2020 Acura RDX brake

Continued407
uuTowing a Trailer uTowing Preparation
Driving
Towing equipment varies by th e size of your trailer, how much load you are towing,
and where you are towing.
■Hitches
The hitch must be of an approved type and properly bolted to the underbody.
■Safety chains
Always use safety chains when you tow a trailer. Leave enough slack to allow the
trailer to turn corners easily, but do not allow the chains to drag on the ground.
■Trailer brakes
Recommended for any trailer with a total weight of 1,000 lbs (450 kg) or more:
There are two common types of trailer bra kes: surge and electric. Surge brakes are
common for boat trailers, since the brakes will get wet. If you choose electric brakes,
be sure they are electronically actuated. Do not attempt to attach trailer brakes to
your vehicle’s hydraulic system, as it wi ll lower braking effectiveness and create a
potential hazard.
■Additional towing equipment
Many states and provinces/territories requ ire special outside mirrors when towing a
trailer. Even if mirrors are not required in your locale, you should install special
mirrors if visibility is restricted in any way.
■Towing Equipment and Accessories1Towing Equipment and Accessories
Make sure that all equipment is properly installed and
maintained, and that it meets federal, state, province/
territory, and lo cal regulations.
Consult your traile r sales or rental agency if any other
items are recommended or required for your towing
situation.
The lighting and wiring of tra ilers can vary by type
and brand. If a connector is required, it should only
be installed by a qua lified technician.
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409
uuTowing a Trailer uDriving Safely with a Trailer
Continued
Driving
Driving Safely with a Trailer
• Have the trailer properly servic ed and keep it in good condition.
• Make sure that all the weights and load in the vehicle and trailer are within limits.
2Towing Load Limits P. 405
•Securely attach the hitch, safety chains, and other necessary parts to the trailer.
• Securely store all the items in and on the tra iler so that they do not shift while
driving.
• Check if the lights and brakes on the trailer are working properly.
• Check the pressures of the traile r tires, including the spare.
• Turn off the Auto Idle Stop syst em using the Auto Idle Stop OFF button. The
trailer weight can affect your vehicle’s brake effectiveness if Auto Idle Stop is
activated on a hill wh ile towing a trailer.
• Drive slower than normal.
• Obey posted speed limits fo r vehicles with trailers.
• Use the
(D position when towing a trailer on level roads.
• Turn more slowly and with a wider turning arc than normal.
• Allow more time and distance for braking.
• Do not brake or turn suddenly.
■Things You Need To Know Before Towing a Trailer
■Towing Speeds and Gears
■Turning and Braking
1Driving Safely with a Trailer
Operating speed when towing a trailer must not
exceed 62 mph (100 km/h).
Parking
In addition to the normal precautions, place wheel
chocks at each of the trailer’s tires.
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413Continued
Driving
When Driving
Starting the Engine
1.Make sure the parkin g brake is applied.
u The Parking Brake and Brake System
indicator (red) comes on for 30 seconds
when you press the electric parking
brake switch.
u The parking brake must be applied to
start the engine.
2. Depress the brake pedal.
u Although it is possible to start the vehicle
in
(N with the parking brake is applied, it
is safer to start it in
(P.
3. Press the ENGINE START/STOP button
without depressing the accelerator pedal.
1 Starting the Engine
Keep your foot firmly on the brake pedal when
starting the engine.
The engine is harder to start in cold weather and in thinner
air found at altitudes above 8,000 feet (2,400 meters).
When starting the engine in cold weather, turn off all
electrical accessories such as the lights, climate
control system, and rear de fogger in order to reduce
battery drain.
If you live in a region where winter is extremely cold,
an engine block heater will improve starting and
warming of the engine. Consult a dealer for details.
If the exhaust system sounds abnormal or you can
smell exhaust gas inside the vehicle, have your vehicle
checked by a dealer. There may be a problem with
the engine or exhaust system.
Bring the keyless access remote close to the ENGINE
START/STOP button if the batte ry in the keyless
access remote is weak. 2 If the Keyless Access Remote Battery is
Weak P. 608
The engine may not start if the keyless access remote
is subjected to strong radio waves.
Do not hold the ENGINE START/STOP button to
start the engine.
If the engine does not start, wait at least 30 seconds
before trying again.
Electric Parking
Brake Switch
Brake Pedal
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417
uuWhen Driving uStarting the Engine
Driving
1. Depress the brake pedal and press the ENGINE START/STOP button
simultaneously.
2. Keeping your right foot on the br ake pedal, put the transmission into
(D. Select
(R when reversing.
3. With the parking brake applied, release the brake pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal.
u Make sure the Parking Brake and Brake System indicator (red) goes off.
2Parking Brake P. 492
2 If the Transmission System Indicator Blinks along with the Warning
Message P. 620
■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 foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator.
Put the transmission into
(D or (S when facing uphill, or (R when facing downhill,
then release the brake pedal.
■Starting to Drive1 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 parki ng brake switch than by
releasing it with th e accelerator pedal.
The engine stops when th e transmission position is
changed from
( P before the ENGINE START/STOP
button is pressed. Follow step 1 when starting to
drive.
When the engine was started using the keyless access
remote*
When the engine was started using the keyless access remote*
When the engine was started in any case
1 Hill start assist system
Hill start assist may not prevent the vehicle from
rolling downhill on a very st eep or slippery 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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418
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 that 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 transmission 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 electric power
steering (EPS) system heats up. The system goes into a
protective mode, and limits its performance. 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 put the transmission into
( N, as you will lose
engine braking (and acce leration) 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.
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. 32
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419
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 peda l 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
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420
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
Shifting
Change the gear position in acco rdance 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
multi-information display when you depress the
accelerator pedal with the gear position in
( N.
2 Multi-Information Display Warning and
Information Messages P. 97
Change the gear position to
( D or (R with the brake
pedal depressed.
3WARNING
The vehicle can roll aw ay if left unattended
without confirming that Park is engaged.
A vehicle that rolls away could cause a crash
resulting in seriou s injury or death.
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal
until you have confirmed that
( P is shown
on the gear position indicator.
Reverse
Used when reversing
Park
Used when parking, be fore turning off or
starting the engine
Neutral
Transmission is not locked
Drive/S Position
Each time you press the button, the
mode switches between Drive and S Position
mode.
Used for:
●Normal driving (gears change between
1st and 10th automatically)
●Temporarily driving in the sequential
mode
●Automatically changing gears between
1st and 8th (8th gear is used only at high
speed)
●Driving in the sequential mode
D/S
Drive
S Position
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uuWhen Driving uShifting
422
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 tac hometer’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.
2 Customized Features P. 335
Gear Position Indicator
Tachometer’s red zone
Press the (P button.
Pull back the (R button.
Press the
( N button.
Shift Button
Indicator M
(sequential mode)
Indicator
Sequential Mode Gear
Selection Indicator
Press the button.
Each time you press the button,
the mode switches between
Drive and S Position mode.D/S
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