Does anyone know how to put the 2019 RDX in Neutral if the battery is totally dead?

 

I can't seem to find anything in the manual on how to shift into Neutral when the battery is dead. But it does reference if your battery is dead and how to use a booster.

 

Great question! What a pain- sometimes you have to move a car a little to jump it.

 

Get a portable jump starter and problem solved if your battery is dead. I keep one in my car. They sell them at Costco.

 

There's an itty bitty knob on the transmission that you can turn manually. Actually, more like a shaft onto which you can mount a knob, or an appropriately sized wrench.

I know this diagram of the transmission is a bit cryptic, but it's the best I have. You would probably need to remove the engine air intake to get access, including the air filter housing.

The portable power idea may be more practical for DIY at roadside.

 

I had to look up something else in the online service manual, Honda Service Express, so here's the nitty gritty:




I think "A" in this diagram is the "Air Intake Chamber" they want you to remove. But I could be wrong.

 

Most cars with electronic shifters have a park-override in the car. There is talk in other Acura forums about a small plastic cover on the side of the shift area that can be removed and key inserted to release Park. There is also some Mumbai jumbo about tapping the Start button twice and pressing the brake pedal, but that requires at least some energy in the battery. I have searched and not found anything specific to the RDX.

if there is no park-override inside the cabin, and it can only be done by disengaging the parking pawls on the transmission, I’d be surprised. That would not only be a major oversight, but also a major safety issue.

 

After further research I found a very helpful video from a dealer that basically says there is no shift lock release inside the car and it needs to be done on the transmission as shown above.

 

Yes, that is one way, however, let me explain why I asked this question.

I was at my friends place over last weekend. He drives a Mercedes Benz C300. His car was parked in his driveway behind someone elses vehicle. His car was not able to start his car and we tried a USB battery booster and tried to boost it the traditional way with another vehicle, but they both failed. The person in front of his vehicle had leave right away. To put the car neutral, there was a little latch under on the back side of the shifter that we had to push. We were then able to push the car out of the way.

When the two truck driver came, he asked if we were able to put the car into neutral.

I'm worried, there may be a similar scenario where I would have to move my car right away before a tow truck would get there.

 

5-speed and 6-speed Honda/Acura automatic transmissions, that have physical shift cables connecting the shift lever to the transmission, have a hidden release button on the shifter assembly. It allows you to move the shift lever without the engine running.

"Shift by wire" automatic transmissions may vary, but without ANY electrical power they can't do anything.

The ZF 9-speed AT currently used in many Honda and Acura models also has a stubby shaft on the transmission housing to release the parking pawl.

Dunno about CVTs or DCTs.

And then there's electrically actuated parking brakes.

Sadly, cars are getting less DIY friendly by the minute.

 

I see, now your original question makes sense. Thanks.

 

Hmm ..., I'm lust wondering, if you lost all electrical power while you're underway (battery, alternator), what would happen? As unlikely as it seems, it's probably not impossible. You might be able to bring the car to a stop and even steer it but you couldn't get it in Park or set the parking brake. I wonder what the transmission does if it was in, say, 8th gear and all power is lost. Just drop into neutral?

 

Dunno. The internal mechanisms of this AT are driven by hydraulics, but the actuators for the hydraulic circuits are electrical solenoid valves, under control of a computer. AFAIK powering the clutches that engage different gears requires both electrical power and hydraulic pressure, so I think it would "drop into neutral".

"Park" is a special case because a physical latch is thrust into a ring gear on the outside of the torque converter. Once this is engaged, no power is required to maintain it and AFAIK the rest of the transmission is in neutral.

I guess sudden complete loss of electrical power could conceivably happen if a major electrical connection lost contact, but I think the chance of this happening without prior symptoms is very low.

Anyway, I would be thinking more about the loss of brake boost and looking for a grassy resting place or a curb to get the darn thing to a full stop.

There are other modes of catastrophic failure that worry me more, like complete loss of steering control. A broken tie rod can do that, so don't ever ignore sloppy steering, especially in an aging and/or abused vehicle. ( Spoken as a former Jeep guy ).

 

Just wanted to provide a response directly from Acura's Customer Service:

In response to your email, please be assured that we have reviewed your case with our Technology Specialist, who has confirmed that the driver cannot apply or release the electric parking brake if the battery is drained. Additionally, it is not possible shift gears to park if there is no battery life on the vehicle. Please note that our vehicles are equipped with push button transmission.

Further, the transmissions with a shift level also have a small tab that can be removed to allow the mechanical shifter to be moved out of park.

For more information, you are welcome to review your owners manual. To access an online copy of your owner's manual, please visit our website at https://www.acura.ca/owners/manuals.

+ A follow-up response as well:

To elaborate on our previous correspondence, batteries can drain while the vehicle is parked, in a garage, parking lot or by a curb. In the event of an involuntary engine stop, please refer to your Owners Guide on the topic of Emergency Engine Stop. If the vehicle cannot be moved, we recommend calling a professional towing company as printed in the manual (roadside assistance) for further assistance.

Please note that vehicles with conventional transmission and parking brakes can be moved more easily without the engine operating. However, there are some safety considerations to be mindful of since the vehicle would not have any steering or brake assistance. As such, we recommend contacting roadside assistance in the event that support is needed to move the vehicle.

We appreciate the time you have taken to contact us and for allowing us the opportunity to respond. Should you have further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reply directly to this email.

Correspondence Specialist, Customer Relations
Acura, a division of Honda Canada Inc.
Toll free: 1-888-922-8729 ext 3329
Acura_CR@acura.ca

 

Translation:

we have no clue what you should do. just assume you are totally effed, and the tow guy will just have to drag a dead car.

 

Don't Panic.

And don't forget your towel.

 

the worst part is you will get some dude that doesn’t know what to do and drags your car stuck in park up the ramp

 

I work with tow drivers a lot. They usually carry jump starters with them. If you can, ask them to hook the jump starter up to your car and shift it into neutral before towing it. Shouldn't be a big deal.

 

What cars do you drive, that are so popular with tow truck drivers?

 

So I wasn't there when this happened, but a family member was unable to shift our 2020 RDX out of park and into neutral. Batter wasn't dead, but engine wouldn't turn over (dealer is suspecting a bad fuel pump/relay; they're getting no fuel pressure). Apparently I'm told that every time the Start button was pressed, even without depressing the brake, the vehicle would attempt to start (which it couldn't do). So due to difficulty getting into the ACC position (flatbed tow truck driver couldn't get it into neutral either), the vehicle couldn't be placed in neutral, and had to have a 2nd tow truck dispatched with wheel dollies. Really annoying.

On a Mercedes, you can press the Start button without pressing the brake, and it will cycle through On, Acc, and back to Off again. I honestly can't say I've tried this on the RDX though...

 

Somebody finally posted a video!!

For tools, you need a 8mm socket with a short ratchet + long extension to remove the engine air filter housing, and then switch the 8mm onto a long ratchet handle to reach the shift lock release. All other parts should just be clipped in.

I wonder if someone can make a gooseneck tool for this?