Acura MDX HYBRID (2020 year). Manual in english - page 1

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Energy Efficiency

As with a gasoline-powered vehicle, hybrid vehicle fuel efficiency and driving range is most impacted by your driving style. Aggressive 
acceleration and high-speed driving can easily trigger the system to switch the propulsion source to the gasoline-powered engine.
In addition, heavy climate control system use negatively affects vehicle range and efficiency. Either of these use patterns will more quickly 
reduce the High Voltage battery's state of charge.

Battery Types

There are two types of batteries used in this vehicle: a standard 12-volt battery that powers the airbags, the interior and exterior lights, and 
other standard 12-volt systems; and a high voltage battery that is used to power the propulsion motors and recharge the 12-volt battery.

Regenerative Energy and Regenerative Braking

When decelerating without the accelerator being depressed or the brake pedal being applied, or while driving downhill, the electric motors 
act as generators that recover a portion of the electrical energy that was used to accelerate the vehicle. This regenerative braking slows the 
vehicle in a manner similar to engine braking in a gasoline-powered vehicle.
When the high voltage battery is fully charged or its condition is affected by extreme temperatures or other factors, regenerative braking 
may not work.

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Auto Engine Stop/Start

Your vehicle’s gasoline engine will automatically stop and start during vehicle operation as needed to meet driving and battery conditions. 
These are some examples that could cause the gasoline engine to automatically start.

In the following cases, however, Auto Engine Stop may not activate.

●

When the Integrated Dynamics System is in SPORT+ mode.

●

The vehicle momentarily needs additional power for aggressive acceleration, driving uphill, or driving at high speeds.

●

The climate control system is in heavy use.

●

The High Voltage battery temperature is high or low.

●

The High Voltage battery state of charge is low.

●

When the gear position is in 

(

S

 or 

(

R

.

Sounds Unique to the SPORT HYBRID SH-AWD

®

 System

When you first start driving this vehicle, you will likely hear some unfamiliar sounds, particularly when you turn on the power system, or 
while you are driving or accelerating from a stop. Some of these sounds are unique to this vehicle‘s powertrain, fuel, and climate control 
systems; others are similar to sounds generated by conventional automobiles that typically are masked by louder noises absent from a 
vehicle of this design.
These sounds are not a cause for concern, and you will soon recognize them as normal and thus be able to detect any new or unusual noise 
should one develop.

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Safety Precautions

Do not touch the High Voltage system

Attempting to take a High Voltage system component apart or disconnect one of its wires 
can cause severe electrical shock. Make sure that any maintenance or repairs to the High 
Voltage system is performed by an Acura dealer.

If a crash occurs

●

Be careful of electric shock hazard.

u

If a severe crash damages your vehicle’s High Voltage system, there is a possibility of electrical shock 

due to exposed High Voltage components or wires. If this happens, do not touch any of the High 
Voltage system components or any of its orange wires.

●

Avoid contact with High Voltage battery fluid.

u

The High Voltage battery contains a flammable electrolyte that could leak as a result of a severe 

crash. Avoid skin or eye contact with the electrolyte as it is corrosive. If you accidentally come into 
contact with the electrolyte, rinse the exposed skin or flush your eyes with copious amounts of water 
for at least five minutes, and seek medical attention immediately.

●

Use a fire extinguisher for an electrical fire.

u

Attempting to extinguish an electrical fire with a small quantity of water, from a garden hose for 

instance, can be dangerous.

●

Anytime the vehicle is damaged in a crash, have it repaired by an Acura dealer.

Emergency Shutdown System for the High Voltage System

If the vehicle is involved in a crash, the emergency shutdown system will activate depending 
on the severity of the impact. When the system activates, the High Voltage system 
automatically shuts down, and the vehicle can no longer move under its own power. To 
return the High Voltage system back to normal operation, consult an Acura dealer.

Acura collects and recycles High Voltage batteries used in its vehicles – consult an Acura 
dealer for more information.

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Safe Driving 

(P33)

Airbags 

(P47)

●

Your vehicle is fitted with airbags to help protect you and 
your passengers during a moderate-to-severe collision.

Child Safety 

(P62)

●

All children 12 and younger should be seated in the rear seat.

●

Smaller children should be properly restrained in a forward-facing child seat.

●

Infants must be properly restrained in a rear-facing child seat.

Exhaust Gas Hazard 

(P80)

●

Your vehicle emits dangerous exhaust gases that contain carbon 
monoxide. Do not run the engine in confined spaces where carbon 
monoxide gas can accumulate.

Before Driving Checklist 

(P38)

●

Before driving, check that the front seats, head restraints, 
steering wheel, and mirrors have been properly adjusted.

Seat Belts 

(P39)

●

Fasten your seat belt and sit upright well 
back in the seat.

●

Check that your passengers are wearing 
their seat belts correctly.

Fasten your lap belt as 

low as possible.

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Instrument Panel 

(P83)

System Indicators

Malfunction Indicator 

Lamp
Low Oil Pressure 

Indicator

12-Volt Battery 

Charging System 

Indicator

Anti-lock Brake System 

(

ABS

) Indicator

Vehicle Stability 

Assist

TM

 (VSA

®

) System 

Indicator
Vehicle Stability 

Assist

TM

 (VSA

®

) OFF 

Indicator

Speed-sensitive Electric 

Power Steering (EPS) 

System Indicator

Lights Indicators

Lights On Indicator

High Beam Indicator

Immobilizer System 

Indicator

Seat Belt Reminder 

Indicator

System Indicators

System Message 

Indicator

Brake System 

Indicator (Red)

Supplemental 

Restraint System 

Indicator

Low Fuel Indicator

Gauges 

(P123)

/Multi-Information Display (MID) 

(P125)

/System Indicators 

(P84)

Low Tire Pressure/

TPMS Indicator

Turn Signal and 

Hazard Warning 

Indicators

Keyless Access System 

Indicator

High Voltage Battery 

Charge Level Gauge

Security System Alarm Indicator

Fuel 

Gauge

Tachometer

MID

Speedometer

Gear Position Indicator

M

 (sequential mode) Indicator/

Sequential Mode Gear Selection 

Indicator

Brake System 

Indicator (Amber)

Blind spot information 

System Indicator

System Indicators

Collision Mitigation 

Braking System

TM

 

(CMBS

TM

) Indicator

Road Departure 

Mitigation (RDM) 

Indicator

Lane Keeping Assist System 

(

LKAS

) Indicator

Adaptive Cruise Control (

ACC

) 

with Low Speed Follow 

Indicator

U.S.

Canada

U.S.

Canada

Fog Light Indicator

*

Automatic Brake Hold 

System Indicator

Automatic Brake Hold 

Indicator

U.S.

Canada

Electric Parking Brake 

System Indicator

Electric Parking Brake 

Indicator

U.S.

Canada

Auto High-Beam 

Indicator

POWER SYSTEM

 

Indicator

High Temperature Indicator

Low Temperature Indicator

SPORT+

 Mode 

Indicator

READY

 Indicator

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Controls 

(P141)

Clock 

(P142)

a

Enter the 

Clock Adjustment

 screen.

2

Adjusting the Clock 

(P142)

b

Rotate 

 to change hour, then move 

.

c

Rotate 

 to change minute, then 

press 

.

The navigation system receives signals from 
GPS satellites, updating the clock 
automatically.

POWER Button 

(P171)

Press the button to change the vehicle’s 
power mode.

Turn Signals 

(P174)

Lights 

(P175)

Turn Signal Control Lever

Right

Left

Light Control Switches

Low Beam

High Beam

Flashing

*

 Not available on all models

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Wipers and Washers 

(P182)

AUTO

 should always be turned 

OFF

 before 

the following situations in order to prevent 
severe damage to the wiper system:

●

Cleaning the windshield

●

Driving through a car wash

●

No rain present

Wiper/Washer Control Lever

MIST
OFF
AUTO

: Wiper speed varies 

automatically

LO

: Low speed wipe

HI

: High speed wipe

Pull toward 

you to spray 

washer fluid.

Adjustment Ring

(

-

: Low Sensitivity

(

+

: High Sensitivity

Steering Wheel 

(P190)

●

To adjust, push and hold the adjustment 
switch to move the steering wheel to the 
desired position.

Unlocking the Front 
Doors from the Inside 

(P155)

●

Pull either front door inner handle to 
unlock and open it at the same time.

Tailgate 

(P164, 159)

●

Press the tailgate outer handle to unlock 
and open the tailgate when you carry the 
keyless access remote.

●

Press the power tailgate button on the 
driver’s door or the remote transmitter to 
open and close the power tailgate.

Tailgate Outer Handle

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Power Door Mirrors 

(P192)

●

With the power mode in ON, move the 
selector switch to 

L

 or 

R

.

●

Push the appropriate edge of the 
adjustment switch to adjust the mirror.

●

Press the fold button to fold the door 
mirrors.

Selector Switch

Adjustment Switch

Fold Button

Power Windows 

(P168)

●

With the power mode in ON, open and 
close the power windows.

●

If the power window lock button is in the 
off position, each passenger’s window 
can be opened and closed with its own 
switch.

●

If the power window lock button is in the 
on position (indicator is on), each 
passenger’s window switch is disabled.

Power Window Lock Button

Window Switch

Indicator

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Climate Control System 

(P222)

●

Press the 

AUTO

 button to activate the climate control system.

●

Press the 

 button to turn the system on or off.

●

Press the 

 button or select the 

Front

 

 icon to defrost the windshield.

Driver’s Side 
Temperature 
Control Switch

Air flows from floor and 

windshield defroster vents.

Air flows from floor vents.

Air flows from floor and 

dashboard vents.

Air flows from dashboard vents.

AUTO

 Button

Passenger’s Side 
Temperature 
Control Switch

 (On/Off) Button

Driver’s Side 
Temperature Icon

Passenger’s Side 
Temperature Icon

On Demand 
Multi-Use 
Display

TM

 (Windshield Defroster) Button

A/C

 (Air 

Conditioning) and 

SYNC

 

(Synchronization) 
Icon

Recirculation/
Fresh Air Mode 
Icon

Fan Control Icon

REAR

 (Rear Climate 

Control) Icon

Vent Mode 

Control Icon

Rear Climate Control 

(P232)

●

Press the 

AUTO

 button to activate the 

rear climate control system.

●

Press the 

 button to turn the system 

on or off.

Rear Temperature 
Control Buttons

 / 

 

(Fan Control) 
Button

AUTO

 Button

 (On/Off) 

Button

Mode Control Button

Air flows from the rear floor vents.

Air flow from the rear console 

vents and floor vents.

Air flows from the rear console vents.

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Features 

(P235)

Audio System 

(P243)

 

For navigation system operation

 

()

 See the Navigation System Manual

*1:Icons that appear on the screen vary by the source selected.

Information Screen

Audio Menu

 (CD Eject) Button

VOL

/

 (Volume/Power) Knob

BACK

 Button

Interface Dial (

ENTER/MENU

 

Button)

INFO

 Button

On Demand Multi-Use Display

TM

PHONE

 Button

 (Tune Down) Icon

*1

Source

 (Day/Night) Button

Tune

*1

CD Slot

 (Information) Icon

Preset Icons

*1

 (Tune Up) Icon

*1

Stations

*1

SCAN

*1

SMARTPHONE

 Button

SETTINGS

 Button

Front

/

Rear

*

NAV

 Button

HD Radio List

*, *1

*

 Not available on all models

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Models with rear entertainment system

Disc Slot

REAR

 

 (Power) 

Button

 (Eject) Button

Audio Remote Controls 

(P241)

●

SOURCE

 Button

Press to change the audio mode: FM/AM/
SiriusXM

®

/CD/Rear DVD

*

/HDD/USB/iPod/

Apple CarPlay/Android Auto/

Bluetooth

®

 

Audio/Pandora

®

*

/AUX.

●

Left Selector Wheel
Roll to adjust the volume up/down.
Radio:Move to a side to change the 

preset station.
Move to a side and hold to select 
the next or previous strong station.

CD/HDD/USB device:

Move to a side to skip to the 
beginning of the next song or 
return to the beginning of the 
current song.
Move to a side and hold to change 
a folder.

Left Selector Wheel

SOURCE

 Button

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Driving 

(P447)

Electronic Gear Selector 

(P465)

●

Always depress the brake pedal before selecting 

(

P

 or changing the gear position from 

(

P

.

●

Select 

(

P

 and depress the brake pedal when turning on the power.

Park

Press the 

(

P

 button.

Used when parking or before 
turning the power on or off.
Transmission is locked.

Reverse

Pull back the 

(

R

 button.

Used when reversing.

Neutral

Press the 

(

N

 button.

Transmission is not locked.

Drive

Press the 

 button.

Used for normal driving. 
Sequential shift mode can be used 

temporarily.

D/S

Gear Position Indicator

The gear position indicator and the 
shift button indicator indicate the 
current gear selection.

Gear Position Indicator

Shift Button 
Indicator

Drive (S)

Press the 

 button twice.

Sequential shift mode can be used.

D/S

Shifting

*

 Not available on all models

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Sequential Mode 

(P472)

Paddle shifters allow you to shift gears much like a manual 
transmission (1st through 7th). This is useful for regenerative braking.

When the transmission is in 

(

D

●

The transmission will shift back to 
automatic mode once the system 
detects that the vehicle is cruising.

When the transmission is in 

(

S

●

Holds the selected gear, and the 

M

 (sequential mode) indicator 

comes on.

●

The sequential mode gear 
selection is shown in the 
instrument panel.

Gear Position Indicator

Shift Down 

(

-

 

Paddle Shifter

Shift Up 

(

+

 

Paddle Shifter

Selected Gear Number

M

 Indicator

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VSA

®

 On and Off 

(P507)

●

The Vehicle Stability Assist

TM

 (VSA

®

) 

system helps stabilize the vehicle during 
cornering and helps maintain traction 
while accelerating on loose or slippery 
road surfaces.

●

VSA

®

 comes on automatically every time 

you turn on the power system.

●

To partially disable or fully restore VSA

®

 

function, press and hold the button until 
you hear a beep.

CMBS

TM

 On and Off 

(P529)

●

When a possible collision is likely 
unavoidable, the CMBS

TM

 can help you to 

reduce the vehicle speed and the severity 
of the collision.

●

The CMBS

TM

 is turned on every time you 

start the power system.

●

To turn the CMBS

TM

 on or off, press and 

hold the button until you hear a beep.

Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with Tire 
Fill Assist 

(P513, 646)

●

The TPMS monitors tire pressure.

●

TPMS is turned on automatically every time you turn on the power system.

●

TPMS fill assist provides audible and visual guidance during tire pressure adjustment.

Refueling 

(P557)

a

Press the fuel fill door 
release button.

b

After refueling, wait for 
about five seconds 
before removing the 
filler nozzle.

Fuel recommendation: Unleaded premium gasoline, pump octane number 91 or 

higher

Fuel tank capacity: 19.4 US gal (73.3 L)

Wait for five seconds

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AcuraWatch

TM

AcuraWatch

TM

 is a driver support system 

which employs the use of two distinctly 
different kinds of sensors, a radar sensor 
located behind the emblem and a front 
sensor camera mounted to the interior side 
of the windshield, behind the rearview 
mirror.

The camera is located 
behind the rearview 
mirror.

Front Sensor 
Camera

Radar Sensor

The radar sensor is 
behind the emblem.

Adaptive Cruise Control 
(ACC) with Low Speed 
Follow 

(P477)

Helps maintain a constant vehicle speed and 
a set following-interval behind a vehicle 
detected ahead of yours and, if the detected 
vehicle comes to a stop, can decelerate and 
stop your vehicle, without you having to 
keep your foot on the brake or the 
accelerator.

Road Departure 
Mitigation (RDM) System 

(P493)

Alerts and helps to assist you when the 
system detects a possibility of your vehicle 
unintentionally crossing over detected lane 
markings and/or leaving the roadway 
altogether.

Lane Keeping Assist 
System (LKAS) 

(P498)

Provides steering input to help keep the 
vehicle in the middle of a detected lane and 
provides tactile and visual alerts if the 
vehicle is detected drifting out of its lane.

Collision Mitigation 
Braking System

TM

 

(CMBS

TM

) 

(P526)

Can assist you when there is a possibility of 
your vehicle colliding with a vehicle or a 
pedestrian detected in front of yours. The 
CMBS

TM

 is designed to alert you when a 

potential collision is determined, as well as 
to reduce your vehicle speed to help 
minimize collision severity when a collision is 
deemed unavoidable.

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Maintenance 

(P561)

Under the Hood 

(P569)

●

Check engine oil, engine coolant, windshield washer fluid 
and inverter coolant. Add when necessary.

●

Check brake fluid.

●

Check the 12-volt battery condition monthly.

a

Pull the hood release handle under the corner of the 
dashboard.

b

Locate the hood latch lever, push it to the side, and then 
raise the hood. Once you have raised the hood slightly, you 
can release the lever.

c

When finished, close the hood and make sure it is firmly 
locked in place.

Lever

Lights 

(P582)

●

Inspect all lights regularly.

Wiper Blades 

(P587)

●

Replace blades if they leave streaks 
across the windshield.

Tires 

(P591)

●

Inspect tires and wheels regularly.

●

Check tire pressures regularly.

●

Install snow tires for winter 
driving.