ignition Acura TSX 2008 Workshop Manual
Page 254 of 388
If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
rpm below the red zone.The 6-speed manual transmission
has an electric lockout so you cannot
accidentally shif t f rom f if th to
reverse instead of sixth while the
vehicle is moving. If you cannot shif t
to reverse when the vehicle is
stopped:
Apply the parking brake, and turn
the ignition key to the
ACCESSORY (I) or the LOCK (0)
position.
Press the clutch pedal, and shif t to
reverse.
With the clutch pedal still pressed,
start the engine.
If you need to use this procedure to
shif t to reverse, your vehicle may be
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by your dealer.
The engine speed limiter only works
when you upshif t; engine speed is
not limited during downshif ts.
Bef ore downshif ting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer’s red zone. 1.
2.
3.
Manual T ransmission
Engine Speed L imiter
Reverse L ockout
Driving
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The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it f lashes while driving (in
any shif t position), it indicates a
possible problem in the transmission.If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem with the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
These indicators in the tachometer
show which position the shif t lever is
in. When the ‘‘D’’ indicator warns of a
possible problem with the
transmission, you will see a ‘‘CHECK
TRANSMISSION’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page
). To shif t f rom any position, move the
shiftlever.Youcannotshiftoutof
Park when the ignition switch is in
the LOCK (0) or the ACCESSORY
(I) position.
83
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ever Position Indicators
Shif ting
252
SHIFT LEVER
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To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR
DtoD DtoN
DtoD NtoDRtoN Do this:
Press the brake pedal
and move the lever.
Move the lever.
3
3
To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop bef ore shif ting
into Park. The shif t lever must be in
Park bef ore you can remove the key
from the ignition switch. Press the brake
pedal, and move the shif t lever f rom
Park to reverse. To shif t f rom
reverse to neutral, come to a
completestop,andthenshift.
Your vehicle has a reverse lockout so
you cannot accidentally shif t to
reverse f rom neutral or any other
driving position when the vehicle
speed exceeds 5 6 mph (8 10
km/h).
If you cannot shif t to reverse when
the vehicle is stopped, press the
brake pedal, slowly shif t to neutral,
andthenshifttoreverse. 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 the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle and apply the parking brake.
Press on the brake pedal when you
are moving the shif t lever f rom
neutral to another gear.
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear for the vehicle speed
and acceleration. You may notice the
transmission shif ting up at higher
speeds when the engine is cold. This
helps the engine warm up f aster.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see
on
page . This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Move the shif t
levertotherighttoshiftoutof Park.
If there is a problem in the reverse
lockout system, or your vehicle’sbattery is disconnected or goes dead,
you cannot shif t to reverse. (Ref er to
on page ).
257 257
Automatic Transmission
Reverse (R)
Neutral (N)
Drive (D)
Shif t L ock Release
Park (P)
Shif t L ock Release
Driving
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CONT INUED
If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
rpm below the red zone.Putaclothonthenotchof the
shif t lock release slot cover. Using
a small f lat-tipped screwdriver or a
metal f ingernail f ile, caref ully pry
on the notch of the cover to
remove it.
This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal does not work. This procedure
is also used to release the reverse
lockout.
Set the parking brake.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
To release the reverse lockout, make
sure the ignition switch is in the
ACCESSORY(I) position.
Bef ore downshif ting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer’s red zone. 1.
2.
3.
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ock Release
Engine Speed L imiter
Driving
257
COVER
NOTCH
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Page 271 of 388
If the indicator does not come on
when the ignition switch is turned to
the ON (II) position, there may be a
problem with the VSA system. Have
your dealer inspect your vehicle as
soon as possible.
When the VSA system indicator
comes on, you will also see a
‘‘CHECK VSA SYSTEM’’ message
on the multi-information display.
Without VSA, your vehicle will have
normal braking and cornering ability,
but it will not have VSA traction and
stability enhancement.
When VSA activates, you will see the
VSA activation indicator blink (see
page ).
If this indicator comes on while
driving, pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e, and turn of f the
engine. Reset the system by
restarting the engine. If the VSA
system indicator stays on or comes
back on while driving, have the VSA
system inspected by your dealer.
The vehicle stability assist (VSA)
system helps to stabilize the vehicle
during cornering if the vehicle turns
more or less than desired. It also
assists you in maintaining traction
while accelerating on loose or
slippery road surf aces. It does this
by regulating the engine’s output and
by selectively applying the brakes.
When VSA activates, you may notice
that the engine does not respond to
the accelerator in the same way it
does at other times. You will also see
the VSA activation indicator blink.
The VSA system cannot enhance the
vehicle’s driving stability in all
situations and does not control your
vehicle’s entire braking system. It is
still your responsibility to drive and
corner at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety. 65
VSA A ctivation Indicator
Vehicle Stability Assist
(VSA ) System Indicator
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
268
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Page 283 of 388
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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
280
ENGINE OIL LIFE DISPLAY
REMAINING ENGINE OIL LIFE
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To cancel the engine oil lif e display,
press the SEL/RESET button to
return to the previous display.
The message appears on the multi-
inf ormation display each time you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Af ter canceling the
message, the engine oil lif e display
will appear in the lower segment.
This continues until you have the
indicated maintenance done by your
dealer.When the remaining oil lif e 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
perf ormed 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 .
283
Maintenance Minder
282
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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.
CONT INUED
Maintenance Minder
Maint enance
283
‘‘SERVICE’’ MESSAGE
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Park the vehicle on f irm, level and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park (automatic)
or reverse (manual). Apply the
parking brake.
If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Drive slowly along the shoulder until
you get to an exit or an area that is
far away from the traffic lanes.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position. Have all
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire.
2.
1.
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
325
TRUNK FLOOR
TOOLS
TOOL TRAY
JACK
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.
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When you turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, you do not
hear the normal noise of the engine
trying to start. You may hear a
clicking sound, a series of clicks, or
nothing at all.
Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position:
Check these things:
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Turn on the
headlights, and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or do not come on at all,
the battery is discharged. See on page .
Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or neutral. Turn the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the f uses. If the f uses
areOK,thereisprobably
something wrong with the
electrical circuit f or the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. See
on page .
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is
discharged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of the
battery and terminal connections
(see page ). You can then try
jump starting the vehicle from a
booster battery (see page ).
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
345
320 331
331
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting Emergency T owing
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
329
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