2008 Acura MDX engine

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 .322
.................
Fuel Recommendation .322
.........
Service Station Procedures .323
....................................
Ref ueling .323
.....
Tighten Fuel Cap Message .324
Opening and Closing the
.......................................
Hood .325
...................................
Oil Check .326
.............
Engine Coolant Check .326
...............................
Fuel Economy .327
...
Accessories and Modif ications .330
.............................
Carrying Cargo .332
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
321
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2008 MDX

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). 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 quality gasolines
containing detergent additives that
help prevent f uel system and engine
deposits.
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. 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 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
.
Do not change the oil until the
multi-inf ormation display indicates
it is needed.
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. 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.
Break-in Period Fuel Recommendation
Quick Start Guide
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
322
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2008 MDX

CONT INUED
Park with the driver’s side closest
to the service station pump.
Open the f uel f ill door by pressing
the button in the driver’s door. (To
open the f uel f ill door manually,
see page .)Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top off’’ the tank. Leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes. even
though the tank is not full, there may
be a problem with your vehicle’s f uel
vapor recovery system. The system
helps keep f uel vapor f rom going
into the atmosphere. Try f illing at
another pump. If this does not f ix the
problem, consult your dealer.
1.
2. 3.
4.
446
If the f uel nozzle keeps clicking of fRef ueling
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
323
Push TETHER
HOLDER FUEL FILL CAP
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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2008 MDX

Screw the fuel fill cap back on
until it clicks at least once. If you
do not properly tighten the cap,
you will see a ‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL
CAP’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see right
column on this page), and the
malf unction indicator lamp may
also come on (see page ).
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.Your vehicle’s on board diagnostic
system will detect a loose or missing
f uel f ill cap as an evaporative system
leak. The f irst time a leak is detected
a ‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL CAP’’ message
appears on the multi-inf ormation
display. Turn the engine of f , and
conf irm the f uel f ill cap is installed. If
it is, loosen it, then retighten it until
it clicks at least once. The message
should go of f af ter several days of
normal driving once you tighten or replace the f uel f ill cap. To scroll to
another message, press the INFO
button. The ‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL CAP’’
message will appear each time you
restart the engine until the system
turns the message of f .
If the system still detects a leak in
the vehicle’s evaporative emissions
system, the malf unction indicator
lamp (MIL) comes on. If the f uel f ill
cap was not already tightened, turn
the engine of f , and check or
retighten the f uel f ill 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 of f ,
have your vehicle inspected by a
dealer. For more inf ormation, see
page .
5.
6.
437
437
Tighten Fuel Cap Message
Service Station Procedures
324
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2008 MDX

Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.Remove the dipstick (orange loop). 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
inf ormation on adding the proper
coolant.
Refer to
on page f or inf ormation
about checking other items on your
vehicle.
Wipe of f the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert the dipstick all the way back
into its hole.
1.
3.
2.
4.
393 396
389
Oil Check
A dding Engine OilEngine Coolant Check
A dding
Engine Coolant
Owner’sMaintenance
Checks
Service Station Procedures
326
DIPSTICK
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK RESERVE TANK
MIN MAX
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2008 MDX

µµµ
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Aggressive driving (hard
acceleration and braking)
Excessive idling, accelerating and
braking in stop-and-go traf f ic
Cold engine operation (engines
aremoreefficientwhenwarmed
up)
Driving with a heavy load or the
air conditioner running
Improperly inf lated tires
The f ollowing f actors can lower your
vehicle’s f uel economy:
A properly maintained vehicle
maximizes f uel economy. Poor
maintenance can signif icantly reduce
f uel economy. Always maintain your
vehicle according to the maintenance
messages displayed on the
inf ormation display (see
on page ).
For example: An under-inf lated tire increases
‘‘rolling resistance,’’ which reduces
f uel economy.
It puts a heavier
load on the engine, increasing f uel
consumption. In
particular, a build-up of snow or
mud on your vehicle’s underside
adds weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
economy.
Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking increase fuel
consumption. Aerodynamic drag has a big ef f ect
on f uel mileage at speeds above 45
mph (75 km/h). Reduce your
speed and you reduce the drag.
Trailers, car top carriers, roof
racks and bike racks are also big
contributors to increased drag.
If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, you can
boost your f uel economy by up
shif ting as early as possible. Idling
results in 0 miles per gallon.
389
Fuel Economy Factors Use the recommended viscosity
motor oil, displaying the A PI
Certif ication Seal (see page).
Improving Fuel Economy Owner’s
Maintenance Checks Maintain proper tire inf lation
A void carrying excess weight in
your vehicle
K eep your vehicle clean
Drive moderatelyObserve the speed limit
Always drive in the highest gear
possible
Avoid excessive idling
393
Vehicle Maint enance
Drive Ef f icient ly
Fuel Economy
328
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2008 MDX

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Fill the f uel tank until the nozzle automatically clicks of f .
Reset trip counter to zero.
Record the total gallons (liters) needed to ref ill.
Follow one of the simple calculations above.
The A/C
puts an extra load on the engine
which makes it use more f uel. Use
the f resh-air ventilation when
possible.
Combine several short trips into
one. A warmed-up engine is more
f uel ef f icient than a cold one.
Direct calculation is the
recommended source of inf ormation
about your actual f uel economy.
Using f requency of f ill-ups or taking
f uel gauge readings are NOT
accurate measures of f uel economy.
Fuel economy may improve over the
f irst several thousand miles. 1)
2)
3)
4)
Checking Your Fuel Economy
Measuring T echniquesMinimize the use of the air
conditioning system
Plan and combine trips
Calculating Fuel Economy
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
329
Miles driven Gallons of
fuel Miles per
Gallon
100 KilometersL per 100 km
Liter
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2008 MDX

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the super handling-all wheel
stability assist (VSA) system, active
damper system, the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS), and
f acts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer or drive off-high way.........................
Driving Guidelines .338
........................
Preparing to Drive .338
.......................
Starting the Engine .339
Check Starting System .................................
Message .340
..............
Automatic Transmission .341
Super Handling-All Wheel Drive
...........................................
Parking .350
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
......................................
(TPMS) .351
.............................
Braking System .356
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .357
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
........................................
System .359
................
Active Damper System .361
...........................
Towing a Trailer .363
..................
Trailer Stability Assist .375
Of f -Highway Driving
..................................
Guidelines .377
Driving
Driving
337
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drive(SH-AWD®) system, the vehicle(SH-AWD®) System ....................348
2008 MDX