Page 451 of 517

Your tires have wear indicators
molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down, you will see a 1/2
inch (12.7 mm) wide band across the
tread. This shows there is less than
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread left on
the tire.
A tire this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see three
or more tread wear indicators.Tire Service Life
The service life of your tires is
dependent on many factors,
including, but not limited to, driving
habits, road conditions, vehicle
loading, inflation pressure,
maintenance history, speed, and
environmental conditions (even
when the tires are not in use).
In addition to your regular
inspections and inflation pressure
maintenance, it is recommended that
you have annual inspections
performed once the tires reach five
years old. It is also recommended
that all tires, including the spare, be
removed from service after 10 years
from the date of manufacture,
regardless of their condition or state
of wear.
The last four digits of the TIN (tire
identification number) are found on
the sidewall of the tire and indicate
the date of manufacture (See
Tire
Labeling on page 484). Tire Maintenance
In addition to proper inflation, correct
wheel alignment helps to decrease
tire wear. If you find a tire is worn
unevenly, have your dealer check the
wheel alignment.
Have your dealer check the tires if
you feel a consistent vibration while
driving. A tire should always be
rebalanced if it is removed from the
wheel. When you have new tires
installed, make sure they are
balanced. This increases riding
comfort and tire life. For best results,
have the installer perform a dynamic
balance.
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle's aluminum wheels. Use
only Acura wheel weights for
balancing.
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS
Tires44610/06/08 17:42:32 11 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK640 enu
Page 458 of 517

This section covers the more
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you information about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again. If
not, you will also find instructions on
getting your vehicle towed.Compact Spare Tire
....................
454
Changing a Flat Tire
...................
455
If the Engine Won't Start
.............
459
Jump Starting
..............................
461
If the Engine Overheats
..............
463
Low Oil Pressure Indicator
.........
465
Charging System Indicator
.........
465
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
........
466
Brake System Indicator
...............
467
Fuses
..........................................
469
Fuse Locations
............................
473
Emergency Towing
.....................
475
Taking Care of the Unexpected
453
Taking Care of the Unexpected
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Page 459 of 517

Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or
replaced, and put it back on your
vehicle as soon as you can.
Check the inflation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inflated to:
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm
2)Follow these precautions:
●Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).●This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road
surfaces. Use greater caution while
driving.●Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare tire.●Do not use your compact spare tire
on another vehicle unless it is the
same make and model.●After the flat tire is replaced with
the spare tire, the low tire
pressure/TPMS indicator stays on.
After several miles (kilometers)
driving with the spare, this
indicator begins to flash, then
stays on again. You will also see a
‘‘
CHECK TPMS SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-information
display (see page 393).
Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement should be the same size
and design tire, mounted on the
same wheel. The spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed for mounting a regular tire.
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR
Compact Spare Tire45410/06/08 17:42:32 11 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK640 enu
Page 514 of 517

TransmissionChecking Fluid Level
..............
427
Fluid Selection
........................
427
Identification Number
.............
478
Shifting the Automatic
.............
376
Treadwear
..................................
482
Trip Meter
...................................
76
Turbo Boost Meter
......................
73
Turn Signals
.................................
69
Turn Signals and Headlights
......
116
U
Unexpected, Taking Care of the
..........................................
453
Uniform Tire Quality Grading (U.S. only)
..............................
482
Unleaded Gasoline
.....................
352
USB Flash Memory Device Error Messages
........................
211, 279
Used Oil, How to Dispose of......
423
V
Vanity Mirror
.............................
158 Vehicle Capacity Load
................
365
Vehicle Dimensions
...................
480
Vehicle Identification Number
...
478
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
System
................................
395
VSA Activation Indicator
..........
69
VSA System Indicator
..............
68
Vehicle Storage
..........................
451
VIN
............................................
478
Viscosity, Oil
..............................
420
W
WARNING, Explanation of
...........
iii
Warning Labels, Location of
.........
58
Warranty Coverages (U.S. only)
.......................................
495
Washer, Windshield Checking the Fluid Level
........
426
Operation
................................
114
Wheels
.......................................
443
Adjusting the Steering
.............
122
Alignment and Balance
...........
447
Compact Spare
........................
454
Wrench, Nut
...........................
455 Windows
Auto Reverse
...........................
143
Operating the Power
...............
142
Rear, Defogger
........................
121
Windshield Cleaning
..................................
114
Defroster
.................................
167
Washers
..........................
114, 426
Wipers, Windshield Changing Blades
.....................
440
Operation
................................
114
Rear Windshield Wiper and
Washer
................................
115
Worn Tires
.................................
445
Wrecker, Emergency Towing
....
475
X
XM
®Radio
..........................
179, 228Index
XI
INDEX
10/06/08 17:42:32 11 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK640 enu