Acura TSX 2007 Owner's Manual

When preparing to tow, and before
driving away, be sure to check the
following: Al
ways drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the left
to get the trailer to move to the left,
andturnthewheelrighttomovethe
trailer to the right.
Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including firmly setting the
parking brake and putting the
transmission in Park (automatic) or
in first or reverse (manual). Also,
place wheel chocks at each of the
trailer’s tires.
Your
vehicle tires and spare are
properly inflated (see page ),
and the trailer tires and spare are
inflated as recommended by the
trailer maker.
Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause the trailer to
sway. When being passed by a large
vehicle, keep a constant speed, and
steer straight ahead. Do not try to
make quick steering or braking
corrections.
The
vehicle has been properly
serviced, and the suspension,
cooling system, and lights are in
good operating condition.
All weights and loads are within
limits (see pages and ).
Thehitch,safetychains,andany
other attachments are secure.
All items in or on the trailer are
properly secured and cannot shif t
while you drive.
The lights and brakes on your
vehicle and the trailer are working
properly. 264 265
311
bottom
Pre-T ow ChecklistBacking Up
Parking
Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ing
Towing a Trailer
268

The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.Maketurnsmoreslowlyandwider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.
When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red (Hot) mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
If the automatic transmission shifts
f requently while going up a hill, shif t
to D .If you must stop when f acing uphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
place by pressing on the accelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed, and shif t down to second
gear. Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember, it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles 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 ‘‘ ’’ in the next
column f or additional gear
inf ormation.) Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
below.
3
3
Driving Saf ely With a T railerMaking T urns and Braking
Driving on Hills
Driving on Hills
T owing Speeds and Gears
Towing a Trailer
Driving
269

This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to follow basic
maintenance safety precautions.
This section also includes
instructions on how to read the
maintenance messages on the multi-
info rmation display, a maintenance
record, and instructions for simple
maintenance tasks you may want to
take care of yourself.
If you have the skills and tools to
perform more complex maintenance
tasks on your vehicle, you may want
to purchase the service manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your dealer. ......................
Maintenance Saf ety .272
....................
Maintenance Minder . 274
....................
Maintenance Record .284
..............................
Fluid Locations .286
........................
Adding Engine Oil .287
.........
Changing the Oil and Filter . 289
..............................
Engine Coolant .291
....................
Windshield Washers .292
.......................
Transmission Fluid .293
Automatic .........................
Transmission .293
Manual .........................
Transmission .295
................
Brake and Clutch Fluid . 296
....................
Power Steering Fluid . 297
.............................................
Lights .298
.......................................
Seat Belts .306
.....................................
Floor Mats .306
..................
DustandPollenFilter . 307
.................................
Wiper Blades .308
...........................................
Wheels .310
...............................................
Tires .310
...................
Checking the Battery . 316
.............................
Vehicle Storage .317
361
Maintenance
Maint enance
271

All service items not detailed in this
section should be perf ormed by a
certif ied technician or other qualif ied
mechanic.
To eliminate potential hazards, read
the instructions bef ore you begin,
and make sure you have the tools
and skills required.Make sure your vehicle is parked
on level ground, the parking brake
is set, and the engine is of f .
To clean parts, use a commercially
available degreaser or parts
cleaner, not gasoline.
To reduce the possibility of f ire or
explosion, keep cigarettes, sparks,
and flames away from the battery
and all f uel-related parts.
Wear eye protection and
protective clothing when working
near the battery or when using
compressed air.
Maintenance Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
272
Improperly maintaining this
vehicle, or failing to correct a
problem before driving can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection
and maintenance
recommendations and
schedules in this owner’s
manual.

Be sure
there is adequate ventilation
whenever you operate the
engine.
Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
down bef ore touching any parts.
Do
not run the engine unless
instructed to do so. Some of the most important saf ety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every
conceivable hazard that can arise in
perf orming maintenance. Only you
can decide whether or not you
should perf orm a given task.
Maintenance Saf ety
Potential Vehicle Hazards
Carbon Monoxide poison
f rom engine exhaust.
Burns f rom hot parts.
Injury f rom moving parts.
Maint enance
273
Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures
and precautions in this owner’s
manual.

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To see the current engine oil lif e
displayed on the lower segment of
the multi-information display, turn
the ignition switch to the ON (II)
position, and press the SEL/RESET
buttononthesteeringwheel
repeatedly until engine oil lif e is
displayed. The remaining engine oil lif e is
shownonthedisplayaccordingto
this table:
Calculated Engine Oil Lif e (%)
100% 91% 90% 81%
80% 71%
70% 61%
60% 51%
50% 41%
40% 31%
30% 21%
20% 16%
15% 11%10% 6% 5% 1% 0% Displayed
Engine Oil Lif e (%)
100% 90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
15%
10% 5%
0%
Your vehicle displays engine oil lif e
and maintenance service items on
the multi-information display to show
youwhenyoushouldhaveyour
dealer perf orm engine oil
replacement and indicated
maintenance service.
Based on the engine operating
conditions and accumulated engine
revolutions, the onboard computer in
your vehicle calculates the remaining
engine oil lif e and displays it as a
percentage.
Maintenance Minder
Engine Oil L if e Display
274
ENGINE OIL LIFE DISPLAY
REMAINING ENGINE OIL LIFE

CONTINUED
When the remaining engine oil life is
15 to 6 %, the multi-info rmation
display shows a ‘‘SERVICE DUE
SOON’’ message along with the
maintenance item code(s) indicating
themainandsubitemsrequiredat
thetimeoftheoilchange.Referto
page for a complete list of the
maintenance main items and sub
items. When
the message appears, the
system message indicator also
comes on (see page ). Even after
you press the INFO button to cancel
the message, the indicator continues
to stay on until you have the service
perf ormed. To cancel the message, press the
INFO button on the steering wheel.
Af ter the message on the multi-
inf ormation display is canceled by
pressing the INFO button, the
engine oil lif e display will appear in
the lower segment. You will see the
percentage of the remaining engine
oillifeandthemaintenanceitem
code(s) displayed.
75
283
Maintenance Minder
Maint enance
275
MAINTENANCE ITEM CODE (S) MAIN ITEM SUB ITEMS

To cancel the engine oil life display,
press the SEL/RESET button to
return to the previous display.
The message appears on the multi-
info rmation display each time you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. After canceling the
message, the engine oil life display
will appear in the lower segmen t.
This continues until you have the
indicated maintenance done by your
dealer.
When the remaining oil life is 5 to 1%,
the multi-information display shows
a ‘‘SERVICE DUE NOW’’ message.
The display also shows the same
maintenance items that were
previously shown with ‘‘SERVICE
DUE SOON.’’ Make sure you have
the indicated maintenance
performed as soon as possible. To
cancel the message, press the
INFO button on the steering wheel.
Toseethemessageagain,waitfor
an interval for more than 5 seconds,
and then press the INFO button. After have the service is performed,
make sure to reset the display as
described on page . 277
Maintenance Minder
276

CONT INUED
If maintenance service is done by
someone other than your dealer,
reset the maintenance minder as
f ollows:Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position.
To cancel the engine oil lif e display,
press the SEL/RESET button to
return to the previous display. Press and hold the SEL/RESET
button on the steering wheel f or
more than 10 seconds. The
remaining engine oil lif e reset
modewillbeshownonthemulti-
inf ormation display.
To reset the engine oil lif e, press
the INFO button on the steering
wheel to select ‘‘RESET’’ on the
display, and press the SEL/
RESET button.
After the message on the multi-
inf ormation display is canceled by
pressing the INFO button, the
engine oil lif e display will appear in
the lower segment. You will see a
‘‘SERVICE’’ message along with the
percentage of the remaining engine
oil lif e and the maintenance item
code(s) displayed. Your dealer will reset the display
af ter completing the required
maintenance service. You will see
‘‘OIL LIFE 100 %’’ on the lower
segment of the multi-inf ormation
display and the maintenance item
code(s) erased the next time you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position.
If the engine oil lif e display is not
displayed, press the SEL/RESET
buttononthesteeringwheel
repeatedly until it comes back.
1.
2.
3.
Maintenance Minder
Maint enance
277
‘‘SERVICE’’ MESSAGE