Page 327 of 442
If you must stop when f acing uphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause the trailer to
sway. When being passed by a large
vehicle, keep a constant speed, and
steer straight ahead. Do not try to
make quick steering or braking
corrections.
Always drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the lef t
to get the trailer to move to the lef t,
andturnthewheelrighttomovethe
trailer to the right.Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including putting the
transmission in Park and f irmly
setting the parking brake. Also, place
wheel chocks at each of the trailer’s
tires.
bottom
Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ing
Backing Up Parking
Towing a Trailer
Driving
323
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Page 328 of 442

To avoid loss of control or rollover,
be sure to follow all precau tions and
recommendations.
Wherever you drive, make sure
you and your passengers always
wear seat belts.
Keep your speed low, and never
go faster than the conditions allow.
It’s up to you to continually assess
the situation and drive within the
limits. Be sure to store cargo properly,
and do not exceed your vehicle
cargo load limits (see pages and ).
Your vehicle has been designed
primarily f or use on pavement. But
its higher ground clearance and
super handling-all wheel drive (SH-
AWD) system allow you to
occasionally travel on unpaved roads,
to campgrounds, picnic sites, and
similar locations. It is not designed
f or trailblazing, mountain climbing,
or other challenging of f -road
activities.
If you decide to drive on unpaved
roads, you will f ind that it requires
somewhat dif f erent driving skills.
Your vehicle will also handle
somewhat dif f erently than it does on
pavement. So be sure to read this
owner’s manual, pay special attention
to the precautions and tips in this
section, and get acquainted with
your vehicle before you leave the
pavement. 288 317
General Inf ormation
Important Saf ety Precautions
Of f -Highway Driving Guidelines
324
Follow all instructions and
guidelines in this owner’s
manual.
Keep your speed low, and
don’t drive faster than
conditions permit.
Improperly operating this
vehicle on or off pavement can
cause an accident or rollover in
which you and your passengers
could be seriously injured or
killed.
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Before you leave the pavement, be
sure to do all scheduled maintenance
and service, and inspect your vehicle
f or any problems. Pay special
attention to the condition of the tires,
and check the tire pressures.
After you return to the pavement,
caref ully inspect your vehicle to
make sure there is no damage that
could make driving it unsaf e.
Recheck the condition of the tires
and the tire pressures.
The route presents limits (too steep
or bumpy roads). You have limits
(driving skill and comfort). And your
vehicle has limits (traction, stability,
and power).
Driving of f -highway can be
hazardous if you f ail to recognize
limits and take the proper
precautions.Debris in the road can damage your
suspension or other components.
Because your vehicle has a high
center of gravity, driving over a large
obstacle, or allowing a wheel to drop
into a deep hole can cause your
vehicle to tip or roll over.
If you can’t clearly see all conditions
or obstacles on a slope, walk the
slope bef ore you drive on it. If you
have any doubt whether or not you
can saf ely drive on the slope, don’t
do it. Find another route.
If you are driving up a hill and f ind
that you cannot continue,
. Your vehicle could roll
over. Slowly back down the hill,
f ollowing the same route you took up
the hill.
Forbettertractiononallsurfaces,
accelerate slowly and gradually build
up speed. If you try to start too fast
on wet soil, mud, snow, or ice, you
might not have enough traction to
get underway, and you may dig
yourself a hole. Starting with the
shif t lever in D position will help you
have a smoother start on snow or ice.
Keep in mind that you will usually
need more time and distance to
brake to a stop on unpaved surf aces.
Avoid hard braking. Do not ‘‘pump’’
the brakes; let the anti-lock braking
system pump them f or you.
do not try to
turn around
Check Out Your Vehicle
Remember A ccelerating and Braking
A voiding Obstacles
Driving on Slopes
Of f -Highway Driving Guidelines
Driving
325
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Page 330 of 442

Avoid driving through deep water. If
you encounter water in your route (a
small stream or large puddle, for
example), evaluate it carefully before
going ahead. Make sure it is shallow,
flowing slowly, and has firm ground
underneath. If you are not sure of
the depth or the ground, turn around
andfindanotherroute.
Driving through deep water can also
damage your vehicle. The water can
get into the transmission and
differential, diluting the lubricant
and causing an eventual failure. It
can also wash the grease out of the
wheel bearings. Avoid
driving on soft sand, deep mud,
or other surfaces where you could
get stuck. If you do happen to get
stuck because of inclement weather
or other conditions, choose a safe
and appropriate course of action.
You should never use a jack to try
getting unstuck. A jack only works
on firm, level ground. Also, your
vehicle could easily slip off the jack
and hurt you or someone else. If
you spin the wheels excessive ly
trying to get unstuck, you may
overheat the components of the SH-
AWD system. The SH-AWD
indicator on the instrument panel will
blink to indicate the rear dif f erential
temperature is too high.
You will also see an ‘‘SH-AWD DIFF
TEMP HIGH’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
If this happens, stop and allow
everything to cool down. The SH-
AWD indicator goes off after the
rear dif f erential temperature drops. 85
On RDX with Technology Package
model
If You Get Stuck
Crossing a Stream
Of f -Highway Driving Guidelines
326
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Page 338 of 442
ÛÝ
Press
and hold the Select/Reset
knob for about 10 seconds. The
engine oil life and the maintenance
item code(s) will blink. Press
the Select/Reset knob for
another 5 seconds. The
maintenance item code(s) will
disappear, and the engine oil life
will reset to ‘‘100.’’ To
see the current engine oil life,
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position, and push and release
the INFO ( / ) button on the
steering wheel repeatedly, until the
engine oil lif e is displayed (see page ).
3.
4.
80
On RDX with Technology Packagemodel
Maintenance Minder
334
ENGINE OIL
LIFE DISPLAY SEL/RESET BUTTONINFO
BUTTONS
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Page 339 of 442
ÛÝ
CONT INUED
When the remaining engine oil lif e is
15 percent or less, the display shows
a ‘‘SERVICE DUE SOON’’ message
along with the maintenance item
code(s) f or other scheduled
maintenance items needing service.The system message indicator on
the instrument panel will also come
on, and a beeper will sound.
To cancel the system message, press
and release the INFO ( / ) button
on the steering wheel. At this time,
the system message indicator will
also be turned of f . Then the display
will change to the engine oil lif e
display. You will see the
maintenance item code(s) along with
the engine oil lif e on the multi-
inf ormation display.
Maintenance Minder
Maint enance
335
SYSTEM MESSAGE INDICATOR
MAINTENANCE ITEM CODE(S)
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Page 341 of 442
ÛÝYou will also see the system
message every time you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position until your vehicle have the
indicated maintenance perf ormed by
your dealer.
If the indicated maintenance service
is not done and the engine oil lif e
reaches to 0 percent, you will see a
‘‘SERVICE PAST DUE’’ message
along with the maintenance item
code(s) on the multi-inf ormation
display.
To cancel the system message, press
and release the INFO ( / ) button
on the steering wheel. At this time,
the system message indicator will
also be turned of f . Then the display
will change to the engine oil lif e
display. You will see a ‘‘SERVICE’’
message and along with the
maintenance item code(s) on the
multi-inf ormation display.
CONT INUED
Maintenance Minder
Maint enance
337
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Page 342 of 442
ÛÝ
ÛÝ
When you see this message, have
the indicated maintenance done by
your dealer immediately. The system message indicator on
the instrument panel will also come
on, and a beeper will sound.
The system message will appear
again by pressing the INFO ( / )
button af ter cancel it.
You will also see the system
message every time you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position until your vehicle have the
indicated maintenance perf ormed by
your dealer.
To cancel the system message, press
and release the INFO ( / ) button
on the steering wheel. At this time,
the system message indicator will be turned of f . Then the display
will change to the engine oil lif e
display. You will see the engine oil
lif e blinking and a ‘‘SERVICE’’
message along with the maintenance
item code(s) on the multi-
inf ormation display.
Maintenance Minder
not
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