2009 Acura TSX manual transmission

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.
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Your vehicle is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane number of 91 or higher.
Useof aloweroctanegasolinecan
cause occasional metallic knocking
noises in the engine and will result in
decreased engine perf ormance. Use
of a gasoline with a pump octane
number less than 87 can lead to
engine damage.
We recommend using quality
gasolines containing detergent
additives that help prevent fuel
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.
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.
You may hear a knocking noise from
the engine if you drive the vehicle at
low engine speed (below about 1,000
rpm) in a higher gear. To stop this,
raise the engine speed by shif ting to
a lower gear.
On vehicles with manual transmission
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period Fuel Recommendation
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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 multi-
inf ormation display (see
on page ).
For example: 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.
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. It puts a heavier
load on the engine, increasing f uel
consumption. An under inf lated tire increases
‘‘rolling resistance,’’ which reduces
f uel economy.
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CONT INUED
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 Drive moderately
Observe the speed limit
Always drive in the highest gear
possible
Avoid excessive idling
K eep your vehicle clean
A void carrying excess weight in
your vehicle
Maintain proper tire inf lation
419
Vehicle Maint enance Drive Ef f icient ly
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
363
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This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual and automatic transmissions.
It also includes important
information on parking your vehicle,
the braking system, the vehicle
stability assist (VSA) system, the tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS),
and f acts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive .374
.......................
Starting the Engine .375
...................
Manual Transmission .376
..............
Automatic Transmission .379
Driving with the Paddle
.......................................
Shif ters .383
...........................................
Parking .388
.............................
Braking System .389
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .390
Tire Pressure Monitoring
........................
System (TPMS) .392
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
),
aka Electronic Stability ........
Control (ESC), System .398
...........................
Towing a Trailer .400
Driving
Driving
373
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Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
downandholdittherewhile
starting to clear flooding. Return
to step 5 if the engine does not
start.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in the START (III)
position f or more than 15 seconds
at a time. If the engine does not
start right away, pause for at least
10 seconds bef ore trying again.
If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
Press the clutch pedal down all the
way. The START (III) position
does not f unction unless the clutch
pedal is pressed.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.6.
Manual transmission:
Automatic transmission:
Starting the Engine
Driving
375
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page .
121
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On models with manual transmission
The manual transmission is
synchronized in all f orward gears f or
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot accidentally shif t f rom
any forward gear to reverse while
the vehicle is moving at a certain
speed (see page ).
When shif ting up or down, make
sure you push the clutch pedal down
all the way, shif t to the next gear,
and let the pedal up gradually. When
you are not shif ting, do not rest your
f oot on the clutch pedal. This can
cause your clutch to wear out f aster.
Come to a full stop before you shift
into reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shift into
reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause f or a f ew seconds bef ore
shif ting into reverse, or shif t into one
of the f orward gears f or a moment.
This stops the gears so they won’t
‘‘grind.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking from the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheatingwhilegoingdowna
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure the engine speed will not
go into the tachometer’s red zone in
the lower gear.
378
Manual T ransmission
376
Rapid slowing or speeding up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.
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Press the clutch pedal, and shif t to
reverse.
With the clutch pedal still pressed,
start the engine.
If you are still unable to shif t to
reverse, apply the parking brake,
andturntheignitionkeytothe
ACCESSORY (I) or LOCK (0)
position.
If you need to use this procedure to
shif t to reverse, your vehicle may be
developing a problem. Have it
checked by your dealer.
The manual transmission has
lockout so you cannot accidentally
shif t f rom any f orward gear to
reverse while the vehicle is moving
at a certain speed. If you cannot shif t
to reverse when the vehicle is
stopped, do the f ollowing.
With the clutch pedal pressed,
move the shift lever to the first/
second gear side of the neutral
gate, then shif t to reverse.
1. 2.
3.
4.
Manual T ransmission
Reverse Lockout
378
Move the shift lever in sequence.
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µTo shift into the S
position, press the release button on
the front of the shift lever, and move
the lever to S. This position is similar
to D, except only gears f rom f irst to
f ourth are selected. The S position
keeps the transmission f rom cycling
between fourth and fifth gears in
stop-and-go driving.
With the shift lever in D or S, you
canalsousethepaddleshiftersto
shif t the transmission up or down.
With the paddle shifters, you can
operate the transmission much like a
manual transmission without a
clutch pedal. For more inf ormation
on driving with the paddle shif ters,
see page . If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
rpm below the red zone.
This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release
button does not work.
Set the parking brake.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
383 1.
2.
CONT INUED
S Position (S) Engine Speed L imiter Shif t L ock Release
Automatic Transmission
Driving
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When you are driving in D position,
you can shif t the transmission up or
down manually with the paddle
shif ters.
Each time you pull the (right)
paddle, the transmission shif ts to a
higher gear. Pull the (lef t) paddle
to downshif t. You will see the
selected gear number on the
instrument panel.
When you pull either paddle shif ter,
the gear position indicator shows you
the selected gear number.
To shif t up or down, use the
(right) or (lef t) paddle shif ter on
each side of the steering wheel. Downshifting with the paddle shifter
allows you to increase the engine
brakingwhengoingdownsteepor
long hills, and provides more power
when climbing uphills. You can
upshif t the transmission manually to
reduce the rpm. Driving in the
higher gear helps f uel economy.
Using the Paddle Shif ters in D
position (D-Paddle Shif t Mode)
Driving with the Paddle Shif ters
Driving
383
GEAR POSITION INDICATOR
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