2012 Acura MDX Owner's Manual

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

Check Starting System MessageIf there is a problem with the starting
system, you will see a‘‘CHECK
STARTING SYSTEM’’message on
the multi-information display when
the ignition switch is turned to the
ON (II) position. You will also see
this message when the auto control
mode of the starting system has a
problem.If this message is on, the ignition
switch has to be held in the START
(III) position manually until the
engine starts. The ignition switch can
be held in that position up to 15
seconds.
Even though you may be able to start
the engine manually without the auto
control mode of the starting system,
have your dealer inspect your
vehicle.Shift Lever Position Indicators
These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shift
lever is in.
The‘‘D’’indicator comes on for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position. If it
flashes while driving (in any shift
position), it indicates a possible
problem in the transmission.
CONTINUED
Starting the Engine, Automatic Transmission
443
Driving

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 shift up or down, use the＋
(right) or－(left) paddle shifter on
either side of the steering wheel.
Each time you pull＋(right), the
transmission shifts to a higher gear.
Pull－(left) to downshift. You will
see the selected gear number on the
instrument panel.When you pull either paddle shifter,
the gear position indicator shows you
the selected gear number.The transmission control system
monitors the accelerator pedal use
and your driving conditions. When
you press the accelerator pedal as in
normal driving, the system judges
that you are driving at a constant
cruising speed without using the
paddle shifters. Under these
conditions, D-paddle shift mode is
canceled, and the transmission
automatically returns to drive mode
(D).
Hold the＋(right) paddle shifter for
2 seconds to return to drive mode
(D).
When the transmission returns to
drive mode (D), the displayed gear
number goes out.
The transmission remains in the
selected gear if you do not
accelerate.Each time you pull either paddle
shifter, the transmission shifts one
gear up or down. If you want to shift
up or down more than two gears, pull
the paddle shifter twice, pause, and
then pull it again.
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 upshift before the engine
speed reaches the lowest
threshold of the higher gear.
●
You press both paddle shifters at
the same time.
GEAR POSITION INDICATOR
Driving with the Paddle Shifters448

●
You press one of the two paddle
shifters while another paddle
shifter is being pressed.
●
You are trying to downshift from
second to first with the accelerator
pedal off. This will only work when
the accelerator pedal is applied
deeply.
The transmission downshifts to first
gear and returns to drive mode (D)
when the vehicle comes to a
complete stop and the vehicle speed
is about 6 mph (9 km/h).
If there is a problem in the
transmission while you are driving
with the paddle shifters, the D
indicator flashes, the D-paddle shift
mode is canceled, and the
transmission returns to drive mode
(D).Using the Paddle Shifters in the S
position (Sequential Shift Mode)
With the shift lever in the S position,
you can select the sequential shift
mode to shift gears; much like a
manual transmission using the
paddle shifters, but without a clutch
pedal.
To enter the sequential shift mode,
press the release button on the front
of the shift lever, move the lever to
the S position, then pull either paddle
shifter. To cancel the sequential shift
mode and return to the ordinary
automatic transmission, move the
shift lever from S position. When
moving the shift lever, be careful not
to operate incorrectly. While you are
driving in the sequential shift mode,
the transmission will not
automatically return to ordinary
automatic transmission.
When you move the shift lever from
‘‘D’’to‘‘S’’position and pull either
paddle shifter, the gear position
indicator displays the selected gear
number.
Shifting between first and second
gears may occur automatically.
Downshifting from second to first
with the accelerator pedal off is not
allowed.
GEAR POSITION INDICATOR
CONTINUED
Driving with the Paddle Shifters
449
Driving