2012 Acura MDX service

Opening the Fuel Fill Door
ManuallyIf the fuel fill door release button
does not work, use the release lever
inside the rear fuse box lid in the
cargo area.
To open the fuel fill door, pull the
release lever rearward.Emergency Towing
If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a professional towing service or
organization. Never tow your vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous.
The only way you can safely tow
your vehicle is with flat-bed
equipment.The operator will load
your vehicle on the back of a truck.
Any other method of towing will
damage the drive system. When you
contact the towing agency, inform
them a flat-bed is required.
Towing with only two tires on the
ground will damage parts of the all-
wheel-drive system. Your vehicle should
be transported on a flat-bed truck or
trailer.
LID
RELEASE LEVER
Opening the Fuel Fill Door Manually, Emergency Towing572

If your vehicle gets stuck in sand,
mud, or snow, call a towing service to
pull it out (see the previous page).
For very short distances, such as
freeing the vehicle, you can use the
detachable towing hook that mounts
on the anchors in the front and rear
bumpers.
1. Remove the cover, put cloth on the
edge of the cover to prevent
scratches and carefully pry with a
small flat-tip screwdriver or a metal
fingernail file.
The cover is attached to the bumper
with a tether.
Front COVER
Rear
COVER
CONTINUED
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck
573
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

Client Service Information
...........
594
Warranty Coverages
...................
595
Reporting Safety Defects
.............
596
Authorized Manuals
....................
597
Warranty and Client Relations
593
Warranty and Client Relations

Acura dealership personnel are
trained professionals. They should
be able to answer all your questions.
If you encounter a problem that your
dealership does not solve to your
satisfaction, please discuss it with the
dealership's management. The
service manager or general manager
can help. Almost all problems are
solved in this way.
If you are dissatisfied with the
decision made by the dealership's
management, contact Acura Client
Relations.
U.S. Owners:American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Acura Client Relations
Mail Stop 500-2N-7E
1919 Torrance Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90501-2746
Tel: (800) 382-2238
Canadian Owners:Honda Canada Inc.
Acura Client Services
180 Honda Boulevard
Markham, ON
L6C 0H9
Tel: 1-888-9-ACURA-9
Fax: 1-877-939-0909
E-Mail: [email protected] Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands:Vortex Motor Corp.
Bella International
P.O. Box 190816
San Juan, PR 00919-0816
Tel: (787) 620-7546
When you call or write, please give
us this information:●
Vehicle Identification Number (see
page 576)
●
Name and address of the dealer
who services your vehicle
●
Date of purchase
●
Odometer reading of your vehicle
●
Your name, address, and
telephone number
●
A detailed description of the
problem
●
Name of the dealer who sold the
vehicle to you
Client Service Information594

Purchasing Factory Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)The publications shown below can be purchased from Helm
Incorporated. You can order by phone or online:●
Call Helm Inc. at 1-800-782-4356 (credit card orders only)
●
Go online atwww. helminc. com
If you are interested in other years or models, contact Helm Inc.
at 1-800-782-4356.Publication
Form NumberForm Description
61STX05 2010-2012 Acura MDX Service Manual
61STX03EL 2010-2011 Acura MDX
Electrical Troubleshooting Manual
61STX30 2008 Acura MDX Body Repair Manual
31STX650 2012 Acura MDX Owner's Manual
31STX850 2012 Acura MDX
Navigation System Owner's Manual
31STXM50 2012 Acura MDX Maintenance Journal
31STXQ50 2012 Acura MDX Advance Technology Guide
ACU-R Order Form for Previous Years
Indicate Year and Model Desired
Service Manual:
Covers maintenance and recommended procedures for
repair to engine and chassis components. It is written
for the journeyman mechanic, but it is simple enough
for most mechanically inclined owners to understand.
Electrical Troubleshooting Manual:
Complements the Service Manual by providing in-depth
troubleshooting information for each electrical circuit in
your vehicle.
Body Repair Manual:
Describes the procedures involved in the replacement
of damaged body parts.
Authorized Manuals
597
Warranty and Client Relations

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

Reporting Safety Defects
............
596
Reserve Tank, Engine
Coolant
............................
427, 520
Restraint, Child
............................
40
Reverse Gear Position
................
445
Rotation, Tire
.............................
544
S
Safety Belts
..............................
9, 21
Safety Defects, Reporting
...........
596
Safety Features
..............................
8
Airbags
...............................
10, 27
Door Locks
..............................
12
Head Restraints
........................
15
Seat Belts
........................
9, 16, 21
Seats & Seat-Backs
..............
14, 15
Safety Labels, Location of
.............
62
Safety Messages
...........................
iv
Seat Belt e-pretensioners
..............
24
Seat Belts
.................................
9, 21
Additional Information
.............
21
Advice for Pregnant Women
....
19
Automatic Seat Belt
Tensioners
...........................
23Cleaning
..................................
534
e-pretensioner
..........................
24
Lap/Shoulder Belt
..............
16, 22
Maintenance
............................
25
Reminder Indicator and
Beeper
.............................
21, 68
System Components
................
21
Use During Pregnancy
.............
19
Wearing a Lap/Shoulder
Belt
..................................
16, 22
Seat Heaters and Seat
Ventilation
..............................
158
Seats
..........................................
149
Adjusting the Second Seat
.......
153
Air Ventilation
.........................
158
Folding the Second Seat
..........
153
Folding the Third Seat
............
154
Head Restraints
.......................
150
Heaters
...................................
157
Position Memory
....................
168
Third Row Access
...................
154
Seats, Adjusting the
...................
149
Security System
.........................
341
Security System Indicator
............
77
Sensors
Driver's Seat Position Sensor
...
31Front Passenger's Weight
Sensors
................................
31
Impact Sensors
........................
27
Serial Number
............................
576
Service Intervals
.........................
507
Service Station Procedures
........
424
SH-AWD
®...................................
452
Indicator
...................................
73
Shifting the Automatic
Transmission
..........................
444
Shift Lever Position Indicators
...
443
Shift Lock Release
......................
446
Side Airbags
.................................
33
How the Side Airbag Off
Indicator Works
...................
36
How Your Side Airbags Work
..
33
Side Curtain Airbags
....................
35
How Your Side Curtain Airbags
Work
....................................
35
Side Marker Lights, Bulb
Replacement in
.......................
529
Signaling Turns
............................
71
Snow Tires
.................................
546
Sound System
.....................
192, 212
CONTINUED
Index
IX
INDEX