climate control Acura RSX 2006 Owner's Manual

2006 RSX 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 Wo r

ds About Safety ........................................................................\
.................................................. ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
.......................................................4
Driver and Pas

senger Safety ........................................................................\
...............................................7
P r

oper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Cont r
ols........................................................................\
...................................................49
Instrument panel indica tor and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
............................... 87
How t o
op era

te the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
...................................................... .
............. .

131
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
...................................................................................145
The proper way to start

the engine, shift the transmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.........................................................................165
T h
e Ma int

enance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................203
This section covers severa l pr

oblems motorists someti mes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
.......................................................227
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and techni

cal information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)..................................................................... 239
A summary of th
e warr anties coverin

g your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
.......................................243
How t o
order manuals an

d other technical literature.
Index ........................................................................\
......................................................................................... I
Service Inf ormat

ion Summary
A summary of informat

ion you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

Your Vehicle at a Glance
4
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHESAUDIO SYSTEM
SHIFT LEVER
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE GAUGES
PARKING BRAKE
(P.57)
(P.81)
(P.77)
CLIMATE CONTROL
SYSTEM
(P.135)
FUEL FILL
DOOR RELEASE
HANDLE
DOOR AND
HATCH LOCK
SWITCH
(P.80)MIRROR
CONTROLS
INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS
(P.88)
(P.92)
(P.148,151)
(P.67)
(P.11,23) (P.51)
DRIVER’S FRONT
AIRBAG
FRONT PASSENGER’S
AIRBAG
(P.11,23)
(P.134)

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.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.
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
underside. Select the f resh air mode.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
If you must sit in your parked vehicle
with the engine running, even in an
unconfined area, adjust the climate
control system as f ollows: With the hatch open, airflow can pull
exhaust gas into your vehicle’s
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
hatch open, open all the windows,
and set the climate control system as
shown below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
45
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.

AT model is shown.
Control L ocations
50
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHESMIRROR CONTROLS
GAUGES
AUDIO SYSTEM
SHIFT LEVER
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
DOOR AND
HATCH LOCK SWITCH
(P.67)
(P.88)
(P.92)
PARKING BRAKE
(P.77)
(P.80)
(P.57)
(P.81)
INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS (P.51)
CLIMATE CONTROL
SYSTEM
(P.148,151)
(P.135)
(P.134) FUEL FILL
DOOR RELEASE HANDLE

Theclimatecontrolsystemhastwo
sensors. A sunlight sensor is in the
top of the dashboard, and a
temperature sensor is under the
steering column. Do not cover the
sensors or spill any liquid on them.
When you select or ,
the system automatically switches to
f resh air mode and turns on the A/C.
This helps to dehumidif y the air and
def og the windshield. In either mode,
you cannot turn the A/C of f . When
you switch to another mode, the A/C
returns to its original setting, either
on or of f , as displayed by the A/C
indicator light.
To def rost the windows quickly,
select and , and turn
the f an and temperature controls to
the maximum level.
Continuous use of the recirculation
mode can cause humidity to build up
inside the vehicle.
Once the windshield is clear, select
f resh air mode to avoid f ogging the
windows. Sunlight and T emperature
Sensors
Climat e Cont rol Sensors
Features
91
SUNLIGHT SENSOR
TEMPERTURE SENSOR

µ
Quality grades can be f ound where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and the
maximum section width. For
example: The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-
half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100. The relative perf ormance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart signif icantly f rom the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices, and dif f erences in
road characteristics and climate.The traction grades, f rom highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specif ied government test surf aces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
perf ormance.
Warning: The traction grade
assignedtothistireisbasedon
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
All passenger vehicle tires must
conf orm to Federal Saf ety
Requirements in addition to these
grades. The tires on your vehicle meet all
U.S. Federal Saf ety Requirements.
All tires are also graded f or
treadwear, traction, and temperature
perf ormance according to
Department of Transportation
(DOT) standards. The f ollowing
explains these gradings.
DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
Unif orm T ire Quality Grading
T readwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A Treadwear
Traction AA, A, B, C
232

ÎÎ
The burning of gasoline in your
vehicle’s engine produces several by-
products. Some of these are carbon
monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen
(NOx), and hydrocarbons (HC).
Gasoline evaporating f rom the tank
also produces hydrocarbons. Con-
trolling the production of NOx, CO,
and HC is important to the environ-
ment. Under certain conditions of
sunlight and climate, NOx and HC
react to f orm photochemical ‘‘smog.’’
Carbon monoxide does not contri-
bute to smog creation, but it is a
poisonous gas.
In Canada, Acura vehicles comply
with the Canadian emission
requirements, as specif ied in an
agreement with Environment
Canada, at the time they are
manuf actured. Your vehicle has a positive
crankcase ventilation system. This
keeps gasses that build up in the
engine’s crankcase f rom going into
the atmosphere. The positive
crankcase ventilation valve routes
them from the crankcase back to the
intake manif old. They are then
drawn into the engine and burned.
As gasoline evaporates in the f uel
tank, an evaporative emissions
control canister f illed with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is of f . Af ter
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine
and burned during driving.
The United States Clean Air Act
sets standards f or automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
workandwhattodotomaintain
them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.
Scheduled maintenance is on pages
and .170
169
Emissions Cont rols
Crankcase Emissions Control
System
Evaporative Emissions Control
System
The Clean Air Act
Technical Inf ormation
235