Page 51 of 609

Child Seat PlacementWe strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat, not the front.Placing a forward-facing child seat inthe front seat of a vehicle equippedwith a passenger's airbag can be
hazardous.
If the vehicle seat is too
far forward, or the child's head is
thrown forward during a collision, an
inflating airbag can strike the child
with enough force to cause very
serious or fatal injuries. Even with advanced front airbags
that automatically turn the
passenger's front airbag off (see page
36), a back seat is the safest place for
a small child.
If it is necessary to put a forward-
facing child seat in the front, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, be sure the child seat is
firmly secured to the vehicle and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.
Placing a forward-facing child
seat in the front seat can result
in serious injury or death if the
front airbag inflates.
If you must place a forward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible, and properly restrain
the child.
Protecting Infants and Small Children4610/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu
Page 52 of 609

When buying a child seat, you need
to choose either a conventional child
seat, or one designed for use with
the Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren (LATCH) system.
Conventional child seats must be
secured to a vehicle with a seat belt,
whereas LATCH-compatible seats
are secured by attaching the seat to
hardware built into the second-row
seats.
Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt.
Whatever type of seat you choose, to
provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:
1.
The child seat should meet Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213.
Look for FMVSS
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.
2.
The child seat should be of the proper type and size to fit the child.Rear-facing for infants, forward-
facing for small children. 3.
The child seat should fit the vehicle
seating position (or positions)where it will be used.
Before purchasing a conventional
child seat, or using a previously
purchased one, we recommend that
you test the seat in the specific
vehicle seating position or positions
where the seat will be used.
Selecting a Child Seat
47
Driver and Passenger Safety
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Page 53 of 609

After selecting a proper child seat
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:1.
Properly secure the child seat to the vehicle.
All child seats must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of a lap/shoulder belt or with
the LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers for CHildren) system. A
child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash.
2.
Make sure the child seat is firmly secured.
After installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
forward and from side-to-side to
verify that it is secure. A child seat secured with a seat belt
should be installed as firmly as
possible. However, it does not need
to be
‘‘rock solid. ’’Some side-to-side
movement can be expected and
should not reduce the child seat's
effectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a different seating
position, or use a different style of
child seat that can be firmly secured.
3.
Secure the child in the child seat.Make sure the child is properly
strapped in the child seat
according to the child seat maker's
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
can be seriously injured in a crash. The following pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A forward-facing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same for a rear-
facing child seat.
Installing a Child Seat4810/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu
Page 64 of 609

If you decide that a child can safely
ride up front, be sure to:●
Carefully read the owner's manual,
and make sure you understand all
seat belt instructions and all safety
information.
●
Move the vehicle seat to the rear-
most position.
●
Have the child sit up straight, back
against the seat, and feet on or
near the floor.
●
Check that the child's seat belt is
properly and securely positioned.
●
Supervise the child. Even mature
children sometimes need to be
reminded to fasten the seat belts
or sit properly.Additional Safety Precautions
●
Do not let a child wear a seat belt
across the neck.
This could result
in serious neck injuries during a
crash.
●
Do not let a child put the shoulder part of a seat belt behind the back
or under the arm.
This could cause
very serious injuries during a
crash. It also increases the chance
that the child will slide under the
belt in a crash and be injured.
●
Two children should never use the
same seat belt.
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash.
●
Do not put any accessories on a
seat belt.
Devices intended to
improve a child's comfort or
reposition the shoulder part of a
seat belt can make the belt less
effective and increase the chance
of serious injury in a crash.
Protecting Larger Children
59
Driver and Passenger Safety
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Page 68 of 609

This section gives information about
the controls and displays that
contribute to the daily operation of
your vehicle. All the essential
controls are within easy reach.Control Locations
..........................
64
Instrument Panel
..........................
65
Instrument Panel Indicators
..........
66
Gauges
..........................................
76
Multi-Information Display
.............
77
Controls Near the Steering
Wheel
.....................................
124
Windshield Wipers and Washers
..............................
125
Rear Window Wiper and Washer
...............................
126
Turn Signal and Headlights
........
127
Hazard Warning Button
..............
131
Rear Window Defogger
...............
131
Instrument Panel Brightness
......
132
Steering Wheel Adjustments
.......
133
Keys and Locks
...........................
135
Immobilizer System
....................
137
Ignition Switch
............................
138
Door Locks
.................................
139
Childproof Door Locks
............
140
Tailgate
.......................................
140
Power Tailgate
........................
141
Remote Transmitter
....................
144 Seats
...........................................
148
Detachable Anchor
.................
154
Seat Heaters
................................
156
Seat Heaters and Seat
Ventilation
...............................
157
Power Windows
..........................
158
Moonroof
....................................
161
Parking Brake
.............................
163
Mirrors
.......................................
163
Driving Position Memory System
....................................
166
Interior Lights
.............................
168
Interior Convenience Items
.........
171
Beverage Holders
...................
172
Console Compartment
............
173
Storage Compartment
.............
173
Glove Box
...............................
173
Sunglasses Holder
..................
174
Sun Visor
................................
174
Vanity Mirror
..........................
175
Accessory Power Sockets
.......
175
AC Power Outlet
.....................
176
Instruments and Controls
63
Instruments and Controls
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Page 129 of 609

ꭧ1: If equipped
ꭧ 2: To use the horn, press the center pad of the steering wheel.
ꭧ 3: Refer to the navigation system manual. For how to operate
Bluetooth
®HandsFreeLink by voice, see page 380.
BLIND SPOT INFORMATION
SYSTEM (BSI) OFF BUTTON
ꭧ 1
(P. 476)VEHICLE STABILITY
ASSIST SYSTEM
OFF SWITCH
(P. 468)
MIRROR CONTROLS
(P. 164) HEADLIGHT/TURN SIGNAL/
FRONT FOG LIGHTS
(P. 127)
STEERING WHEEL
ADJUSTMENTS (P. 133) CRUISE CONTROL BUTTONS (P. 342)/
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC)
BUTTONS
ꭧ
1
(P. 350)
STEERING WHEEL
AUDIO CONTROLS
(P. 302) WINDSHIELD
WIPERS/WASHERS
(P. 125)
INSTRUMENT PANEL
BRIGHTNESS
(P. 132)
PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF INDICATOR
(P. 36)
HAZARD WARNING
BUTTON
(P. 131)REAR WINDOW
DEFOGGER
(P. 131)
ACCESSORY POWER
SOCKETS
(P. 175)
SEAT HEATER SWITCHES
(P. 156)/
SEAT HEATER AND SEAT
VENTILATION BUTTONS
ꭧ 1
(P. 157)
ACTIVE DAMPER
SYSTEM SWITCH
ꭧ 1
(P. 478)
HORN
ꭧ
2
BSI ALERT INDICATOR
ꭧ1
(P. 473)
COLLISION MITIGATION
BRAKING SYSTEM ™(CMBS ™)
OFF BUTTON
ꭧ 1
(P. 461)
HEADLIGHT WASHER
SWITCH
ꭧ 1
(P. 126)
DISTANCE
BUTTON
ꭧ1
(P. 354)
PADDLE SHIFTERS
(P. 441)
BLUETOOTH
HANDSFREELINK
BUTTON (P. 363) VOICE CONTROL
BUTTONS
ꭧ
3
Controls Near the Steering Wheel12410/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu
Page 145 of 609

Lockout PreventionWith any door and the tailgate open
and the key in the ignition, both
master door lock switches are
disabled. They are not disabled if all
the doors and the tailgate are closed.
If you try to lock an open driver's
door by pulling the lock tab rearward
the lock tab on the driver's door pops
out.Childproof Door Locks
The childproof door locks are
designed to prevent children seated
in the rear from accidentally opening
the rear doors. Each rear door has a
lock lever near the edge. With the
lever in the LOCK position (lever is
down), the door cannot be opened
from the inside regardless of the
position of the lock tab. To open the
door, push the lock tab forward and
use the outside door handle.Tailgate
To open the tailgate, push up inside
the handle, then lift up. To close the
tailgate, use the inner handle to pull
it down, then press down on the back
edge.
Keep the tailgate closed at all times
while driving to avoid damaging the
tailgate and to prevent exhaust gas
from getting into the interior. See
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
on page
60.
LOCK
Door Locks, Tailgate14010/06/29 11:59:04 11 ACURA MDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STX640 enu
Page 156 of 609

Active Head RestraintsThe driver's and front passenger's
seats have active head restraints. If
the vehicle is struck severely from
the rear, the occupant properly
secured with the seat belt will be
pushed against the seat-back and the
head restraint will automatically
move forward.This reduces the distance between
the restraint and the occupant's
head. It also helps protect the
occupants against the likelihood of
whiplash and injuries to the neck and
upper spine.
After a collision, the activated
restraint should return to its normal
position.
If the restraints do not return to their
normal position, or in the event of a
severe collision, have the vehicle
inspected by an Acura dealer.
For a head restraint system to work
properly:
●
Do not hang any items on the head
restraints, or from the restraint
legs.
●
Do not place any object between
an occupant and the seat-back.
●
Install each restraint in its proper
location.
●
Only use genuine Acura
replacement head restraints.
CONTINUED
Seats
151
Instruments and Controls
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