2009 Acura MDX Owner's Manual - Page 379

Main Menu Table Of Contents Towing a Trailer Driving on Hills Handling Crosswinds and Buffeting Retrieving a Boat When climbing hills, closely watch your temperature gauge. If it nears the red (Hot) mark, turn the air conditioning off, reduce speed and, if necessary, pull to the side of the road to let the engine cool. If the transmission shifts frequently while going up a hill, shift to D3. If you must stop when facing uphill, use the foot brake or parking brake. Do not try to hold the vehicle in place by pressing on the accelerator, as this can cause the automatic transmission to overheat. When driving down hills, reduce your speed and shift down to D3. Do not ''ride'' the brakes. Remember, it takes longer to slow down and stop when towing a trailer. Crosswinds and air turbulence caused by passing trucks can disrupt your steering and cause the trailer to sway. When being passed by a large vehicle, keep a constant speed, and steer straight ahead. Do not try to make quick steering or braking corrections. Backing Up If the vehicle tires slip when retrieving a boat from the water, keep the transmission in the D position and do not use the sequential sport shift mode. This prevents the transmission damage. Towing Your Vehicle Your vehicle is not designed to be towed behind a motor home. If your vehicle needs to be towed in an emergency, see page 446. Always drive slowly and have someone guide you when backing up. Grip the bottom of the steering wheel, then turn the wheel to the left to get the trailer to move to the left. Turn the wheel to the right to move the trailer to the right. Parking Driving Follow all normal precautions when parking, including putting the transmission in Park and firmly setting the parking brake. Also, place wheel chocks at each of the trailer's tires. 2009 MDX 375