2009 Acura TSX brake

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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2009 TSX

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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2009 TSX

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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2009 TSX

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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2009 TSX

If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem with the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it f lashes while driving (in
any shif t position), it indicates a
possible problem in the transmission.
These indicators in the tachometer
show which position the shif t lever is
in. When the ‘‘D’’ indicator warns of a
possible problem with the
transmission, you will see a ‘‘CHECK
TRANSMISSION’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display.
To shif t f rom Park to any position,
pressfirmlyonthebrakepedal,and
pressthereleasebuttononthefront
of the shift lever, then move the
lever. You cannot shift out of Park
when the ignition switch is in the
LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I)
position.
CONT INUED
Shif t L ever Position Indicators Shif ting
Automatic Transmission
Driving
379
SHIFT LEVER
RELEASE
BUTTON
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2009 TSX

µµµ
µ
To shift from: PtoR
RtoP
NtoR DtoS
StoD
DtoN
NtoD RtoN Do this:
Press the brake pedal and
press the shift lever release
button.
Press the shift lever release
button.
Move the shift lever.
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Press the release
buttononthefrontof theshiftlever
to move it. If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page .
You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a
complete stop bef ore shif ting into
Park. The shif t lever must be in Park
bef ore you can remove the key f rom
the ignition switch.
Press the brake
pedal and press the release button
on the f ront of the shif t lever to shif t
f rom Park to reverse. To shif t f rom
reverse to neutral, come to a
completestop,andthenshift.Press
the release button bef ore shif ting
into reverse f rom neutral. Use neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from neutral to
another gear.
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear (1 through 5) f or your
speed and acceleration. You may
notice the transmission shif ting up at
higher engine speeds when the
engine is cold. This helps the engine
warm up f aster.
381
Park (P) Shif t L ock Release
Reverse (R) Neutral (N)
Drive (D)
Automatic Transmission
380
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2009 TSX

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
381
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2009 TSX

Insert the key in the shift lock
release slot.
Put a cloth on the edge of the shif t
lock release slot cover. Use a small
f lat-tipped screwdriver or metal
f ingernail f ile to caref ully pry up
the edge of the cover and remove
it f rom the slot.Remove the key from the shift
lock release slot, then reinstall the
cover. Make sure the notch on the
cover is on the right side. Press
the brake pedal, and restart the
engine.
If you need to use the shif t lock
release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have it
checked by your dealer.
Push down on the key while you
pressthereleasebuttononthe
shif t lever and move the shif t lever
out of Park to neutral.
3.
4. 5.6.
Automatic Transmission
382
COVER
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
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2009 TSX