on
and off. 255
260
VSA Of f Switch
VSA and Tire Sizes
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
214

If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Drive slowly along the shoulder until
you get to an exit or an area to stop
that is far away from the traffic lanes.Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park. Apply the
parking brake.Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position. Have all
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire.
2.
1.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
261
JACK
TOOLS SPARE TIRE
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.

Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position:You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
When you turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, you do not
hear the normal noise of the engine
trying to start. You may hear a
clicking sound or series of clicks, or
nothing at all. Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
or neutral or the starter will not
operate.
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Turn on the
headlights, and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or do not come on at all,
the battery is discharged. See
on page . If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
f rom a booster battery (see page
).
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position, but the engine does not run. Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly(seepage ).
Check these things: Turn the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the f uses. If the f uses
areOK,thereisprobably
something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem (see
on page ). 80
268
257
268
275
CONT INUED
If Your Engine Won’t Start
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly Jump Starting
T he Starter Operates Normally
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
267

If your vehicle battery has been
disconnected or gone dead, these
codes are erased. It takes at least
three days of driving under various
conditions to set the codes again.
To check if they are set, turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position, without starting the engine.
The malf unction indicator lamp will
come on f or 20 seconds. If it then
goes of f , the readiness codes are set.
If it blinks f ive times, the readiness
codes are not set. If possible, do not
take your vehicle for a state
emissions test until the readiness
codes are set. Ref er tofor more
inf ormation (see page ).
If this indicator comes on
while driving, it means one
of the engine’s emissions control
systems may have a problem. Even
though you may f eel no dif f erence in
your vehicle’s perf ormance, it can
reduce your f uel economy and cause
increased emissions. Continued
operation may cause serious damage. If the indicator comes on repeatedly,
even though it may turn of f as you
continue driving, have the vehicle
checked by your dealer as soon as
possible.
Your vehicle has certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that are part of the on-board
diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. In some states, part of the
emissions testing is to make sure
these codes are set. If they are not
set, the test cannot be completed.
If you have recently ref ueled your
vehicle, the indicator could come on
because of a loose or missing f uel f ill
cap. Tighten the cap until it clicks at
least once. Tightening the cap will
not turn the indicator of f
immediately; it takes several days of
normal driving.
292
Malf unction Indicator L amp
Malf unction Indicator L amp
State
Emissions T esting
Readiness Code
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
273
If you keep driving with the
malf unction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your vehicle’s emissions
controls and engine. Those repairs may
not be covered by your vehicle’s
warranties.

The brake system indicator
normally comes on when
you turn the ignition switch
to the ON (II) position, and
as a reminder to check the
parking brake. It will stay
on if you do not f ully
release the parking brake.
If the brake system indicator comes
on while driving, the brake f luid level
is probably low. Press lightly on the
brake pedal to see if it f eels normal.
If it does, check the brake f luid level
thenexttimeyoustopataservice
station (see page ).
If the f luid level is low, take the
vehicle to your dealer and have the
brake system inspected f or leaks or
worn brake pads. However, if the brake pedal does not
f eel normal, you should take
immediate action. A problem in one
part of the system’s dual circuit
design will still give you braking at
two wheels. You will f eel the brake
pedal go down much f arther bef ore
the vehicle begins to slow down, and
you will have to press harder on the
pedal.
Slow down by shif ting to a lower
gear, and pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e. Because of the long
distance needed to stop, it is
hazardous to drive the vehicle. You
should have it towed, and repaired as
soon as possible.
If you must drive the vehicle a short
distance in this condition, drive
slowly and caref ully.
243
Brake System Indicator
Brake System Indicator
274
Canada
U.S.

If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a prof essional towing service or
organization. Never tow your vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous.
Any other method of towing will
damage the drive system. When you
contact the towing agency, inf orm
them a f lat-bed is required.If , due to damage, your vehicle must
be towed with all f our wheels on the
ground, do the f ollowing:
With all f our wheels on the ground,
it is best to tow the vehicle no farther
than 50 miles (80 km), and keep the
speedbelow35mph(55km/h).
The operator will load
your vehicle on the back of a truck. Release the parking brake.
Start the engine.
Shif t to D f or several seconds,
then to N.
Turn of f the engine.
The only way you can saf ely tow
your vehicle is with f lat-bed
equipment.
Emergency Towing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
275
Towing your vehicle with two tires on
the ground will damage parts of the
4WD system. It should be transported
on a f lat-bed truck or trailer. Improper towing preparation will
damage the transmission. Follow the
above procedure exactly. If you cannot
shif t the transmission or start the
engine, your vehicle must be
transported with the all f our wheels of f
the ground.The steering system can be damaged if
the steering wheel is locked. Leave the
ignition switch in the ACCESSORY (I)
position, and make sure the steering
wheel turns f reely bef ore you begin
towing.
Trying to lif t or tow your vehicle by the
bumpers will cause serious damage.
The bumpers are not designed to
support the vehicle’s weight.

If something electrical in your
vehicle stops working, the first thing
youshouldcheckforisablownfuse.
Determine f rom the chart on pagesand , or the diagram on the
fuse box lid, which fuse or fuses
control that device. The diagram f or
theinteriordriver’ssidefuseboxis
on the kick panel below the f use box.
Check those f uses f irst, but check all
the f uses bef ore deciding that a
blown f use is the cause. Replace any
blown f uses, and check if the device
works.
Turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position. Make sure the
headlights and all other
accessories are of f .
Remove the cover f rom the f use
box. Check each of the large f uses in
the primary under-hood f use box
by looking through the top at the
wire inside. Removing these f uses
requires a Phillips-head
screwdriver.
Check the smaller f uses in the
under-hood f use boxes and all the
fuses in the interior fuse box by
pulling out each one with the f use
puller provided in the primary
under-hood f use box.
4.
3.
1.
2 279 280
Checking and Replacing Fuses
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
277
BLOWN
FUSE PULLER