2014 Acura MDX Snow

304Driving
Before DrivingDriving PreparationCheck the following items before you start driving.
•Make sure there are no obstructions on the windows, door mirrors, exterior
lights, or other parts of the vehicle.
uRemove any frost, snow, or ice.
uRemove any snow on the roof, as this can slip down and obstruct your field of
vision while driving. If frozen solid, remove ice once it has softened.
uWhen removing ice from around the wheels, be sure not to damage the wheel
or wheel components.
•Make sure the hood is securely closed.
uIf the hood opens while driving, your front view will be blocked.
•Make sure the tires are in good condition.
uCheck air pressure, check for damage and excessive wear.
2Checking and Maintaining Tires P. 417
•Make sure there are no people or objects behind or around the vehicle.
uThere are blind spots from the inside.■Exterior Checks
1Exterior ChecksNOTICEWhen doors are frozen shut, use warm water around
the door edges to melt any ice. Do not try to force
them open, as this can damage the rubber trim
around the doors. When done, wipe dry to avoid
further freezing.
Do not pour warm water into the key cylinder.
You will be unable to insert key if the water freezes in
the hole.
Heat from the engine and exhaust can ignite
flammable materials left under the hood, causing a
fire. If you’ve parked your vehicle for an extended
period, inspect and remove any debris that may have
collected, such as dried grass and leaves that have
fallen or have been carried in for use as a nest by a
small animal.
Also check under the hood for leftover flammable
materials after you or someone else has performed
maintenance on your vehicle.

uuWhen DrivinguShifting
332Driving
■Second gear lock mode
If you pull the
(+ paddle shifter while stopped or driving at 6 mph (10 km/h) or less,
the gear position will be locked in 2nd gear. This makes it easier to pull away on
slippery surfaces such as snow covered roads.
To cancel the 2nd gear lock mode, pull the
(- paddle shifter, or move the shift lever
from
(S to
(D.
■Sequential Shift Mode Operation
1Sequential Shift Mode Operation
Each paddle shift operation makes a single gear
change.
To change gears continuously, release the paddle
shifter before pulling it again for the next gear.
Recommended Shift Points
Use this table as a guideline for efficient fuel
economy and effective emission control.
The gear position indicator blinks when you cannot
shift up or down. It indicates that your vehicle speed
is not in its allowable gear shifting range.
Slightly accelerate to shift up and decelerate to shift
down while the indicator is blinking.Shift Up Normal Acceleration1st to 2nd
15 mph (24 km/h)
2nd to 3rd 25 mph (40 km/h)
3rd to 4th
40 mph (64 km/h)
4th to 5th 45 mph (72 km/h)
5th to 6th
50 mph (80 km/h)
Paddle Shifter (Shift down)
Downshifting when pulling
the
(- paddle shifter.
(Changes to a lower gear.)Upshifting when pulling
the
(+ paddle shifter.
(Changes to a higher gear.)
(-(+
Paddle Shifter (Shift up)

uuWhen DrivinguAdaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low Speed Follow (LSF)
*
338Driving
When driving at 25 mph (40 km/h) or above: Take your foot off the pedal and
press down the RES/+/SET/– switch when you reach the desired speed. The moment
you release the switch, the set speed is fixed, and ACC with LSF begins.
When driving at slower than 25 mph (40 km/h): You can set the vehicle speed
only when there is a vehicle detected ahead of you. If the vehicle is moving and the
brake pedal is not depressed, pressing the switch fixes the set speed to 25 mph (40
km/h) regardless of current vehicle speed. If the vehicle is stationary, you can set the
vehicle speed even with the brake pedal depressed.
When ACC with LSF starts operating, the
vehicle icon, distance bars and set speed
appear on the MID. ■To Set the Vehicle Speed
1Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low Speed Follow (LSF)
*
When the MAIN button is pressed, ACC with LSF and
Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) are both turned on
or off.
Do not use ACC with LSF under these conditions:•In poor visibility (e.g., bad weather, such as rain,
fog, and snow).•When you must slow down and speed up
repeatedly.•On winding roads.•When you enter a toll gate, interchange, service
area, parking area, etc. In these areas, there is no
vehicle ahead of you, but ACC with LSF would still
try to accelerate to your set speed.•On a slippery road (for example a road covered
with ice or snow).•When a spare tire
* is installed.
•When going down a steep hill where the engine
braking does not work sufficiently.
When not using ACC with LSF: Turn off adaptive
cruise by pressing the MAIN button. This also will
turn off the Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS).
1To Set the Vehicle Speed
You can switch the displayed set speed
measurements on the MID between mph and km/h.
2Customizable Features P. 107
On when ACC
with LSF begins
Press down and release
RES/+/SET/− Switch
Set Vehicle Speed Set Vehicle Distance
* Not available on all models

uuWhen DrivinguAdaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low Speed Follow (LSF)
*
344Driving
■Automatic cancellation
The beeper sounds and a message appears on the MID when ACC with LSF is
automatically canceled. Any of these conditions may cause the ACC with LSF to
automatically cancel:
•Your vehicle speed slows to 22 mph (35 km/h) or below when a detected vehicle
goes out of the ACC with LSF range.
•Bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.)
•When the radar sensor in the front grille gets dirty.
•The vehicle ahead of you cannot be detected.
•An abnormal tire condition is detected, or the tires are skidding.
•Driving on a mountainous road, or driving off road for extended periods.
•Abrupt steering wheel movement.
•When the ABS, VSA® or CMBS
TM is activated.
•When the VSA® indicator comes on.
•When the vehicle is stopped on a very steep slope.
•When you manually apply the parking brake.
•When the detected vehicle within the ACC with LSF range is too close to your
vehicle.
•The driver’s seat belt is unfastened when the vehicle is stationary.
•The vehicle stops for more than 10 minutes.
•The engine is turned off.
•When trailer stability assist is activated.
2Trailer Stability Assist
* P. 317
The ACC with LSF automatic cancellation can be also triggered by the following
causes.
1Automatic cancellation
Even though ACC with LSF has been automatically
canceled, you can still resume the prior set speed.
Wait until the condition that caused ACC with LSF to
cancel improves, then press the RES/+/SET/– switch
down.
* Not available on all models

uuWhen DrivinguForward Collision Warning (FCW)
*
348Driving
■Automatic shutoff
FCW may automatically shut itself off and the FCW indicator comes and stays on
when:
•The temperature inside the system is high.
•The windshield is blocked by dirt, mud, leaves, wet snow, etc.
Once the conditions that caused FCW to shut off improve or are addressed (e.g.,
cleaning), the system comes back on.
1Automatic shutoff
To help reduce the likelihood that high interior
temperatures will cause the camera system to shut off,
when parking, find a shady area or face the front of the
vehicle away from the sun.
If you use a reflective sun shade, do not allow it to
cover the camera housing. Covering the camera can
concentrate heat on the camera.
If the Can Not Operate: Camera Too Hot message
appears:•Use the climate control system to cool down the
interior and, if necessary, the defroster mode when
windows are fogged.•Start driving the vehicle to lower the windshield
temperature, which cools down the area around
the FCW camera.

349
uuWhen DrivinguForward Collision Warning (FCW)
*
Driving
FCW may not activate or may not detect a vehicle in front of your vehicle, and may
activate even when you are aware of a vehicle ahead of you, or when there is no
vehicle ahead, under the following conditions.■FCW Limitations
Condition
●The distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you is too short.●A vehicle cuts in front of you at a slow speed, and it brakes suddenly.●A vehicle suddenly crosses in front of you.●When either your vehicle or the vehicle ahead of you accelerates rapidly.●The vehicle ahead of you is a motorcycle, a small vehicle, or a unique vehicle such as a tractor.●When you drive off-road or on a mountain road, or curved and winding road for an extended period that makes it difficult for the sensor/camera to
properly detect a vehicle in front of you.●When there are pedestrians or animals in front of your vehicle.●When you drive in bad weather (rain, fog, etc.).●A heavy load in the rear or modifications to the suspension tilts your vehicle.●An abnormal tire condition is detected (wrong tire size, flat tire, etc.).●When the windshield is blocked by dirt, mud, leaves, wet snow, etc.●When the temperature inside the system is high.●A sudden change between light and dark such as an entrance or exit of a tunnel.●You drive into the sunlight (e.g. at dawn or dusk).●When the windshield is dirty or cloudy.●When streetlights are perceived as the taillight of a vehicle in front of yours.●When driving at night, the vehicle ahead of you is running with either taillight bulb burned out.●When you drive in the shadows of trees, buildings, etc.●When your vehicle is towing a trailer.

352
uuWhen DrivinguLane Departure Warning (LDW)
*
Driving
LDW may not activate or may not recognize lanes, and may activate even when
keeping in the middle of a lane, under the following conditions.■LDW Limitations
Condition
●When you drive in bad weather (rain, fog, etc.).●A heavy load in the rear or modifications to the suspension tilts your vehicle.●An abnormal tire condition is detected (wrong tire size, flat tire, etc.).●When the windshield is blocked by dirt, mud, leaves, wet snow, etc.●When the temperature inside the system is high.●A sudden change between light and dark such as an entrance or exit of a tunnel.●You drive into the sunlight (e.g. at dawn or dusk).●When the windshield is dirty or cloudy.●When you drive in the shadows of trees, buildings, etc.●When your vehicle is towing a trailer.●When you drive on a wet road surface following another vehicle.uThe camera may perceive the tire tracks in the water as lane lines.
●When there is snow or wheel tracks on the side of the road.●When the road has many repaired area or an erased lane line.●When the vehicle is running over painted signs or crosswalk markings.●When you drive in a lane with worn-out lane markings.

353
uuWhen DrivinguLane Keeping Assist System (LKAS)
*
Continued
Driving
Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS)
*
Provides steering input to help keep the vehicle in the middle of a detected lane and
provides audible and visual alerts if the vehicle is detected drifting out of its lane.
1Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS)
*
Important Safety Reminders
The LKAS is for your convenience only. It is not a
substitute for your vehicle control. The system does
not work if you take your hands off the steering
wheel or fail to steer the vehicle.
2Multi-Information Display (MID) Warning
and Information Messages P. 96
Do not place an object on the top of the instrument
panel. It may reflect onto the windshield and prevent
the system from detecting lane lines properly.
The LKAS is convenient when it is used on freeways.
The LKAS may not work properly under the following
conditions:•Your tires are over or under inflated.•Your tires or wheels are of varied size or
construction.•Your vehicle’s suspension has been altered,
changing the height of the vehicle.•Your vehicle has heavy load in the trunk or on the
rear seats.•A compact spare tire
* is mounted.
•Driving on snowy or wet roads.•Roadway lane markers are difficult to see due to
weather (rain, snow, fog, etc.) or road conditions.•Driving on a road with temporary lane markings.•Multiple or varied lane markings are visible on the
pavement due to road repairs or old lane markings.•Roadway objects or structures are misinterpreted
as lane markers.•On non-freeway roadways and on freeways with
many curves.
■Steering input assist
The system applies torque to the
steering to keep the vehicle between
the left and right lane lines. The
applied torque becomes stronger as the
vehicle gets closer to either of the lane
lines.
■Audible and visual alerts
Beeps and a warning display alert
you that the vehicle is drifting out of
a detected lane.
When you operate the turn signals to change lanes, the system is suspended, and
resumes after the signals are off.
If you make a lane change without operating the turn signals, the LKAS alerts
activate, and torque is applied to the steering.
■LKAS camera
Monitors the lane
lines
* Not available on all models