2005 Acura RSX transmission

2005 RSX 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

Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safet y........................................................................\
.........................................ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
.............................................4
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
..................................... .7
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
Instruments and Control s........................................................................\
........................................ .49
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Features ........................................................................\
......................................................................87
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................119
What gasoline to use, how to brea k-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... .133
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................153
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Taking Care of the Unexpecte d........................................................................\
..............................191
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Informatio n........................................................................\
.............................................215
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................227
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manu als (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................231
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index........................................................................\
........................................................................\
...... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

µµ
µ
µ You will hear a reminder beeper if
you leave the key in the ignition
switch in the LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I) position and open
thedriver’sdoor.Removethekeyto
turn of f the beeper.
If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, the shif t lever must be
in Park bef ore you can remove the
key f rom the ignition switch.
The ignition switch has f our
positions: LOCK (0), ACCESSORY
(I), ON (II), and START (III). You can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
To turn the key, you must push the
key in slightly. If your vehicle has an
automatic transmission, the shif t
lever must also be in park. If the f ront wheels are turned, the
anti-thef t lock may make it dif f icult
to turn the key. Firmly turn the
steering wheel to the lef t or right as
you turn the key.
You can
operate the audio system and the
accessory power sockets in this
position.
This is the normal key
position when driving. Several of the
indicators on the instrument panel
come on as a test when you turn the
ignition switch f rom ACCESSORY
(I) to ON (II).
Use this position
only to start the engine. The switch
returns to ON (II) when you let go of
the key.
Ignition Switch
LOCK (0) A CCESSORY (I)
ON (II)
ST A RT (III)
66
Removing the key from the
ignition switch while driving
locks the steering. This can
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle.
Remove the key from the
ignition switch only when
parked.

Press and release the SET/decel
buttononthesteeringwheel.The
CRUISE CONTROL indicator on
the instrument panel comes on to
show the system is now activated.Thecruisecontrolmaynotholdthe
set speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down. This will cancel the
cruise control. To resume the set
speed, press the RESUME/accel
button. The CRUISE CONTROL
indicator on the instrument panel will
come back on.
You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button.
Push on the accelerator pedal.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed, and press the SET/decel
button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
accel button. Each time you do
this, your vehicle will speed up
about 1 mph (1. 6km/h).
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshif t to hold the set speed.
3.
Cruise Control
Changing the Set Speed
116
RESUME/accel
CANCEL
SET/decel

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual and automatic transmissions.
It also includes important
information on parking your vehicle,
the braking system, and f acts you
need if you are planning to tow a
trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive .134
.......................
Starting the Engine .135
.................
Manual Transmissions . 136
..............
Automatic Transmission . 139
...........................................
Parking .145
.............................
Braking System .146
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 147
...........................
Towing a Trailer .148
Driving
Driving
133

Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Push the clutch pedal down all the
way.
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. Do not hold
the key in START for more than
15 seconds at a time. If the engine
does not start right away, 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
4with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
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.
If the engine still does not start,
return to step 5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Manual Transmission:
Automatic Transmission: 65
Starting the Engine
Driving
135
Immobilizer System T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. See
on page . The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.

The manual transmission is syn-
chronizedinallforwardgearsfor
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth
to Reverse. When shif ting up or
down,makesureyoupushtheclutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shif ting,
do not rest your f oot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster.Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shift into
Reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause f or a f ew seconds bef ore
shif ting into Reverse, or shif t into
one of the f orward gears f or a
moment. This stops the gears so
they won’t ‘‘grind.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking f rom the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure the engine speed will not
go into the tachometer’s red zone in
the lower gear.
Manual T ransmissions
136
Rapid slowing or speeding-up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.

With the clutch pedal pressed,
move the shift lever to the first/
second gear side of the Neutral
gate, then shif t to Reverse.If you are still unable to shif t to
Reverse, apply the parking brake,
andturntheignitionkeyto
ACCESSORY (I) or LOCK (0).
Press the clutch pedal, and shif t to
Reverse.
With the clutch pedal still pressed,
start the engine.
The 6-speed manual transmission
has an electric lockout so you cannot
accidentally shif t f rom Fif th to
Reverse instead of Sixth while the
vehicle is moving. If you cannot shif t
to Reverse when the vehicle is
stopped:
If you need to use this procedure to
shif t to Reverse, your vehicle may be
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by your dealer.
1. 2.
3.
4.
Reverse Lockout
Manual T ransmissions
138

These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shif t
lever is in.To shif t f rom any position, move the
shif t lever. You cannot shif t out of
Park when the ignition switch is in
LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I)
position.
The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II). If it
f lashes at any time (in any shif t
position), it indicates a possible
problem in the transmission. Avoid
rapid acceleration, and have the
transmission checked by a dealer as
soon as possible.
CONT INUED
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoN
NtoD
DtoD
DtoD DtoNNtoR RtoP Do this:
Press the brake pedal, then
move the shift lever.
Move the lever.
3
3
Shif t L ever Position Indicators Shif ting
Automatic Transmission
Driving
139
SHIFT LEVER