check system Acura TSX 2009 Owner's Manual

A convenient ref erence to the
sections in this manual.
A quick ref erence to the main
controls in your vehicle.ID numbers, dimensions, capacities,
and technical information.
Important inf ormation about the
proper use and care of your vehicle’s
seat belts, an overview of the
supplemental restraint system, and
valuable inf ormation on how to
protect children with child restraints.
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and gauge,
the multi-information display, and
how to use the controls on the
dashboard and steering column.
How to operate the climate control
system, the audio system, and other convenience f eatures.
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience,
and details how to handle them.
The maintenance minder shows you
when you need to take your vehicle
to the dealer for maintenance service.
There is also a list of things to check
and instructions on how to check
them.
The proper way to start the engine,
shif t the transmission, and park; plus
what you need to know if you’re
planning to tow a trailer.
What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
A summary of the warranties
covering your new vehicle, and how
to contact us for any reason. Refer to
your warranty manual f or detailed
inf ormation.
How to order manuals and other
technical literature.
A summary of the inf ormation you
need when you pull up to the f uel
pump.
Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Instruments and Controls
T echnical Inf ormation
T aking Care of the Unexpected
Maintenance
Driving
Bef ore Driving
Features Warranty and Client Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only)
Index
Service Inf ormation Summary
Overview of Contents
2
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µ
This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts. It
explains how your airbags work. And
it tells you how to properly restrain
inf ants and children in your vehicle.
.........
Important Safety Precautions .6
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features .7
.......................................
Seat Belts .8
...........................................
Airbags .9
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens .11
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors .11
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats .13
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs .14
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints .14
5. Fasten and Position the
.............................
Seat Belts .15
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .17
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women .17
...
Additional Safety Precautions .18 Additional Inf ormation About
.......................
Your Seat Belts .19
..
Seat Belt System Components .19
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .20
Automatic Seat Belt
...............................
Tensioners .21
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance .22
Additional Inf ormation About ...........................
Your Airbags .23
......
Airbag System Components .23
How Your Front Airbags
.........................................
Work .25
...
How Your Side Airbags Work .29
How Your Side Curtain Airbags
.........................................
Work .31
..
How the SRS Indicator Works .31
How the Side Airbag Of f
......................
Indicator Works .32
How the Passenger Airbag Of f ......................
Indicator Works .33
.............................
Airbag Service .34
...
Additional Safety Precautions .34
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .36
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .36 All Children Should Sit in a
.................................
Back Seat .37
The Passenger’s Front Airbag .........
Can Pose Serious Risks .37
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .39
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .39
...
Additional Safety Precautions .39
Protecting Inf ants and .........................
Small Children .41
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .41
.........
Protecting Small Children .42
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .43
....................
Installing a Child Seat .44
...............................
With LATCH .46
.........
With a Lap/Shoulder Belt .48
..............................
With a Tether .50
...........
Protecting Larger Children .51
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit .51
..................
Using a Booster Seat .52
When Can a Larger Child Sit
....................................
in Front .53
...
Additional Safety Precautions .54
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard .55
...................................
Saf ety Labels .56
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
5
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To unlock the belt, press the red
PRESSbuttononthebuckle.Guide
the belt across your body so that it
retracts completely. Af ter exiting the
vehicle, be sure the belt is out of the
way and will not get closed in the
door.
The lap/shoulder belt goes over
your shoulder, across your chest,
and across your hips.
To fasten the belt, insert the latch
plate into the buckle, then tug on the
belt to make sure the buckle is
latched (see page f or how to
properly position the belt).
Any items under the f ront
passenger’s seat.
Any object(s) hanging on the seat
or in the seat-back pocket.
Any object(s) touching the rear of
the seat-back.
If the indicator comes on or the
beeper sounds when the driver’s seat
belt is latched and there is no f ront
seat passenger and no items on the
front seat, something may be
interf ering with the monitoring
system. Look f or and remove:
All seat belts have an emergency
locking retractor. In normal driving,
the retractor lets you move f reely in
your seat while it keeps some
tension on the belt. During a collision
or sudden stop, the retractor
automatically locks the belt to help
restrain your body.
The seat belts in all positions except
the driver’s have a lockable retractor
that must be activated to secure a
child seat (see page ).
If no obstructions are f ound, have
your vehicle checked by a dealer. 15
48
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
L ap/Shoulder Belt
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If the indicator comes on at any
other time, or does not come on at all,
you should have the system checked
by your dealer. For example:
If the SRS indicator does not come
on after you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position.
If the indicator stays on after the
engine starts.
If the indicator comes on or
flashesonandoff whileyoudrive.
This indicator alerts you that the
passenger’s side airbag has been
automatically shut off. It does
mean there is a problem with your
side airbags.
When you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, the indicator
should come on brief ly and then go
out(seepage ).Ifitdoesn’tcome
on, stays on, or comes on while
driving without a passenger in the
f ront seat, have the system checked.You will also see a ‘‘CHECK
AIRBAG SYSTEM’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display. You will also see a ‘‘PASSENGER
SIDE AIRBAG OFF’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display.If you see any of these indications,
the airbags and seat belt tensioners
may not work properly when you
need them.
62
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
How the Side
Airbag Of f
Indicator Works
not
32
CanadaU.S.
Ignoring the SRS indicator can
result in serious injury or death
if the airbag systems or
tensioners do not work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS indicator alerts you to
a possible problem.
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The instrument panel has many
indicators to give you important
inf ormation about your vehicle.If your f ront passenger does not
f asten their seat belt, the indicator
comes on about 6 seconds af ter the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
(II) position.
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. It reminds you and your
passengers to f asten your seat belts.
A beeper also sounds if you have not
f astened your seat belt.
You will also see a ‘‘FASTEN SEAT
BELT’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display.
If you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position bef ore f astening
your seat belt, the beeper sounds
and the indicator f lashes. If you do
notfastenyourseatbeltbeforethe
beeper stops, the indicator stops
f lashing but remains on. If either of you do not f asten your
seat belt while driving, the beeper
will sound and the indicator will f lash
again at regular intervals, and you
will also see a ‘‘FASTEN SEAT
BELT’’ or ‘‘FASTEN PASSENGER
SEAT BELT’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display. For more
inf ormation, see page .
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK
EMISSION SYSTEM’’ message on
the multi-information display. For
more information, see page .
The engine can be severely damaged
if this indicator f lashes or stays on
when the engine is running, and you
will also see a ‘‘CHECK ENGINE
OIL LEVEL’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display. For more
inf ormation, see page.
471
470
19
Instrument Panel Indicators
Seat Belt Reminder
Indicator Malf unction Indicator
Lamp
L ow Oil Pressure
Indicator
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If it stays on after you have fully
released the parking brake while
the engine is running, or if it
comes on while driving, it can
indicate a problem in the brake
system. You will also see a
‘‘BRAKE FLUID LOW’’ or
‘‘CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display. For more inf ormation, see
page .
If this indicator comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged, and you will also see
a ‘‘CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display. For more inf ormation, see
page .
This indicator comes on brief ly when
you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position. It will then go of f if
you have inserted a properly-coded
ignition key. If it is not a properly-
coded key, the indicator will blink,
and the engine’s f uel system will be
disabled (see page). This indicator has two f unctions:
Itcomesonwhenyouturnthe
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. It is a reminder to check
the parking brake. Driving with
the parking brake not f ully
released can damage the rear
brakes, axles, and tires.
If you drive without releasing the
parking brake, a beeper will sound,
and you will also see a ‘‘RELEASE
PARKING BRAKE’’ message on
the multi-information display (see
page).
1.
2.
470
121 472
153
Instrument Panel Indicators
Charging System
Indicator
Immobilizer System
Indicator Parking Brake and
Brake System
Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
61
U.S. Canada
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This indicator comes on brief ly when
you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position. If it comes on at
any other time, it indicates that the
passenger’s side airbag has
automatically shut of f . You will also
see a ‘‘PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG
OFF’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display. For more
inf ormation, see page .
This indicator comes on brief ly when
you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position. If it comes on at
any other time, it indicates a
potential problem with your f ront
airbags. This indicator will also alert
you to a potential problem with your
side airbags, passenger’s side airbag
cutof f system, side curtain airbags,
automatic seat belt tensioners,
driver’s seat position sensor, or the
f ront passenger’s weight sensors.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK
AIRBAG SYSTEM’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display. For more
inf ormation, see page .
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position, and when the ignition
switch is turned to the START (III)
position. If this indicator comes on at
any other time, there is a problem in
theABS.If thishappens,takethe
vehicle to your dealer to have it
checked. With this indicator on, your
vehicle still has normal braking
ability but no anti-lock f unction. You
will also see a ‘‘CHECK ABS
SYSTEM’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display. For more
inf ormation, see page .
32
31
390
Instrument Panel Indicators
Side Airbag Of f
Indicator
Supplemental Restraint
System Indicator
Anti-lock Brake System
(A BS) Indicator
62
U.S. Canada
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This indicator has three f unctions:Itcomesonasareminderthatyou
have turned off the vehicle
stability assist (VSA) system.
It flashes when VSA is active (see
page ).
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position, and when the ignition
switch is turned to the START (III)
position.
If itcomesonandstaysonatany
other time, or it does not come on
when you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, there is a
problem with the VSA system. You
will also see a ‘‘CHECK VSA
SYSTEM’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display. Take your
vehicle to a dealer to have it checked.
Without VSA, your vehicle still has
normal driving ability, but will not
have VSA traction and stability
enhancement. For more inf ormation,
see page . It comes on along with the VSA
system indicator if there is a
problem with the VSA system.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK VSA
SYSTEM’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display.This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position, and when the ignition
switch is turned to the START (III)
position. For more inf ormation, see
page .
1.
2.
3. 398
398 398
Instrument Panel Indicators
VSA A ctivation Indicator
Vehicle Stability Assist
(VSA ) System Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
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This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
This indicator has two f unctions:If it comes on while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are signif icantly low
on pressure.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
Check the tire pressure monitor on
the multi-inf ormation display and
determinethecause(seepage). If this happens, pull to the side of the
road when it is saf e, check which tire
has lost pressure on the multi-
inf ormation display, and determine
the cause. If it is because of a flat tire,
have the flat tire repaired as soon as
possible. If two or more tires are
underinf lated, call a prof essional
towing service. For more
inf ormation, see page .
If this indicator begins to f lash,
there is a problem with the tire
pressure monitoring system
(TPMS). You will also see a
‘‘CHECK TPMS SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display. The indicator continues to
f lash f or a while (approximately 1
minute), then stays on. If this
happens, have your dealer check
the system as soon as possible.
For more inf ormation, see page . The lef t or right turn signal indicator
blinks when you signal a lane change
or turn. If an indicator does not blink
or blinks rapidly, it usually means
one of the turn signal bulbs is
burned out (see pages and ).
Replace the bulb as soon as possible,
since other drivers cannot see that
you are signaling.
When you press the hazard warning
button, both turn signal indicators
and all turn signals on the outside of
the vehicle f lash.
1.
2.
394 394 395 481
434436
Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator
Turn Signal and
Hazard Warning
Indicators
Instrument Panel Indicators
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This indicator normally comes on
when you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position and goes of f
af ter the engine starts. If it comes on
at any other time, there is a problem
in the electric power steering system.
If this happens, stop the vehicle in a
saf e place and turn of f the engine.
Reset the system by restarting the
engine. The indicator will stay on,
but should go of f af ter driving a
short distance. If it does not go of f ,
or comes back on again while driving,
take the vehicle to your dealer to
have it checked. With the indicator
on, the EPS may be turned of f ,
making the vehicle harder to steer.If you turn the steering wheel to the
f ull lef t or right position repeatedly
while stopping or driving at very low
speed, you may f eel slightly harder
steering in order to prevent damage
to the steering box caused by
overheating.
This indicator comes on red if any
door or the trunk lid is not closed
tightly.
You will also see a corresponding
indicator(s) on the multi-information
display to indicate which door and/
or the trunk is not closed tightly (see
page ).
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK POWER
STEERING SYSTEM’’ message on
the multi-information display.11
Instrument Panel Indicators
Electric Power Steering
(EPS) Indicator
Door/T runk Open
Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
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