2014 ACURA RDX Owner’s Manual

The 2014 Acura RDX is a premium compact luxury SUV that combines performance, comfort, and versatility in a way that works well. The RDX has a refined exterior design that gives off an air of elegance and shows that Acura is committed to sophisticated styling. The RDX is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine, which makes it fun to drive and gives it plenty of power. Inside, the cabin has a nice mix of high-quality materials, roomy seats, and high-tech features like an easy-to-use infotainment system, Bluetooth connectivity, and a high-quality sound system. The RDX has a wide range of advanced driver-assistance features, such as a forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and a rearview camera, because safety is a top priority. The 2014 Acura RDX brings a new level of luxury to the compact SUV market with its mix of speed, comfort, and high-tech features.

Side Curtain Airbags

Side curtain airbags help protect the heads of the driver and passengers in outer seating positions during a moderate-to-severe side impact. The side curtain airbags equipped in this vehicle are also designed to help reduce the likelihood of partial and complete ejection of vehicle occupants through side windows in crashes, particularly rollover crashes.

Housing Locations
The side curtain airbags are located in the ceiling above the side windows on both sides of the vehicle.

Operation
The side curtain airbag is designed to deploy in a rollover or a moderate-to-severe side impact.

• If the SRS control unit senses that your vehicle is about to roll over, it immediately deploys both side curtain airbags and activates both front seat belt tensioners.
• The airbag on the passenger’s side will deploy, and the seat belt tensioner will activate, even if there are no passengers on that side of the vehicle.
• To get the best protection from the side curtain airbags, occupants should wear their seat belts properly and sit upright and well back in their seats.
• Do not attach any objects to the side windows or roof pillars as they can interfere with the proper operation of the side curtain airbags.

When side curtain airbags deploy in a frontal collision
One or both side curtain airbags may inflate in a moderate to severe angled frontal collision.

In this case, the side curtain airbags will deploy slightly after the front airbags.

Airbag System Indicators

If a problem occurs in the airbag system, the SRS indicator will come on and a message appears on the multi-information display.

SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) Indicator

When the power mode is set to ON: 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.

WARNING

• 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.

Passenger Airbag Off Indicator

When the passenger airbag off indicator comes on: The indicator comes on to alert you that the passenger’s front airbag has been turned off. This occurs when the front passenger’s weight sensors detect 65 lbs (29 kg) or less, the weight of an infant or small child, on the seat. Infants and small children should always ride properly restrained in a back seat.
Objects placed on the seat can also cause the indicator to come on. If the front passenger seat is empty, the passenger’s front airbag will not deploy and the indicator will not come on.

If the indicator comes on with no front passenger and no objects on the passenger’s seat, or with an adult riding there, something may be interfering with the weight sensors. Such as:

• An object hanging on the seat or in the seat-back pocket.
• A child seat or other object pressing against the rear of the seat-back.
• A rear passenger pushing or pulling on the back of the front passenger’s seat.
• The front seat or seat-back is forced back against an object on the seat or floor behind it.
• An object was placed under the front passenger’s seat.

If none of these conditions exist, have your vehicle checked by a dealer as soon as possible. The passenger airbag off indicator may come on and goes off repeatedly if the total weight on the seat is near the airbag cutoff threshold.

Side Airbag Off Indicator

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.

When you set the power mode to ON, 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.

Airbag Care
You do not need to, and should not, perform any maintenance on or replace any airbag system components yourself. However, 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 tensioner 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 your 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 that 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 weight sensors in the passenger’s seat. 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, Acura Client Service at 800-382-2238, and for Canadian vehicles, Acura Client Service at 888-9- ACURA-9.

We recommend against the use of salvaged airbag system components, including the airbag, tensioners, sensors, and control unit.

Indicator, Coming On/Blinking

If the Low Oil Pressure Indicator Comes On

1. Reasons for the indicator to come on
   • Comes on when the engine oil pressure is low.
2. What to do as soon as the indicator comes on
   • Immediately park the vehicle in a safe place.
   • If necessary, turn the hazard warning lights on.
3. What to do after parking the vehicle
   • Stop the engine and let it sit for about one minute.
   • Open the hood and check the oil level.
     • Add oil as necessary.
   • Start the engine and check the low oil pressure indicator.
     • The light goes out: Start driving again.
     • The light does not go out within 10 seconds: Stop the engine and contact a dealer for repairs immediately.

NOTICE: Running the engine with low oil pressure can cause serious mechanical damage almost immediately.

If the Charging System Indicator Comes On

1. Reasons for the indicator to come on
   Comes on when the battery is not being charged.
2. What to do when the indicator comes on
   Turn off the climate control system, rear defogger, and other electrical systems, and immediately contact a dealer for repairs.

• If the Charging System Indicator Comes On: If you need to stop temporarily, do not turn off the engine. Restarting the engine may rapidly discharge the battery.

If the Malfunction Indicator Lamp Comes On or Blinks

1. Reasons for the indicator lamp to come on or blink
   • Comes on when there is a problem with the engine emissions control system, or the fuel fill cap is missing, or loose.
   • Blinks when engine misfiring is detected.
2. What to do when the indicator lamp comes on
   • Avoid high speeds and immediately get your vehicle inspected at a dealer.
3. What to do when the indicator lamp blinks
   • Park the vehicle in a safe place with no flammable items and wait at least ten minutes or more with the engine stopped until it cools.

Tighten Fuel Cap Message

The message appears when:
An evaporative system leak is detected. This may be caused by the fuel fill cap being loose or not being installed.

What to do when the message appears:

1. Stop the engine.
2. Check that the fuel fill cap is fully installed.
   • If not, loosen the cap, and then retighten it until it clicks at least once.
3. Drive for several days of normal driving.
   • The message should go off.

When the malfunctioning indicator lamp comes on
A malfunction indicator lamp comes on if the system continues to detect a leak of gasoline vapor. If this happens, check the fuel fill cap using the procedures described above.

NOTICE

1. If you drive with the malfunctioning indicator lamp on, the emissions control system and the engine could be damaged.
2. If the malfunction indicator lamp blinks again when restarting the engine, drive to the nearest dealer at 31 mph (50 km/h) or less. Have your vehicle inspected.

FAQ’s