Acura MDX 2008 Owner's Manual

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the super handling-all wheel
stability assist (VSA) system, active
damper system, the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS), and
f acts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer or drive off-high way.........................
Driving Guidelines .338
........................
Preparing to Drive .338
.......................
Starting the Engine .339
Check Starting System .................................
Message .340
..............
Automatic Transmission .341
Super Handling-All Wheel Drive
...........................................
Parking .350
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
......................................
(TPMS) .351
.............................
Braking System .356
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .357
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
........................................
System .359
................
Active Damper System .361
...........................
Towing a Trailer .363
..................
Trailer Stability Assist .375
Of f -Highway Driving
..................................
Guidelines .377
Driving
Driving
337
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drive(SH-AWD®) system, the vehicle(SH-AWD®) System ....................348
2008 MDX

Because your vehicle rides higher
of f the ground, it has a high center
of gravity that can cause it to roll
over if you make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicles have a signif icantly higher
roll over rate than other types of
vehicles.
To prevent rollovers 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 .
Your vehicle has higher ground
clearance that allows you to travel
over bumps, obstacles, and rough
terrain. It also provides good
visibility so you can anticipate
problems earlier. Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments bef ore you drive
your vehicle.
Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Check that the hood is f ully closed.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
f astened down securely.
Check the seat adjustment (see
page ).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
140
See page f or of f -highway driving
guidelines. 377
Driving Guidelines, Preparing to Drive
Driving Guidelines Preparing to Drive
338
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CONT INUED
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page ).
Make sure the doors and tailgate
are securely closed and locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).
When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicators in the
instrument panel, and the
messages on the multi-inf ormation
display (see pages , and). Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, then
release the ignition switch. You do
not need to hold the ignition
switch in the START (III) position
to start the engine. Depending on
the outside temperature, the starter motor runs f or about 6 to 9
seconds until the engine starts.
If you hold the ignition switch in
the START (III) position f or more
than 7 seconds, the starter motor,
depending on the outside
temperature, runs f or about 10 to
25 seconds until the engine starts.
If the engine does not start, wait at
least 10 seconds bef ore trying
again.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal. In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery. Apply the parking brake.
Your vehicle’s starting system has an
auto control mode. When you turn
the ignition switch to the START
(III) position, this f eature keeps the
engine’s starter motor running until
the engine starts. Follow these
instructions to start the engine:
1.
2.
3.
4.
6.
7.
8.
9.
15
124
81
10.
63 72
154
Preparing to Drive, Starting the Engine
Starting the Engine
Driving
339
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page .
128
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If this message is on, the ignition
switchhastobeheldinthe
START (III) position manually
until the engine starts. The
ignitionswitchcanbeheldinthat
position up to 15 seconds.
Even though you may be able to
start the engine manually without
the auto control mode of the starting
system, have your dealer inspect
your vehicle.
If there is a problem with the
starting system, you will see a
‘‘CHECK STARTING SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON (II) position. You
will also see this message when the
auto control mode of the starting
system has a problem.
If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
down, and hold it there while
starting to clear flooding. If the
engine still does not start, return
to step 5.
5.
6.
Starting the Engine
Check Starting System Message
340
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
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2008 MDX

The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it f lashes while driving (in
any shif t position), it indicates a
possible problem in the transmission.
If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem with the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
When the ‘‘D’’ indicator warns of a
possible problem with the
transmission, you will see a ‘‘CHECK
TRANSMISSION’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page).
These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shif t
lever is in. In the Sequential
SportShif t Mode, the ‘‘M’’ indicator
next to the ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on,
and the illuminated number under
the charging system indicator shows
you the gear you have selected. To shif t f rom Park to any position,
pressfirmlyonthebrakepedal,and
pressthereleasebuttononthefront
of the shift lever, then move the
lever. You cannot shift out of Park
when the ignition switch is in the
LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I)
position.
82
CONT INUED
Shif t L ever Position Indicators Shif ting
Automatic Transmission
Driving
341
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µ
µ µ
µ 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 and press the release button
on the f ront of the shif t lever to shif t
f rom Park to reverse. To shif t f rom
reverse to neutral, come to a
completestop,andthenshift.Press
the release button bef ore shif ting
into reverse f rom neutral.
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 on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from neutral to
another gear. Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear (1 through 5) f or your
speed and acceleration. You may
notice the transmission shifting up at
higher engine speeds when the
engine is cold. This helps the engine
warm up f aster.
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 press the release button
on the shif t lever. Make sure your
f oot is 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 . 346
Do this:
Press the brake pedal, and
press the shift lever release
button.
Press the shift lever release
button.
Move the shift lever.
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR
DtoD DtoD DtoN
NtoDRtoN
3
3
Automatic Transmission
Reverse (R)
Neutral (N) Drive (D)
Park (P) Shif t L ock Release
342
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µ
´
With the shif t lever in ‘‘D’’ position,
you can select the Sequential
SportShift mode to shift gears much
like a manual transmission, but
without a clutch pedal.
To enter the Sequential SportShif t
mode, move the shif t lever f urther to
the driver’s side. To return to ‘‘D,’’
move the shift lever to the
passenger’s side.
In Sequential SportShif t mode, each
time you push f orward on the shif t
lever, the transmission shifts to a
higher gear. Pull back on the lever to
downshif t. The number of the gear
selected is displayed on the
instrument panel.
When you move the shif t lever f rom
‘‘D’’ to ‘‘M’’ position, the display
shows the selected gear. The transmission remains in the
selectedgear(5,4,3,2,or1).There
is no automatic downshif t when you
push the accelerator pedal to the
f loor.
When you accelerate away f rom a
stop, the transmission starts in f irst
gear. You have to manually upshift
between f irst and f if th gears. Make
sure you upshif t bef ore the engine
speed reaches the tachometer’s red
zone.
CONT INUED
Sequential SportShif t Mode
Automatic Transmission
Driving
343
SELECTED GEAR
( ) DOWN SHIFT
( ) UP SHIFT
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à
à
à
à
The transmission may automatically
downshif t f rom the higher gear to
the lower gear under these
conditions:
Driving on level roads and downhill
Driving uphill
To shift from
43
54
To shift from 43
54 Downshif ting gives you more power
when climbing, and provides engine
braking when going down a steep hill.
If you try to manually downshif t at a
speed that would cause the engine to
exceed the redline in a lower gear,
the transmission does not downshif t.
Thegearindicatorwillflashthe
numberof thelowergearseveral
times, then return to the higher gear.
If the vehicle speed slows to below
the redline of the selected lower gear
position while the indicator is
f lashing, the transmission
downshif ts, and the display shows
the selected lower gear.
Speed range
under 19 mph
(31 km/h)
under 38 mph
(60 km/h)
Speed range
under 34 mph
(55 km/h)
under 47 mph
(75 km/h) The transmission also shif ts
automatically as the vehicle comes to
a complete stop. It downshif ts to f irst
gear when the vehicle speed is under
10 mph (16 km/h).
Automatic Transmission
344
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à
à
à
àà
à
à
The table shows the speed ranges
f or upshif ting and downshif ting. When you are in Sequential
SportShif t mode, and the vehicle is
stopped, push f orward on the shif t
lever to shif t to second gear. You
will see ‘‘2’’ in the display. Starting
out in second gear will help to
reduce wheelspin in deep snow or
on a slippery surf ace.
If you start out in second gear, the
transmission will be f ixed in that
gear.
To shift from
12
23
34
45 To shift from
32
43
54
Speed range
over 0 mph
(0 km/h)
over 10 mph
(16 km/h)
over 19 mph
(31 km/h)
over 37 mph
(60 km/h) Speed range
under 60 mph
(96 km/h)
under 93 mph
(150 km/h)
under 118 mph
(190 km/h)
The transmission will not
automatically downshif t to f irst gear
even when the vehicle speed is
under 10 mph (16 km/h). You need
to shif t down to f irst gear manually.
CONT INUED
St art ing in Second Gear
Automatic Transmission
Driving
345
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µIf you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
rpm below the red zone.
Bef ore downshif ting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer’s red zone.
This position is
similar to D, except only the f irst
three gears are selected. Use D
when towing a trailer in hilly terrain,
or to provide engine braking when
going down a steep hill. D can also
keep the transmission f rom cycling
between third, f ourth, and f if th gears
in stop-and-go driving.
ForfasteraccelerationwheninD or
D, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshif t by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shif t down one,
two, or three gears, depending on
your speed. This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release
button does not work.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
Set the parking brake.
1.
2.
3
3
3
Engine Speed Limiter Shift Lock Release
Drive (D )
Automatic Transmission
3
346
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