2019 Acura MDX Owner's Manual

uuWhen Driving uStarting the Engine
472
Driving
1. Depress the brake pedal and press the ENGINE START/STOP button
simultaneously.
2. Keeping your right foot on the br ake pedal, press the button. Select
(R
when reversing.
3. With the parking brake applied, release the brake pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal.
u Make sure the electric parking brake indicator goes off.
2 Parking Brake P. 531
2 If the Transmission System Indicator Blinks along with the Warning Message
P. 661
■Hill start assist system
Hill start assist keeps the brake engaged br iefly to help prevent the vehicle from
rolling on inclines as you move your fo ot from the brake pedal to the accelerator.
Change the gear position to
(D or (S when facing uphill, or (R when facing
downhill, then release the brake pedal.
The brakes remain engaged briefly as you release the brake pedal.
■Starting to Drive1 Starting to Drive
The engine stops when the gear position is changed
from
( P before the ENGINE START/STOP button is
pressed. Follow step 1 when starting to drive.
You can also release the parking brake by pulling the
electric parking brake sw itch while depressing the
brake pedal.
When facing downhill, you can start your vehicle
more smoothly by manually releasing it with the
electric parking brake switch than by releasing it with
the accelerator pedal.
When the engine was started using the two-way keyless
access remote*When the engine was started using the two-way keyless access remote*
When the engine was started in any case
D/S
1 Hill start assist system
Hill start assist may not prevent the vehicle from
rolling downhill on a very steep or slippe ry slope, and
will not operate on small inclines.
Hill start assist is not a replacement for the parking
brake.
Hill start assist will operate even when VSA ® is
switched off.
* Not available on all models
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473
uuWhen Driving uPrecautions While Driving
Driving
Precautions While Driving
Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles.
To prevent rollovers or loss of control:
• Take corners at slower speeds than yo u would with a passenger vehicle.
• Avoid sharp turns and abrupt maneuvers whenever possible.
• Do not modify your vehicle in any way th at you would raise the center of gravity.
• Do not carry heavy cargo on the roof.
Never carry more than 165 lbs (75 kg) of ca rgo on the roof rack (Acura accessory).
Avoid driving in deep water and on flooded roads. This can damage the engine or
driveline, or cause electrical component failure.
If there is a strong impact with something under the vehicle, stop in a safe location.
Check the underside of the vehicle for damage or any fluid leaks.
■Driving Guidelines for Your Utility Vehicle
■In Rain
■Other Precautions
1 Precautions While Driving
NOTICE
Do not change the gear position while pressing the
accelerator pedal. You could damage the
transmission.
NOTICE
If you repeatedly turn the steering wheel at an
extremely low speed, or hold the steering wheel in
the full left or right position for a while, the system
heats up. The system goes into a protective mode,
and limits its performa nce. The steering wheel
becomes harder and harder to operate. Once the
system cools down, the EPS system is restored.
Repeated operation under these conditions can
eventually damage the system.
If the power mode is set to ACCESSORY while
driving, the engine will shut down and all steering
and brake power assist functi ons will stop, making it
difficult to control the vehicle.
Do not change the gear position to
( N, as you will
lose engine braking (and acceleration) performance.
During the first 600 miles (1,000 km) of operation,
avoid sudden acceleration or full throttle operation so
as not to damage the engine or powertrain.
Avoid hard braking for the first 200 miles (300 km).
You should also follow this when the brake pads are
replaced.
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474
uuWhen Driving uAutomatic Transmission
Driving
Automatic Transmission
The engine runs at a higher id le speed and creeping increases.
Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed when stopped.
Quickly depressing the accelerator pedal while driving uphill may cause the
transmission to drop to a lower gear, unex pectedly increasing vehicle speed. Depress
the accelerator pedal carefully, especi ally on slippery roads and curves.
■Creeping
■Kickdown
1Driving Guidelines for Your Utility Vehicle
Failure to operate your vehicle correctly might result
in a crash or a rollover. 2 Important Handling Information P. 30
2 Precautions While Driving P. 473
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475
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
Shifting
Change the gear position in accordance with your driving needs.
■Shift button positions
1Shifting
To prevent malfunc tion and unintended
engagement:
•Do not spill any liquids on or around shift buttons.
•Do not place or drop any objects on or around shift
buttons.
•Do not let passengers or ch ildren operate the shift
buttons.
The beeper sounds and the message appears on the
MID when you depress the accelerator pedal with the
gear position in
( N.
Change the gear position to ( D or (R with the brake
pedal depressed.
When shifting gears in extremely low temperatures
(−22°F/−30°C), there may be a short delay before the
shift is indicated in the di splay. Always confirm you
are in the correct gear before driving.
3WARNING
The vehicle can roll aw ay if left unattended
without confirming th at Park is engaged.
A vehicle that rolls away could cause a crash
resulting in serious injury or death.
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal
until you have confirmed that
( P is shown
on the gear position Indicator.
Park
Used when parking, before turning off or
starting the engine
Reverse
Used when reversing
Neutral
Transmission is not locked
Drive
Used for:
●Normal driving (gears change between 1st
and 9th automatically)
●Temporarily driving in the sequential
mode
Drive (S)
Used for:
●Automatically changing gears between 1st
and 7th (7th gear is used only at high
speed)
●Driving in the sequential mode
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476
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
■(P (parking) button
The gear position changes to
(P when you
press the
(P button while the vehicle is
parked with the power mode in ON.
The indicators on the sides of the
(P button
come on.
( P Button
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Continued477
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
■Shift Operation1Shift Operation
NOTICE
When you change (D to (R and vice versa, come to
a complete stop and keep the brake pedal depressed.
Operating the shift button before the vehicle has
come to a complete standstill can damage the
transmission.
Use the gear position indicator and the shift button
indicator to check the gear position before selecting
a shift button.
If the indicator of the curren tly selected gear position,
or all the gear position indicators are blinking
simultaneously, there is a problem with the
transmission.
Avoid sudden acceleration and have the transmission
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The fuel supply may be cut of f if you drive at engine
speeds in or over the tachometer’s red zone (engine
speed limit). If this happe ns, you may experience a
slight jolt.
When the engine speed is increased while the
transmission is in
( N, (P or (R, the fuel supply may
be cut off even without the engine speed entering
the tachometer’s red zone.
The beeper sounds once when you change to
( R.
Gear Position Indicator
Tachometer’s red zone
Press the (P button.
Pull back the ( R button.
Press the
( N button.
Press the button.
D/S
Shift Button
Indicator M
(sequential mode)
Indicator
Sequential Mode Gear
Selection Indicator
Press the button twice.
If the gear position is in
( D,
press the button again.
D/S
D/S
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uuWhen Driving uShifting
478
Driving
In freezing or sub-freezing conditions, th e gear selection response may be slow.
Always depress the brake pedal before changing the gear position to
(P, and
confirm that
(P is shown on the gear position in dicator before releasing the brake.
■When opening the driver’s door
If you open the driver’s door under the following conditions, the gear position
automatically changes to
(P.
• The vehicle is in stationary with the engi ne running, or moving at 1 mph (2 km/h)
or slower.
• The transmission is in other than
(P.
• You have unfastened the driver side seat belt.
u If you manually change the gear position from
(P with the brake pedal
depressed, the gear position will automatically return to
(P once you release
the brake pedal.
■When turning off the power mode
If you turn the engine off wh ile the vehicle is stationary, and the transmission is in
other than
(P, the gear position automatically changes to (P.
1 When opening the driver’s door
While the system is designed to automatically change
the gear position to
(P under the described
conditions, in the interest of safety you should always
select
( P before opening the driver’s door.
Make sure to park the vehicle in a safe place.
2 When Stopped P. 548
If you want to drive the ve hicle after the gear position
has automatically changed to
( P under the described
conditions, close the door, fasten the seat belt,
depress the brake pedal, then change the gear
position.
If you leave the vehicle, tu rn off the engine and lock
the doors.
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Continued479
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
■If you want to keep the transmission in (N position [car wash mode]
With the engine running:
1. Press and hold the brake pedal.
2. Select
(N, then release the button to display (N (Neutral) hold mode on the MID.
3. Press and hold
(N again for two seconds.
u This puts the vehicle in car wash mode which must be used when your vehicle
is pulled through a conveyor type automatic car wash where you or an
attendant do not remain in the vehicle.
If the ENGINE START/STOP button is pressed
after car wash mode has been activated, the
power mode will change to ACCESSORY and
a message will be displayed on the multi-
information display. u The gear position remains in
(N with the
power mode in ACCESSORY for 15
minutes, then, it automatically changes
to
(P and the power mode changes to
OFF.
u Manually changing to
(P cancels
ACCESSORY mode. The
(P indicator
comes on and the power mode changes
to OFF. You must always shift to
(P
when car wash mode is no longer
needed.
1 If you want to keep the transmission in (N position [car wash
mode]
The transmission may not stay in
(N position while
the following indicators ar e on or when the message
below appears:
•Malfunction indicator lamp
•Transmission system indicator
•Charging system indicator•The Charging System Problem message on the
MID.
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