2009 Acura RDX service

Calif ornia Proposition 65 WarningThis product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth
def ects or other reproductive harm.
Event Data Recorders
This data belongs to the vehicle owner and may not be accessed by anyone else
except as legally required or with the permission of the vehicle owner.
Service Diagnostic Recorders
This vehicle is equipped with service-related devices that record inf ormation about powertrain perf ormance. The data
can be used to verif y emissions law requirements and/or help technicians diagnose and solve service problems. It may
also be combined with data f rom other sources f or research purposes, but it remains conf idential.
WARNING:
This vehicle is equipped with one or more devices commonly ref erred to as event data recorders. These
devices record f ront seat belt use, f ront passenger seat occupancy, airbag deployment data, and the f ailure
of any airbag system component.
Introduction
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2009 RDX 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)
.... 59
Features (
climate control, audio, steering wheel, security, cruise control, HomeLink®,and other convenience items
)
......... 159
Before Driving (fuel, vehicle break- in, and cargo loading) ..................................................................... 271
Driving (engine and transmission operation) ................................................................................................ 289
Maintenance (minders, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage).......................................... 325
Taking Care of the Unexpected (flat tire, dead battery, overheating, and fuses) ............................. 369
Technical Information (vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls) ....................................... 393
Warranty and Client Relations (U. S. and Canada only) (warranty and contact information) .......... 409
Authorized Manuals (U. S. only) (how to order) ......................................................................................... 413
Index ............................................................................................................................... ........................................ I

Service Information Summary ( fluid capacities and tire pressures)
1 00X31-STK-6200

A convenient ref erence to the
sections in this manual.
A quick ref erence to the main
controls in your vehicle.
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and gauge,
and how to use the controls on the
dashboard and steering column.What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
The proper way to start the engine,
shif t the transmission, and park; plus
what you need to know if you’re
planning to tow a trailer.
Important inf ormation about the
proper use and care of your vehicle’s
seat belts, an overview of the
supplemental restraint system, and
valuable inf ormation on how to
protect children with child restraints.
How to operate the climate control
system, the audio system, and
other convenience f eatures. The maintenance minder shows you
when you need to take your vehicle
to the dealer for maintenance service.
There is also a list of things to check
and instructions on how to check
them.ID numbers, dimensions, capaci-
ties, and technical information.
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience,
and details how to handle them. A summary of the warranties
covering your new vehicle, and how
to contact us for any reason. Refer to
your warranty manual f or detailed
inf ormation.
How to order manuals and other
technical literature.
A summary of the inf ormation you
need when you pull up to the f uel
pump.
Overview of Contents
Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Instruments and Controls
FeaturesDriving
Maintenance
Bef ore Driving T echnical Inf ormation
T aking Care of the Unexpected
Warranty and Client Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only)
Index
Service Inf ormation Summary
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This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains how your
airbags work, and it tells you how to
properly restrain infants and
children in your vehicle.
.........
Important Safety Precautions .6
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features .7
.......................................
Seat Belts .8
...........................................
Airbags .9
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens .11
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors .11
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats .12
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs .13
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints .14
5. Fasten and Position the
.............................
Seat Belts .14
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .16
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women .17
...
Additional Safety Precautions .18 Additional Inf ormation About
.......................
Your Seat Belts .19
..
Seat Belt System Components .19
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .20
Automatic Seat Belt
...............................
Tensioners .21
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance .22
Additional Inf ormation About ...........................
Your Airbags .23
......
Airbag System Components .23
How Your Front Airbags
.........................................
Work .25
...
How Your Side Airbags Work .29
How Your Side Curtain
..........................
Airbags Work .30
..
How the SRS Indicator Works .31
How the Side Airbag Of f
......................
Indicator Works .31
How the Passenger Airbag ...............
Of f Indicator Works .32
.............................
Airbag Service .33
...
Additional Safety Precautions .34
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .35
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .35 All Children Should Sit in a
.................................
Back Seat .36
The Passenger’s Front Airbag .........
Can Pose Serious Risks .36
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .38
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .38
...
Additional Safety Precautions .39
Protecting Inf ants and Small ...................................
Children .40
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .40
.........
Protecting Small Children .41
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .43
....................
Installing a Child Seat .44
...............................
With LATCH .45
.........
With a Lap/Shoulder Belt .49
..............................
With a Tether .50
...........
Protecting Larger Children .52
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit .52
..................
Using a Booster Seat .53
When Can a Larger Child Sit in
.........................................
Front .54
...
Additional Safety Precautions .55
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard .56
...................................
Saf ety Labels .57
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly.
Any airbag
that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. Any
seat belt tensioner that activates
must also be replaced.
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by an authorized dealer or
a knowledgeable body shop.
Your airbag systems are virtually
maintenance f ree, and there are no
parts you can saf ely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:
Even if your
airbags do not inflate, your dealer
should inspect the driver’s seat
position sensor, the f ront
passenger’s weight sensors, the
f ront seat belt tensioners, and all
seat belts and their anchors worn
during a crash to make sure they
are operating properly.
T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o a
problem.
An airbag ever inf lates. If your vehicle has a moderat e t o
severe impact .Airbag Service
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
If water or
another liquid soaks into a seat-
back, it can prevent the side airbag
cutof f system f rom working
properly. Improperly replacing
or covering f ront seat-back covers
can prevent your side airbags f rom
inf lating during a side impact. This could make the
driver’s seat position sensor or the
f ront passenger’s weight sensors
inef f ective. If it is necessary to
remove or modif y a f ront seat to
accommodate a person with
disabilities, f irst contact Acura
Client Services at 800-382-2238.
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason.
Do not expose the f ront passenger’sseat-back to liquid. Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ingyour dealer. Do not remove or modif y a f ront
seat without consulting yourdealer.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
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If this indicator blinks while driving,
it indicates the dif f erential
temperature is too high.You will also see a ‘‘CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
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:
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 .
Check the tire pressure monitor on
the multi-information display and
determinethecause(seepage ).
If it comes on while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are signif icantly low
on pressure.
For more inf ormation, see page .
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. If
the indicator does not go out, take
your vehicle to a dealer to have it
checked.
You will also see an ‘‘SH-AWD DIFF
TEMP HIGH’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ). 1. 77
308
391
78
301
CONT INUED
Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
Inst rument s and Cont rols
69
Continuing to drive with the SH-AWD
indicator blinking may cause serious
damage to the system.
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This shows the estimated distance
you can travel on the fuel remaining
in the f uel tank. This distance is
estimated f rom the f uel economy
you received over the last several
miles(U.S.) or kilometers (Canada),
so it will vary with changes in speed,
traf f ic, etc.
This shows the time passed traveled
since you last reset it. When you turn
the ignition switch to the ON (II)
position, ELAPSED TIME is reset.
You can customize the ELAPSED
TIME reset condition on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).This shows your vehicle’s average
f uel economy in mpg (U.S. models)
or liter/100 km (Canadian models)
since you last reset the Trip A or
Trip B.
When you reset Trip A, AVG.
SPEED is also reset.
This shows the average speed you
are traveling in miles per hour (mph)
forU.S.modelsorkilometersper
hour (km/h) f or Canadian models.
When the battery is disconnected, or
you ref uel, RANGE is also reset.
The multi-inf ormation display in the
instrument panel shows you the
engine oil lif e and maintenance
service items when the ignition
switch is in the ON (II) position. This
inf ormation helps to keep you aware
of the periodic maintenance your
vehicle needs f or continued trouble-
f ree driving. Ref er to page f or
more inf ormation.
This shows your current f uel
mileage.
When you turn of f the engine, INST.
MPG or INST. L/100 km is also
reset.
The average f uel mileage will be
reset when you reset the trip meter,
or if the vehicle’s battery goes dead
or is disconnected.
You can customize the Trip A and
AVG. FUEL A reset condition on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page).
327
91
93
RANGE
EL A PSED T IME
AVG. FUEL A/B
A VG. SPEED
Maintenance Minder
INST.MPG(U.S.models)/INST.
L /100km (Canadian models)
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Inst rument s and Cont rols
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