2003 Acura MDX brake

Any object
attached to or placed on the covers
marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG,’’ in the
center of the steering wheel and
on top of the dashboard, could
interf ere with the proper operation
of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inf late, the objects could be
propelled inside the vehicle and
hurt someone.
If a side airbag
inflates,acupholderorotherhard
object attached on or near the
door could be propelled inside the
vehicle and hurt someone.
Covering the outside edge of a
f ront seat-back, with a non-Acura
seat cover for example, could
prevent the airbag from inflating
properly.
Removing parts f rom your vehicle,
or replacing components with non-
Acura (aftermarket) components
could seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability.
Some examples are:
Lowering the vehicle with an
aftermarket suspension kit that
signif icantly reduces ground
clearance can allow the
undercarriage to impact speed
bumps or other raised objects,
which could cause the airbags to
deploy.
Raising the vehicle with an
af termarket suspension kit can
af f ect the handling and stability.
Af termarket wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components. Do not modif y your steering wheel
or any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.
Modif ications could make the
system inef f ective.
Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interf ere with the operation of
your vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and
other systems.
If you plan to modif y your vehicle,
consult with your Acura dealer.
Modif ications
Additional Saf ety Precaution
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving
Do not at t ach or place object s on
the airbag covers.
Do not at t ach hard object s on ornear a f ront door.
Do not place any object s over t heoutsideedgeof afront seat-back.
244

........................
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

µTo shift from:PtoR
RtoN
NtoD
DtoD
DtoD Dto22to1
1to2
2toD
DtoD
DtoD DtoN NtoRRtoP Do this:
Press the brake pedal, then
move the shift lever.
Move the lever.
543
5
54
43 3
3
34
45 5
The shif t lever has eight positions. It
must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped in
D,D,D,2,1,NorR,pressfirmly
on the brake pedal, and keep your
f oot of f the accelerator pedal. YoucannotshiftoutofParkwiththe
brake pedal depressed when the
ignition switch is in LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I). 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.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shif t Lock Release on page .
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. 257
Shif t L ever Positions
Park (P)
Automatic Transmission
Driving254
SHIFT LEVER

µµ
µ
µµ
To shif t to Reverse
f rom Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shif t to Reverse f rom
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. 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 Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the vehicle
f or any reason. Press on the brake pe-
dal when you are moving the shif t
lever from Neutral to another gear.
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear for your 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.
Your car has a reverse lockout so
you cannot accidentally shif t to
Reverse from Neutral or any other
driving position when the vehicle
speed exceeds 7 9 mph (12 14
km/h).
If you cannot shif t to Reverse when
the car is stopped, press the brake
pedal and slowly shif t to Neutral, and
then to Reverse.
If there is a problem in the reverse
lockout system, or your vehicle’s
battery is disconnected or goes dead,
you cannot shif t to Reverse. (Ref er
to Shif t Lock Release on page ).
257
Reverse (R) Neutral (N)
Drive (D )
5
Automatic Transmission
Driving255

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

Put a cloth on the edge of the Shif t
Lock Release slot cover next to
theshiftlever.Useasmallflat-
tipped screwdriver or small metal
plate (neither are included in the
tool kit) to remove the cover.
Caref ully pry on the edge of the
cover.Insert a screwdriver in the Shif t
Lock Release slot.
Push down on the screwdriver
while you press the release button
and move the shif t lever out of
Park to Neutral.
To release the Reverse Lockout,
move the shift lever from Neutral
to Reverse, then to Park.Remove the screwdriver f rom the
shif t lock release slot, then install
anewcover.
Depress the brake pedal and
restart the engine.
If you need to use the Shif t Lock
Release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by your Acura
dealer.
3. 4.
5.6.
Automatic Transmission
Driving258
COVER
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT

To engage the VTM-4 Lock:To disengage the VTM-4 Lock, do
one of the f ollowing:
Press the VTM-4 Lock button.
Move the shift lever to D , D or
D.
Turn the ignition to OFF (0).
When you restart your MDX, the
VTM-4 Lock f eature will be of f .
The VTM-4 Lock will temporarily
disengage when the vehicle speed
exceeds 18 mph (30 km/h). It will
automatically engage again as the
speed slows below 18 mph (30
km/h). The light in the VTM-4 Lock
button will remain on the whole time.
The vehicle speed must be below
18 mph (30 km/h).
Move the shift lever to first (1),
second (2) or reverse (R) gear. To
shif t Reverse f rom Neutral, come
to a complete stop and then shift.
Press the VTM-4 Lock button.
The light in the button will come
on.
To get unstuck, apply light pressure
to the accelerator pedal. Do not spin
the f ront tires f or more than a f ew
seconds. Because of the amount of
torque applied to the rear tires, they
should not spin. This is normal. If
you are not able to get the vehicle to
move, apply the brakes to stop the
wheels, then reverse direction. 1.
2.
3.
34
5
Driving
Variable Torque Management 4WD System
260
Do not continuously spin the f ront tires
of your MDX. Continuously spinning
the f ront tires can cause transmission
or rear dif f erential damage.