2005 Acura RSX tow

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.

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The wipers are not activated.
The wipers run at low speed.
The wipers run at high speed. Hold past ON to turn the window
wiper on and the window washer
to spray.
OFF
Rotate counterclockwise to turn
the window wiper on and the
window washer to spray.
The length of the wiper
interval is varied automatically
according to the vehicle’s speed.
Vary the delay by turning the INT
TIME ring. If you turn it to the
shortest delay, the wipers will
change to low speed operation
when the vehicle speed exceeds 12
mph (20 km/h).
Push the right lever up or down to
select a position. MIST
OFF
INT Intermittent
LO Low speed
HI High speed
Windshield Washers
The wipers run at high
speed until you release the lever. Pull the
wiper control lever toward you and
hold it. The washers spray until
you release the lever. The wipers
run at low speed, then complete
one more sweep af ter you release
the lever. Rotate the switch clockwise to
turn the rear window wiper ON.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. 1.
2.
3.
4.
OFF
LO
HI
Rear Window Wiper and Washer
INT
MIST Windshield Wiper Windshield Washers
Windshield Wipers and Washers
60

Make sure the rear window is clear
and you have good visibility bef ore
starting to drive.
Thedefoggerwiresontheinsideof
the rear window can be accidentally
damaged. When cleaning the glass,
always wipe side-to-side.Make any steering wheel adjustment
bef ore you start driving.
Push the lever under the steering
column all the way down. Move the steering wheel so it
points to your chest, not toward
yourface.Makesureyoucansee
the instrument panel gauges and
indicators.
Push the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in position.
Make sure you have securely
locked the steering wheel in place
by trying to move it up and down.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Steering Wheel A djustment
Rear Window Def ogger, Steering Wheel A djustment
Inst rument s and Cont rols
63
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle and be seriously injured
inacrash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the vehicle is stopped.

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 percent ethanol
by volume and up to 15 percent
MTBE by volume. Do not use
gasoline containing methanol.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
.
Your vehicle is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 86 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise that can lead to engine damage.
Your vehicle is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane of 91 or higher. Use of
a lower octane gasoline can cause
occasional metallic knocking noises
in the engine and will result in
decreased engine perf ormance. Use
of a gasoline with a pump octane less
than 86 can lead to engine damage.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the Malfunction Indicator
Lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your dealer f or service.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
We recommend gasoline containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits.(All models except Type-S) (Type-S)
Break-in Period Fuel Recommendation
Quick Start Guide
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
Bef ore Driving
121

Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.Remove the dipstick again and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page . Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
on page f or
informationonaddingtheproper
coolant.
Remove the dipstick (orange loop).
Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert it all the way back in its tube. 4.
1.
2.
3. 162165
CONT INUED
Oil Check
Engine Coolant Check
A dding Oil A dding
Engine Coolant
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
125
UPPER MARK RESERVE TANK
MAX
MIN
LOWER MARK

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The maximum load f or your vehicle
is 700 lbs (325 kg). This f igure
includes the total weight of all
occupants, cargo, accessories, and
the tongue weight if you are towing a
trailer.
Locate the statement, ‘‘the
combined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed 700 lbs (325 kg)’’ on your vehicle’s placard.
(The placard is on the driver’s
doorjamb).
Steps f or Determining Correct Load
Limit: Determine the combined weight
of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle.
Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers f rom
700 lbs (325 kg).
The resulting f igure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For
example, if the maximum load is
700 lbs (325 kg) and there will be
f our 150 lb (70 kg) passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load
capacity is 100 lbs (45 kg).
[700 600 (4 150) = 100 lbs]/
[325 280 (4 70) = 45 kg]
Determine the combined weight
of luggage and cargo being loadedon the vehicle. The weight may
not saf ely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity in
step 4.
If yourvehiclewillbetowinga
trailer, load f rom your trailer will
be transf erred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle. [See page .]
In addition, the total weight of the
vehicle, all passengers,
accessories,cargo,andtrailer
tongue load must not exceed the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR) or the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). Both are
on a label on the driver’s doorjamb.
4.
6.
5.
1. 2.
3.
148
Load Limit
Carrying Cargo
130
Overloading or improper
loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in
which you can be hurt or killed.
Follow all load limits and other
loading guidelines in this
manual.

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

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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 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. Press the brake
pedal, and move the shif t lever f rom
Park to Reverse. To shif t f rom
Reverse to Neutral, come to a
completestop,andthenshift.
Your vehicle has a reverse lockout so
you cannot accidentally shif t to
Reverse when the vehicle speed
exceeds 5 mph (8 km/h). 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 the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from Neutral to
another gear.
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear f or acceleration.
This position is simi-
lartoD,exceptonlythefirstthree
gears are selected. Use D when
towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to
provide engine braking when going
down a steep hill. D can also keep
the transmission f rom cycling third,
f ourth and f if th gears in stop-and-go
driving.
If you cannot shif t to Reverse when
the vehicle is stopped, press the
brake pedal and slowly shift 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
on page ).
144
144
3
3
Automatic Transmission
Park (P)
Shif t L ock Release Reverse (R)
Neutral (N)
Drive (D)
Drive (D )
Shif t L ock Release
3
140