ESP Acura RDX 2017 Owner's Manual
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A Few Words About Safety
Your safety, and the safety of others, is very important. And 
operating this vehicle safely is an important responsibility.
To help you make informed decisions about safety, we have 
provided operating procedures and other information on labels and 
in this manual. This information 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 judgment. You will find this impo
rtant safety information in a variety of forms, 
including:
● Safety Labels  - on the vehicle.
● Safety Messages  - preceded by a safety alert symbol 
3 and 
one of three signal words:  DANGER, WARNING , or CAUTION .
These signal words mean:
● Safety Headings  - such as Important Safety Precautions.
● Safety Section - such as Safe Driving.
● Instructions  - how to use this vehi cle correctly and safely.
This entire book is filled with important safety information - please 
read it carefully.
3 DANGERYou WILL be KILLED  or SERIOUSLY HURT if 
you don't follow instructions.
3 WARNINGYou CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if 
you don't follow instructions.
3CAUTIONYou CAN be HURT if you don't follow 
instructions. 
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Contents
Child Safety P. 50Exhaust Gas Hazard P. 62Safety Labels P. 63
Opening and Closing the Tailgate P. 131 Security System P. 137 Opening and Closing the Windows P. 140
Operating the Switches Around the Steering Wheel P. 144 Adjusting the Mirrors P. 159
Interior Lights/Interior Convenience It ems P. 169 Climate Control System P. 180
Audio Error Messages* P. 215General Information on the Audio System* P. 218
Bluetooth®  HandsFreeLink ® P. 224 Compass* P. 253
Off-Highway Driving Guidelines P. 266 When Driving P. 268 Braking P. 318
Refueling P. 339 Fuel Economy and CO
2 Emissions P. 341 Accessories and Modifications P. 342
Maintenance Under the Hood P. 351 Replacing Light Bulbs P. 363
Checking and Maintaining Tires P. 374 Battery P. 383 Remote Transmitter Care P. 384
Engine Does Not Start P. 412Jump Starting P. 415 Shift Lever Does Not Move P. 417
Fuses P. 424 Emergency Towing P. 427When You Cannot Open the Tailgate P. 428
Devices that Emit Radio Waves P. 433 Reporting Safety Defects P. 434
Authorized Manuals P. 439 Client Service Information P. 440
Quick Reference GuideP. 4
Safe DrivingP. 23
Instrument PanelP. 65
ControlsP. 117
FeaturesP. 185
DrivingP. 255
MaintenanceP. 343
Handling the UnexpectedP. 393
InformationP. 429
IndexP. 441 
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24
Safe Driving
For Safe Driving
The following pages explain your vehicle’s safety features and how to use them 
properly. The safety precautions below are ones that we consider to be among the 
most important.
Important Safety Precautions
■Always wear your seat belt
A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbags are designed to 
supplement seat belts, not replace them. So  even though your vehicle is equipped 
with airbags, make sure you and your passen gers always wear your seat belts, and 
wear them properly.
■Restrain all children
Children age 12 and under should ride prop erly restrained in a back seat, not the 
front seat. Infants and small children shoul d be restrained in a child seat. Larger 
children should use a booster seat and a lap/ shoulder seat belt until they can use the 
belt properly without a booster seat.
■Be aware of airbag hazards
While airbags can save lives, they can caus e serious or fatal injuries to occupants 
who sit too close to them, or are not prop erly restrained. Infants, young children, 
and short adults are at the greatest risk.  Be sure to follow all instructions and 
warnings in this manual.
■Don’t drink and drive
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even one dr ink 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 friends drink and drive, either.
1Important Safety Precautions
Some states, provinces and  territories prohibit the use 
of cell phones other than  hands-free devices by the 
driver while driving. 
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40
uuAirbags uTypes of Airbags
Safe Driving
Types of Airbags
Your vehicle is equipped with three types of airbags:
• Front airbags:  Airbags in front of the driver ’s and front passenger’s seats.
• Side airbags:  Airbags in the driver’s and  front passenger’s seat-backs.
• Side curtain airbags: Airbags above the side windows.
Each is discussed in the following pages.
Front Airbags (SRS)
The front SRS airbags inflate in a moderate-to -severe frontal collision to help protect 
the head and chest of the driver and/or front passenger.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) indica tes that the airbags are designed to 
supplement seat belts, not replace them.  Seat belts are the occupant’s primary 
restraint system.
The front airbags are housed  in the center of the steering wheel for the driver, and 
in the dashboard for the front pass enger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG.
■Housing Locations
1Types of Airbags
The airbags can inflate whenever the power mode is 
in ON.
After an airbag inflates in a crash, you may see a 
small amount of smoke. This is from the combustion 
process of the infl ator material and  is not harmful. 
People with respiratory pr oblems may experience 
some temporary discomfort. If  this occurs, get out of 
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
1 Front Airbags (SRS)
Dual-Stage, Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags 
(SRS)
Your vehicle is equipped wi th dual-stage, multiple-
threshold front airbags (SRS).
During a frontal crash severe  enough to cause one or 
both front airbags to deploy, the airbags can inflate 
at different rates, dependi ng on the severity of the 
crash, whether or not the se at belts are latched, and/
or other factors. Frontal airbags are designed to 
supplement the seat belts to help reduce the 
likelihood of head and chest injuries in frontal 
crashes. 
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51
uuChild Safety uProtecting Child Passengers
Safe Driving
• Any child who is too small to wear a seat  belt correctly must be restrained in an 
approved child seat that is  properly secured to the vehicle using either the lap belt 
portion of the lap/shoulder belt or  the lower anchors of the LATCH system.
• Never hold a child on your lap because it is impossible to protect them in the 
event of a collision.
• Never put a seat belt over yourself and  a child. During a crash, the belt would 
likely press deep into the child and cause serious or fatal injuries.
• Never let two children use the same seat belt. Both children could be very 
seriously injured in a crash.
• Do not allow children to operate the  doors, windows or seat adjustments.
• Do not leave children in the vehicle unatte nded, especially in hot weather when 
the inside of the vehicle can get hot enough  to kill them. They could also activate 
vehicle controls causing it to move unexpectedly.1 Protecting Child Passengers
To deactivate a lockable retractor, release the buckle 
and allow the seat belt to wind up all the way.
To remind you of the pa ssenger’s front airbag 
hazards and child safety, y our vehicle warning came 
with a label on the dashboard (U.S. models) and has 
labels on the front visors. Pl ease read and follow the 
instructions on these labels.
2 Safety Labels  P. 63
3WARNING
Allowing a child to play with a seat belt or 
wrap one around their neck can result in 
serious injury or death.
Instruct children not to play with any seat 
belt and make sure any unused seat belt a 
child can reach is buckled, fully retracted, 
and locked. 
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103
uuGauges and Multi-Information Display uMulti-Information Display
Continued
Instrument Panel
■List of customizable options
*1:Default Setting Setup Group Customizable Features
Description Selectable Settings
DRIVER 
ASSIST 
SYSTEM 
SETUP
*
BLIND SPOT INFOChanges the setting for the blind spot information.AUDIBLE AND VISUAL 
ALERT*1/VISUAL ALERT /OFF
METER 
SETUP LANGUAGE SELECTION
Changes the displayed language. ENGLISH
*1/Francais /Español
ADJUST OUTSIDE TEMP. 
DISPLAY Adjusts the temperature reading by a few degrees. -5°F ~ 
±0°F
*1 ~ +5°F  (U.S.)
-3°C  ~ ±0°C
*1 ~  +3°C  (Canada)
“TRIP A” RESET TIMING Changes the setting of how to reset trip meter A, 
average fuel economy A,
 average speed A, and 
elapsed time A. WITH REFUEL/
IGN OFF/
MANUALLY RESET
*1
“TRIP B” RESET TIMING Changes the setting of ho
w to reset trip meter B, 
average fuel economy B, average speed B, and 
elapsed time B. WITH REFUEL/
IGN OFF/
MANUALLY RESET*1
DRIVING 
POSITION 
SETUP
MEMORY POSITION LINKChanges the driver’s seat  position to a stored 
setting.ON*1/ OFF
* Not available on all models 
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110
uuGauges and Multi-Information Display uMulti-Information Display
Instrument Panel
*1:Default SettingSetup Group Customizable Features
Description Selectable Settings
Meter Setup Language Selection
Changes the displayed language. English
*1/
Francais /
Español
Adjust Outside Temp. 
Display Adjusts the temperature reading by a few degrees. -5°F ~ 
±0°F
*1 ~ +5°F
(U.S.)
-3°C  ~ ±0°C
*1 ~ +3°C
(Canada)
“Trip A” Reset Timing Changes the setting of how to reset trip meter A, 
average fuel economy A, average speed A, and elapsed 
time A. When Refueled
/IGN Off/
Manually Reset
*1
“Trip B” Reset Timing Changes the setting of how to reset trip meter B, 
average fuel economy B, av
erage speed B, and elapsed 
time B. When Refueled
/IGN Off/
Manually Reset*1
Turn by Turn Display*Selects whether the turn-b y-turn display comes on 
during the route guidance. On*1/
Off
* Not available on all models 
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123
uuLocking and Unlocking the Doors uLocking/Unlocking the Doors from the Outside
Continued
Controls
Locking/Unlocking the Doors from the Outside
When you carry the keyless access remote, 
you can lock/unlock the doors and the 
tailgate.
You can lock/unlock the doors within a radius 
of about 32 inches (80 cm) of the outside door 
handle. You can open the tailgate within 
about 32 inches (80 cm) radius from the 
tailgate release button.
■Locking the doors and tailgate
Press the door lock button on the front door 
or the tailgate.
u Some exterior lights flash; the beeper 
sounds; all the doors and tailgate lock; 
and the security system sets.
■Using the Keyless Access System1Locking/Unlocking the Doors from the Outside
You can lock or unlock doors using the remote 
transmitter or keyless access system only when the 
power mode is in VEHICLE OFF.
1Using the Keyless Access System
•The driver must carry the  keyless access remote and 
not leave it in the ve hicle when you get out.
•A person who is not carryi ng the keyless access 
remote can lock/unlock the doors if a person who 
is carrying it is within range.
•The door may be unlocked  if the door handle is 
covered with water in heavy rain or in a car wash if 
the keyless access remote is within range.
•If you grip a front door  handle wearing gloves, the 
door sensor may be slow to respond or may not 
respond by unlocking the doors.
•The door might not open if  you pull it immediately 
after gripping the door handle. Grip the handle 
again and confirm that th e door is unlocked before 
pulling the handle.
Door Lock 
Button
Lock Button 
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131
Controls
Opening and Closing the Tailgate
Precautions for Opening/Closing the Tailgate
Always make sure individuals and objects are clear of the tailgate before opening or 
closing it.
■Opening the tailgate
• Open the tailgate all the way.
u If it is not fully opened, the tailgate  may come down accidentally by its own 
weight.
• Be careful when it is windy. The wi nd may cause the tailgate to close.
■Closing the tailgate
Keep the tailgate closed while driving to: u Avoid possible damage.
u Prevent exhaust gas from leaking into the vehicle.
2 Carbon Monoxide Gas  P. 62
1Precautions for Opening/Closing the Tailgate
Be careful not to  hit your head on the tailgate or to 
put your hands between th e tailgate and the cargo 
area when closing the gate.
When operating the power tailgate, make sure there 
is enough space around your ve hicle. People near the 
tailgate may be se riously hurt if the tailgate hits or 
closes on their heads. Be  especially cautious if 
children are around.
When you are storing or pi cking up luggage from the 
cargo area while the engine  is idling, do not stand in 
front of the exhaust pipe. You may get burned.
Do not allow any passenger in the cargo space. They 
may get hurt during hard braking, a sudden 
acceleration, or a crash. 
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133
uuOpening and Closing the Tailgate uOpening/Closing the Power Tailgate
Continued
Controls
Opening/Closing the Power Tailgate
The power tailgate can be operated by pr essing the power tailgate button on the 
remote transmitter, pressing the power tailgate switch on the dashboard, or 
pressing the button on the tailgate.
■The power tailgate can be opened when:
• The tailgate is fully closed.
• The shift lever is in 
(P.
■The power tailgate ca n be closed when:
• The tailgate is fully open.
• The shift lever is in 
(P.
1Opening/Closing the Power Tailgate
NOTICE
Do not push or pull on the power tailgate when it is 
being automatically opened or closed.
Forcibly opening or closing  the power tailgate while 
in operation can deform the tailgate frame.
When operating the power tailgate, make sure there 
is enough space around your ve hicle. People near the 
tailgate may be se riously hurt if the tailgate hits or 
closes on their heads. Be  especially cautious if 
children are around.
The power tailgate may not  open or close under the 
following conditions:
•You start the engine while the tailgate is automatically 
opening or closing.
•The vehicle is park ed on a steep hill.
•The vehicle is swayed in a strong wind.
•The tailgate or the roof is  covered with snow or ice.
If you close the power tail gate when all the doors are 
locked, the power tailgate locks automatically.
3WARNING
Closing a power tailga te while anyone is 
in the path of the tailgate can cause 
serious injury.
Make sure everyone is clear before 
closing the power tailgate.