tow Acura TSX 2004 User Guide

·µ If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load f rom your trailer will
be transf erred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
The maximum load limit f or your
vehicle is 850 lbs (395 kg). This
f igure includes the total weight of all
occupants, cargo, accessories, and
the tongue weight if you are towing a
trailer.
Following are the steps f or
determining the correct cargo and
luggage load limit.
Locate the statement, ‘‘the
combined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed 850 lbs
(395 kg)’’ on your vehicle’s placard
(on the driver’s doorjamb).
Determine the combined weight
of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle. (Five
is the seating capacity of your
vehicle.) Determine the combined weight
of accessories, luggage, and cargo
beingloadedinthevehicle.The
weight may not saf ely exceed the
available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in step 4 [250
lbs(115kg)inthisexample].
For example, if there will be f our 150
lbs (70 kg) occupants in your vehicle,
the amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 250 lbs (115
kg).
4 150 lbs (70 kg) = 600 lbs (280
kg)
850 lbs (395 kg) 600 lbs (280 kg) =
250 lbs (115 kg)
The resulting f igure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers f rom
850 lbs (395 kg).
1.
2. 3.
4.
5.
6.
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving
Load Limit
194
Overloading or improper
loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in
which you can be hurt or killed.
Follow all load limits and other
loading guidelines in this
manual.

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual and automatic transmissions.
It also includes important inf orma-
tion on parking your car, the braking
system, the vehicle stability assist
system, and f acts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive .198
.......................
Starting the Engine .199
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude .200
....
6-speed Manual Transmission . 201
.....
Recommended Shif t Points . 202
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 202
.......................
Reverse Lockout .203
..............
Automatic Transmission . 204
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 204
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 204
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 209
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 210
...........................................
Parking .211
..............................
Parking Tips .211
.....................
The Braking System .212
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 212
...............
Brake System Design . 213
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes .213
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders .214
........................
ABS Indicator .214
...
Vehicle Stability Assist System . 216
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 219
...........................
Towing a Trailer .221
Driving
Driving197

µ
µµ µµ
µ
To shif t to Reverse
f rom Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shif t to Reverse f rom
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift.
Your car has a reverse lockout so
you cannot accidentally shif t to
Reverse from Neutral or any other
driving position when the car speed
exceeds 5 6 mph (8 10 km/h).
If you cannot shif t to Reverse when
the car is stopped, press the brake
pedal and slowly shif t to Neutral, and
then to Reverse.
If there is a problem in the reverse
lockout system, or your car’s battery
is disconnected or goes dead, you
cannot shif t to Reverse. (Ref er to
Shif t Lock Release on page ). 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 Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the car for
any reason. Press on the brake pedal
when you are moving the shif t lever
f rom Neutral to another gear. This position is simi-
lartoD,exceptonlythefirstthree
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 third,
fourth and fifth gears in stop-and-go
driving.
ForfasteraccelerationwheninD
or D, you can get the transmission
to automatically downshift by push-
ing the accelerator pedal to the
f loor. The transmission will shif t
down one, two or three gears,
depending on your speed.
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The transmis-
sion automatically selects a suitable
gear f or your speed and acceleration.
210
3
3
3
Automatic Transmission
Driving
Reverse (R) Neutral (N)Drive (D )
Drive (D)3
206

µMake sure the parking brake is f ully
released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes.
Always use the parking brake when
you park your car. The indicator on
the instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not f ully released; it
does not indicate that the parking
brakeisfirmlyset.Makesurethe
parking brake is set f irmly or your
car may roll if it is parked on an
incline.
If your car has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park.Thiskeepsthecarfrom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission making it easier to
move the shift lever out of Park
when you want to drive away. If the car is f acing uphill, turn the
f ront wheels away f rom the curb. If
you have a manual transmission, put
it in f irst gear.
If the car is f acing downhill, turn the
f ront wheels toward the curb. If you
have a manual transmission, put it in
reverse gear.
Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Turn of f the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you.
Lockthedoorswiththekeyorthe
remote transmitter.
Check the indicator on the
instrument panel to verif y that the
security system is set.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire.
Parking T ips
Parking
Driving211

The weight that
the tongue of a f ully-loaded trailer
puts on the hitch should be
approximately 10 percent of the
trailer weight. Too little tongue
load can make the trailer unstable
and cause it to sway. Too much
tongue load reduces f ront-tire
traction and steering control.
The total
weight of the trailer and
everything loaded in it must not
exceed 1,000 lbs (450 kg). Towing
a load that is too heavy can
seriously af f ect your car’s
handling and perf ormance. It can
also damage the engine and
drivetrain.
Your Acura has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and
their cargo. You can use it to tow a
trailer if you caref ully observe the
load limits, use the proper equipment,
and f ollow the guidelines in this
section.
CONT INUED
Towing a Trailer
Driving
Tongue Load:
Load Limits
T otal T railer Weight:
221

To achieve a proper tongue load,
start by loading 60 percent of the
load toward the front of the trailer
and 40 percent toward the rear, then
re-adjust the load as needed.The total weight of the car, all
occupants, all cargo, and the
tongue load must not exceed: The total weight of the car, all
occupants, all cargo, and the
tongue load must not exceed:
on the f ront axle
on the rear axle
Towing a Trailer
Driving
Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GA WR):
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR):
222
4,300 lbs (1,950 kg) 2,335 lbs (1,060 kg)
2,030 lbs (920 kg)Exceeding load limits or
improperly loading your car and
trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously
injured or killed.
Check the loading of your car
and trailer carefully before
starting to drive.

Discuss your needs with your trailer
sales or rental agency, and f ollow the
guidelines in the rest of this section.
Also make sure that all equipment is
properly installed and that it meets
f ederal, state, province, and local
regulations. Towing can require a variety of
equipment, depending on the size of
your trailer, how it will be used, and
how much load you are towing.
The best way to confirm that car and
trailer weights are within limits is to
have them checked at a public scale.
Using a suitable scale or a special
tongue load gauge, check the tongue
load the f irst time you set up a
towing combination (a f ully-loaded
car and trailer), then recheck the
tongue load whenever the conditions
change.
Any hitch used on your car must be
properly bolted to the underbody.
Always use saf ety chains. Make sure
they are secured to both the trailer
and hitch, and that they cross under
the tongue so they can catch the
trailer if it becomes unhitched.
Leave enough slack to allow thetrailer to turn corners easily, but do
not let the chains drag on the ground.
Acura recommends that any trailer
having a total weight of 1,000 lbs
(450 kg) or more be equipped with
its own electric or surge-type brakes.
If you choose electric brakes, be
sure they are electronically actuated.
Do not attempt to tap into your car’s
hydraulic system. No matter how
successf ul it may seem, any attempt
to attach trailer brakes to your car’s
hydraulic system will lower braking
ef f ectiveness and create a potential
hazard.
Seeyourtrailerdealerformore
inf ormation on installing electric
brakes.
CONT INUED
Towing a Trailer
Driving
Hitches
Saf et y Chains Trailer Brakes
T owing Equipment and
A ccessories
Checking L oads
223

All states and Canadian provinces
require some type of trailer lights.
Check requirements f or the areas
where you plan to tow.
You can get an optional trailer
lighting connector f or your car f rom
your Acura dealer.
If you use a converter, you can get
the connector and pins that mate
with the connector in your car f rom
your Acura dealer.Since lighting and wiring vary in
trailer type and brand, you should
also have a qualif ied mechanic install
a suitable connector between the car
and the trailer.
Always consult your Acura dealer
bef ore connecting the trailer lights
to your car’s lighting system.
Applicable
Light
Taillight
Brake Light
Back-up
Light
Right Turn
Signal
Left Turn
Signal
GroundWiring
Color
Red/Black
White/Black
Green/Black
Green/
Yellow
Green/Blue
Black
Ref er to the f ollowing table f or the
wiring color code.
Wiring Color Code f or Lighting
T railer L ights
Towing a Trailer
Driving224

Many states and Canadian provinces
require special outside mirrors when
towing a trailer. Even if they don’t,
you should install special mirrors if
you cannot clearly see behind you, or
if the trailer creates a blind spot.
Askyourtrailersalesorrental
agency if any other items are
recommended or required f or your
towing situation.When preparing to tow, and bef ore
driving away, be sure to check the
f ollowing:
All weights and loads are within
limits (see pages and ).
Thehitch,safetychains,andany
other attachments are secure.
Allitemsonandinthetrailerare
properly secured and cannot shif t
while you drive. The car has been properly
serviced, and the tires, brakes,
suspension, and cooling system
are in good operating condition.
The lights and brakes on your car
and the trailer are working
properly. Your car tires and spare are
properly inf lated (see page ),
and the trailer tires and spare are
inflated as recommended by the
trailer maker.
221 222 274
Additional Trailer EquipmentPre-T ow Checklist
Towing a Trailer
Driving225

The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your car’s
handling and perf ormance, so
driving with a trailer requires some
special driving skills and techniques.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
discussed below.Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or cars with trailers. If
you have an automatic transmission,
use D position when towing a trailer
on level roads. D is the proper shif t
lever position to use when towing a
trailer in hilly terrain. (See ‘‘
’’inthenextpagefor
additional gear information.)
When towing a trailer in the
Sequential SportShif t mode, select
Fourth, Third, Second, or First gear;
depending on the vehicle speed and
road condition. Do not use Fif th gear. If the automatic transmission f luid
temperature increases and exceeds
the specif ied limit, the transmission
will also automatically downshif t to
the first gear even with the
Sequential Sportshif t mode. This
prevents the automatic transmission
f rom overheating. In this case, the
gear position ‘‘1’’ in the instrument
panel between tachometer and
speedometer blinks about f or f ive
seconds, then it stays on.
3
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
Towing a Trailer
Driving
T owing Speeds and Gears
Driving
on Hills
226