2003 Acura MDX parking brake

Doing any of the f ollowing af ter
pressing the MEMO button will
cancel the storing procedure.Not pressing a memory button
within 5 seconds.
You can select memorized positions
as f ollows.Make sure the parking brake is set
and the shif t lever is in Park.
Readjusting the seat position.
Readjusting the outside mirror
position.
Each memory button stores only one
driving position. Storing a new
position erases the previous setting
stored in that button’s memory. If
you want to add a new position while
retaining the current one, use the
other memory button. Press the desired memory button
(1 or 2) until you hear a beep, then
release the button.The system will move the seat and
outside mirrors to the memorized
positions. The indicator light in the
selected memory button will f lash
during movement. When the
adjustments are complete, you will
hear two beeps and the indicator
light will remain on.
All stored driving positions will be
lost if your vehicle’s battery goes
dead or is disconnected. 1.
2.
CONT INUED
Select ing a Memorized Posit ion
Driving Posit ion Memory Syst em
Inst rument s and Cont rols119
MEMORY BUTTONS

Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top off’’ the tank, leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.Shift to Park or Neutral and set
the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
Screw the f uel f ill cap back on,
tighten it until it clicks several
times. If you do not properly
tighten the cap, the Malfunction
Indicator Lamp may come on (see
page ).
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.
Your vehicle has an on-board
ref ueling vapor recovery system to
help keep f uel vapors f rom going
into the atmosphere. If the fuel
nozzle keeps clicking of f even
though the tank is not full, there
maybeaproblemwiththissystem.
Consult your dealer. 1.
3.
4.
5.
6.
375
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
Opening the Hood
238
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE

........................
Driving Guidelines .250
........................
Preparing to Drive .251 .......................
Starting the Engine .252
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude .252
..............
Automatic Transmission . 253
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 253
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 254
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 257
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 257
Variable Torque Management ..............................
4WD System .259
..............................
VTM-4 Lock .259
...........................................
Parking .261
.....................
The Braking System .262
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 262
...............
Brake System Design . 263
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes .263
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders .264
........................
ABS Indicator .264
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) ........................................
System .266
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 269
...........................
Towing a Trailer .271
Towing Your Vehicle Behind a ................................
Motorhome .283
..............
Of f -Highway Guidelines . 285
This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the VTM-4 System, the VSA
system, and f acts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer.
Driving
Driving249

Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the engine
does not start right away, do not
hold the key in START (III) f or
more than 15 seconds at a time.
Pause f or at least 10 seconds
bef ore trying again.
If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed half-way
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.If the engine still does not start,
press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while
starting in order to clear f looding.
As bef ore, keep the ignition key in
the START (III) position f or no
more than 15 seconds. Return to
step 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lif t your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal so the engine
does not race.
An engine is harder to start in cold
weather. The thinner air f ound at
high altitude above 8,000 f eet
(2,400 meters) adds to the problem.
Use the f ollowing procedure: Turn of f all electrical accessories
to reduce the drain on the battery. Push the accelerator pedal half-
way to the f loor and hold it there
while starting the engine. Do not
hold the ignition key in START
(III) f or more than 15 seconds.
When the engine starts, release
the accelerator pedal gradually as
the engine speeds up and smooths
out.
If the engine fails to start in step 2,
push the accelerator pedal to the
f loor and hold it there while you
try to start the engine for no more
than 15 seconds. If the engine
does not start, return to step 2.
1. 2.
3.
5. 6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Starting in Cold Weather at High
A ltitude (A bove 8,000 f eet/
2,400 meters)
Starting the Engine
Driving252

µIf 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. Set the Parking brake.
With the lever in this
position, the transmission locks in
First gear.
If you shif t into First position when
the vehicle speed is above 31 mph
(50 km/h), the transmission shif ts
into Second gear f irst to avoid
sudden engine braking. 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.
Make sure the key is in the
ignition switch LOCK (0) position.
To release the Reverse Lockout,
make sure the key is in the
ACCESSORY (I) position.
1.
2.
CONT INUED
Engine Speed Limiter
Shift Lock Release
First (1)
Automatic Transmission
Driving257

µ
Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. The indicator
on the instrument panel shows that
the parking brake is not f ully
released; it does not indicate that the
parking brake is f irmly set. Make
sure the parking brake is set f irmly
or your vehicle may roll if it is
parked on an incline.
Set the parking brake bef ore you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the vehicle from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission making it
easier to move the shif t lever out of
Park when you want to drive away. If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the f ront wheels away f rom the curb.
If the vehicle is f acing downhill, turn
the f ront wheels toward the curb.
Make 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.
Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
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. Lockthedoorswiththekeyorthe
remote transmitter. Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the cargo area or take them
with you. Turn of f the lights.
Parking T ips
Parking
Driving261

If the ABS indicator and the brake
system indicator come on together,
and the parking brake is f ully
released, the front-to-rear braking
distribution system may also shut
down.
Test your brakes as instructed on
page . If the brakes f eel normal,
drive slowly and have your vehicle
repaired by your dealer as soon as
possible. Avoid sudden hard braking
which could cause the rear wheels to
lock up and possibly lead to a loss of
control.377
The Braking System
Driving265

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 transmission shif ts f requently
while going up a hill, shif t down one
gear.
If you must stop when f acing uphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shif t down to D . Do
not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and remember
it will take longer to slow down and
stop when towing a trailer.Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause your trailer
to sway. When being passed by a
truck or other large vehicle, keep a
constant speed and steer straight
ahead. Do not try to make quick
steering or braking corrections.
Always drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the lef t
to get the trailer to move to the lef t,
andturnthewheelrighttomovethe
trailer to the right.
Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including putting the
transmission in PARK and f irmly
setting the parking brake when you
have f inished parking.
Donotparkonaninclineunlessitis
unavoidable. If you must park on an
incline, turn the vehicle wheels
toward the curb on a downhill and
awayfromthecurbonanuphill.
After parking, place wheel chocks at
each trailer tire, on the downhill side.
If the vehicle wheels slip when
retrieving a boat f rom the water,
shifttofirstgearandturnonVTM-4
Lock (see page ).
Disengage VTM-4 Lock as soon as
the boat is out of the water to
prevent damage to the VTM-4
system.
259
3
bottom
Driving on Hills
Handling Crosswinds and
T urbulence
Backing Up Parking
Ret rieving a Boat
Towing a Trailer
Driving282