2005 MDX Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through\
this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.h\
elminc.com.
Contents
Introduction ........................................................................\
............................................................... i
A Few Words About Safety........................................................................\
........................................ ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
........................................... 4
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
.................................... 7
Seat belts, SRS, and child protection.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
......................................... 57
Indicators, gauges, dashboard, and steering column.
Features ........................................................................\
..................................................................... 105
Climate, audio, rear entertainment, steering wheel, secruity, cruise con\
trol, HomeLink and Onstar
Before Driving........................................................................\
.......................................................... 185
Fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading.
Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... . 197
Engine and transmission operation.
Maintenance........................................................................\
............................................................. 227
Schedules, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.............................. 259
Flat tire, dead battery, overheating, fuses.
Technical Information........................................................................\
............................................ . 281
Vehicle specifications, tires, fuels, and emissions controls.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................ 295
Warranty and contact information.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
.............................. 299
How to order.
Index........................................................................\
........................................................................\
..... I
Service Information Summary
Fluid capacities and tire pressures.
Important Handling Information. ........................................................................\
................... iii
This section covers the more
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your vehicle towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire .260
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .261
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start . 267
................................
Jump Starting .268
............
If Your Engine Overheats . 270
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator . 272
..........
Charging System Indicator . 272
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp . 273
...............
Brake System Indicator . 274
......................
Emergency Towing .274
..............................................
Fuses .275
..............................
Fuse Locations .278
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
259
Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
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.
When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things: Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
orNeutralorthestarterwillnot
operate.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights, and check
their brightness. If the headlights
areverydimordonotcomeonat
all, the battery is discharged. See
on page .
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereis
probably 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 dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
f rom a booster battery (see page
).
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run. Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly(seepage ).
268
274 257
268
80
CONT INUED
If Your Engine Won’t Start
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly Jump Starting
Emergency T owing T he Starter Operates Normally
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
267
Theinteriorfuseboxesarelocated
under the dashboard on the driver’s
and passenger’s side. The vehicle’s f uses are contained in
five fuse boxes.To open the passenger’s side f use
box, pull the right edge of the cover.
The primary under-hood f use box is
on the passenger’s side. The
secondary f use box is next to the
battery.
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
275
PASSENGER’S SIDE INTERIOR
UNDER-HOOD (SECONDARY)
DRIVER’S SIDE
INTERIOR
UNDER-HOOD (PRIMARY)
If something electrical in your
vehicle stops working, the first thing
youshouldcheckforisablownfuse.
Determine f rom the chart on pagesand , or the diagram on the
fuse box lid, which fuse or fuses
control that device. The diagram f or
theinteriordriver’ssidefuseboxis
on the kick panel below the f use box.
Check those f uses f irst, but check all
the f uses bef ore deciding that a
blown f use is the cause. Replace any
blown f uses, and check if the device
works.
Turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(0). Make sure the headlights and
all other accessories are off.
Remove the cover f rom the f use
box. Check each of the large f uses in
the primary under-hood f use box
by looking through the top at the
wire inside. Removing these f uses
requires a Phillips-head
screwdriver.
Check the smaller f uses in the
under-hood f use boxes and all the
fuses in the interior fuse box by
pulling out each one with the f use
puller provided in the primary
under-hood f use box.
4.
3.
1.
2 278 279
Checking and Replacing Fuses
Fuses
276
BLOWN
FUSE PULLER
If you cannot drive the vehicle
without f ixing the problem, and you
do not have a spare fuse, take a fuse
of the same rating or a lower rating
f rom one of the other circuits. Make
sureyoucandowithoutthatcircuit
temporarily (such as the accessory
power socket or radio).
If you replace the blown f use with a
spare f use that has a lower rating, it
might blow out again. This does not
indicate anything wrong. Replace the
f use with one of the correct rating as
soon as you can.
Look f or a burned wire inside the
f use. If it is burned, replace it with
oneof thesparefusesof thesame
rating or lower.
If the radio f use is removed, the
audio system will disable itself . The
nexttimeyouturnontheradioyou
will see ‘‘ ’’ in the f requency
display. Use the preset buttons to
enter the f ive-digit code (see page).
If the replacement fuse of the
same rating blows in a short time,
there is probably a serious
electrical problem with your
vehicle. Leave the blown fuse in
that circuit, and have your vehicle
checked by a qualif ied mechanic.
6.
5.
131
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
277
BLOWN
Replacing a f use with one that has a
higher rating greatly increases the
chances of damaging the electrical
system. If you do not have a
replacement f use with the proper rating
f or the circuit, install one with a lower
rating.
µ
No. Amps. Circuits Protected No. Amps. Circuits Protected
No. Amps.No. Amps. Circuits Protected
Circuits Protected
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13 20 A
30 A
20 A
15 A
15 A
20 A
20 A
20 A
40 A
30 A
30 A
40 A Spare Fuse
Spare Fuse
Right Headlight
ACG S
Hazard
Not used
Stop
Lef t Headlight
Radio
Power Window Motor
Rear A/C
Rear Defroster
Back Up, ACC 14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
40 A
40 A
30 A
7.5 A 10 A
15 A
120 A 30 A
7.5 A 50 A
20 A Power Seat
Heater Motor
Cooling Fan
Spare Fuse
Spare Fuse
Spare Fuse
Battery
Condenser Fan
MG Clutch
IGI Main
Fog Lights
1
2
3
4
5 20 A
40 A
30 A
20 A
20 A 6
7
8
9
10 15 A
15 A
15 A
7.5 A 20 A ET C
IG Coil
LAF
FI-Back-up
P/W DR
Rear Entertainment System
VSA F/S Relay
VSA Motor
4WD
Rear Accessory Socket
Fuse Locations
278
PRIMARY UNDER-HOOD FUSE BOX
SECONDARY UNDER-HOOD FUSE BOX
µ
Î
Î
Î Î
Circuits Protected
No. Amps. No. Amps. Circuits Protected Circuits Protected
No. Amps.
Horn
Auto Wipers
1
2
3 7.5 A
7.5 A
7.5 A
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13 15 A
10 A
7.5 A
7.5 A 10 A
15 A
7.5 A
7.5 A 10 A
7.5 A 15 A
30 A Fuel Pump
SRS
Heater Control, A/C Clutch
Relay, Cooling Fan Relay
Power Mirror
Daytime Running Light /
Rear Wiper
ECU(PCM),CruiseControl
OPDS, OnStar
ACC Relay
Back-up Lights, Instrument
Lights, TPMS
Turn Signals
IG Coil
Front Wiper
Not Used Moonroof
Driver’s Power Seat Sliding
Passenger’s Power Seat
Reclining
Daytime Running Light,
OnStar
Driver’s side Rear Power
Window
Front Passenger’s Power
Window
Front Accessory Socket,
HFL, OnStar
Small Light
Interior Light, TPMS, HFL
Power Door Lock
Back Up, Clock
Heated Seat
Driver’s Power Window
Passenger’s Side Rear
Power Window
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16 30 A
20 A
20 A
20 A
20 A
10 A
20 A
20 A
15 A
15 A
10 A
20 A
7.5 A 20 A
20 A
20 A
: Canadian models
Canadian models
:
ELD Unit, Immobilizer Control
Unit, VSA Control Unit, Alternator Driver’s Power Seat Reclining
Passenger’s Power Seat Sliding
Fuse Locations
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
279
Driver’s Side INTERIOR FUSE BOX
Passenger’s Side
Front Front
Driver’s Side
Auxiliary