ꭧ: If equippedDRIVER'S FRONT
AIRBAG (P. 10, 28)
DRIVING POSITION
MEMORY SYSTEM
(P. 180)
POWER DOOR LOCK
MASTER SWITCH
(P. 151)
ACCESSORY POWER
SOCKETS (P. 217)
POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES
(P. 171) POWER TAILGATE
BUTTON (P. 153)
HOOD RELEASE
HANDLE (P. 457) PARKING BRAKE
PEDAL (P. 176)
AUXILIARY INPUT JACKS (P. 371)
INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS (P. 63)
HOMELINK BUTTONS
(P. 396)PANORAMIC GLASS
ROOF SWITCH (P. 174)
MIRROR CONTROL
AUTO BUTTON
(P. 177)
PASSENGER'S
FRONT AIRBAG
(P. 10, 28)
CLIMATE CONTROL
SYSTEM (P. 220)
AUDIO SYSTEM
(P. 228)
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
(P. 477)
GAUGES (P. 76)
REAR SEAT HEATER
SWITCHES
ꭧ(P. 170)USB ADAPTER CABLE
(P. 257, 266, 342, 351)
MULTI-INFORMATION DISPLAY (P. 78)
Vehicle with navigation system is shown. INTEGRATED DYNAMICS
SYSTEM (IDS) SWITCH
ꭧ
(P. 519) PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF INDICATOR (P. 36)
HAZARD WARNING
BUTTON (P. 143)
CONTINUED
Your Vehicle at a Glance
3
Your Vehicle at a Glance
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ꭧ: If equipped
POWER TAILGATE
BUTTON (P. 153)
DRIVING POSITION
MEMORY SYSTEM
(P. 180)
POWER DOOR LOCK
MASTER SWITCH
(P. 151) POWER WINDOW
SWITCHES
(P. 171)
HOOD RELEASE
HANDLE (P. 457)
PARKING BRAKE
PEDAL (P. 176) INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS (P. 63)
GAUGES (P. 76)
MULTI-INFORMATION DISPLAY (P. 78)
HOMELINK BUTTONS (P. 396)
PANORAMIC GLASS
ROOF SWITCH (P. 174)
MIRROR CONTROL
AUTO BUTTON (P. 177)
CLIMATE CONTROL
SYSTEM (P. 220)
AUDIO SYSTEM
(P. 228)
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
(P. 477)
ACCESSORY POWER
SOCKETS (P. 217) REAR SEAT HEATER
SWITCHES
ꭧ(P. 170)AUXILIARY INPUT JACK (P. 371)
USB ADAPTER CABLE
(P. 257, 266, 342, 351)
Vehicle with navigation system is shown.
Control Locations6209/10/28 17:15:37 10 ACURA ZDX KA KC New North America Own 50 31SZN600 enu
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This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important information on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the Super Handling-All
Wheel Drive™(SH-AWD
®) system,
the vehicle stability assist (VSA
®),
aka electronic stability control (ESC)
system, active damper system (if
equipped), the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS), the
collision mitigation braking system ™
(CMBS ™) (if equipped), the blind
spot information system (BSI) (if
equipped), and facts you need if you
are planning to tow a trailer or drive
off-high way. Driving Guidelines
......................
472
Preparing to Drive
......................
472
Starting the Engine (Models without Keyless Access
System)
...........................
473
Check Starting System
Message
.............................
474
Starting the Engine (Models with Keyless Access System)
......
475
Check Starting System Message
.............................
476
Automatic Transmission
.............
477
Driving with the Paddle
Shifters
...................................
482
Super Handling-All Wheel
Drive ™(SH-AWD
®)
System
................................
487
Parking
.......................................
489
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
...................................
490
Braking System
..........................
495
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
...............
496
Collision Mitigation Braking System ™(CMBS ™)
...............
498Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
®),
aka Electronic Stability Control
(ESC), System
.....................
508
Blind Spot Information System
(BSI)
.......................................
511
Integrated Dynamics System
(IDS)
.......................................
519
Towing a Trailer
..........................
522
Off-Highway Driving
Guidelines
...............................
528
Driving
471
Driving
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Shift Lever Position IndicatorsThese indicators between the
tachometer and speedometer show
which position the shift lever is in.
Using a paddle shift mode, the gear
position indicator shows you the
selected gear number (see page
482).
The‘‘D ’’indicator comes on for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position. If it
flashes while driving (in any shift
position), it indicates a possible
problem in the transmission. Models equipped with the keyless
access system have an engine start/
stop button instead of an ignition
switch. ON mode is the equivalent of
ON (II). See page 196 for ignition
switch and power mode comparison.
If the malfunction 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.
When the ‘‘D ’’indicator warns of a
possible problem with the
transmission, you will see a ‘‘CHECK
TRANSMISSION ’’message on the
multi-information display (see page
91).
CONTINUED
Automatic Transmission
477
Driving
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ShiftingTo shift from Park to any position,
press firmly on the brake pedal, and
press the release button on the front
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.Models equipped with the keyless
access system have an engine start/
stop button instead of an ignition
switch. VEHICLE OFF (LOCK)
mode is the equivalent of LOCK (0);
and ACCESSORY mode is the
equivalent of ACCESSORY (I). See
page 196 for ignition switch and
power mode comparison.
To shift from:
Do this:
PtoR Press the brake pedal, and
press the shift lever release
button.
RtoP
NtoR DtoS Press the shift lever release
button.
StoD
DtoN
NtoD RtoN Move the shift lever.
Park (P)
-This position
mechanically locks the transmission.
Use Park whenever you are turning
off or starting the engine. To shift out
of Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and press the release button on
the shift lever. Make sure your foot is
off the accelerator pedal.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on
page 480.
Automatic Transmission47809/10/28 17:15:37 10 ACURA ZDX KA KC New North America Own 50 31SZN600 enu
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You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a
complete stop before shifting into
Park.On models without keyless accesssystemThe shift lever must be in Park
before you can remove the key from
the ignition switch.On models with keyless access
systemThe shift lever must be in Park
before you change the power mode
from ON to VEHICLE OFF (LOCK). Reverse (R)
-Press the brake
pedal and press the release button on
the front of the shift lever to shift
from Park to reverse. To shift from
reverse to neutral, come to a
complete stop, and then shift. Press
the release button before shifting
into reverse from neutral.
Neutral (N) -Use neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with the
engine idling. Shift 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. Drive (D)
-Use this position for
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear (1 through 6) for your
speed and acceleration. You may
notice the transmission shifting up at
higher engine speeds when the
engine is cold. This helps the engine
warm up faster.
CONTINUED
Automatic Transmission
479
Driving
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S position (S)-To 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 from first to
fifth are selected. (When shifting up
automatically, the vehicle speed is
higher than when in the D position.)
The S position keeps the
transmission from cycling between
fourth, fifth, and sixth gears in stop-
and-go driving.
With the shift lever in D or S, you
can also use the paddle shifters to
shift 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 information on
driving with the paddle shifters, see
page 482. Engine Speed Limiter
If you exceed the maximum speed
for the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the
tachometer's red zone. If this occurs,
you may feel 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.
The engine may cut in and out in R
position or depending on the road
condition, even when the engine
speed is lower than the tachometer's
red zone. This is the engine's
computer working to protect the
transmission.
Shift Lock Release
This allows you to move the shift
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release button
does not work.
1. Set the parking brake.
2.
On models without keyless access
systemRemove the key from the ignition
switch.On models with keyless accesssystemRemove the built-in key from the
keyless access remote (see page
207).
Automatic Transmission48009/10/28 17:15:37 10 ACURA ZDX KA KC New North America Own 50 31SZN600 enu
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3. Put a cloth on the edge of the shiftlock release slot cover to prevent
scratches. Use a small flat-tip
screwdriver or metal fingernail file
to carefully pry up the edge of the
cover and remove it from the slot.
4. Insert a key into the shift lockrelease slot.
5. Push down on the key or built-in key while you press the release
button on the front of the shift
lever and move the shift lever out
of Park to neutral. 6. Remove the key or built-in key
from the shift lock release slot,
then reinstall the cover. Make sure
the notch on the cover is on the
rear side. Press the brake pedal,
and restart the engine.
If you need to use the shift lock
release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by a dealer.
COVER
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
On models with keyless
access system
Automatic Transmission
481
Driving
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