Acura CL 2001 Owner's Manual

2001 CL Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through\
this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.h\
elminc.com.
Contents
Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safet y........................................................................\
.........................................ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
............................................ .2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
..................................... .5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
Instruments and Control s........................................................................\
........................................ .51
Instrume nt panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
..................... .121
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................159
What gasoline to use, how to break -in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
...................................................................... 173
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................203
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take you r vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Car e........................................................................\
..................................................... .263
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your\
vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpecte d........................................................................\
..............................271
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, an d how to handle them.
Technical Informatio n........................................................................\
.............................................297
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................309
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manu als (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................315
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index........................................................................\
........................................................................\
...... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.
Owner's Identification Form

The inf ormation and specif ications
included in this publication were in
effect at the time of approval for
printing. Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
reserves the right, however, to
discontinue or change specif ications
or design at any time without notice
and without incurring any obligation
whatsoever. This Owner’s Manual should be
considered a permanent part of the
car,andshouldremainwiththecar
when it is sold.
This Owner’s Manual covers all
modelsof theAcura3.2CL.You
may f ind descriptions of equipment
and f eatures that are not on your
particular model.
Owner’s Identif ication
OWNER
ADDRESS
V. I. N.
DELIVERY DATE
DEALER NAMEDEALER NO.
ADDRESS
OWNER’S SIGNATURE
DEALER’S SIGNATURE
STREET
CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP CODE/
POSTAL CODE
(Date sold to original retail purchaser)
STREET
CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP CODE/
POSTAL CODE

As you read this manual, you will
find information that is preceded by
asymbol. This
inf ormation is intended to help you
avoid damage to your Acura, other
property, or the environment.
Congratulations ! Your selection of a 2001 Acura 3.2 CL was a wise
investment. It will give you years of driving pleasure.
One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Acura is to read
this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Af terwards, keep this owner’s manual in your car so you
can ref er to it at any time.
Several warranties protect your new Acura. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.
Maintaining your car according to the schedules given in this manual helps
to keep your driving trouble-f ree while it preserves your investment. When
your car needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Acura dealer’s staf f is
specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to your Acura. Your
Acura dealer is dedicated to your satisf action and will be pleased to answer
any questions and concerns.
Introduction
i

µ
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To help you make inf ormed
decisions about saf ety, we have
provided operating procedures and
other inf ormation on labels and in
this manual. This inf ormation alerts
you to potential hazards that could
hurt you or others.
You will f ind this important saf ety inf ormation in a variety of f orms,
including:
Your safety, and the safety of others,
is very important. And operating this
car saf ely is an important
responsibility.
Of course, it is not practical or
possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or
maintaining your car. You must use
your own good judgement.
This entire book is f illed with important saf ety inf ormation please read it
caref ully.how to use this car correctly and saf ely.
such as Driver and Passenger Safety.
These signal words mean:
on the car.
preceded by a saf ety alert symbol and one of
three signal words: , , or .
such as Important Saf ety Reminders or Important
Safety Precautions.
AFewWordsAboutSafety
Instructions Saf ety Section Saf ety L abels
Saf ety Messages
Saf ety Headings DANGER WARNING CAUTION
ii
You CAN be HURT if you don’t follow
instructions. You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don’t follow instructions. You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY
HURT if you don’t follow instructions.

Your Car at a Glance
2
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Your Car at a Glance
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4

This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains your Supple-
mental Restraint System. And it tells
you how to properly restrain inf ants
andchildreninyourcar..........
Important Safety Precautions . 6
.............
Your Car’s Saf ety Features . 7
.......................................
Seat Belts . 8
...........................................
Airbags . 9
.....................
Seats & Seat-Backs . 10
..........................
Head Restraints . 10
..................................
Door Locks . 10
........
Pre-Drive Saf ety Checklist . 11
............................
Protecting Adults . 12
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors . 12
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats . 13
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs . 14
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints . 15
5. Fasten and Position the Seat
.....................................
Belts . 15
....
6. Adjust the Steering Wheel . 17 7. Maintain a Proper Sitting
................................
Position . 17
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women . 18
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 19
........................
Protecting Children . 20
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained . 20
Children Should Sit in the Back ...........................................
Seat . 21
The Passenger’s Front Airbag Poses Serious Risks ...........................
to Children . 21
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children . 23
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention . 23
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 23
General Guidelines f or Using
...............................
Child Seats . 24
.......................
Protecting Inf ants . 28
.........
Protecting Small Children . 32
.......
Protecting Larger Children . 35
Using Child Seats with
.....................................
Tethers . 39Additional Inf ormation About Your
.................................
Seat Belts . 40
..
Seat Belt System Components . 40
......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt . 40
Automatic Seat Belt ...............................
Tensioners . 41
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance . 42
Additional Inf ormation About Your ..........................
Front Airbags . 43
........................
SRS Components . 43
How Your Front Airbags .........................................
Work . 43
How the SRS Indicator Light .......................................
Works . 45
Additional Inf ormation About Your ............................
Side Airbags . 46
...
How Your Side Airbags Work . 46
How The Side Airbag Indicator
............................
Light Works . 47
Additional Inf ormation About Your .....................................
Airbags . 48
.............................
Airbag Service . 48
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 48
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 49
...................................
Saf ety Labels . 50
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
5

You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the
risk, but serious accidents can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe f rontal collision.
So even though your car is equipped
with airbags, make sure you and
your passengers always wear your
seat belts, and wear them properly.
(See page .)
Children are saf est when they are
properly restrained in the back seat,
notthefrontseat.Achildwhoistoo
smallforaseatbeltmustbeproperly
restrained in a child saf ety seat. (See
page .) Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page .)
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either. While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page
.)
9
15
20 206
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards Control Your Speed
K eep Your Car in Saf e Condition
Restrain All Children Don’t Drink and Drive
6

Your car is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passengers
during a crash.
Some saf ety f eatures do not require
anyactiononyourpart.These
include a strong steel f ramework
that forms a safety cage around the
passenger compartment; f ront and
rear crush zones that are designed to
crumple and absorb energy during a
crash; a collapsible steering column;
and seat belt tensioners that
automatically tighten the front seat
belts in the event of a crash.
CONT INUED
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Your Car’s Saf ety Features
7
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