2012 Acura MDX brake

Modifying Your Vehicle
Removing parts from your vehicle, or
replacing components with non-
Acura components could seriously
affect your vehicle's handling,
stability, and reliability.
Some examples are:●
Lowering your vehicle with a non-
Acura suspension kit that
significantly reduces ground
clearance can allow the
undercarriage to hit speed bumps
or other raised objects, which
could cause the airbags to deploy.
●
Raising your vehicle with a non-
Acura suspension kit can affect the
handling and stability.
●
Non-Acura wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components and will not be
compatible with the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS).
●
Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interfere with the operation of
your vehicle's anti-lock brakes and
other systems.
Modifying your steering wheel or
any other part of your vehicle's safety
features can make the systems
ineffective.
If you plan to modify your vehicle,
consult your dealer.
Accessories and Modifications432

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, active damper system (If
equipped), the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS), the
collision mitigation braking system™
(CMBS™), the blind spot information
system (BSI) and facts you need if
you are planning to tow a trailer or
drive off-high way.Driving Guidelines
......................
440
Preparing to Drive
......................
441
Starting the Engine
.....................
442
Check Starting System
Message
.............................
443
Automatic Transmission
.............
443
Driving with the Paddle
Shifters
................................
447
Using the Paddle Shifters in
the D position (D-Paddle
Shift Mode)
.....................
447
Using the Paddle Shifters in
the S position (Sequential
Shift Mode)
.....................
449
Super Handling-All Wheel
Drive™(SH-AWD
®)
System
................................
452
Parking
.......................................
454
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)
...................................
455
Braking System
..........................
460
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
...............
461
Collision Mitigation Braking
System™(CMBS™)
...............
463Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
®),
aka Electronic Stability Control
(ESC), System
.....................
473
Blind Spot Information System
(BSI)
.......................................
476
Active Damper System
................
484
Towing a Trailer
..........................
487
Trailer Stability Assist
.................
498
Off-Highway Driving
Guidelines
...............................
500
Driving
439
Driving

Your vehicle's starting system has an
auto control mode. When you turn
the ignition switch to the START (III)
position, this feature keeps the
engine's starter motor running until
the engine starts. Follow these
instructions to start the engine:
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. In cold weather, turn off all
electrical accessories to reduce the
drain on the battery.
3. Make sure the shift lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.4. Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, then
release the ignition switch. You do
not need to hold the ignition
switch in the START (III) position
to start the engine. Depending on
the outside temperature, the
starter motor runs for about 6 to 9
seconds until the engine starts.
If you hold the ignition switch in
the START (III) position for more
than 7 seconds, the starter motor,
depending on the outside
temperature, runs for about 10 to
25 seconds until the engine starts.
If the engine does not start, wait at
least 10 seconds before trying
again.
The immobilizer system protects your
vehicle from theft. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine's fuel system is disabled. For
more information, see page 138.
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air found at
altitudes above 8,000 feet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
Starting the Engine442

If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on along with the‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem with the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
When the‘‘D’’indicator warns of a
possible problem with the
transmission, you will see a‘‘CHECK
TRANSMISSION’’message on the
multi-information display (see page
88).Shifting
To shift from Park to any position,
press firmly on the brake pedal, and
press the release button on the front
of the shift lever, then move the
lever. You cannot shift out of Park
when the ignition switch is in the
LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I)
position.
To shift from: Do this:
PtoRPress the brake pedal, and
press the shift lever release
button.
RtoP
NtoR
DtoSPress the shift lever release
button.
StoD
DtoN
NtoD
RtoNMove the shift lever.Park (P)－This position
mechanically locks the transmission.
Use Park whenever you are turning
off or starting the engine. To shift out
of Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and press the release button on
the shift lever. Make sure your foot is
off the accelerator pedal.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, seeShift Lock Releaseon
page 446.
Automatic Transmission444

To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop before shifting
into Park. You must also press the
release button to shift into park. The
shift lever must be in Park before
you can remove the key from the
ignition switch.
Reverse (R)－Press the brake
pedal and the release button on the
front of the shift lever to shift from
Park to reverse. To shift from reverse
to neutral, come to a complete stop,
and then shift. Press the release
button before shifting into reverse
from neutral.
Neutral (N)－Use neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with the
engine idling. Shift to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from neutral to
another gear.Drive (D)－Use this position for
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear (1 through 6) for your
speed and acceleration. You may
notice the transmission shifting up at
higher engine speeds when the
engine is cold. This helps the engine
warm up faster.S Position (S)－To shift into the S
position, press the release button on
the front of the shift lever, and move
the lever to S. This position is similar
to D, except only gears from first to
fifth are selected. (When shifting up
automatically, the vehicle speed is
higher than when in the D position.)
The S position keeps the
transmission from cycling between
fourth, fifth, and sixth gears in stop-
and-go driving.
With the shift lever in D or S, you
can also use the paddle shifters to
shift the transmission up or down.
Once you begin to use the paddle
shifters in S, the transmission will no
longer upshift or downshift
automatically. For more information
of driving with the paddle shifters,
see page 449.
CONTINUED
Automatic Transmission
445
Driving

Engine Speed Limiter
If you exceed the maximum speed
for the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the
tachometer's red zone. If this occurs,
you may feel the engine cut in and
out. This is caused by a limiter in the
engine's computer controls. The
engine will run normally when you
reduce the rpm below the red zone.
Before downshifting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer's red zone.
The engine may cut in and out in R
position or depending on the road
condition even when the engine
speed is lower than the tachometer's
red zone. This is the engine's
computer working to protect the
transmission.Shift Lock Release
This allows you to move the shift
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release button
does not work.
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
3. Put a cloth on the edge of the shift
lock release slot cover. Use a small
flat-tip screwdriver or metal
fingernail file to carefully pry up
the edge of the cover and remove
it from the slot.
COVER
Automatic Transmission446

4. Insert a key into the shift lock
release slot.
5. Push down on the key while you
press the release button on the
front of the shift lever and move
the shift lever out of Park to
neutral.6. Remove the key from the shift lock
release slot, then reinstall the
cover. Make sure the notch on the
cover is on the driver's side. Press
the brake pedal, and restart the
engine.
If you need to use the shift lock
release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by a dealer.Using the Paddle Shifters in the D
position (D-Paddle Shift Mode)
When you are driving in the D
position, pulling either paddle shifter
switches from D-normal drive mode,
to D-paddle shift mode. You can shift
the transmission up or down
manually with the paddle shifters.
Downshifting gives you more power
when climbing, and provides engine
braking when going down a steep
hill.RELEASE
BUTTON
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
PADDLE SHIFTERS
CONTINUED
Automatic Transmission, Driving with the Paddle Shifters
447
Driving

To upshift, pull the＋(right) paddle
shifter. To downshift, pull the－
(left) paddle shifter.
When you accelerate from a stop, the
transmission starts in first gear, and
shifts from first to second
automatically. You must manually
upshift between second and sixth
gears. Make sure you upshift before
the engine speed reaches the
tachometer's red zone.
The transmission remains in the
selected gear (6, 5, 4, 3, or 2). There
is no automatic downshift when you
push the accelerator pedal to the
floor.
When you are driving, the
transmission downshifts to the lower
gear under the following conditions:●
The vehicle slows down to a
certain speed.
●
You press the brake pedal.Downshifting with the paddle shifter
allows you to increase the engine
braking when going down steep or
long hills, and provides more power
when climbing uphills. You can
upshift the transmission manually to
reduce the rpm.
The transmission also shifts
automatically as the vehicle comes to
a complete stop. It downshifts to first
gear when the vehicle speed reaches
6 mph (9 km/h) or less.
The automatic transmission will not
allow you to shift up or down if:
●
You downshift before the engine
speed reaches the highest
threshold of the lower gear.
If you try to do this, the gear
position indicator will flash the
number of the lower gear several
times, then return to a higher gear.
●
You cannot upshift with the paddle
shifter before the engine speed
reaches the lowest threshold of the
higher gear.
●
You try to shift to third or a higher
gear when the vehicle is
stationary.
●
You press both paddle shifters at
the same time.
●
You press one of the two paddle
shifters while another paddle
shifter is being pressed.
●
The vehicle detects that you are
driving uphill or downhill.
Driving with the Paddle Shifters450