2009 Acura RDX maintenance schedule

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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 ).
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse withevery additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
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.
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 ). 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.
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 ).
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Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Don’t Drink and Drive
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Restrain All ChildrenControl Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
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µ To set your AcuraLink pref erences
(thetypesof messagesyouwantto
receive, if any), visit the My Acura
website at , and
choose what you would like to
receive. If you do not have internet
access, call Acura Client Services at
(800) 382-2238; they can set your
message pref erences f or you.
Select this option to delete
the current message.
Select this option to hear a
voice read the entire message. This
gives you more inf ormation than the
screen can display at one time. When
you select the Voice option, it
changes to a Stop Reading option.
Select the option again to stop the
voice.
Select this option to call a
phone number embedded in the
message. When you select , the
Bluetooth
HandsFreeLink(HFL)
dials the number f or you. Select this option to f ind the nearest
Acura dealer using the navigation
system.
Select
this button to call the Acura dealer
you purchased your vehicle f rom.
AcuraLink also directs you to this
dealer so you can schedule a
maintenance appointment or receive
inf ormation about a message. If you
visit another dealer f or service two
times within a 14-month period,
AcuraLink will reset to call that
dealer.
Select this
button to get more inf ormation about
the current diagnostic message. To
use this option, your cell phone must
be linked to the HFL and have a
compatible data service available.
Access the Owner Link website to
f ind out which data services are
currently compatible with AcuraLink.
To make a call, your Bluetooth
compatible phone must be paired to
your vehicle’s HandsFreeLink
system, have its power on, and be
inside the vehicle (see page ).
250
www.owners.acura.com
Message Pref erences
Delete
Voice
Call
CallFind Nearest Acura Dealer
Call Your A cura Dealer
Diagnostic Inf o
A curaL ink (U.S. models only)
240
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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.
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.
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.
Break-in Period Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
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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
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All service items not detailed in this
section should be perf ormed by a
certif ied technician or other qualif ied
mechanic.
To eliminate potential hazards, read
the instructions bef ore you begin,
and make sure you have the tools
and skills required.Make sure your vehicle is parked
on level ground, the parking brake
is set, and the engine is of f .
To clean parts, use a commercially
available degreaser or parts
cleaner, not gasoline.
To reduce the possibility of f ire or
explosion, keep cigarettes, sparks,
and flames away from the battery
and all f uel-related parts.
Wear eye protection and
protective clothing when working
with the battery or compressed air. Do
not run the engine unless
instructed to do so.
Some of the most important saf ety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every
conceivable hazard that can arise in
perf orming maintenance. Only you
can decide whether or not you
should perf orm a given task.
Be sure there is
adequate ventilation whenever you
operate the engine.
Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
down bef ore touching any parts.
Maintenance Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions Injury f rom moving parts.
Potential Vehicle Hazards Carbon Monoxide poison f rom
engine exhaust.
Burns f rom hot parts.
326
Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to be
seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures and
precautions in this owner’s
manual.
Improperly maintaining this
vehicle, or failing to correct a
problem before driving can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection
and maintenance
recommendations and
schedules in this owner’s
manual.
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ÛÝ
One of the most convenient and
important f eatures of the multi-
inf ormation display on your vehicle
is the maintenance minder.
Based on engine operating
conditions and accumulated engine
revolutions, the onboard computer in
your vehicle calculates the remaining
engine oil lif e.
The system also displays the code
f or other scheduled maintenance
items needing service.
The remaining engine oil lif e is
shownonthedisplayaccordingto
this table:
To see the current engine oil lif e,
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 ).
73
Calculated Engine
Oil Lif e (%)
100 % 91 % 90 % 81 %
80 % 71 %
70 % 61 %
60 % 51 %
50 % 41 %
40 % 31 %
30 % 21 %
20 % 16 %
15 % 11 %10 % 6 % 5% 1% 0% Displayed
Engine Oil Lif e (%) 100 %90 %
80 %
70 %
60 %
50 %
40 %
30 %
20 %
15 %
10 %5%
0%
CONT INUED
Engine Oil L if e
Maintenance Minder
Maint enance
327
INFO
BUTTONS
ENGINE OIL
LIFE DISPLAY SEL/RESET BUTTON
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When the remaining engine oil lif e is
15 to 6 percent, the multi-inf ormation
display shows a ‘‘SERVICE DUE
SOON’’ message along with the
maintenance schedule code
indicating the main and sub items
required at the time of the oil change.
Ref er to page f or a complete list
of the maintenance main items and
sub items. Press the SEL/RESET button on the
steering wheel repeatedly to select
the engine oil lif e. The message
‘‘SERVICE’’, along with ‘‘5%’’, and the
maintenance item code are displayed
on the lower part of the multi-
inf ormation display when the
calculated engine oil lif e is 1 5
percent (see page ).
When the remaining oil lif e is 5 to 1
percent, the multi-information
display shows a ‘‘SERVICE DUE
NOW’’ message with the same
maintenance items ‘‘SERVICE DUE
SOON’’ was displayed with. When
you see this message, have the
indicated maintenance perf ormed as
soon as possible.327
334
Maintenance Minder
328
MAINTENANCE ITEM CODE(S)
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Î
ÎThe United States Clean Air Act
sets standards f or automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
workandwhattodotomaintain
them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.
Scheduled maintenance is on page .
The burning of gasoline in your
vehicle’s engine produces several by-
products. Some of these are carbon
monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen
(NOx), and hydrocarbons (HC).
Gasoline evaporating f rom the tank
also produces hydrocarbons. Con-
trolling the production of NOx, CO,
and HC is important to the environ-
ment. Under certain conditions of
sunlight and climate, NOx and HC
react to f orm photochemical ‘‘smog.’’
Carbon monoxide does not contri-
bute to smog creation, but it is a
poisonous gas.
Your vehicle has a positive
crankcase ventilation system. This
keeps gasses that build up in the
engine’s crankcase f rom going into
the atmosphere. The positivecrankcase ventilation valve routes
them from the crankcase back to the
intake manif old. They are then
drawn into the engine and burned.
As gasoline evaporates in the f uel
tank, an evaporative emissions
control canister f illed with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is of f . Af ter
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine
and burned during driving.
The onboard ref ueling vapor
recovery (ORVR) system captures
the f uel vapors during ref ueling. The
vapors are adsorbed in a canister
f illed with activated carbon. While
driving, the f uel vapors are drawn
into the engine and burned of f .
In Canada, Acura vehicles comply
with the Canadian emission
requirements, as specif ied in an
agreement with Environment
Canada, at the time they are
manuf actured. 334
The Clean Air Act
Crankcase Emissions Control
System Evaporative Emissions Control
System
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
Recovery
Emissions Cont rols
Technical Inf ormation
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