2012 Acura RDX maintenance schedule

Pay Appropriate Attention to the
Task of Driving Safely
Engaging in mobile phone
conversation or other activities that
keep you from paying close attention
to the road, other vehicles and
pedestrians could lead to a crash.
Remember, situations can change
quickly, and only you can decide
when it is safe to divert attention
away from driving.Control Your Speed
Excessive speed is a major factor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Keep Your Vehicle in Safe
Condition
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical failure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition frequently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page 444).
Important Safety Precautions
7
Driver and Passenger Safety
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Delete－Select this option to delete
the current message.
Voice －Select this option to hear a
voice read the entire message. This
gives you more information than the
screen can display at one time. When
you select the Voice option, it
changes to a Stop Reading option.
Select the option again to stop the
voice.
Call －Select this button to call a
phone number embedded in the
message. When you select Call,theBluetooth
®HandsFreeLink
®(HFL)
dials the number for you.
To make a call, your
Bluetooth
®
compatible phone must be paired to
your vehicle's HandsFreeLink
system, have its power on, and be
inside the vehicle (see page 313). Find Nearest Acura Dealer
－
Select this option to find the nearest
Acura dealer using the navigation
system.
Call Your Acura Dealer －Select
this button to call the Acura dealer
you purchased your vehicle from.
AcuraLink also directs you to this
dealer so you can schedule a
maintenance appointment or receive
information about a message. If you
visit another dealer for service two
times within a 14-month period,
AcuraLink will reset to call that
dealer.
Diagnostic Info －Select this
button to get more information about
the current diagnostic message. To
use this option, your cell phone must
be linked to the HFL and have a
compatible data service available.
Access the Owner Link website to
find out which data services are
currently compatible with AcuraLink. Message Preferences
To set your AcuraLink preferences
(the types of messages you want to
receive, if any), visit the My Acura
website at
www.owners.acura.com
If you do not have internet access,
call Acura Client Relations at
(800) 382-2238; they can set your
message preferences for you.
AcuraLink
®(U.S. models only)
33611/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

NOTE:For the Phone Data
Connection button to be active, you
need a
Bluetooth
®compatible and
enabled cell phone paired to the
Bluetooth
®HandsFreeLink
®(HFL).
To complete the data connection
setup, the paired phone must have a
compatible data service.
To find more information on
Bluetooth
®compatible and enabled
cell phones, visit
www.acura.com/
handsfreelink
or call the
HandsFreeLink®consumer support
at 1-888-528-7876. Connect to the Acura Server
－
The default setting is prompt. When
a diagnostic info message appears,
and you select the Check Now
option, the system will prompt you
before connecting to the Acura
server. If you do not wish to connect
at that time, select No at the prompt,
and you will see the information from
the onboard database. The ‘‘Auto ’’
setting will remove the prompt when
you select the Check Now option and
will automatically connect to the
Acura server. This setting only
applies when you have a
Bluetooth
®
enabled phone that is paired with
HFL and you have completed the
Phone-Data Connection setup. Message Categories
There are six message categories in
AcuraLink: Quick Tips, Feature
Guides, Maintenance Minders,
Recalls/Campaigns, Diagnostic Info,
and Scheduled Dealer Appointment.
The system can store up to 255
messages.
Message categories can be added,
revised, or deleted through
broadcast messages from Acura.
AcuraLink
®(U.S. models only)
33811/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

You can use the following message
options:●Make an appointment from the
schedule at the dealer.●Reschedule the appointment with
the dealer.●Call your dealer for an
appointment.●Find the nearest dealer.
Automated AppointmentYou can make an appointment with
your dealer through AcuraLink when
you receive a Maintenance Minder
message.
To use the automated appointment
function, you should visit the Owner
Link website at
www.owners.acura.
com,
register some required settings,
and complete the Phone-Data
Connection set-up (see page 337).
YourBluetooth
®compatible phone
should also be paired and linked to
your vehicle's
Bluetooth
®HFL (see
page 313).
When you see the Maintenance
Minder message on the multi-
information display, you will also
receive a message in the navigation
screen. To open the message, press
ENTER. Select ‘‘New Messages, ’’
then press ENTER. You will see the
list of all messages. The most recent
message is listed at the top.
AcuraLink
®(U.S. models only)
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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
scheduled maintenance time.●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.
Avoid driving with an extremely low
fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, damaging
the catalytic converter.
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 manganese-
based fuel additives such as MMT, if
such gasoline is available.
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation35211/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

Check Out Your Vehicle
Before you leave the pavement, be
sure to do all scheduled maintenance
and service, and inspect your vehicle
for any problems. Pay special
attention to the condition of the tires,
and check the tire pressures.
After you return to the pavement,
carefully inspect your vehicle to
make sure there is no damage that
could make driving it unsafe.
Recheck the condition of the tires
and the tire pressures.
Remember
The route presents limits (too steep
or bumpy roads). You have limits
(driving skill and comfort). And your
vehicle has limits (traction, stability,
and power).
Driving off-highway can be
hazardous if you fail to recognize
limits and take the proper
precautions.Accelerating and Braking
For better traction on all surfaces,
accelerate slowly and gradually build
up speed. If you try to start too fast
on wet soil, mud, snow, or ice, you
might not have enough traction to
get underway, and you may dig
yourself a hole. Starting with the shift
lever in the D position will help you
have a smoother start on snow or ice.
Keep in mind that you will usually
need more time and distance to
brake to a stop on unpaved surfaces.
Avoid hard braking. Do not
‘‘pump ’’
the brakes; let the anti-lock braking
system pump them for you. Avoiding Obstacles
Debris in the road can damage your
suspension or other components.
Because your vehicle has a high
center of gravity, driving over a large
obstacle, or allowing a wheel to drop
into a deep hole can cause your
vehicle to tip or roll over.
Driving on Slopes
If you can't clearly see all conditions
or obstacles on a slope, walk the
slope before you drive on it. If you
have any doubt whether or not you
can safely drive on the slope, don't
do it. Find another route.
If you are driving up a hill and find
that you cannot continue,
do not try to
turn around.
Your vehicle could roll
over. Slowly back down the hill,
following the same route you took up
the hill.
Off-Highway Driving Guidelines40611/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

All service items not detailed in this
section should be performed by a
certified technician or other qualified
mechanic.
Important Safety Precautions
To eliminate potential hazards, read
the instructions before you begin,
and make sure you have the tools
and skills required.●Make sure your vehicle is parked
on level ground, the parking brake
is set, and the engine is off.●To clean parts, use a commercially
available degreaser or parts
cleaner, not gasoline.●To reduce the possibility of fire or
explosion, keep cigarettes, sparks,
and flames away from the battery
and all fuel-related parts.●Wear eye protection and protective
clothing when working with the
battery or compressed air.
Improperly maintaining this
vehicle or failing to correct a
problem before driving can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection
and maintenance
recommendations and
schedules in this owner's
manual.
Potential Vehicle Hazards●Carbon Monoxide poison from
engine exhaust. Be sure there is
adequate ventilation whenever you
operate the engine.●Burns from hot parts. Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
down before touching any parts.
●Injury from moving parts. Do
not run the engine unless
instructed to do so.Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures
and precautions in this owner's
manual.
Some of the most important safety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every
conceivable hazard that can arise in
performing maintenance. Only you
can decide whether or not you
should perform a given task.
Maintenance Safety41011/06/16 17:42:51 12 ACURA RDX MMC North America Owner's M 50 31STK650 enu

One of the most convenient and
important features of the multi-
information display on your vehicle is
the Maintenance Minder
TM.
Based on engine operating
conditions and accumulated engine
revolutions, the onboard computer in
your vehicle calculates the remaining
engine oil life and displays it as a
percentage.
The system also displays the code for
other scheduled maintenance items
needing service. Engine Oil Life
To see the current engine oil life
displayed on the multi-information
display, turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, and press the
SEL/RESET button on the steering
wheel repeatedly until the engine oil
life is displayed.The remaining engine oil life is
shown on the display according to
this table:
Calculated Engine
Oil Life (%) Displayed
Engine Oil Life (%)
100% －91% 100%
90% －81% 90%
80% －71% 80%
70% －61% 70%
60% －51% 60%
50% －41% 50%
40% －31% 40%
30% －21% 30%
20% －16% 20%
15% －11% 15%
10% －6% 10%
5% －1% 5%
0% 0%
INFO
BUTTONS
SEL/RESET BUTTON
ENGINE OIL
LIFE DISPLAY
CONTINUED
Maintenance Minder
TM411
Maintenance
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