2008 MDX Online Reference Owner's Manual
Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... i A Few Words About Safety .............................................................................................................................. iii Important Handling Information .................................................................................................................... iv
Your Vehicle at a Glance (main controls) .................................................................................................... 3
Driver and Passenger Safety (seat belts, SRS, and child protection) .................................................... 5
Instruments and Controls
(indicators, gauges, multi-information display, dashboard, and steering column)
..... 61
Features (
climate control,audio,rear entertainment,steering wheel,security,cruise control,and other convenience items
)
......... 169
Before Driving (fuel, vehicle break- in, and cargo loading) ..................................................................... 321
Driving (engine and transmission operation) ................................................................................................ 337
Maintenance (minder, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)........................................... 381
Taking Care of the Unexpected (flat tire, dead battery, overheating, and fuses) ............................... 423
Technical Information (vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls) ....................................... 449
Warranty and Customer Relations (U. S. and Canada only) (warranty and contact information) ... 465
Authorized Manuals (U. S. only) (how to order) ......................................................................................... 469
Index ............................................................................................................................... ........................................ I
Service Information Summary ( fluid capacities and tire pressures)
1 00X31-STX-6102
µ
You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with airbags,
make sure you and your passengers
always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly (see page ). Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat, not the front seat. Infants and
smallchildrenshouldberestrained
in a child seat. Larger children
should use a booster seat and a lap/
shoulder belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat
(see pages ).
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
15 3757
415
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Restrain All Children
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Control Your Speed
Don’t Drink and Drive
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Important Saf ety Precautions
6
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Î
Î
The U.S. instrument panel is shown. Dif f erences f or the Canadian models are noted in the text.: If equipped
Instrument Panel
Inst rument s and Cont rols
63
LOW TIRE PRESSURE
INDICATOR
CRUISE CONTROL
INDICATOR
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
INDICATOR
HIGH BEAM INDICATOR
MULTI-INFORMATION DISPLAY
LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR VSA ACTIVATION INDICATOR
MALFUNCTION
INDICATOR LAMP
A/T TEMPERATURE INDICATOR LIGHTS ON INDICATOR
SEAT BELT REMINDER INDICATOR
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM INDICATOR
SECURITY SYSTEM INDICATOR (P.65)
SIDE AIRBAG OFF
INDICATOR
IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM
INDICATOR FOG LIGHT INDICATORACTIVE DAMPER SYSTEM
INDICATOR
PARKING BRAKE AND BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATORCRUISE MAIN INDICATOR
(P.70)
(P.71)
(P.66)
(P.69)
(P.65)
(P.68)
(P.65) (P.70)(P.67)(P.67)
(P.71)
(P.70)
(P.70)
LOW FUEL
INDICATOR (P.71)
(P.68)
(P.66)
(P.66)
(P.70)
(P.64)
(P.73)
VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST (VSA) SYSTEM INDICATOR
MESSAGE INDICATOR
(P.69)
(P.437) (P.70)
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CHARGINGSYSTEMINDICATOR
SH-AWD INDICATOR®
2008 MDX
If it stays on after you have fully
released the parking brake while
the engine is running, or if it
comes on while driving, it can
indicate a problem in the brake
system. You will also see a ‘‘LOW
BRAKE FLUID’’ or ‘‘CHECK
BRAKE SYSTEM’’ message on
the multi-information display (see
pages).For more inf ormation,
see page .
If this indicator comes on when
the engine is running, the battery
is not being charged, and you will
also see a ‘‘CHECK CHARGING
SYSTEM’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display. For more
inf ormation, see page .
The engine can be severely
damaged if this indicator f lashes
or stays on when the engine is
running, or if a ‘‘CHECK ENGINE
OIL LEVEL’’ message is on the
multi-inf ormation display. For
more information, see page .
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK
EMISSION SYSTEM’’ message on
the multi-information display. For
more information, see page . This indicator has two f unctions:
Itcomesonwhenyouturnthe
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. It is a reminder to check
the parking brake. Driving with
the parking brake not f ully
released can damage the rear
brakes, axles, and tires.
If you drive without releasing the
parking brake, a beeper will sound,
and you will also see a ‘‘RELEASE
PARKING BRAKE’’ message on
the multi-information display (see
page ).
1.
2.
81
436
436 437 438
81
Instrument Panel Indicators
L ow Oil Pressure
Indicator
Charging System
Indicator
Malf unction Indicator
Lamp Parking Brake
and Brake
System
Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
65
U.S. Canada
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2008 MDX
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
This indicator has two f unctions:This indicator monitors the
temperature of the automatic
transmission f luid. It should come on
f or a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it comes on while driving,
it means the transmission fluid
temperature is too high. Pull to the
side of the road when it is saf e, shif t
to Park, and let the engine idle until
the indicator goes out.
You will also see an ‘‘A/T TEMP
HIGH’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
If this happens, pull to the side of
the road when it is saf e, check
which tire has lost pressure on the
multi-inf ormation display, and
determine the cause. If it is
because of a flat tire, have the flat
tire repaired as soon as possible. If
two or more tires are
underinf lated, call a prof essional
towing service. For more
inf ormation, see page .
If this indicator begins to f lash,
there is a problem with the tire
pressure monitoring system
(TPMS). You will also see a
‘‘CHECK TPMS SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display. The indicator continues to
f lash f or a while (approximately 1
minute), then stays on. If this
happens, have your dealer check
the system as soon as possible.
For more inf ormation, see page
.
Check the tire pressure monitor on
the multi-inf ormation display and
determinethecause(seepage).
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ). If it comes on while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are signif icantly low
on pressure.
1.
82
2.
82 446
352 354
Instrument Panel Indicators
Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator A/T Temperature
Indicator
68
Continuing to drive with the A/T
temperature indicator on may cause
serious damage to the transmission.
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Multi-Inf ormation Display
74
Main MenuINFO buttonSEL/RESET button
(See page75)
Go to Customize Menu (See page83)
Trip Computer (See page78)(See page75)
(See page75)
Tire Pressure for each tire (See page77) Go to HandsFreeLink Menu (See page280)
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2008 MDX
When the main menu is blank,
pressing the SEL/RESET button
changes the display to ‘‘trip meter/
odometer’’ ‘‘outside temperature/
odometer’’ and ‘‘engine oil lif e/
odometer’’.The odometer shows the total
distance your vehicle has been
driven. It measures miles in U.S.
models and kilometers in Canadian
models. It is illegal under U.S.
federal law and Canadian provincial
regulations to disconnect, reset, or
alter the odometer with the intent to
change the number of miles or
kilometers indicated.This meter shows the number of
miles (U.S.) or kilometers (Canada)
driven since you last reset it. There
are two trip meters: Trip A and Trip
B. Each trip meter works
independently, so you can keep track
of two dif f erent distances.
To reset a trip meter, display it, and
then press and hold the SEL/RESET
button until the number resets to
‘‘0.0.’’
CONT INUED
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Trip Meter
Odometer
Inst rument s and Cont rols
75
ODOMETER TRIP METER
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SH-AWD®or TIRE PRESSURE,
2008 MDX
Whenthetirepressuremonitoris
shown on the multi-inf ormation
display, press the SEL/RESET
button. The display changes as
shown.
You can see the pressure of each tire
in this monitor. If one or more tires
are low, inflate them to the correct
pressure. For more inf ormation, see
page .
This monitor shows how much
torque is being delivered to each
wheel. For more inf ormation, see
page .
This shows the remaining lif e of the
engine oil. It shows 100% af ter the
engine oil is replaced and the display
is reset. The engine oil lif e is
calculated based on engine operating
conditions and accumulated engine
revolutions. For more inf ormation,
see page .
383 348
351
Tire Pressure Monitor
Monitor
Engine Oil L if e
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Inst rument s and Cont rols
77
U.S.
Canada
ENGINE OIL LIFE
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SH-AWD®T orque Distribution
2008 MDX