2011 Acura RDX trailer

Contents
A convenient reference to the
sections in this manual.
Your Vehicle at a Glance
A quick reference to the main
controls in your vehicle.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Important information about the
proper use and care of your vehicle's
seat belts, an overview of the
supplemental restraint system, and
valuable information on how to
protect children with child restraints.
Instruments and Controls
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and
gauge, and how to use the controls
on the dashboard and steering
column.
Features
How to operate the climate control
system, the audio system, and other
convenience features.Before Driving
What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
Driving
The proper way to start the engine,
shift the transmission, and park; plus
what you need to know if you're
planning to tow a trailer.
Maintenance
The Maintenance Minder
TM
shows
you when you need to take your
vehicle to the dealer for maintenance
service. There is also a list of things
to check and instructions on how to
check them.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience, and
details how to handle them. Technical Information
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities,
and technical information.
Warranty and Client Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
A summary of the warranties
covering your new vehicle, and how
to contact us for any reason. Refer to
your warranty manual for detailed
information.
Index
Service Information Summary
A summary of the information you
need when you pull up to the fuel
pump.
Overview of Contents210/06/08 17:42:32 11 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK640 enu

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
scheduled maintenance time.●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.
Avoid driving with an extremely low
fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, damaging
the catalytic converter.We recommend using 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 authorized dealer for service.
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation35210/06/08 17:42:32 11 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK640 enu

Drive Efficiently●Drive moderately－Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering, and
hard braking increase fuel
consumption.●Observe the speed limit －
Aerodynamic drag has a big effect
on fuel economy 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.
●Always drive in the highest gear
possible －If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, you can
boost your fuel economy by up
shifting as early as possible.●Avoid excessive idling －Idling
results in 0 miles per gallon (0 kms
per liter).
●Minimize the use of the air
conditioning system －The A/C
puts an extra load on the engine
which makes it use more fuel. Use
the fresh-air ventilation when
possible.●Plan and combine trips －
Combine several short trips into
one. A warmed-up engine is more
fuel efficient than a cold one.
Fuel Economy36010/06/08 17:42:32 11 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK640 enu

Load Limits
The maximum load for your vehicle
is 870 lbs (395 kg).
See Tire And Loading Information
label attached to the driver's
doorjamb.
Label Example
This figure includes the total weight
of all occupants, cargo, and
accessories, and the tongue load if
you are towing a trailer.
Overloading or improper
loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in
which you can be hurt or killed.
Follow all load limits and other
loading guidelines in this
manual.Steps for Determining Correct Load
Limit
－
1. Locate the statement ‘‘The
combined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX kg
or XXX lbs. ’’on your vehicle's
placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For
example, if the ‘‘XXX ’’amount
equals 1,400 lbs. and there will be
five 150 lb. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs.
(1,400 －750 (5 ╳150) ＝650 lbs.)
CONTINUED
Carrying Cargo
365
Before Driving
10/06/08 17:42:32 11 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK640 enu

5. Determine the combined weight ofluggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will
be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle. Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
In addition, the total weight of the
vehicle, all occupants, accessories,
cargo, and trailer tongue load must
not exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) or the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). Both are on
a label on the driver's doorjamb.
Max Load Passenger Weight Cargo Weight
(870 lbs) (395 kg) (68 kg x 2 = 136 kg) (259 kg)
(150 lbs x 2 = 300 lbs) (570 lbs)(870 lbs) (150 lbs x 4 = 600 lbs)
(270 lbs)
Max Load
Passenger Weight Cargo Weight
(395 kg) (68 kg x 4 = 272 kg)
(123 kg)(870 lbs)Passenger Weight
Cargo Weight
Max Load
(150 lbs x 5 = 750 lbs) (120 lbs)
(395 kg) (68 kg x 5 = 340 kg) (55 kg)
Carrying Cargo36610/06/08 17:42:32 11 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK640 enu

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
®)
system, the tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS), and facts you need
if you are planning to tow a trailer or
drive off-highway. Driving Guidelines
......................
372
Preparing to Drive
......................
373
Starting the Engine
.....................
374
Automatic Transmission
.............
376
Driving with the Paddle Shifters
...................................
380
Super Handling-All Wheel Drive ™(SH-AWD
®)
System
................................
384
Parking
.......................................
386
Braking System
..........................
387
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
...............
388
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)
...................................
390
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
®),
aka Electronic Stability Control (ESC), System
.....................
395
Towing a Trailer
..........................
397
Off-Highway Driving Guidelines
...............................
405
Driving
371
Driving
10/06/08 17:42:32 11 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK640 enu

Your vehicle has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and
their cargo. You can also use it to tow
a trailer if you carefully observe the
load limits, use the proper
equipment, and follow the guidelines
in this section.Break-In PeriodAvoid towing a trailer during your
vehicle's first 600 miles (1,000 km)
(see page 352).Be sure to read the
Off-Highway
Driving Guidelines section on page
405 if you plan to tow off paved
surfaces.
Exceeding any load limit or
improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously hurt
or killed.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully
before starting to drive. Load Limits
Total Trailer Weight:
The maximum
allowable weight of the trailer and
everything in or on it must not
exceed 1,500 lbs (680 kg). Towing a
load that is too heavy can seriously
affect your vehicle's handling and
performance. It can also damage the
engine and drivetrain.
CONTINUED
Towing a Trailer
397
Driving
10/06/08 17:42:32 11 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK640 enu

Tongue Load:The weight that the
tongue of a fully-loaded trailer puts
on the hitch should be approximately
10% of the total trailer weight. Too
much tongue load reduces front-tire
traction and steering control. Too
little tongue load can make the trailer
unstable and cause it to sway. To achieve a proper tongue load,
start by loading 60% of the load
toward the front of the trailer and 40%
toward the rear, then re-adjust the
load as needed.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR)
－The maximum allowable
weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
all accessories, all cargo, and the
tongue load is :
4WD:4,894 lbs (2,220 kg)2WD:4,718 lbs (2,140 kg) Gross Axle Weight Ratings
(GAWR)
－The maximum allowable
weight of the vehicle axle is :
4WD:2,546 lbs (1,155 kg)
on the front axle
2,381 lbs (1,080 kg)
on the rear axle2WD:2,447 lbs (1,110 kg)
on the front axle
2,271 lbs (1,030 kg)
on the rear axle
Gross Combined Weight Rating
(GCWR) －The maximum allowable
weight of the fully loaded vehicle and
trailer is :4WD:6,394 lbs (2,900 kg)2WD:4,718 lbs (2,140 kg)
Towing a Trailer39810/06/08 17:42:32 11 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK640 enu