Acura MDX (pre-2007)

mistermdx · April 2005

I'm not sure but it is way early, we need pitching and a better infeild. Why can't we have Hanley Ramirez play at second? My MDX is in the shop today getting the Autobahnd I had to wait for on the headlights, Door visors and chrome dipped factory rims! It's gonna look hot! Well back to this nailbiter 5-5 Foulke on the mound in the 8th. :confuse:

sbcooke · April 2005

No problems with my 02 to speak of. I had the trans recall done, the Brake TSB to eliminate brake noise when stopping for the first time in a direction...which I am not sure if it really worked or not...I never noticed noise before and don't now.

No real noises...sometimes when on a hill the trans makes a noise when coming out of park, but that is fairly normal with any automatic when parked on an incline and there is tension on the park gear.

Maintenance light is hooey...read the owners manual and follow that service schedule. I think the schedule is 7500 VTM fluid change, oil change every 5-7 K...and then trans/VTM fluid at 25K...off the top of my head. Check the owners manual...it prescribes maintenance at much greater intervals than the dealer and even the maintenance require light...I would stick to the manual.

There is a trick to getting the maintenance light off, I think the manual has it, but if not I am sure it is on the web. Something with being in the "on" key position and hitting the trip/odometer buttons, I cannot remember exactly.

leoniv · April 2005

To help eliminate tranny noise when shifting out of park, after coming to a stop and before shifting into park, apply the foot brake and shift into neutral, apply the parking brake, (make sure the parking brake holds) then shift into park. That way the car's weight rests on the car's brakes, not the tranny. Works for me. Brakes are much cheaper to replace also. Just my .02

anythngbutgm · April 2005

Good suggestion. I've always been a proponent of using the parking brake with Manuals and Automatics. It's a good habit to get into. Also coming to a complete stop in reverse before putting it in drive is another recommendation I have.

nini1 · April 2005

hi how about a 2002 mdx with touing and navi for 30,000 with 20,000?? did i get a good deal//>
?

What do u guys think about getting the extended warranty for 7yrs 100,000 for 1850?? do u thinkit is worth it???
thanks....

ein · April 2005

My dad just got a 2001 MDX with about 30,000 miles on it for a flat 20Gs.It came from a certified dealership so it is all checked out. Then he took it to his own mechanic to make sure. Picked it over the Lexus Rx300 (i dont like lexus). Anyone have any advice or info as to what may be the first thing to go wrong, or expect to encounter?

transpower · April 2005

Just make sure the MDX had the transmission service recall carried out.

cigetni · April 2005

My wife seems to recall hearing during our sales process that if the MDX was in park, a DVD being viewed on the DVD system could be "broadcast/ displayed" on the front Nav screen... It's a 2004 MDX w/NAV and DVD. Is there any truth to this? If so, how do you get it to play? Thanks

gosox18 · April 2005

I was at the Devil Rays game in St. Petersburg on Sunday for the ball beaning. Quite amazing. Love my Boys!

Do you have XM radio? DO you find you lose the signal in certain places where you drive?

:shades:

rhack1 · May 2005

I am looking to buy a used mdx and wanted to know about the gearing and gas consumption for high speed commuting...i travel on a hilly interstate for 45 miles each way to work...the speed i travel is usually between 75-80 mph...I've read others in this forum discuss mpg, but it's usually folks that travel between 70-75...my experience with my current lexus rx300 is that it's simply not geared for 75-80 mph -- so the gas mileage drops 2-4mpg when i'm in the 75-80 range versus the 70-74 range...any info would be great...and pls let me know your experience with high speeds and whether you are using regular or unleaded octane gas...thx...

habitat1 · May 2005

We have a 2005 MDX and on several highway trips have averaged between 21 and 23 mpg. It does appear that mpg goes down slightly if the speed is much above 70-75, but other factors, such as terrain (hilly vs. flat) and temperature are also factors.

One thing I have noticed is how low the gearing is on the MDX. This is the first automatic either my wife or I have owned in the past 25+ years. At 75 mph, the MDX is barely at 2,000 rpm in 5th gear. By comparison, my TL 6-speed is at 2,500+ rpm at that speed (and I don't shift into 6th below 65). My former Honda S2000 was at close to 4,000 rpm and still managed 32 mpg on the highway.

I believe the low gearing of the MDX would result in better highway gas mileage on flat terrain, but does induce a fair amount of shifting on hillier terrain. And that shifting appears to be exacerbated the faster speed you try to maintain. So, in that case, I would expect the differance in fuel economy between 65 and 80 to be significant. But the drop of 2-4 mpg (10-20%) going from 70-74 to 75-80 seems unusually high and we have never experienced anything close to that drop.

irishwheat · May 2005

Let me tell you briefly, about my 2005 MDX horror story. Let's see navigation did not work, Acura would not reimburse me for the trouble. Finally fixed after 8 months. Heater went out, 3 recalls, would not start after a week away. On Star went out. What a mess! Dont but this car. Im now trying to sell to move toowards something else, and I will take a huge loss. Even the lemon law is looking into my car. I use to love Honda/ Acura...sorry never again.

helen001 · May 2005

May I ask if you bought the car in the northeast? We are looking at a base model and received an offer for $100 under invoice, $33,700.

Thanks.

jacquester1 · May 2005

Any feedback as to the capabilities of the MDX on sand?

stever · May 2005

Air down and go. :-)

SUVs for Beach Sand. Check out post #299.

Steve, Host

jang3 · May 2005

I purchased 2005 MDX Touring, which is capable of bluetooth...

My current Samsung phone (with Verizon) have no bluetooth capablilty & thingking about changing to Motorolar V710. This is only bluetooth phone verizon offers in my area.

But when I look up Verizon's compatibility chart, it only list TL/ (and RL?) , not MDX.

Anyone using V710 on MDX?

habitat1 · May 2005

My wife and I have Motorola V551's and they work in both our 2004 TL and 2005 MDX. I am not familiar with the V710, but I am willing to bet that the only reason that the MDX isn't listed is that it didn't get Bluetooth until the 2005 model year and Verizon failed to update thier chart. As far as I know, there is no difference in the Bluetooth technology in the TL and MDX.

syswei · May 2005

Any reliable word as to whether it will be model year 2006 or 2007?

jsgb · May 2005

In reply to high speed driving. I have a 2002 MDX that I pushed last summer to 90 to 95 mph for over an hour following a Michigan State Trooper that was cruising on I-75. I figured if he could speed for no reason, why not me. It was nice having a "free pass". Anyway, the gas mileage was over 20 mpg as shown on the instrument panel and the MDX handled very well. Lower Michigan does not have any very large hills, but the MDX handled the small ones well.

anythngbutgm · May 2005

I've never gone over 80 with ours, glad to hear it maintained good stability at those speeds. I guess I just never considered SUV's to make for good high speed cruisers... :surprise:

exlex · May 2005

I JUST PURCHASED AN 05 ACURA MDX WITH NAV. I ADDITIONALLY UPGRADED MY VERIZON PHONE TO THE ONLY BLUETOOTH VERSION (MOTOROLA V710) AVAILABLE FROM VERIZON. THE TWO WORK BEAUTIFULLY TOGETHER. YOU JUST HAVE TO REMEMBER TO ACTIVATE THE BLUETOOTH FEATURE OF THE PHONE EACH TIME YOU START THE CAR. FOR SAFETY PURPOSES, ONCE OUT OF PARK, THE MDX WILL NOT ALLOW AN ATTEMPT UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS AGAIN PLACED IN PARK. IF I CAN FOLLOW THE PAIRING DIRECTIONS, ANYONE CAN. I AM ONE OF THOSE TECHNO-CLUTZES.

AS AN ASIDE, I JUST TRADED A 2002 SEQUOIA LIMITED IN FOR THE MDX. I TRIED TO PURCHASE THE MDX YEARS AGO BUT THE LOCAL DEALERS WANTED LIST PLUS WHICH I REFUSED TO PAY. THERE ARE SOME BENEFITS TO THE GAS PRICE INCREASES; MDX DISCOUNTS! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE MDX! THE SEQUOIA WAS GREAT BUT THE MDX HAS A SPECIAL FEEL AND MANEUVERABILITY TO IT. I DROVE THE NEW BENZ M SERIES AND WAS NOT OVERLY IMPRESSED WITH IT NOR WITH THE LACK OF A DECENT DISCOUNT. THE LEXUS WAS NICE BUT DID NOT HAVE THE SAME STABILITY AS THE MDX. I WAS SOMEWHAT HESITANT ABOUT THE TALK OF A 2006 MODEL CHANGE BUT I'M GLAD I MADE THE MOVE. GOOD LUCK WITH THE PHONE!

stever · May 2005

Congrats on the new MDX. But trying to read posts in ALL CAPS is very difficult, so I'm afraid that many people will skip over your message.

Steve, Host

jang3 · May 2005

I changed my phone to Motorola V710 & completed 'pair' process.
However, like exlex said, I had to re-set bluetooth connection (showing as "Temporary On...") each time.

With few more tries, I was able to get the phone / MDX works without 'activate' everytime.... Bluetooth connection is constantly "On" and they are automatically detecting each other. No need to pull out from pocket at all.

Just get in, turn the engine on, and its ready.

exlex · May 2005

Thanks to jang3 on his info. I went to the Verizon store and they " enabled " my phone to automatically detect my car without having to link up each time. Apparently you need to go to the settings mode and go to the connection feature. Go into Blue tooth link and then go into setup. Now that you are in the setup screen, scroll down to power and place power ON. This setting now automatically connects to the MDX when you start the car. My phone has worked flawlessly since. Sorry for the all caps error the last time. I'm new to all this. Good luck to all with their MDX's.

stever · May 2005

That's good news Exlex. Maybe you can report about it over in the Bluetooth Technology discussion too. Thanks,

Steve, Host

ready2buy1 · June 2005

Thanks

saint1 · June 2005

Has anybody tried paring more than one phone ? I am able to sucessfuly pair my Nokia 6230 phone. However, when I pair my wife's Nokia 6230, it seems to forget about my phone. If I pair my phone again, then it seems to forget about my wife's phone. By forget I mean that the phone is not listed in Phone_Setup->list command of HFL. The owners manual says the you can pair upto 6 phones. I was wondering if anyone has more than one phone paired ?

Thanks

helen001 · June 2005

We are looking at either getting sidesteps or running boards for our 05 MDX. I like the sidesteps because their sportier looking. Is this just a matter of preference or does one work better than the other?

sbcooke · June 2005

They don't work to well for the back doors. Only my kids actually step on them and they are under 6. For the front seats they are functional, but I don't use them. My wife wanted them. Something to consider. Perhaps go to a parking lot and try them out. For the back doors the angle they turn in at they are barely even there for the door opening.

Whichever you get I strongly advise you to buy them from hondacuraworld and put them on yourself. I had to buy a torque wrench from sears, but overall it took me 3 hours and saved me several hundred over dealer install.

If you do get them there is one trick I learned from the install so don't forget to post and ask here regarding installation...or search back, I think I reported it when I did mine.

habitat1 · June 2005

I have paired two phones (Motorola V551's) in both our 2004 TL and 2005 MDX without a "receiving" problem. Not sure how I did it - just followed the instructions, I suspect. If someone calls either of us when we are in the car together, either phone will ring.

The only thing I need to check on is which phone has "dial out" priority in each car. In other words, if both phones are in the car and you attempt to dial out, which one does it use.

saint1 · June 2005

No it does not work like that. Pairing is different from being connected to HFL. HFL will connect to only one phone at a time - so for an incoming call, either phone can ring but HFL will respond only if call lands on the connected phone. HFL can tell you about the connected phone using "Phone_setup->status" command.
For outgoing call, it will again use the connected phone. To switch to a different phone (that has already been paired), you have to use "Next Phone" command at HFL main memu. To summarize, pairing is static and more permamnet mapping while "connected" is dynamic and temporary mapping.
Good to know that you were able to pair more than one phone - I will clear my HFL system and try again. Thanks for your response.

habitat1 · June 2005

Thanks for straightening me out - I thought either phone would go through the HFL when an incoming call came in. But I must have been wrong. I take it that the link is established on a first come first serve basis (i.e. if I go into the car first and then pick up my wife, my phone wil be the paired one - and vise-versa).?

I am going to take our our two cell two phones into the car, along with my home phone handset and play around this afternoon until I figure out how it handles two phones in the car simultaneously and how to switch between the two. Thanks for the information.

At least I am sure that we have successfully paired both phones, since both work in both of our Acuras.

spfotey · June 2005

What tires are recommended for replacement for the MDX -- by this forum??

need to replace mine and trying to get a bead on it.

thx,

scott

oman9 · June 2005

Not an MDX owner, I own a JGC and have used Michelin LTX M/S (about 3 or 4 sets now) and find them to be great. Get about 45K on each set (with proper rotation and air pressure).

aggie76 · June 2005

I put the Goodyear Fortera's (pre-Silent Armor) on my '01 and have been pleased. Not sure they are quiet as the OEM Michelin's but liked the winter traction results better. I don't drive the "X" as often as spouse, her daily car, but she hasn't complained one bit.

fun6889 · June 2005

HI sbcooke, can you tell me what was the trick you learned from the installing of running board/sidestep? I am looking to get one w/ the MDX, but wondering if it was easy enough to do it myself, or I should ask if I can do it myself. I am not handy at all. thx...

helen001 · June 2005

sbcooke,

Yes, we are looking to purchase either the sidesteps or running boards from hondacuraworld to install ourselves. We have a child under 6 and one on the way.

Thanks for the info!

helen001

leoniv · June 2005

Several hundred dollars for install? That's pretty stiff. Compared to the hondacuraworld price, my dealer installed my running boards for $130. Anything much more than that and I would've had to do it myself.

sbcooke · June 2005

Trick, when it says to only tighten the screws on the support brackets to the car about 3/4 turns it means it. I tightened them up and then tried to slide the step onto it, the brackets need an inch +/- of slop to slide the step into position before tightening them up. I had something like 12 bolts 95% tight and had to go back around and loosen all of them up again to put the step on. Nothing too complicated, but time/pita saving.

When I got my MDX there was still a 4 month wait and MSRP was the best you could get. They wanted $749 for running boards. I got them online for $350, torque wrench from sears for another $50 and 3/4 hours install time.

BTW I also used my torque wrench to install a hitch for a bike rack...so $100 for the hitch and 45 minutes of labor. So the cost was deferred across 2 purchases.

gearup72 · July 2005

I just discovered that a 4 D Cell Maglite fits perfectly in the glove box. It is as if someone designed the glovebox for this purpose. Thought someone might be interested in this.......

kiefer1 · July 2005

any problem with using regular gas (87 octane) in my 2005 MDX. thanks

aggie76 · July 2005

I have an '01 and have, and still do, use regular gas on occasion with no problems (especially when I see the high prices for super unleaded). It does limit my fuel mileage and it seems to not have the pick up that it has on pure super but not a big deal. Anyone trying to make an MDX into a hot rod has chosen the wrong lady to dance with in the first place.

msu79gt82 · July 2005

I have an '01 and have, and still do, use regular gas on occasion with no problems (especially when I see the high prices for super unleaded). It does limit my fuel mileage and it seems to not have the pick up that it has on pure super but not a big deal.

Intresting that you notice an mpg drop; many do not. How big is your drop in mileage - you say that it is noticable, so maybe 1 or 2 mpg. Hypothetically speaking a 2 mpg drop in mileage (between Reg vs. Prem gas) will COST you money in the long run. Consider:

15,000 miles at 17 mpg (Regular) = ~ 880 gallons at $2.20/gal = $1936 per year

15,000 miles at 19 mpg (Premium) = ~ 790 gallons at $2.40/gal = $1896 per year.

So IF indeed you are really experiencing a noticable mileage drop THEN you are not really saving any money. :shades: The above numbers are for illustration only to make the point. However these "reasonable" numbers show a loss of $40 a year to use Regular.

aggie76 · July 2005

I fully agree and 95% of the time use premium in the MDX. It is just a couple of mpg but we normally don't do a full tank with regular anyway so I expect we are getting more of a 89 octane rating.

We did take the MDX in to the dealer today as we had some vibration/roughness and it turns our the EGR valve was clogged. Replace under warranty, 2nd time, so maybe some of my low mileage was due to it being faulty.

oestreich · July 2005

I have a 2005 MDX Touring with Navi along with XM radio. I can see the Song and Artist Titles on the Radio Display but was unaware you could put them on the Navigation Display? Can you advise on how to do this?

Thanks!

gearup72 · July 2005

You just press and hold the right side tuning knob for about 3 seconds. Then, the touch screen will appear with the XM info. It took me some time to find this too...

mark156 · July 2005

Hello folks, I just dropped in to read a few pages to see what the "word" on the street is about the MDX.

I have a 2002 Mercedes ML500 that I probably will trade late this year so I've started shopping around.

I wanted to consider a wagon (must be 6 or 7 passenger) which would include the Volvo or Mercedes E wagon. Wow, the Volvo site has it's share of horror stories as do most. I wanted to try something other than Mercedes next time since the last three I have had have been Mercedes products.

I receive Car and Driver and Automobile each month but haven't seen anything yet about the MDX updates. Do any of you know if the MDX will be updated soon?

I lean towards the look of the Pilot's front end better than the MDX but I want a unit completely loaded with Nav, bumper sensor (if they have them), air conditioned seats (if available), bi-xenons... etc. I would rather have bumper sensors than a rear camera... I don't have to look back with the sensors (have them on my ML). The sensor let you know with an audible sound and visual LED's on how close you are getting.

Looking forward to reading more about the MDX....

Short list:
Land Rover LR
Mercedes E-class wagon
Volvo wagon
Volvo SUV
Acura MDX
Jeep Commander

Thanks, Mark

syswei · July 2005

The consensus on other forums seems to be that an all new MDX won't appear until model year 2007. There will be a refresh of the Pilot for model year 2006.

fndlyfmrflyr · July 2005

I have run tests on my 02 MDX and it gets about 8% less mpg on regular than on premium. At today's prices it costs me more to use regular than premium.

Acceleration tests showed the car took, on average, 3/10 of a second longer to go from 0 to 60 when using regular vs. premium.

I found the car less responsive to the gas pedal, but it wasn't much. I quickly became used to the less performance. The engine ran fine.

I had been using premium since day one, then at about 15,000 miles, I ran regular for 1500 miles. I had to make the same trip twice, so one was on premium and the other on regular. Same roads, similar traffic conditions, similar speeds, same load in the car, similar weather.

The acceleration tests were done the day I switched back to premium. I ran the tank nearly dry on regular (it took almost 18 gallons) and did the acceleration tests. Then I filled with premium and did the tests again so that conditions were virtually the same except the car weighed more because of the full tank of premium.

My results may be unique to my MDX, but I observed similar results on my Avalon and years ago on my Mazda.

vetpathologist · July 2005

Can anybody suggest me what type of accessories I can fix to those racks on the rooftop. THis is to carry extra luggage on the rooftop. Where do you buy those and how to install?
Thanks

Acura MDX (pre-2007)

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles