service Acura MDX 2009 User Guide

Message Categories
There are six message categories in
AcuraLink: Quick Tips, Feature
Guides, Maintenance Minders,
Recalls/Campaigns, Diagnostic Info,
and Dealer Appointment Reminders.
The system can store up to 256
messages.
Message categories can be added,
revised, or deleted through
broadcast messages from Acura.Quick Tips
These messages, based on updated
vehicle information and comments
from other MDX owners, supplement
your Owner's Manual and Quick
Start Guide. They provide you with
relevant information for a safe and
enjoyable ownership experience. For
additional information, call Acura
Client Services directly through the
HFL.Feature Guide
During the first 90 days of
ownership, one of up to 32 different
messages appears each day. These
messages help you to use and
understand the features of your
vehicle.
AcuraLink
®(U.S. models only)
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Maintenance MinderThese messages provide detailed
information about the service needed
for your vehicle. When a
maintenance message appears on the
multi-information display, a list of
needed maintenance items is
provided through an AcuraLink
message. These messages tell you
the exact maintenance needed,
helping you to avoid unnecessary
maintenance costs.You can then use the message
options to call your dealer for an
appointment or to find the nearest
dealer.
Recall/Campaigns
If your vehicle is affected by a recall
or other important safety
information, a letter will be mailed to
you about the issue and how to fix it.
If you don't get your vehicle fixed,
you will also receive a reminder
message through AcuraLink. You
can then use the message options to
call your dealer for an appointment
or to find the nearest dealer.
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AcuraLink
®(U.S. models only)
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You can then use the message
options to call your dealer for an
appointment or to find the nearest
dealer.When viewing a diagnostic info
message through the INFO menu,
you can use the Diagnostic Info
button to connect to the Acura server
and retrieve the latest information
regarding the problem.
NOTE: There may not be any
additional information, depending on
the time elapsed since the previous
time you retrieved the information
from the Acura server.
Dealer Appointment Reminder
When you make an appointment
through the My Acura Online
Scheduling Service, you can be
reminded in advance about that
appointment through AcuraLink. If
you need to reschedule, you can call
your dealer directly with the HFL.
The timing of your reminder is based
on your reminder preference
established on Owner Link.
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AcuraLink
®(U.S. models only)
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Phone-Data Connection－Select
this button to begin the process
required to connect to Acura. This is
used to access the most recent
diagnostic information when a
problem occurs.
NOTE: For the Phone Data
Connection button to be active, you
need a Bluetooth
®compatible and
enabled cell phone paired to the
Bluetooth
®HandsFreeLink
®(HFL).
To complete the data connection
setup, the paired phone must have a
compatible data service. To find more information on
Bluetooth
®compatible and enabled
cell phones, visit
www.acura.com/handsfreelink
or call
the Hands Free Link
®consumer
support at (888) 528-7876. In Canada,
visit
www.acura.ca,
or call
(888) 9-ACURA-9.
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Before you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use and how to check the
levels of important fluids. You also
need to know how to properly store
luggage or packages. The
information in this section will help
you. If you plan to add any
accessories to your vehicle, please
read the information in this section
first.Break-in Period
...........................
322
Fuel Recommendation
................
322
Service Station Procedures
.........
323
Refueling
.................................
323
Tighten Fuel Cap Message
.....
324
Opening and Closing the
Hood
...................................
325
Oil Check
................................
326
Engine Coolant Check
............
326
Fuel Economy
.............................
327
Accessories and
Modifications
..........................
330
Carrying Cargo
...........................
332
Before Driving
321
Bef ore Driving
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Break-in Period
Help assure your vehicle's future
reliability and performance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:●Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.●Avoid hard braking for the first 200
miles (300 km).●Do not change the oil until the
multi-information display indicates
it is needed.●Do not tow a trailer.
You should also follow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Fuel Recommendation
Your vehicle is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with
a pump octane of 91 or higher. If this
octane grade is unavailable, regular
unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane of 87 or higher may be used
temporarily. The use of regular
unleaded gasoline can cause metallic
knocking noises in the engine and
will result in decreased engine
performance. The long-term use of
regular-grade gasoline can lead to
engine damage.
We recommend quality gasolines
containing detergent additives that
help prevent fuel system and engine
deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
performance, fuel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
fuel additives such as MMT.Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely affect performance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your dealer for service.
Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10% ethanol by
volume and up to 15% MTBE by
volume. Do not use gasoline
containing methanol.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
For further important fuel-related
information, please refer to your
Quick Start Guide.Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation32208/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
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Refueling1. Park with the driver's side closestto the service station pump.
2. Open the fuel fill door by pressing the button in the driver's door. (To
open the fuel fill door manually,
see page446.)
3. Remove the fuel fill cap slowly.You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.
4. Stop filling the tank after the fuel nozzle automatically clicks off. Do
not try to ‘‘top off ’’the tank. Leave
some room for the fuel to expand
with temperature changes.
If the fuel nozzle keeps clicking off
even
though the tank is not full, there may
be a problem with your vehicle's fuel
vapor recovery system. The system
helps keep fuel vapor from going into
the atmosphere. Try filling at another
pump. If this does not fix the
problem, consult your dealer.
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.●Stop the engine, and keep
heat, sparks, and flame
away.●Handle fuel only outdoors.●Wipe up spills immediately.
Push
FUEL FILL CAP
TETHER
HOLDER
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5. Screw the fuel fill cap back on untilit clicks at least once. If you do not
properly tighten the cap, you will
see a ‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL CAP ’’
message on the multi-information
display (see right column on this
page), and the malfunction
indicator lamp may also come on
(see page437).
6. Push the fuel fill door closed until it latches. Tighten Fuel Cap Message
Your vehicle's on board diagnostic system
will detect a loose or missing fuel fill cap as
an evaporative system leak. The first time a
leak is detected a
‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL CAP ’’
message appears on the multi-information
display. Turn the engine off, and confirm
the fuel fill cap is installed. If it is, loosen it,
then retighten it until it clicks at least once.
The message should go off after several
days of normal driving once you tighten or
replace the fuel fill cap. To scroll to another
message, press the INFO button. The
‘‘ TIGHTEN FUEL CAP ’’message will
appear each time you restart the engine
until the system turns the message off.
If the system still detects a leak in
the vehicle's evaporative emissions
system, the malfunction indicator
lamp (MIL) comes on. If the fuel fill
cap was not already tightened, turn
the engine off, and check or
retighten the fuel fill cap until it
clicks at least once. The MIL should
go off after several days of normal
driving once the cap is tightened or
replaced. If the MIL does not go off,
have your vehicle inspected by a
dealer. For more information, see
page437.
Service Station Procedures32408/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX

Opening and Closing the Hood1. Park the vehicle, and set theparking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
2. Put your fingers under the frontedge of the hood near the center.
Slide your hand to your left until
you feel the hood latch handle.
Push this handle up until it
releases the hood. Lift up the
hood.
If the hood latch handle moves stiffly,
or if you can open the hood without
lifting the handle, the mechanism
should be cleaned and lubricated. 3. Lift the hood up most of the way.
The hydraulic supports will lift it
up the rest of the way and hold it
up.
To close the hood, lower the hood to
about a foot (30 cm) above the
fender, then press down firmly with
your hands. Make sure it is securely
latched.
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
LATCH
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Oil CheckWait a few minutes after turning the
engine off before you check the oil.1. Remove the dipstick (orange loop).
2. Wipe off the dipstick with a clean cloth or paper towel.
3. Insert the dipstick all the way back into its hole.
4. Remove the dipstick again, andcheck the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see Adding Engine Oil on page393.Engine Coolant Check
Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
Adding
Engine Coolant on page396for
information on adding the proper
coolant.
Refer to Owner's Maintenance
Checks on page389for information
about checking other items on your
vehicle.
DIPSTICK
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
RESERVE TANK
MIN MAX
Service Station Procedures32608/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
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