2012 Acura MDX belt

Event Data Recorders
This vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder (EDR).
The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in certain crash or near crash-like situations, such as an air bag deployment
or hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist in understanding how a vehicle’s systems performed. The EDR is
designed to record data related to vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period of time, typically 30 seconds
or less. The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record such data as:•
How various systems in your vehicle were operating;
•
Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts were buckled/fastened;
•
How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
•
How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better understanding of the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur. NOTE:
EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data are recorded by the EDR
under normal driving conditions and no personal data (e.g., name, gender, age, and crash location) are recorded.
However, other parties, such as law enforcement, could combine the EDR data with the type of personally identifying
data routinely acquired during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed. In
addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other parties, such as law enforcement, that have the special equipment, can
read the information if they have access to the vehicle or the EDR.
The data belongs to the vehicle owner and may not be accessed by anyone else except as legally required or with the
permission of the vehicle owner.
Introductionii

California Proposition 65 Warning
WARNING:This product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth
defects or other reproductive harm.Service Diagnostic Recorders
This vehicle is equipped with service-related devices that record information about powertrain performance. The data
can be used to verify emissions law requirements and/or help technicians diagnose and solve service problems. It
may also be combined with data from other sources for research purposes, but it remains confidential.California Perchlorate Contamination Prevention Act
The airbags, seat belt tensioners, and CR type batteries in this vehicle may contain perchlorate materials - special
handling may apply. See
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate/
Introduction
iii

Your MDX has higher ground clearance than a passenger vehicle designed for use only on pavement. Higher ground
clearance has many advantages for off-highway driving. It allows you to travel over bumps, obstacles, and rough
terrain. It also provides good visibility so you can anticipate problems earlier.
These advantages come at some cost. Because your vehicle is taller and rides higher off the ground, it has a high
center of gravity. This means your vehicle can tip or roll over if you make abrupt turns. Utility vehicles have a
significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly
more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. As a reminder, make sure you and your passengers always wear
seat belts.
For information on how to reduce the risk of rollover, read‘‘Driving Guidelines’’on page 440 of this manual and theOff-Highway Driving Guidelines
section on page 500. Failure to operate your vehicle correctly might result in loss of
control, a crash, or rollover.
Important Handling Information
v

Your Vehicle at a Glance(main controls)
....................................................................................................................
3
Driver and Passenger Safety(seat belts, SRS, and child protection)
...........................................................................
5
Instruments and Controls(indicators, gauges, multi-information display, dashboard, and steering column)
...........
65
Features(
climate control, audio, rear entertainment, steering wheel, security, cruise control, and other convenience items
)..
181
Before Driving(fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading)
.......................................................................................
421
Driving(engine and transmission operation)
...........................................................................................................
439
Maintenance(minder, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage)
...........................................................
505
Taking Care of the Unexpected(flat tire, Jump starting, overheating, and fuses)
...................................................
549
Technical Information(vehicle specifications, tires, and emissions controls)
........................................................
575
Warranty and Client Relations (U.S. and Canada only)(warranty and contact information)
...............................
593
Index
..............................................................................................................................................................................
I
INDEX
Service Information Summary(fluid capacities and tire pressures)
...............................................................
last page
Contents
1

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, rear
entertainment 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™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 Contents2

This section gives you important
information about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It shows
you how to use seat belts. It explains
how your airbags work. And it tells you
how to properly restrain infants and
children in your vehicle.
Important Safety Precautions
..............
6
Your Vehicle's Safety Features
............
8
Seat Belts
.....................................
9
Airbags
.......................................
10
Protecting Adults and Teens
.............
12
1. Close and Lock the Doors
..........
12
2. Adjust the Front Seats
...............
14
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs
................
15
4. Adjust the Head Restraints
.........
15
5. Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts
...................................
16
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
...............................
18
Advice for Pregnant Women
..........
19
Additional Safety Precautions
........
20
Additional Information About Your
Seat Belts
...............................
21
Seat Belt System Components
.......
21Lap/Shoulder Belt
........................
22
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
.....
23
Seat Belt e-pretensioners
...............
24
Seat Belt Maintenance
..................
25
Additional Information About Your
Airbags
...................................
27
Airbag System Components
..........
27
How Your Front Airbags Work
......
30
How Your Side Airbags Work
........
33
How Your Side Curtain Airbags
Work
......................................
35
How the SRS Indicator Works
.......
36
How the Side Airbag Off Indicator
Works
.....................................
36
How the Passenger Airbag Off
Indicator Works
.......................
37
Airbag Service
.............................
38
Additional Safety Precautions
........
39
Protecting Children－General
Guidelines
..............................
40
All Children Must Be
Restrained
...............................
40
All Children Should Sit in a Back
Seat
........................................
41
The Passenger's Front Airbag Can
Pose Serious Risks
...................
41If You Must Drive with Several
Children
..................................
43
If a Child Requires Close
Attention
.................................
43
Additional Safety Precautions
........
44
Protecting Infants and Small
Children
.................................
45
Protecting Infants
.........................
45
Protecting Small Children
.............
46
Selecting a Child Seat
......................
48
Installing a Child Seat
......................
49
Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
...................................
50
Installing a Child Seat with a Lap/
Shoulder Belt
...........................
53
Installing a Child Seat with a
Tether
.....................................
54
Protecting Larger Children
...............
57
Checking Seat Belt Fit
..................
57
Using a Booster Seat
....................
58
When Can a Larger Child Sit in
Front
.......................................
59
Additional Safety Precautions
........
60
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
................
61
Safety Labels
..................................
62
Driver and Passenger Safety
5
Driver and Passenger Safety

You'll find many safety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
The recommendations on this page
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.Always Wear Your Seat Belt
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with
airbags, make sure you and your
passengers always wear your seat
belts, and wear them properly (see
page 16).
Restrain All Children
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat, not the front seat. Infants and
small children should be restrained
in a child seat. Larger children
should use a booster seat and a lap/
shoulder belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat
(see pages 40－60).Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Infants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
Don't Drink and DriveAlcohol and driving don't mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don't drink
and drive, and don't let your friends
drink and drive, either.
Important Safety Precautions6

Your vehicle is equipped with many
features that work together to protect
you and your passengers during a
crash.
Some features do not require any
action on your part. These include a
strong steel framework that forms a
safety cage around the passenger
compartment, front and rear crush
zones, a collapsible steering column,
and tensioners that tighten the front
seat belts in a crash.
However, you and your passengers
can't take full advantage of these
features unless you remain sitting in
the correct position and
always wear
your seat belts.
In fact, some safety
features can contribute to injuries if
they are not used properly.
The following pages explain how you
can take an active role in protecting
yourself and your passengers.
(1) Safety Cage
(2) Crush Zones
(3) Seats and Seat-Backs
(4) Head Restraints
(5) Collapsible Steering Column
(6) Seat Belts
(7) Front Airbags
(8) Side Airbags
(9) Side Curtain Airbags
(10) Front seat Belt Tensioners/
Seat Belt e-pretensioners
ᤳ
(11) Door Locks
(12)Occupant Position Detection
System (OPDS) Sensor
(1)(3)
(7) (5)
(2)(11) (6)
(10)(8)
(2)(9)
(4)
On models with Collision Mitigation
Braking System™(CMBS™) ᤳ:(11)(8)(12)
(7)
Your Vehicle's Safety Features8