Should shifter position light up?
 

I'm a long time GM only owner, and I just bought my first Acura (2011 RDX). On GM's, when you move the shifter the indicator letters beside the shifter light up / indicate to show the position.

But on my RDX, the indicators next to the shifter do NOT light up/ change. (Only the instrument panel indicator shows current position). Is this normal? Or should something be indicating next to the shifter as well?

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...033160bed8.jpg

Could be a dead bulb in there. Check factory service manual to confirm.

At night all of the pRNDS letters glow (light up), but none more than the others. Should there be something else indicating there?

The current gear should show up in your gauge cluster, to the right of the fuel level.

https://cars.usnews.com/static/image...entcluster.jpg

Yes it indicates properly in the instrument cluster, thanks. But at the shifter I was expecting the current positing to light up brighter or something, but I guess not. At the cluster they just all gently glow regardless of shifter position?

Correct, it's just mild ambient lighting on the shifter itself.

I know it's an old thread but I had the same question, so a little more on it in case anybody else is trying to figure this out.

Dug around with web searches and figured out how to pop out the trim around the shifter handle, then pull out the driver's side trim piece right next to it. Then follow the small wires to a twist-out bulb holder that has a #77 bulb in it. Which turned out to be working - but its only job is to (dimly) light up the PRNDS letters. There is, in fact, no indicator inside the shifter trim that shows the current gear setting. There's a small chrome nub on the shifter handle itself - visible in the original post. I think the designer's intent is that you're supposed to be able to see that the nub points to the current letter (with all the letters are illuminated when the lights are on). My (new to me) 2010 RDX had me flumoxed like the original poster - seems an odd design but hey, what do I know.

You'll get to know which "gear" is selected just based on how it looks. Similar to a manual gearbox.