2014 Acura MDX ESP

23Quick Reference Guide
A Few Words About SafetyYour safety, and the safety of others, is very important. And
operating this vehicle safely is an important responsibility.
To help you make informed decisions about safety, we have
provided operating procedures and other information on labels and
in this manual. This information alerts you to potential hazards that
could hurt you or others.
Of course, it is not practical or possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or maintaining your vehicle. You
must use your own good judgement.You will find this important safety information in a variety of forms,
including:
●Safety Labels - on the vehicle.
●Safety Messages - preceded by a safety alert symbol
3 and
one of three signal words: DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION.
These signal words mean:
●Safety Headings - such as Important Safety Precautions.
●Safety Section - such as Safe Driving.
●Instructions - how to use this vehicle correctly and safely.
This entire book is filled with important safety information - please
read it carefully.
3DANGER
You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if
you don’t follow instructions.
3WARNING
You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if
you don’t follow instructions.
3CAUTION
You CAN be HURT if you don’t follow
instructions.

26Safe Driving
For Safe DrivingThe following pages explain your vehicle’s safety features and how to use them
properly. The safety precautions below are ones that we consider to be among the
most important.Important Safety Precautions■Always wear your seat belt
A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbags are designed to
supplement seat belts, not replace them. So even though your vehicle is equipped
with airbags, make sure you and your passengers always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly.■Restrain all children
Children ages 12 and under should ride properly restrained in a back seat, not the
front seat. Infants and small children should be restrained in a child seat. Larger
children should use a booster seat and a lap/shoulder seat belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat.■Be aware of airbag hazards
While airbags can save lives, they can cause serious or fatal injuries to occupants
who sit too close to them, or are not properly restrained. Infants, young children,
and short adults are at the greatest risk. Be sure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.■Don’t drink and drive
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even one drink can reduce your ability to respond to
changing conditions, and your reaction time gets worse with every additional drink.
So don’t drink and drive, and don’t let your friends drink and drive, either.
1Important Safety Precautions
Some states, provinces and territories prohibit the use
of cell phones other than hands-free devices by the
driver while driving.

42
uuAirbagsuTypes of Airbags
Safe Driving
Types of AirbagsYour vehicle is equipped with four types of airbags:
•Front airbags: Airbags in front of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats.
•Driver’s knee airbag: Airbag under the steering column.
•Side airbags: Airbags in the driver’s and front passenger’s seat-backs.
•Side curtain airbags: Airbags above the side windows.
Each is discussed in the following pages.Front Airbags (SRS)The front SRS airbags inflate in a moderate-to-severe frontal collision to help protect
the head and chest of the driver and/or front passenger.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) indicates that the airbags are designed to
supplement seat belts, not replace them. Seat belts are the occupant’s primary
restraint system.
The front airbags are housed in the center of the steering wheel for the driver, and
in the dashboard for the front passenger. Both airbags are marked SRS AIRBAG.■Housing Locations
1Types of Airbags
The airbags can inflate whenever the power mode is
in ON.
After an airbag inflates in a crash, you may see a
small amount of smoke. This is from the combustion
process of the inflator material and is not harmful.
People with respiratory problems may experience
some temporary discomfort. If this occurs, get out of
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.1Front Airbags (SRS)
Dual-Stage, Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags
(SRS)
Your vehicle is equipped with dual-stage, multiple-
threshold front airbags (SRS).
During a frontal crash severe enough to cause one or
both front airbags to deploy, the airbags can inflate
at different rates, depending on the severity of the
crash, whether or not the seat belts are latched, and/
or other factors. Frontal airbags are designed to
supplement the seat belts to help reduce the
likelihood of head and chest injuries in frontal
crashes.

55
uuChild SafetyuProtecting Child Passengers
Safe Driving
•Any child who is too small to wear a seat belt correctly must be restrained in an
approved child seat that is properly secured to the vehicle using either the lap belt
portion of the lap/shoulder belt or the lower anchors of the LATCH system.
•Never hold a child on your lap because it is impossible to protect them in the
event of a collision.
•Never put a seat belt over yourself and a child. During a crash, the belt would
likely press deep into the child and cause serious or fatal injuries.
•Never let two children use the same seat belt. Both children could be very
seriously injured in a crash.
•Do not allow children to operate the doors, windows or seat adjustments.
•Do not leave children in the vehicle unattended, especially in hot weather when
the inside of the vehicle can get hot enough to kill them. They could also activate
vehicle controls causing it to move unexpectedly.
1Protecting Child Passengers
To deactivate a lockable retractor, release the buckle
and allow the seat belt to wind up all the way.
To remind you of the passenger’s front airbag
hazards and child safety, your vehicle warning came
with a label on the dashboard (U.S. models) and has
labels on the front visors. Please read and follow the
instructions on these labels.
2Safety Labels P. 67
3
WARNING
Allowing a child to play with a seat belt or
wrap one around their neck can result in
serious injury or death.
Instruct children not to play with any seat
belt and make sure any unused seat belt a
child can reach is buckled, fully retracted,
and locked.

107
uuGauges and Multi-Information Display (MID)uMID
Continued
Instrument Panel
■List of customizable options
*1:Default SettingSetup Group Customizable Features Description Selectable SettingsDriver Assist
System
Setup
*
Forward Collision
Warning Distance
*
Changes at which distance FCW
* or CMBS
TM * alerts, or
turns FCW
* on and off.
Long/Normal
*1/Short/Off
ACC Forward Vehicle
Detect Beep
*
Causes the system to beep when the system detects a
vehicle, or when the vehicle goes out of the ACC with
LSF range.
On/Off
*1
ACC Display Speed Unit
*
Changes the speed unit for ACC with LSF on the MID.
mph
*1/km/h (U.S.)
mph/km/h
*1 (Canada)
Lane Keeping Assist
Suspend Beep
*
Causes the system to beep when the LKAS is suspended.
On/Off
*1
Blind Spot Info
*
Changes the setting for the blind spot information.
Audible And Visual
Alert
*1/Visual Alert/Off
Meter SetupLanguage SelectionChanges the displayed language.English*1/Francais/Español
Adjust Outside Temp.
DisplayAdjusts the temperature reading by a few degrees.-5°F ~ ±0°F*1 ~ +5°F (U.S.)
-3°C
~ ±0°C
*1 ~ +3°C
(Canada)
“Trip A” Reset TimingChanges the setting of how to reset trip meter A, average
fuel economy A, average speed A, and elapsed time A.When Refueled/IGN Off/
Manually Reset
*1
“Trip B” Reset TimingChanges the setting of how to reset trip meter B, average
fuel economy B, average speed B, and elapsed time B.When Refueled/IGN Off/
Manually Reset
*1
Turn by Turn Display
*
Select whether the turn-by-turn display comes on during
the route guidance.On
*1/Off
* Not available on all models

Continued
119
uuLocking and Unlocking the DoorsuLocking/Unlocking the Doors from the Outside
Controls
■Locking the doors and tailgate
Press the door lock button on a front door,
rear doors
* or the tailgate.
uSome exterior lights flash; the beeper
sounds; all the doors and tailgate lock;
and the security system sets.
1Using the Keyless Access System•Do not leave the keyless access remote in the
vehicle when you get out. Carry it with you.•Even if you are not carrying the keyless access
remote, you can lock/unlock the doors and unlock
the tailgate while someone else with the remote is
within range.•The door may be unlocked if the door handle is
covered with water in heavy rain or in a car wash if
the keyless access remote is within range.•If you grip a door handle wearing gloves, the door
sensor may be slow to respond or may not respond
by unlocking the doors.•The door may not open if you pull it immediately
after gripping the door handle. Grip the handle
again and confirm that the door is unlocked before
pulling the handle.•Even within the 32 inches (80 cm) radius, you may
not be able to lock/unlock the doors with the
keyless access remote if it is above or below the
outside handle.•The keyless access remote may not operate if it is
too close to the door and door glass.
Door Lock Button
Lock Button
* Not available on all models

128Controls
Opening and Closing the TailgatePrecautions for Opening/Closing the TailgateAlways make sure individuals and objects are clear of the tailgate before opening or
closing it.■Opening the tailgate
•Open the tailgate all the way.
uIf it is not fully opened, the tailgate may come down accidentally by its own
weight.
•Be careful when it is windy. The wind may cause the tailgate to close.■Closing the tailgate
Keep the tailgate closed while driving to:
uAvoid possible damage.
uPrevent exhaust gas from leaking into the vehicle.2Carbon Monoxide Gas P. 66
1Precautions for Opening/Closing the Tailgate
Be careful not to hit your head on the tailgate or to
put your hands between the tailgate and the cargo
area when closing the tailgate.
When operating the power tailgate, make sure there
is enough space around your vehicle. People near the
tailgate may be seriously hurt if the tailgate hits or
closes on their heads. Be especially cautious if
children are around.
When you are storing or picking up luggage from the
cargo area while the engine is idling, do not stand in
front of the exhaust pipe. You may get burned.
Do not allow any passenger in the cargo space. They
may get hurt during hard braking, a sudden
acceleration, or a crash.
3
WARNING
Closing a power tailgate while anyone is in
the path of the tailgate can cause serious
injury.
Make sure everyone is clear before closing
the power tailgate.

uuOperating the Switches Around the Steering WheeluWipers and Washers
150Controls
When you push the lever down to AUTO, the
windshield wipers sweep once, and go into
the automatic mode.
The wipers operate intermittently, at low
speed, or at high speed and stops in
accordance with the amount of rainfall the
rainfall sensor detects.■Auto sensitivity adjustment
When in AUTO, you can also adjust the
rainfall sensor sensitivity using the intermittent
time adjustment ring.
Sensor sensitivity
■Automatic Intermittent Wipers
*
1Automatic Intermittent Wipers
*
The rainfall sensor is in the location shown below.
Do not put the wiper lever in AUTO when cleaning
the windshield or driving through a car wash. If the
wiper lever is in AUTO, and the power mode is in ON,
the rainfall sensor may respond to your hand or car
wash liquids, and the wipers may operate
automatically.
Rainfall Sensor
Low: The wipers start to
react to a larger amount
of rainfall.
High: The wipers start to
react to a smaller amount
of rainfall.
* Not available on all models