Page 281 of 442
Bef ore you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use and how to check the
levels of important f luids. You also
need to know how to properly store
luggage or packages. The
inf ormation in this section will help
you. If you plan to add any
accessories to your vehicle, please
read the information in this section
first..............................
Break-in Period .278
.................
Fuel Recommendation .278
.........
Service Station Procedures .279
....................................
Ref ueling .279
........
Check Fuel Cap Message .280
.....
Tighten Fuel Cap Message .281
Opening and Closing
................................
the Hood .282
...................................
Oil Check .283
.............
Engine Coolant Check . 283
...............................
Fuel Economy .284
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 285
.............................
Carrying Cargo .287
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
277
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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.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Do not tow a trailer. 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.
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 authorized dealer f or service.
Your vehicle is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane of 91 or higher. If this
octane grade is unavailable, regular
unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane of 87 or higher may be used
temporarily. The use of regular
unleaded gasoline can cause metallic
knocking noises in the engine and
will result in decreased engine
perf ormance. The long-term use of
regular-grade gasoline can lead to
engine damage.
We recommend using quality
gasolines containing detergent
additives that help prevent fuel
system and engine deposits.
Break-in Period
Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
278
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CONT INUED
Park with the driver’s side closest
to the service station pump.
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 % ethanol by
volume and up to 15 % MTBE by
volume. Do not use gasoline
containing methanol.
If your 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
. Open the f uel f ill door by pulling
onthehandleattheoutsideof the
driver’s seat.
1.
2. Ref ueling
Quick Start Guide
Fuel Recommendation, Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
279
Pull
FUEL FILL CAP
FUEL FILL DOOR RELEASE HANDLE
TETHER
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.Stop the engine, and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.
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Page 284 of 442

Screw the fuel fill cap back on
until it clicks at least once.
even though the tank is not full,
there may be a problem with your
vehicle’s fuel vapor recovery
system. The system helps keep
fu el vapors from going into the
atmosphere. Try filling at anoth er
pump. If this does not fix the
problem, consult your dealer.
Stop
filling the tank after the fuel
nozzle automatically clicks off. Do
not try to ‘‘top off’’ the tank. Leave
some room for the fuel to expand
with temperature changes.
Remove
the fuel fill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Place the cap in the holder on the
fu el fill door. If you do not properly tighten the cap,
you will see a ‘‘CHECK FUEL CAP’’
message on the information display
(see the next column).
If you do not properly tighten the cap,
you will see a ‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL
CAP’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ). Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches. If your f uel f ill cap is loose or
missing, a ‘‘CHECK FUEL CAP’’
message appears on the information
display af ter you start the engine.
4.
5.
6.
3.
281
If the f uel nozzle keeps clicking of fOn RDX with Technology Package
model
On RDX model
On RDX model
Check Fuel Cap Message
Service Station Procedure
280
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Page 285 of 442

ÛÝ
Turn the engine off, and confi
rm the
fuel fill cap is installed. If it is, loosen
it, then retighten it until it clicks at
least once. When you c an restart the
engine, the message appears again.
The message goes off after several
days of norm al driving once you
tighten or replace the fuel fill cap. To
scroll to another message, press the
INFO ( / ) button.
If your fuel fill cap is loose or
missing, a ‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL CAP’’
message appears on the multi-
information display after you start
the engine.
Turn the engine off, and confi
rm the
fuel fill cap is installed. If it is, loosen
it, then retighten it until it clicks at
le ast once. When you restart the
engine, the message appears again.
The message goes off after several
days of norm al driving once you
tighten or replace the fuel fill cap. To
scroll to another display, p ress the
Select/Reset knob.
If the system still detects a leak in
your vehicle’s evaporative emissions
system, the malfunction indicator
lamp (MIL) comes on. If the fuel fill
cap was not already tightened, turn
the engine off, and check or
retighten the fuel fill cap until it
clicks at least once. The MIL should
go off after several days of normal
driving once the cap is tightened or
replaced. If the MIL does not go off,
have your vehicle inspected by a
dealer. For more information, see
page .
If the system still detects a leak in
your vehicle’s evaporative emissions
system, the malfunction indicator
lamp (MIL) comes on. If the fuel fill
cap was not already tightened, turn
the engine off, and check or
retighten
the fuel fill cap until it
clicks at least once. The MIL should
go off after several days of normal
driving once the cap is tightened or
replaced. If the MIL does not go off,
have your vehicle inspected by a
dealer. For more inf ormation, see
page . 394
394
On RDX with Technology Package
modelTighten Fuel Cap Message
Service Station Procedure
Bef ore Driving
281
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Page 288 of 442
Combine several short trips into
one.
The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Usethefresh-air
ventilation when possible.
Drive
moderately. Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking use more fuel.
Always drive in the highest gear
possible.
Try to maintain a constant speed.
Everytimeyouslowdownand
speed up, your vehic le uses extra
fuel. Use cruise control when
appropriate.
Always
maintain your vehicle
according to the maintenance
messages. See (page ).
an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses more f uel.
The build-up of snow or mud on
your vehicle’s underside adds
weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
mileage and reduces the chance of
corrosion. 342
For example,
Improving Fuel Economy
Owner’s
Maintenance Checks
Fuel Economy
284
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Page 313 of 442

Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that turns on every time you start the
engine and monitors the pressure in
your tires while driving. Al
though your tire pressure is
monito red, you must manually check
thetirepressuresmonthly.
Each tire, including the spare, should
be checked monthly when cold, and
set to the recommended inflation
pressure as specified on the vehicle
placard and in the owner’s manual
(see page ).
Driving on a signifi cantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to
ov erheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-infl ation also reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability. When
the low tire pressure indicator
is on, one or more of your tires is
signifi cantly underinflated. You
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure as indicated on
the vehicle’s tire information placard.
Each
tire has its own pressure
sensor. If the air pressure of a tire
becomes significantly low, the
sensor in that tire immediately sends
a signal that causes the low tire
pressure indicator to come on.
With this indicator on, you will see
which tire is losing the pressu re on
the multi-information display along
with a ‘‘CHECK TIRE PRESSU RE’’
message (see page ).
With
this indicator on, you will see
which tire is losing the pressu re on
thetirepressure monitor(seepage
).
373
311
312
CONT INUED
On RDX with Technology Packagemodel
On RDX model
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Low Tire Pressure
Indicator
Driving
309
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Page 325 of 442
The lights and brakes on your
vehicle and the trailer are working
properly.
When preparing to tow, and bef ore
driving away, be sure to check the
f ollowing: The trailer has been properly
serviced and is in good condition.
All weights and loads are within
limits.
Thehitch,safetychains,andany
other attachments are secure.
All items in or on the trailer are
properly secured and cannot shif t
while you drive.Your vehicle tires and spare are
properly inf lated, and the trailer
tires and spare are inflated as
recommended by the trailer
maker.
You may want to fill the fuel tank
with premium f uel. Premium f uel
provides improved perf ormance.
The vehicle has been properly
serviced, and the suspension,
cooling system, and lights are in
good operating condition.
Pre-T ow Checklist
Towing a Trailer
Driving
321
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