2002 Acura MDX warning

µ
Pull up or push down on the f ront of
the switch to move the seat bottom’s
f ront edge up or down. Pull up or
push down on the rear of the switch
to move the rear of the seat bottom
up or down.
Push the horizontal switch forward
or backward to move the seat
forward or backward. The long horizontal switch adjusts
the seat bottom in several directions.
The short vertical switch adjusts the
seat-back angle.
Your Acura has power adjustments
f or the driver’s seat. The two power
seat adjustment switches are on the
outside edge of the seat bottom.
You can adjust the seat with the
ignition switch in any position. Make
all seat adjustments bef ore you start
driving. The Touring package also has power
adjustments f or the f ront passenger’s
seat. The MDX without the Touring
package has manual adjustments.
Thesecondandthirdrowseatsin
both models have manual
adjustments.
See pages f or important saf ety
inf ormation and warnings about how toproperly position seats and seat-backs. 12 13
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Seats
Power Seat A djustments
90
01/09/07 12:10:09 31S3V610_095

µ
To adjust the seat forward and
backward, pull up on the lever under
the seat cushion’s f ront edge. Move
the seat to the desired position and
releasethelever.Trytomovethe
seat to make sure it is locked in
position.To change the seat-back angle of the
f ront seats, pull up on the lever on
the outside of the seat bottom.
Make all seat adjustments bef ore
you start driving.
See pages f or important saf ety
inf ormation and warnings about how toproperly position seats and seat-backs. 12 13
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Seats
Manual Seat Adjustments
92
01/09/07 12:10:26 31S3V610_097

See page f or important saf etyinf ormation and a warning about how toproperly position the head restraints. 14
To remove a head restraint f or
cleaning or repair, pull it up as f ar as
it will go. Push the release button
and pull the restraint out of the seat-
back.
The head restraints adjust f or height.
You need both hands to adjust the
restraint. Do not attempt to adjust it
while driving. To raise it, pull upward.
To lower the restraint, push the
release button sideways and push
the restraint down.
The head restraints help protect you
and your passengers f rom whiplash
and other injuries. They are most
ef f ective when you adjust them so
the back of the occupant’s head rests
against the center of the restraint. A
taller person should adjust the
restraint as high as possible. Your vehicle is equipped with head
restraints in all seating positions.
Seats
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Head Restraints
94
R RE
EL
LEE A
A S
SEE B
BUUT TT
TO
ON N
01/09/07 12:10:42 31S3V610_099

µCheck your tires
f requently f or wear and proper
pressure. Both are important in
preventing ‘‘hydroplaning’’ (loss of
traction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all f our
wheels f or the best handling.
Watch road conditions caref ully,
they can change f rom moment to
moment. Wet leaves can be as slip-
pery as ice. ‘‘Clear’’ roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditions
can be very hazardous when the
outside temperature is near f reezing.
The road surf ace can become
covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be caref ul when downshif ting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the
drive wheels f or a moment and cause
askid. Be very cautious when passing, or
beingpassedbyothervehicles.The
spray f rom large vehicles reduces
your visibility, and the wind buf f eting
can cause you to lose control.
Traction
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving225
01/09/07 12:30:51 31S3V610_230

µ
Check the condition of your vehicle’s
battery monthly. You should check
the color of the test indicator window,
and f or corrosion on the terminals.
If the terminals are severely cor-
roded, clean them with baking soda
and water. Then use a wrench to
loosen and remove the cables f rom
the terminals. Always disconnect the
negative ( ) cable f irst and recon-
nect it last. Clean the battery termi-
nals with a terminal cleaning tool or
wire brush. Reconnect and tighten
the cables, then coat the terminals
with grease.
Check the battery condition by
looking at the test indicator window
on the battery.
The label on the battery explains the
test indicator’s colors. Check the battery terminals for
corrosion (a white or yellowish
powder). To remove it, cover the
terminals with a solution of baking
soda and water. It will bubble up and
turn brown. When this stops, wash it
of f with plain water. Dry of f the
battery with a cloth or paper towel.
Coat the terminals with grease to
help prevent f uture corrosion.
Battery posts,
terminals and related accessories
contain lead and lead compounds. WARNING:
Wash hands af ter handling.
Battery
Maint enance280
T T E
ES
ST T I
INND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R W
WI INND DO
OW W
01/09/07 12:40:00 31S3V610_285

If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Stopping in traf f ic or on the shoulder
of a busy road is dangerous. Drive
slowly along the shoulder until you
gettoanexitoranareatostopthat
is far away from the traffic lanes.Turn on the hazard warning lights
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire.
Park the vehicle on f irm, level and
non-slippery ground away f rom
traffic. Put the transmission in
Park. Apply the parking brake.
2.
1.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed315
S SP PA
A R
REE T
TI
IRRE E
J
JA
A C
CKK
T
T O
OO OLLSS
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.
01/09/07 12:45:22 31S3V610_320

To jump start your vehicle, f ollow
these directions closely:
If your vehicle’s battery has run
down,youmaybeabletostartthe
engine by using a booster battery.
Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake. Open the hood and check the
physical condition of the battery
(see page ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy
or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, climate
control, stereo system, lights, etc.
You cannot start your Acura by
pushing or pulling it.
Your vehicle has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page . 1.
2.
338 80
336 280
CONT INUED
Jump Starting
Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Won’t Start, Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed323
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery. If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.
01/09/07 12:46:44 31S3V610_328

If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine.
If you do not see steam or spray,
leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading
(climbing a long, steep hill on a
hot day with the A/C running, for
example), the engine should start
to cool down almost immediately.
If it does, wait until the tempera-
ture gauge comes down to the mid-
point then continue driving. Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.
Turn of f the heating and cooling/
climate control system and all
otheraccessories.Turnonthe
hazard warning indicators.
Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the vehicle until all are
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short.
The pointer of your vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange under most conditions.
Itmaygohigherif youaredrivingup
a long steep hill on a very hot day. If
it climbs to the red mark, you should
determine the reason. Your vehicle can overheat for several
reasons, such as lack of coolant or a
mechanical problem. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming f rom under the hood.
In either case, you should take
immediate action.
1.
2. 3.
CONT INUED
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Jump Starting, If Your Engine Overheats
If Your Engine Overheats
325
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to your engine.
01/09/07 12:47:08 31S3V610_330