2012 Acura ZDX ECO mode

This owner’s manual should be considered a permanent part of the
vehicle and should remain with the vehicle when it is sold.
This owner’s manual covers all models of your vehicle. You may find
descriptions of equipment and features that are not on your
particular model.
Images throughout this owner’s manual (including the front cover)
represent features and equipment that are available on some, but
not all, models. Your particular mo del may not have some of these
features.
This owner’s manual is for vehicles sold in the United States and
Canada.
The information an d specifications included in this publication were
in effect at the time of approval for printing. Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
reserves the right, however, to di scontinue or change specifications
or design at any time without notice and without incurring any
obligation.2 Safe Driving P. 21For Safe Driving P. 22 Seat Belts P. 27 Airbags P. 35
2Instrument Panel P. 67Indicators P. 68 Gauges and Multi-Information Display P. 87
2Controls P. 101Setting the Clock P. 102 Locking and Unlocking the Doors P. 103
Opening and Closing the Panoramic Glass Roof P. 126
Adjusting the Seats P. 143
2Features P. 167Audio System P. 168 Audio System Basic Operation P. 171
General Information on the Audio System P. 191
Bluetooth ® HandsFreeLink ® P. 197
2 Driving P. 209Before Driving P. 210 Towing a Trailer P. 215
Rearview Camera P. 262 Refueling P. 263 Fuel Economy P. 266
2Maintenance P. 269Before Performing Maintenance P. 270 Maintenance MinderTM P. 273
Checking and Maintaining Wiper Blades P. 298
Climate Control System Maintenance P. 312
2 Handling the Unexpected P. 317Tools P. 318 If a Tire Goes Flat P. 319
Overheating P. 332 Indicator, Coming On/Blinking P. 334
When You Cannot Unlock the Fuel Fill Door P. 346
2 Information P. 349Specifications P. 350 Identification Numbers P. 351
Emissions Testing P. 354 Warranty Coverages P. 356

18
Quick Reference Guide
Why do the doors lock
after I unlocked the doors
using a remote
transmitter?If you do not open the doors within 30 seconds, the doors are
relocked automatica lly for security.
Why does the beeper
sound when I open the
driver’s door?The beeper sounds when:
●The key is left in the ignition switch.
●The exterior lights are left on.
●The power mode is in ACCESSORY.
Why does the beeper
sound when I start driving?The beeper sounds when:
●Driver and/or front passenger ar e not wearing their seat belts.
●The parking brake lever is not fully released.
Why do I hear a screeching
sound when I apply the
brake pedal?The brake pads may need to be replaced. Have your vehicle
inspected by a dealer.
Is it possible to use
unleaded gasoline with a
Pump Octane Number
(PON) of 87 or higher on
this vehicle?If premium unleaded gasoline with a PON of 91 or higher is not
available, you can temporarily use the gasoline with a PON of
87 or higher.
This will result in decreased en gine performance, and can cause
occasional metallic knocking noise in the engine.
Unleaded gasoline with a PON of 91 or higher is required. The
long-term use of a lower PON ga soline can lead to engine
damage.

uuSeat Belts uAbout Your Seat Belts
28
Safe Driving
■Proper use of seat belts
Follow these guidelines for proper use:
• All occupants should sit upright, well back in the seat, and remain in that position
for the duration of the trip. Slouching an d leaning reduces the effectiveness of
the belt and can increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.
• Never place the shoulder part of a lap/shoulder seat belt under your arm or
behind your back. This could cause very serious injuries in a crash.
• Two people should never use the same seat belt. If they do, they could be very
seriously injured in a crash.
• Do not put any accessories on the seat belts. Devices intended to improve comfort
or reposition the shoulder part of a seat belt can reduce the protective capability
and increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.
Your vehicle monitors front seat belt use. If
the ignition switch is turned to ON
w*1
before the driver’s seat belt is fastened, a
beeper will sound and the indicator will blink.
If the driver does not fasten the belt before
the beeper stops, the in dicator will remain on.
The beeper will also periodically sound and
the indicator will blink while driving until the
driver’s and front passe nger’s seat belts are
fastened.
*1: Models with the keyless access system have an ENGINE START/STOP button
instead of an ignition switch.
■Seat Belt Reminder
1 About Your Seat Belts
If a rear seat passenger moves around and extends
the seat belt, the lockable retractor may activate. If
this happens, release the re tractor by unfastening the
seat belt and allow the be lt to retract completely.
Then refasten the belt.
1 Seat Belt Reminder
The indicator will also come on if a front passenger
does not fasten their seat belt within 6 seconds after
the ignition switch is turned to ON
(w*1.
When no one is sitting in the front passenger’s seat,
or a child or small adult is riding there, the indicator
will not come on.
This is because the weight sensors in the seat cannot
detect their presence.

36
uuAirbags uAirbag System Components
Safe Driving
The front, front side, and side curtain
airbags are deployed according to the
direction and severity of impact. The airbag
system includes:
aTwo SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
front airbags. The driver’s airbag is stored
in the center of the steering wheel; the
front passenger’s airbag is stored in the
dashboard. Both are marked SRS
AIRBAG.
bTwo side airbags, one for the driver and
one for a front passen ger. The airbags are
stored in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG.
cTwo side curtain airbags, one for each
side of the vehicle. The airbags are stored
in the ceiling, above the side windows.
The front and rear pillars are marked
SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG .
dAn electronic control unit that continually
monitors and records information about
the sensors, the airbag activators, the
seat belt tensioners, and driver and front
passenger seat belt use when the ignition
switch is in ON
w*1.
eAutomatic front seat belt tensioners. The
driver’s and front passenger’s seat belts
incorporate sensors that detect whether
or not they are fastened.
The front seat belt tensioners also include
the e-pretensioners.
fA driver’s seat position sensor. If the seat
is too far forward, the airbag will inflate
with less force.
gWeight sensors in the front passenger’s
seat. The front passenger’s airbag will be
turned off if the weight on the seat is 65
lbs (29 kg) or less (the weight of an infant
or small child).
Models with CMBSTM
hImpact sensors that can detect a
moderate to severe front impact, side
impact, or if your vehicle is about to
rollover.
iAn indicator on the dashboard that alerts
you that the front passenger’s front
airbag has been turned off.
jSensors that can detect if a child or small
statured adult is in the deployment path
of the front passenger’s side airbag.
kAn indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you to a possible problem with your
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.
lAn indicator on the instrument panel that
alerts you that the fro nt passenger’s side
airbag has been turned off.
mSafing Sensor
*1: Models with the keyless access system
have an ENGINE START/STOP button
instead of an ignition switch.

Continued39
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Safe DrivingFront airbags are designed to inflate during moderate-to-severe frontal collisions.
When the vehicle decelerates suddenly, the sensors send information to the control
unit which signals one or both front airbags to inflate.
A frontal collision can be either head-on or angled between two vehicles, or when a
vehicle crashes into a stationary object, such as a concrete wall.
While your seat belt restrains your torso, the
front airbag provides supplemental protection
for your head and chest.
The front airbags deflate immediately so that
they won’t interfere with the driver’s visibility
or the ability to steer or operate other
controls.
The total time for inflation and deflation is so fast that most occupants are not
aware that the airbags deployed until th ey see them lying in front of them.
■Operation
■How the Front Airbags Work1How the Front Airbags Work
After a front airbag inflates in a crash, you may see
what looks like smoke. This is actually powder from
the airbag’s surface. Although the powder is not
harmful, people with re spiratory problems may
experience some temporary di scomfort. If this occurs,
get out of the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
Although the driver’s and front passenger’s airbags
normally inflate within a split second of each other, it
is possible for only one airbag to deploy. This can
happen if the severity of a collision is at the margin,
or threshold, that determines whether or not the
airbags will deploy. In such cases, the seat belt will
provide sufficient protection, and the supplemental
protection offered by the airbag would be minimal.

46
uuAirbags uAirbag System Indicators
Safe Driving
Airbag System Indicators
If a problem occurs in the airbag syst em, the SRS indicator will come on and a
message appears on the mu lti-information display.
■When the ignition switch is turned to
ON
w*1
The indicator comes on for a few seconds,
then goes off. This tells you the system is
working properly.
If the indicator comes on at any other time , or does not come on at all, have the
system checked by a dealer as soon as possible. If you don’t, your airbags and seat
belt tensioners may not work properly when they are needed.
*1: Models with the keyless access system have an ENGINE START/STOP button
instead of an ignition switch.
■SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) Indicator
1 SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) Indicator
3WARNING
Ignoring the SRS indicator can result in
serious injury or death if the airbag systems
or tensioners do not work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a dealer as
soon as possible if the SRS indicator alerts
you to a possible problem.

uuAirbags uAirbag System Indicators
48
Safe Driving■When the side airbag off indicator comes on
This indicator comes on if the passenger’s side airbag has been turned off because
the passenger is too small to be sitting in the front seat, is slouching or not sitting
upright, or has leaned into the airbag’s deployment path.
Unless the passenger is a smaller statured adult or a child, the indicator should go
off when the passenger returns to a proper upright sitting position.
■Side Airbag Off Indicator1Side Airbag Off Indicator
When you turn the ignition switch to ON
(w*1, the
indicator should come on for a few seconds and then
go out. If it doesn’t come on, stays on, or comes on
while driving without a passenger in the front seat,
have the system checked by a dealer as soon as
possible.
*1: Models with the keyles s access system have an
ENGINE START/STOP button instead of an ignition
switch.
CanadaU.S.

49
uuAirbags uAirbag Care
Safe Driving
Airbag Care
You do not need to, and should not, perform any maintenance on or replace any
airbag system components yourself. Ho wever, you should have your vehicle
inspected by a dealer in the following situations:
■When the airbags have deployed
If an airbag has inflated, the control unit and other related parts must be replaced.
Similarly, once an automatic seat belt te nsioner has been activated, it must be
replaced.
■When the vehicle has been in a moderate-to-severe collision
Even if the airbags did not inflate, have yo ur dealer inspect the following: the driver’s
seat position sensor, weight sensors in the passenger’s seat, front seat belt
tensioners, and each seat belt th at was worn during the crash.
■Do not remove or modify a front seat without consulting a dealer
This would likely disable the driver’s seat position sensor or the passenger’s weight
sensors. If it is necessary to remove or modify a front seat to accommodate a person
with disabilities, contact an Acura dealer . For U.S. vehicles you can also contact
Acura Client Service at 800-382-2238. For Canadian vehicles you can also contact
Canadian Acura Client Service at 888-9-ACURA-9.
1 Airbag Care
We recommend against the use of salvaged airbag
system components, includi ng the airbag, tensioners,
sensors, and control unit.