Acura TSX (2014 year). Manual - part 13

199

Continued



When Driving

Starting the Engine

1. Make sure the parking brake is applied.

2. Check that the shift lever is in 

 (

P , then 

depress the brake pedal.

u

Although it is possible to start the vehicle 
in 

 (

N , it is safer to start it in 

 (

P .

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 defogger 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. If temperatures consistently 
below -22°F (-30°C) are expected, the coolant 
mixture should be changed to a higher concentration 
to prevent freezing. 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.

Brake Pedal

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Starting the Engine

200





3. Turn the ignition switch to START 

 (

e  

without depressing the accelerator pedal.

1. Keeping your right foot on the brake pedal, release the parking brake. Check that 

the parking brake indicator has gone off.

2 Parking Brake P. 216

2. Put the shift lever in 

 (

D . Select 

 (

R  when reversing.

3. Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal 

to pull away.

1

Starting the Engine

Do not hold the key in START 

 (

e 

 for more than 15 

seconds.

•

If the engine does not start right away, wait for at 
least 10 seconds before trying again.

•

If the engine starts, but then immediately stops, 
wait at least 10 seconds before repeating step 3 
while gently depressing the accelerator pedal.
Release the accelerator pedal once the engine 
starts.

The immobilizer system protects your vehicle from 
theft. If an improperly coded key (or other device) is 
used, the engine’s fuel system is disabled.

2 Immobilizer System P. 100

■

Starting to Drive

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Precautions While Driving



Precautions While Driving

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.

■

In Rain

■

Other Precautions

1

Precautions While Driving

NOTICE

Do not operate the shift lever 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 on 
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 ignition switch is turned to ACCESSORY 

 (

q 

 or 

LOCK 

 (

0 

 while driving, the engine will shut down 

and all steering and brake power assist functions will 
stop, making it difficult to control the vehicle.

Do not put the shift lever in 

 (

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 to not 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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Automatic Transmission





Automatic Transmission

The engine runs at a higher idle 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, unexpectedly increasing vehicle speed. Depress 
the accelerator pedal carefully, especially on slippery roads and curves.

■

Creeping

■

Kickdown

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When Driving 

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Shifting

Continued



Shifting

Change the shift position in accordance with your driving needs.

■

Shift lever positions

1

Shifting

You cannot turn the ignition switch to LOCK 

 (

0 

 and 

remove the key unless the shift lever is in 

 (

P 

.

The vehicle may move forward very slightly even in 

 (

N 

 while the engine is cold.

Depress the brake pedal firmly and, when necessary, 
apply the parking brake.

Park

Used when parking or starting the 
engine

Reverse

Used when reversing

Neutral

Used when idling

Drive

Used:

●

For normal driving (gears change 
between 1st and 5th automatically)

●

When temporarily driving in the 
sequential mode

Drive (S)

Used for:

●

Automatically changing gears 
between 1st and 4th (4th gear is used 
only at high speed)

●

Driving in the sequential mode

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Shifting

204





■

Shift Lever Operation

1

Shift Lever Operation

NOTICE

When you change the shift lever from 

 (

D 

 to 

 (

R 

 and 

vice versa, come to a complete stop and keep the 
brake pedal depressed.

Operating the shift lever before the vehicle has come 
to a complete standstill can damage the transmission.

Use the shift lever position indicator to check the 
lever position before pulling away.

If the transmission indicator blinks when driving, in 
any shift position, 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 off if you drive at engine 
speeds in or over the tachometer’s red zone (engine 
speed limit). If this happens, you may experience a 
slight jolt.

It may not be possible to operate the shift lever if the 
brake pedal is applied while the shift lever release 
button is held down.
Depress the brake pedal first.

Tachometer’s red zone

Shift Lever Position Indicator

Depress the brake pedal and press the 
shift lever release button to shift.

Shift without pressing the shift lever 
release button.

Press the shift lever release button 
and shift.

M (Sequential Shift mode) Indicator/
Gear Position Indicator

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Shifting

Continued



Use the paddle shifters to change between 1st and 5th gears without removing 
your hands from the steering wheel. The transmission will switch to the 
sequential shift mode.

■

When the shift lever is in 

 (

D :

The vehicle will go into the sequential shift mode momentarily, and the gear position 
indicator will come on.

Once you start traveling at a constant speed, the sequential shift mode will 
automatically switch off, and the gear position indicator will go off.

Hold the 

 (

+  paddle shifter for two seconds to return to normal drive.

■

When the shift lever is in 

 (

S :

The vehicle will go into the sequential shift mode, and the M (sequential shift) 
indicator and gear position indicator will come on. At speeds of 6 mph (10 km/h) or 
less, the vehicle automatically shifts down into 1st gear. It will not automatically shift 
up, even if vehicle speed increases.

You can only pull away in 1st or 2nd gear.

When switching out of the sequential shift mode, move the shift lever from 

 (

S  to 

 

(

D . When the sequential shift mode is canceled, the sequential shift mode indicator 

and shift indicator go off.

■

Sequential Shift Mode

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Shifting

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



■

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

1

Sequential 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.

If the gear position indicator blinks when you try to 
shift up or down, this means 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 Acceleration

1st 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)

 

(

- 

 Paddle Shifter 

(Shift down)

 

(

+ 

 Paddle Shifter 

(Shift up)

Downshifting when pulling 
the 

 

(

- 

 paddle shifter. 

(Changes to a lower gear)

Upshifting when pulling 
the 

 

(

+ 

 paddle shifter 

(Changes to a higher gear)

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Cruise Control

Continued



Cruise Control

Maintains a constant vehicle speed without having to keep your foot on the 
accelerator. Use cruise control on freeways or open roads where you can travel at a 
constant speed with little acceleration or deceleration.

1

Cruise Control

It may not be possible to maintain a constant speed 
when driving uphill or downhill.

3 

WARNING

Improper use of the cruise control can lead 
to a crash.

Use the cruise control only when traveling 
on open highways in good weather.

■

Shift positions for cruise control: 



In 

 (

D

 

 or 

 (

S

 

When to use

Always keep sufficient distance 
between you and the vehicle in 
front of you.

■

Vehicle speed for cruise control:



Desired speed in a range above 
roughly 25 mph (40 km/h) ~

How to use

■

CRUISE MAIN is on in the 
instrument panel.

Cruise control is ready to use.

■

Press the 

CRUISE

 button on 

the steering wheel.

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Cruise Control

208





Press the DECEL/SET button when you reach the desired speed using the 
accelerator pedal.

The moment you release the DECEL/SET button, the set speed is fixed, and cruise 
control begins. The CRUISE CONTROL indicator comes on.

■

To Set the Vehicle Speed

1

To Set the Vehicle Speed

When not using cruise control:
Turn off cruise control by pressing the CRUISE 
button.

DECEL/SET Button

On when cruise control begins

.

Press and Release

On

On

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Cruise Control



Increase or decrease the vehicle speed using the RES/ACCEL or DECEL/SET button 
on the steering wheel.

• Each time you press the button, the vehicle speed is increased or decreased by 

about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).

• If you keep the button pressed, the vehicle speed increases or decreases until you 

release it. This speed is then set.

To cancel cruise control, do any of the 
following:

• Press the CANCEL button.

• Press the CRUISE button.

• Depress the brake pedal.

The CRUISE CONTROL indicator goes off.

■

To Adjust the Vehicle Speed

1

To Adjust the Vehicle Speed

You can set the vehicle speed using the DECEL/SET 
button on the steering wheel when adjusting the 
speed with the accelerator and brake pedals.

■

To Cancel

To increase speed

To decrease speed

1

To Cancel

Resuming the prior set speed:
After cruise control has been canceled, you can still 
resume the prior set speed by pressing the RES/
ACCEL button while driving at a speed of at least 25 
mph (40 km/h) or more.

You cannot set or resume in the following situations:

•

When vehicle speed is less than 25 mph (40 km/h)

•

When the CRUISE button is turned off

At vehicle speeds of 22 mph (35 km/h) or less, cruise 
control is canceled automatically.

CRUISE Button

CANCEL Button

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Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®), aka Electronic Stability Control (ESC), System





Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®), aka Electronic 
Stability Control (ESC), System

VSA® helps to stabilize the vehicle during cornering if the vehicle turns more or less 
than what was intended. It also assists in maintaining traction on slippery surfaces. 
It does so by regulating engine output and selectively applying the brakes.

When VSA® activates, you may notice that the 
engine does not respond to the accelerator. 
You may also notice some noise from the 
hydraulic system. You will also see the 
indicator blink.

■

VSA® Operation

1

Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®), aka Electronic Stability Control 
(ESC), System

The VSA® may not function properly if tire type and 
size are mixed. Make sure to use the same size and 
type of tire, and the air pressures as specified.

When the VSA® indicator comes on and stays on 
while driving, there may be a problem with the 
system. While this may not interfere with normal 
driving, have your vehicle checked by a dealer 
immediately.

VSA® cannot enhance stability in all driving situations 
and does not control the entire braking system. You 
still need to drive and corner at speeds appropriate 
for the conditions and always leave a sufficient 
margin of safety.

The main function of the VSA® system is generally 
known as Electronic Stability Control (ESC). The 
system also includes a traction control function.

VSA® System 
Indicator

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Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®), aka Electronic Stability Control (ESC), System



This button is on the driver side control panel. 
To turn the VSA® system on and off, press and 
hold it until you hear a beep.

VSA® stops and the indicator comes on.

To turn it on again, press the 

 (VSA® OFF) 

button until you hear a beep.

VSA® is turned on every time you start the 
engine, even if you turned it off the last time 
you drove the vehicle.

■

VSA® On and Off

1

Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®), aka Electronic Stability Control 
(ESC), System

Without VSA®, your vehicle will have normal braking 
and cornering ability, but it will not have VSA® 
traction and stability enhancement.

In certain unusual conditions when your vehicle gets 
stuck in shallow mud or fresh snow, it may be easier 
to free it with the VSA® temporarily switched off.

When the VSA® system is off, the traction control 
system is also off. You should only attempt to free 
your vehicle with VSA® off if you are not able to free 
it when the system is on.

Immediately after freeing your vehicle, be sure to 
switch VSA® on again. We do not recommend driving 
your vehicle with the VSA® and traction control 
systems switched off.

If the low tire pressure/TPMS indicator comes on or 
blinks, the VSA® system turns on automatically. In 
this case, you cannot turn the system off by pressing 
the 

 button.

You may hear a motor sound coming from the 
engine compartment while system checks are being 
performed immediately after starting the engine or 
while driving. This is normal.

VSA® OFF 
Indicator

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Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)





Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Monitors the tire pressure while you are driving. If your vehicle’s tire pressure 
becomes significantly low, the low tire pressure/TPMS indicator comes on and a 
message appears on the multi-information display.

To select the tire pressure monitor, turn the 
ignition switch to ON 

 (

w  and press the 

 (information) button until you see 

the tire pressure screen.

If all the tire pressures are normal, TIRE 
PRESSURE OK will be displayed.

To display the pressure of all four tires, press 
the SEL/RESET button.

The pressure for each tire is displayed in PSI.

■

Tire Pressure Monitor

1

Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Conditions such as low ambient temperature and 
altitude change directly affect tire pressure and can 
trigger the low tire pressure/TPMS indicator to come 
on.

2 If the Low Tire Pressure/TPMS Indicator 

Comes On or Blinks P. 302

1

Tire Pressure Monitor

The pressure displayed on the multi-information 
display can be slightly different from the actual 
pressure as measured by a gauge. If there is a 
significant difference between the two values, or if 
the low tire pressure/TPMS indicator and the message 
on the multi-information display do not go off after 
you have inflated the tire to the specified pressure, 
have the system checked by a dealer.

SYSTEM FUNCTION ERROR may appear if there is a 
problem with the TPMS.

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Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)



If any tire has low pressure, LOW TIRE 
PRESSURE is displayed on the multi-
information display. Check the pressure of 
each tire by pressing the SEL/RESET button.

CHECK TIRE PRESSURE is displayed when a 
tire has significantly low pressure. The specific 
tire is displayed on the screen.

1

Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Tire pressure checked and inflated in:

•

Warm weather can become under-inflated in 
colder weather.

•

Cold weather can become over-inflated in warmer 
weather.

The low tire pressure/TPMS indicator will not come 
on as a result of over inflation.

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Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) - Required Federal Explanation





Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) - Required 
Federal Explanation

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Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be checked monthly when 
cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle 
manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label.

(If your vehicle has tires of a different size than the size indicated on the vehicle 
placard or tire inflation pressure label, you should determine the proper tire 

inflation pressure for those tires.)

As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped 
with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that 
illuminates a low tire pressure telltale when one or more of   
your tires is significantly under-inflated.

Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you should 
stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to the 
proper pressure.

Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can 
lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, 

and may affect the vehicle's handling and stopping ability.

2014 TSX Sport Wagon