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2018 Acura MDX Owners Manual - Overheating



Overheating

If you see the multi-information display (MID) message "Stop Driving When Safe. Engine Temperature Too Hot," your engine is overheating. You may also notice the temperature gauge is at the H mark, the engine suddenly loses power, or steam or spray comes out from under the hood.

  1. Immediately park the vehicle in a safe place. Turn off all accessories and turn on the hazard warning lights.

    Reserve tank

    MAX

    MIN

  2. If no steam or spray is present: Keep the engine running and open the hood (see "Under the Hood").

    If steam or spray is present: Turn off the engine and wait until it subsides. Then, open the hood.

  3. Check that the cooling fan is operating. If it is not, immediately stop the engine. Otherwise, idle the engine until the MID message goes off.
  4. Once the engine has cooled down, inspect the coolant level and check the cooling system components for leaks. If the coolant level in the reserve tank is low, add coolant until it reaches the MAX mark. If there is no coolant in the reserve tank, make sure the radiator is cool, then cover the radiator cap with a heavy cloth and open the cap. If necessary, add coolant up to the base of the filler neck, and put the cap back on. Then, fill the reserve tank to the MAX mark.

Once the engine has cooled sufficiently, restart it and check the temperature gauge. If the temperature needle has gone down, resume driving. If it has not gone down, contact a dealer for repairs.

WARNING

Steam and spray from an overheated engine can seriously scald you.

Do not open the hood if steam is coming out.

WARNING

Removing the radiator cap while the engine is hot can cause the coolant to spray out, seriously scalding you.

Always let the engine and radiator cool down before removing the radiator cap.

NOTICE

Continuing to drive with the temperature gauge needle at the H mark may damage the engine.

Related topics:
  • Under the Hood
  • Engine Coolant
  • Shifting
  • Emergency Engine Stop
  • Emergency Towing

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