2012 Acura MDX climate control

Sunlight and Temperature
SensorsTo regulate the interior temperature
and humidity, the climate control
system has two sensors. A sunlight
sensor is located in the top of the
dashboard and a temperature/
humidity sensor is next to the
steering column. Do not cover the
sensors or spill any liquid on them.
SUNLIGHT SENSOR
TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY SENSOR
Climate Control System
191
Features

Dust and Pollen Filter
This filter removes the dust and
pollen that is brought in from the
outside through the climate control
system.
Have your dealer replace the filter
when this service is indicated by a
maintenance message on the multi-
information display. It should be
replaced every 15,000 miles (24,000
km) if you drive primarily in urban
areas that have high concentrations
of soot in the air, or if the flow from
the climate control system becomes
less than usual.Cleaning the Seat Belts
If your seat belts get dirty, use a soft
brush with a mixture of mild soap
and warm water to clean them. Do
not use bleach, dye, or cleaning
solvents. Let the belts air-dry before
you use the vehicle.Dirt build-up around the openings of
the seat belt anchors can cause the
belts to retract slowly. Wipe the
openings with a clean cloth
dampened in mild soap and warm
water or isopropyl alcohol.
OPENING
Dust and Pollen Filter, Cleaning the Seat Belts534

●
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer toStarting the
Engineon page 442.
●
Do you have fuel? Check the fuel
gauge; the warning indicator may
not be working.
●
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses (see
page 566).
If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find the
problem. SeeEmergency Towingon
page 572.Jump Starting
Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct
procedure, seriously injuring
anyone nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
You cannot start your vehicle by
pushing or pulling it.
To Jump Start Your Vehicle:1. Open the hood, and check the
physical condition of the battery.
In very cold weather, check the
condition of the electrolyte. If it
seems slushy or frozen, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can freeze. Attempting
to jump start with a frozen battery can
cause it to rupture.
2. Turn off all the electrical
accessories: heater, A/C, climate
control, audio system, lights, etc.
Put the transmission in neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
If the Engine Won't Start, Jump Starting558

4. If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn off the engine.
5. Look for any obvious coolant
leaks, such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you find a leak, it
must be repaired before you
continue driving (seeEmergency
Towingon page 572).
6. If you do not find an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Add coolant
if the level is below the MIN mark.
7. If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may need to add
coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer
reaches the middle of the
temperature gauge, or lower,
before checking the radiator.
Removing the radiator cap
while the engine is hot can
cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.
8. Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the first stop. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap, and turn it until it comes
off.9. Start the engine and set the
climate control to AUTO at‘‘Hi.’’
Add coolant to the radiator up to
the base of the filler neck. If you
do not have the proper coolant
mixture available, you can add
plain water. Remember to have the
cooling system drained and refilled
with the proper mixture as soon as
you can.
10. Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine, and check
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back to the red mark, the engine
needs repair (seeEmergency
Towingon page 572).
11. If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has gone
down, add coolant to the MAX
mark. Put the cap back on tightly.
If the Engine Overheats
561
Taking Care of the Unexpected

The tires on your vehicle meet all U.
S. Federal Safety Requirements. All
tires are also graded for treadwear,
traction, and temperature
performance according to
Department of Transportation (DOT)
standards. The following explains
these gradings.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A
All passenger car tires must conform
to Federal Safety Requirements in
addition to these grades.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the wear
rate of the tire when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified
government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and one-half (1 1/2) times
as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.Traction
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire's ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
CONTINUED
DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
581
Technical Information

The burning of gasoline in your
vehicle's engine produces several
byproducts. Some of these are
carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of
nitrogen (NOx), and hydrocarbons
(HC). Gasoline evaporating from the
tank also produces hydrocarbons.
Controlling the production of NOx,
CO, and HC is important to the
environment. Under certain
conditions of sunlight and climate,
NOx and HC react to form
photochemical‘‘smog.’’Carbon
monoxide does not contribute to
smog creation, but it is a poisonous
gas.The Clean Air Act
The United States Clean Air Act
ᤳ
sets standards for automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
work and what to do to maintain
them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.
Scheduled maintenance is on page
514.ᤳ
In Canada, Acura vehicles comply
with the Canadian emission
requirements, as specified in an
agreement with Environment
Canada, at the time they are
manufactured.Crankcase Emissions Control
System
Your vehicle has a positive crankcase
ventilation system. This keeps
gasses that build up in the engine's
crankcase from going into the
atmosphere. The positive crankcase
ventilation valve routes them from
the crankcase back to the intake
manifold. They are then drawn into
the engine and burned.
Evaporative Emissions Control
System
As gasoline evaporates in the fuel
tank, an evaporative emissions
control canister filled with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is off. After
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine
and burned during driving.
CONTINUED
Emissions Controls
587
Technical Information

A
Accessories and
Modifications
..........................
431
ACCESSORY (Ignition Key
Position)
.................................
139
Accessory Power Sockets
..........
177
AC Power Outlet
........................
178
Active Damper System
...............
484
Active Head Restraints
...............
152
AcuraLink
®(U.S. models
only)
.......................................
402
Adaptive Cruise Control
(ACC)
.....................................
348
Additives, Engine Oil
.................
518
Adjusting the Steering Wheel
....
134
Advanced Airbags
........................
31
Airbag (SRS)
..........................
10, 27
Air Conditioning System
............
182
Rear A/C Control
....................
187
Air Outlets (Vents)
.....................
189
Air Pressure, Tires
..............
540, 541
Alcohol in Gasoline
....................
422
Antifreeze
...................................
520Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
Indicator
............................
70, 462
Operation
................................
461
Anti-theft, Audio System
.............
308
Anti-theft Steering Column
Lock
.......................................
139
Audio System
......................
192, 212
Automatic Climate Control
.........
183
Automatic Lighting Off
Feature
...................................
131
Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners...
23
Automatic Speed Control
...........
345
Automatic Transmission
............
443
Capacity, Fluid
........................
578
Checking Fluid Level
..............
523
Driving with the Paddle
Shifters
................................
447
Shifting
...................................
444
Shift Lever Position
Indicators
............................
443
Shift Lever Positions
...............
444
Shift Lock Release
...................
446
Auxiliary Input Jack
...................
307B
Battery
Charging System
Indicator
........................
69, 562
Jump Starting
..........................
558
Maintenance
...........................
547
Specifications
..........................
579
Before Driving
...........................
421
Belts, Seat
................................
9, 21
Beverage Holders
......................
174
Blind Spot Information System
(BSI)
......................................
476
Bluetooth
®Audio
.......................
298
Bluetooth
®HandsFreeLink
®
(Models with navigation
system)
...............................
383
Bluetooth
®HandsFreeLink
®
(Models without navigation
system)
...............................
365
Booster Seats
...............................
58
CONTINUED
Index
I
INDEX

Brakes
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
...........
461
Break-in, New Linings
.............
422
Fluid
.......................................
525
Parking
...................................
164
System Design
........................
461
System Indicator
...............
69, 564
Wear Indicators
.......................
461
Braking System
..........................
460
Break-in, New Vehicle
................
422
Brightness Control,
Instruments
............................
133
Bulb Replacement
Back-up Lights
................
531, 532
Front Parking Lights
...............
529
Front Side Marker Lights
........
529
Headlights
..............................
527
High-mount Brake Light
.........
533
Rear Bulbs
..............................
531
Rear License Plate Lights
........
533
Specifications
..........................
579
Taillights
.................................
531
Bulbs, Halogen
..........................
527C
Capacities Chart
.........................
578
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
............
61
Cargo
.........................................
433
Cargo Hooks
..............................
437
Cargo, How to Carry
..................
433
Carrying Cargo
..........................
433
CAUTION, Explanation of
.............
iv
CD Care
.....................................
247
CD Error Messages
...................
246
CD Player
..................................
235
Certification Label
......................
576
Chains, Tires
..............................
546
Changing a Flat Tire
..................
551
Changing Oil
How to
....................................
518
When to
..................................
507
Charging System
Indicator
...........................
69, 562
Checklist, Before Driving
...........
441
Childproof Door Locks
...............
141
Child Safety
..................................
40
Booster Seats
...........................
58
Child Seats
....................
45, 46, 48Important Safety Reminders
.....
44
Infants
......................................
45
Larger Children
.......................
57
LATCH
.....................................
50
Risks with Airbags
...................
41
Small Children
.........................
46
Tethers
....................................
54
Warning Labels
........................
42
Where Should a Child Sit?
........
41
Child Seats
.............................
40, 48
LATCH Anchorage Points
........
50
Tether Anchorage Points
.........
54
Cleaning the Seat Belts
..............
534
Client Service Information
..........
594
Climate Control System
.............
182
Clock
..........................................
309
Code, Audio System
...................
308
CO in the Exhaust
................
61, 587
Cold Weather, Starting in
...........
442
Collision Mitigation Braking
System™(CMBS™)
...............
463
Compact Spare Tire
....................
550
Compass Operation
....................
342
Console Compartment
...............
175
Consumer Information
...............
594
Controls, Instruments and
............
65
IndexII