Page 415 of 609
Depending on the severity of the
problem, the message will let you
know if you should see your dealer
immediately or if you can wait until a
later date.
You can then use the message
options to call your dealer for an
appointment or to find the nearest
dealer.
When viewing a diagnostic info
message through the INFO menu,
you can use the Diagnostic Info
button to connect to the Acura server
and retrieve the latest information
regarding the problem.
NOTE: There may not be any
additional information, depending on
the time elapsed since the previous
time you retrieved the information
from the Acura server.Reminder Massage
When you make an appointment
through My Acura's online
Scheduling Service Appointment,
you can be reminded in advance
about that appointment through
AcuraLink.
If you need to reschedule or cancel
the appointment, see page 406.
AcuraLink
®
(U.S. models only)
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Page 416 of 609

Turning the Automated Appointment
preference off will disable
appointment notifications in the
vehicle based on appointments
created or changed at My Acura's
online scheduling website.
Appointments can still be created,
rescheduled, and canceled from the
vehicle; however, the appointment
information stored in the vehicle will
not be updated. Any changes to
those appointments should be made
from the My Acura website.AcuraLink/Message Screen
To access the following functions,
press the INFO/PHONE button,
then select the SETUP option, push
the interface selector to the right to
select Other, then rotate the interface
knob to select AcuraLink/Messages.
Delete Messages
-Select this
option to delete all stored messages
within a category, except for
diagnostic info and recall campaign
messages. These messages can only
be deleted by a certified technician
after the recall is done or the
problem is corrected, or through a
broadcast message from Acura.
CONTINUED
AcuraLink
®
(U.S. models only)
411
Features
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Page 417 of 609

New Message Notification-
Select ON if you want to be notified
of new messages (envelope icon
appears on the navigation screen).
Select OFF if you do not want to be
notified of new messages (envelope
icon does not appear on the screen).
Messages can still be accessed using
the INFO menu. If you would like to
stop receiving messages, visit the My
Acura website at
www.owners.acura.
com
to change your messaging
preferences.
Auto Reading -Select ON to have
the system automatically read each
message to you. Select OFF to
manually select the Voice button
when you want a message read to
you. Phone-Data Connection
-Select
this option to begin the process
required to connect to Acura. This is
used to access the most recent
diagnostic information when a
problem occurs.
NOTE: For the Phone Data
Connection button to be active, you
need a
Bluetooth
®compatible and
enabled cell phone paired to the
Bluetooth
®HandsFreeLink
®(HFL).
To complete the data connection
setup, the paired phone must have a
compatible data service.
AcuraLink
®
(U.S. models only)
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Page 418 of 609

To find more information onBluetooth
®compatible and enabled
cell phones, visit
www.acura.com/handsfreelink
or call
the HandsFreeLink
®consumer
support at 1-888-528-7876. Connect to the Acura Server
-
The default setting is prompt. When
a diagnostic info message appears,
and you select the Check Now
option, the system will prompt you
before connecting to the Acura
server. If you do not wish to connect
at that time, select No at the prompt,
and you will see the information from
the onboard database. The ‘‘Auto ’’
setting will remove the prompt when
you select the Check Now option and
will automatically connect to the
Acura server. This setting only
applies when you have a
Bluetooth
®
enabled phone that is paired with the
HFL and you have completed the
Phone-Data Connection setup.
As required by the FCC:
This device complies with Part 15 of theFCC rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This devicemay not cause harmful interference, and(2) this device must accept any
interference received, includinginterference that may cause undesiredoperation.
Changes or modifications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user'sauthority to operate the equipment.
AcuraLink
®
(U.S. models only)
413
Features
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Page 422 of 609
Before you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use and how to check the
levels of important fluids. You also
need to know how to properly store
luggage or packages. The
information in this section will help
you. If you plan to add any
accessories to your vehicle, please
read the information in this section
first.Break-in Period
...........................
418
Fuel Recommendation
................
418
Service Station Procedures
.........
419
Refueling
.................................
419
Tighten Fuel Cap Message
.....
420
Opening and Closing the
Hood
...................................
421
Oil Check
................................
422
Engine Coolant Check
............
422
Fuel Economy
.............................
423
Accessories and
Modifications
..........................
426
Carrying Cargo
...........................
428
Before Driving
417
Before Driving
10/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu
Page 423 of 609

Break-in Period
Help assure your vehicle's future
reliability and performance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:●
Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
●
Avoid hard braking for the first 200
miles (300 km).
●
Do not change the oil until the
multi-information display indicates
it is needed.
●
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also follow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Fuel Recommendation
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
performance. The long-term use of
regular-grade gasoline can lead to
engine damage.
We recommend quality gasolines
containing detergent additives that
help prevent fuel system and engine
deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
performance, fuel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
fuel additives such as MMT. Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely affect performance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact your
dealer for service.
Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10% ethanol by
volume and up to 15% MTBE by
volume. Do not use gasoline
containing methanol.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
For further important fuel-related
information for your vehicle, or
information on gasoline that does not
contain MMT, visit My Acura at
owners.acura.com.
In Canada, visit
www.acura.ca
for additional
information on gasoline.
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation41810/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu
Page 425 of 609

5. Screw the fuel fill cap back on untilit clicks at least once. If you do not
properly tighten the cap, you will
see a ‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL CAP ’’
message on the multi-information
display (see right column on this
page), and the malfunction
indicator lamp may also come on
(see page 557).
6. Push the fuel fill door closed until it latches. Tighten Fuel Cap Message
Your vehicle's on board diagnostic system
will detect a loose or missing fuel fill cap as
an evaporative system leak. The first time a
leak is detected a
‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL CAP’’
message appears on the multi-information
display. Turn the engine off, and confirm the
fuel fill cap is installed. If it is, loosen it, then
retighten it until it clicks at least once. The
message should go off after several days of
normal driving once you tighten or replace
the fuel fill cap. To scroll to another message,
press the INFO button. The ‘‘TIGHTEN
FUEL CAP’’ message will appear each time
you restart the engine until the system turns
the message off.
If the system still detects a leak in
the vehicle's evaporative emissions
system, the malfunction indicator
lamp (MIL) comes on. If the fuel fill
cap was not already tightened, turn
the engine off, and check or
retighten the fuel fill cap until it
clicks at least once. The MIL should
go off after several days of normal
driving once the cap is tightened or
replaced. If the MIL does not go off,
have your vehicle inspected by a
dealer. For more information, see
page 557.
Service Station Procedures42010/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu
Page 427 of 609
Oil CheckWait a few minutes after turning the
engine off before you check the oil.1. Remove the dipstick (orange loop).
2. Wipe off the dipstick with a clean cloth or paper towel.
3. Insert the dipstick all the way back into its hole.
4. Remove the dipstick again, andcheck the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see Adding Engine Oil on page 511.Engine Coolant Check
Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
Adding
Engine Coolant on page 514 for
information on adding the proper
coolant.
Refer to Owner's Maintenance
Checks on page 507 for information
about checking other items on your
vehicle.
DIPSTICK
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
RESERVE TANK
MIN MAX
Service Station Procedures42210/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu