2012 Acura MDX instrument panel

Break-in Period
Help assure your vehicle's future
reliability and performance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:●
Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
●
Avoid hard braking for the first 200
miles (300 km).
●
Do not change the oil until the
multi-information display indicates
it is needed.
●
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also follow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced.Fuel Recommendation
Your vehicle is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with
a pump octane of 91 or higher. If this
octane grade is unavailable, regular
unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane of 87 or higher may be used
temporarily. The use of regular
unleaded gasoline can cause metallic
knocking noises in the engine and
will result in decreased engine
performance. The long-term use of
regular-grade gasoline can lead to
engine damage.
To help prevent harmful fuel system and
engine deposits, use high quality fuel
containing detergent and additives. In
addition, in order to maintain good
performance, fuel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain harmful
manganesebased fuel additives such as
MMT, if such gasoline is available.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely affect performance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your dealer for service.
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation422

You should do the following checks
and adjustments before you drive
your vehicle.
1. Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost, snow,
or ice.
2. Check that the hood is fully
closed.
3. Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
4. Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
fastened down securely.
5. Check the seat adjustment (see
page 149).6. Check the adjustment of the inside
and outside mirrors (see page
165).
7. Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page 134).
8. Make sure the doors and tailgate
are securely closed and locked.
9. Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page 16).10. When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicators in the
instrument panel, and the
messages on the multi-information
display (see pages 67, 78 and 87).
Preparing to Drive
441
Driving

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

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

If the SH-AWD indicator blinks while
driving, it indicates the differential
temperature is too high. You will also
see an‘‘SH-AWD DIFF TEMP.
HIGH’’message on the multi-
information display. If this happens,
pull to the side of the road when it is
safe, shift to Park, and let the engine
idle until the indicator goes out. If
the indicator does not go out, take
your vehicle to a dealer to have it
checked.
If the SH-AWD indicator on the
instrument panel stays on, and the
‘‘CHECK SH-AWD SYSTEM’’
message also appears on the multi-
information display, there is problem
with the SH-AWD system.Your vehicle still has normal front-
wheel drive with vehicle stability
assist (VSA), but does not have the
advantages of SH-AWD. Have your
vehicle checked by a dealer as soon
as possible.
Super Handling-All Wheel Drive™(SH-AWD
®) System
453
Driving

Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. Make sure the
parking brake is set firmly, or your
vehicle may roll if it is parked on an
incline.
Set the parking brake before you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the vehicle from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission.Parking Tips
●
Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
●
Turn off the lights.
●
Place any packages, valuables, etc.
in the cargo area or take them with
you.
●
Lock the doors and the tailgate.
●
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other flammable
materials. The hot three way
catalytic converter could cause
these materials to catch on fire.
●
If the vehicle is facing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb.
●
If the vehicle is facing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb.
●
Check the indicator on the
instrument panel to verify that the
security system is set.
●
Make sure the parking brake is
fully released before driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or
damage the rear brakes.
Parking454

Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that turns on every time you start the
engine and monitors the pressure in
your tires while driving.
Each tire has its own pressure
sensor. If the air pressure of a tire
becomes significantly low, the sensor
in that tire immediately sends a
signal that causes the low tire
pressure/TPMS indicator in the
instrument panel to come on. If this
happens, you will see which tire is
losing pressure on the multi-
information display along with a
‘‘CHECK TIRE PRESSURE’’
message.
Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator
When the low tire pressure/TPMS
indicator is on, one or more of your
tires is significantly underinflated.
You should stop and check your tires
as soon as possible, and inflate them
to the proper pressure as indicated
on the vehicle's tire information
placard.
It is possible that the pressures
shown on the multi-information
display and the pressures you
manually measure are slightly
different.
If the difference is significant or you
cannot make the low tire pressure/
TPMS indicator and message on the
multi-information display go out after
inflating the tires to the specified
values, have your dealer check the
system as soon as possible.If you think you can safely drive a
short distance to a service station,
proceed slowly to the station, then
inflate the tire to the recommended
pressure.
If the tire is flat, or if the tire pressure
is too low to continue driving, replace
the tire with the compact spare tire
(see page 551).
Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle's handling and
stopping ability.
Because tire pressure varies by
temperature and other conditions,
the low tire pressure/TPMS
indicator may come on unexpectedly.
CONTINUED
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
455
Driving

To see the inflation pressures of all
four tires, press the SEL/RESET
button. The display changes as
shown above.
Each tire pressure is shown in PSI
(U.S. models) or in kPa (Canadian
models).
Each tire has its own pressure
sensor. If the air pressure of a tire
becomes significantly low, the sensor
in that tire immediately sends a
signal that causes the low tire
pressure/TPMS indicator in the
instrument panel to come on. If this
happens, you will see which tire is
losing pressure on the multi-
information display along with a
‘‘CHECK TIRE PRESSURE’’
message.
U.S. model
Canadian model
This shows that front left tire
is losing pressure.
CONTINUED
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
457
Driving