2009 Acura MDX instrument panel

Adjust the brightness of the
instrument panel by pressing the＋
or － button. Press the ＋button to
increase the brightness and the －
button to decrease it. The brightness
can be set differently for when the
headlights are on, and when they are
off.
The level of brightness is shown on
the multi-information display while
you adjust it. It goes out 5 seconds
after you finish adjusting. To reduce glare at night, the
instrument panel illumination dims
when you turn the light switch to
or
. To cancel the glare reduction
function, set the brightness to the
highest level, then press the ＋
button. You will hear a beep when it
is canceled.
You can customize when the glare
reduction function starts. To change
‘‘ AUTO INTERIOR
ILLUMINATION ’’, see page95for
more information.
Instrument Panel Brightness
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Inst rument s and Cont rols
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2009 MDX

Make any steering wheel adjustment
before you start driving.
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle and be seriously injured
in a crash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Move the steering wheel in, out, up,
or down by pushing and holding the
adjustment switch in that direction.Release the switch when the steering
wheel reaches the desired position.
Make sure the steering wheel points
towards your chest, not toward your
face, and that you can see the
instrument panel gauges and
indicators.
ADJUSTMENT SWITCH
Steering Wheel Adjustments12408/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX

The ignition switch has four
positions: LOCK (0), ACCESSORY
(I), ON (II), and START (III).
LOCK (0)－You can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
To turn the key to the LOCK (0)
position, the shift lever must be in
Park, and you must push the key in
slightly.
If the front wheels are turned, the
anti-theft lock may make it difficult to
turn the key. Firmly turn the steering
wheel to the left or right as you turn
the key. ACCESSORY (I)
－You can operate
the audio system and the accessory
power sockets in this position.
ON (II) －This is the normal key
position when driving. Several of the
indicators on the instrument panel
come on as a test when you turn the
ignition switch from the
ACCESSORY (I) to the ON (II)
position.
START (III) －Use this position
only to start the engine. The switch
returns to the ON (II) position when
you let go of the key. You will hear a reminder beeper if
you leave the key in the ignition
switch in the LOCK (0) or the
ACCESSORY (I) position and open
the driver's door. Remove the key to
turn off the beeper.
The shift lever must be in Park
before you can remove the key from
the ignition switch.
Ignition Switch
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Inst rument s and Cont rols
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2009 MDX

Auto Reverse
If the moonroof runs into any
obstacle while it is closing
automatically, it will reverse
direction, and then stop. To close the
moonroof, remove the obstacle, then
use the moonroof switch again.
Auto reverse stops sensing when the
moonroof is almost closed. You
should always check that all
passengers and objects are away
from the moonroof before closing it.
Opening or closing the
moonroof on someone's hands
or fingers can cause serious
injury.
Make sure all hands and fingers
are clear of the moonroof
before opening or closing it.You can open and close the
moonroof for up to 10 minutes after
you turn off the ignition switch.
Opening either front door cancels
this function.
If you try to open the moonroof in
below-freezing temperatures, or when it
is covered with snow or ice, you can
damage the moonroof panel or its
motor.
Parking Brake
To apply the parking brake, push the
pedal down with your foot. To
release it, pull the release handle
fully. The parking brake indicator on
the instrument panel should go out
when the parking brake is fully
released (see page65).
You will also see a
‘‘RELEASE
PARKING BRAKE ’’message on the
multi-information display (see page
81).
RELEASE HANDLE
PARKING BRAKE PEDAL
CONTINUED
Moonroof, Parking Brake
153
Inst rument s and Cont rols
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2009 MDX

When the light control switch is in theON position:●All the individual map lights come
on and stay on as long as the
switch remains in the ON position.●The cargo (3rd row) area light
comes on if the switch is in the
door activated position. Individual Map Lights
Turn on the front row individual map
lights by pushing the lens. Push the
lens again to turn it off. With the light
control switch in the door activated
position, the second row map lights
can be turned on by pushing the
lens. Push the lens again to turn it
off.
The courtesy light between the map
lights comes on when you turn the
parking lights on. To adjust its
brightness, press either of the
instrument panel brightness control
buttons (＋
or－).
FRONT
COURTESY LIGHT
Interior Lights16008/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX

Adjusting the Sound
Press the TUNE (SOUND) knob
repeatedly to display the BASS,
TREBLE, FADER, BALANCE,
SUBWOOFER, and SVC (speed-
sensitive volume compensation)
settings.
BASS－Adjusts the bass.
TREBLE －Adjusts the treble.
FADER －Adjusts the front-to-back
strength of the sound.
BALANCE －Adjusts the side-to-
side strength of the sound.
SUBWOOFER －Adjusts the
strength of sound from the
subwoofer speaker.
CENTER －Adjusts the strength of
sound from the center speaker. SVC
－Adjusts the volume level
based on the vehicle speed.
Each mode is shown in the display as
it changes. Turn the TUNE knob to
adjust the setting to your liking.
When the level reaches the center,
you will see ‘‘C ’’in the display.
The system will return to the audio
display about 5 seconds after you
stop adjusting a mode.
Speed-sensitive Volume Compensation (SVC)The SVC mode controls the volume
based on vehicle speed. The faster
you go, the louder the audio volume
becomes. As you slow down, the
audio volume decreases.
The SVC has four modes; SVC OFF,
SVC LOW, SVC MID, and SVC
HIGH. Turn the TUNE knob to
adjust the setting to your liking. If
you feel the sound is too loud,
choose low. If you feel the sound is
too quiet, choose high. This function is set to MID as the
default setting when the vehicle
leaves the factory.
Audio System Lighting
You can use the instrument panel
brightness control buttons to adjust
the illumination of the audio system
(see page123).The audio system
illuminates when the parking lights
are on, even if the radio is off.
Playing the AM/FM Radio (Models without navigation system)18408/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX

The security system helps to protect
your vehicle and valuables from
theft. The horn sounds and a
combination of headlights, position
lights, side marker lights and
taillights flashes if someone attempts
to break into your vehicle or remove
the audio unit. This alarm continues
for 2 minutes, then the system
resets. To reset an activated system
before the 2 minutes have elapsed,
unlock the driver's door with the key
or the remote transmitter.
The security system automatically
sets 15 seconds after you lock the
doors, hood, and the tailgate. For the
system to activate, you must lock the
doors and the tailgate from the
outside with the key, driver's lock
tab, door lock master switch, or
remote transmitter. The security
system indicator on the instrument
panel starts blinking immediately to
show you the system is setting itself.
Once the security system is set,
opening any door, the tailgate, or the
hood without using the key or the
remote transmitter, will cause it to
alarm. It also alarms if the radio is
removed from the dashboard or the
wiring is cut.The security system will not set if the
hood, tailgate, or any door is not fully
closed. If the system will not set,
check that the doors, the tailgate and
the hood are fully closed.
Do not attempt to alter this system or
add other devices to it.
SECURITY SYSTEM INDICATOR
Security System
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Feat ures
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2009 MDX

Cruise control allows you to maintain
a set speed above 25 mph (40 km/h)
without keeping your foot on the
accelerator pedal. It should be used
for cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended for
city driving, winding roads, slippery
roads, heavy rain, or bad weather.
Improper use of the cruise
control can lead to a crash.
Use the cruise control only
when traveling on open
highways in good weather.Using Cruise Control
1. Push in the CRUISE button on the
steering wheel. The CRUISE
MAIN indicator on the instrument
panel comes on.
The cruise control system can be
left on, even when it is not in use.
2. Accelerate to the desired cruising speed above 25 mph (40 km/h). 3. Press and release the SET/
DECEL button on the steering
wheel. The CRUISE CONTROL
indicator on the instrument panel
comes on to show the system is
now activated.
CRUISE BUTTON
RES/ACCEL
BUTTON
SET/DECEL
BUTTON
CANCEL BUTTON
Cruise Control27008/06/06 16:58:07 09 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX620 enu
2009 MDX