brakes Acura CL 2003 Owner's Manual

This light has two f unctions:This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch ON (II). It
is a reminder to check the parking
brake. Driving with the parking
brake not f ully released can
damage the brakes and tires.
If the indicator remains lit after
you have f ully released the
parking brake while the engine is
running, or if it comes on while
driving, it can indicate a problem
in the brake system. For complete
inf ormation, see page .
The engine can be severely damaged
if this light f lashes or stays on when
the engine is running. For complete
inf ormation, see page .
If this light comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged. For complete
inf ormation, see page .
See page .
The instrument panel has many
indicators to give you important
inf ormation about your car.
This indicator lights when you turn
the ignition switch ON (II). It is a
reminder to you and your passengers
to protect yourselves by f astening
the seat belts. A beeper also sounds
if you have not fastened your seat
belt.
If you do not f asten your seat belt,
the beeper will stop af ter a f ew
seconds but the light stays on until
you do. Both the light and the beeper
stay of f if you f asten your seat belt
bef ore turning on the ignition.
1.
2.
308
310 312
309 Parking Brake and Brake System
Indicator
L ow Oil Pressure
Indicator
Charging System
Indicator
Malf unction Indicator
Lamp
Seat Belt Reminder L ight
Indicator L ights
Inst rument s and Cont rols60
U.S. Canada

The digital clock displays the time
with the ignition switch in any
position.
To set the clock:Press and hold the H button until
the hour advances to the desired
time. Press and hold the M button until
the numbers advance to the
desired time.
You can use R to quickly set the time
to the nearest hour. If the displayed
time is before the half hour, pressing
Rsetstheclockbacktotheprevious
hour. If the displayed time is af ter
the half hour, pressing R sets the
clock f orward to the beginning of the
next hour.
For example: 1:06 would RESET to 1:00.
1:52 would RESET to 2:00.
1. 2.
3.2 CL without Navigation System
Digital Clock
Parking Brake, Digital Clock
Inst rument s and Cont rols109
H H
M
MR
RDriving the car with the parking brake
applied can damage the rear brakes
and axles.

Press and release the SET/decel
buttononthesteeringwheel.The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on to
show the system is now activated.You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. The car will acceler-
ate. When you reach the desired
cruising speed, release the button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
accel button repeatedly. Each time
you do this, your car will speed up
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Push on the accelerator pedal. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel
button.
Thecruisecontrolmaynotholdthe
set speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down to the desired speed. This
will cancel the cruise control. To
resume the set speed, press the
RESUME/accel button. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on.
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshif t to hold the set speed.
3.
Changing t he Set Speed
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures160
R RE ES
SU UM M E
E/
/
a
ac ccceel l
S
SE ET
T/
/d
d e
ecceel l
C
CA
A N
NC CEEL
L

During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbraking.Newbrakes
need to be broken-in by moderate
use f or the f irst 200 miles (300
km). Your Acura is designed to operate on
premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane number of 91 or higher.
In Canada, some gasolines contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
MMT. If you use such gasolines,
your emissions control system
perf ormance may deteriorate and
the Malf unction Indicator Lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on.
If this happens, contact your
authorized Acura dealer f or service.
Help assure your car’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
Useof aloweroctanegasolinecan
cause occasional metallic knocking
noises in the engine and will result in
decreased engine perf ormance.
We recommend gasolines containing
detergent additives that help prevent
f uel system and engine deposits.
Using gasoline containing lead will
damage your car’s emissions
controls. This contributes to air
pollution.
Do not change the oil until the
recommended time or mileage
intervalshowninthemaintenance
schedule.
Youshouldfollowthesesamere-
commendations with an overhauled
or exchanged engine, or when the
brakes are relined.
Break-in Period, Gasoline
Bef ore Driving
Break-in Period Gasoline
178

Covering the outside edge of a
f ront seat-back, with a non-Acura
seat cover for example, could
prevent the airbag from inflating
properly.If a side airbag
inflates,acupholderorotherhard
object attached on or near the
door could be propelled inside the
car and hurt someone.
Removing parts f rom your vehicle,
or replacing components with non-
Acura (aftermarket) components
could seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability.
Some examples are:
Lowering the vehicle with an
aftermarket suspension kit that
signif icantly reduces ground
clearance can allow the
undercarriage to impact speed
bumps or other raised objects,
which could cause the airbags to
deploy.
Raising the vehicle with an
af termarket suspension kit can
af f ect the handling and stability.
Af termarket wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components. Any object
attached to or placed on the covers
marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG,’’ in the
center of the steering wheel and
on top of the dashboard, could
interf ere with the proper operation
of the airbags. Or, if the airbags
inf late, the objects could be
propelled inside the car and hurt
someone.
Do not modif y your steering wheel
or any other part of your
Supplemental Restraint System.
Modif ications could make the
system inef f ective.
Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interf ere with the operation of
your vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and
other systems.
If you plan to modif y your vehicle,
consult with your Acura dealer.
Modif ications
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Do not place any object s over t heoutsideedgeof afront seat-back.
Do not at t ach hard object s on or
near a door.
Do not at t ach or place object s on the f ront airbag covers.
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving186

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your car, the braking system,
the Traction Control System, the
Vehicle Stability Assist System, and
f acts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive .192
.......................
Starting the Engine .193
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude .193
....
6-speed Manual Transmission . 194
.....
Recommended Shif t Points . 195
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 195
.......................
Reverse Lockout .196
..............
Automatic Transmission . 197
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 197
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 198
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 203
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 204
...........................................
Parking .205
.....................
The Braking System .206
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 206
...............
Brake System Design . 207
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes .207
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders .208
........................
ABS Indicator .208
..............
Traction Control System . 209
...
Vehicle Stability Assist System . 212
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 215
...........................
Towing a Trailer .217
Driving
Driving191

The manual transmission is synchro-
nizedinallforwardgearsforsmooth
operation. It has a lockout so you
cannot shift directly from Fifth to
Reverse instead of sixth (see page). When shif ting up or down,
make sure you push the clutch pedal
down all the way, shift to the next
gear, and let the pedal up gradually.
When you are not shif ting, do not
rest your f oot on the clutch pedal.
This can cause your clutch to wear
out f aster. Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t into
Reverse with the car moving. Push
down the clutch pedal, and pause f or
a f ew seconds bef ore shif ting into
Reverse, or shif t into one of the
f orward gears f or a moment. This
stops the gears so they won’t ‘‘grind.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking f rom the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure engine speed will not go
into the tachometer’s red zone in the
lower gear.
196
Driving
6-speed Manual T ransmission
194
Rapid slowing or speeding-up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.

µMake sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you. Turn of f the lights.
Lockthedoorswiththekeyorthe
remote transmitter. Check the
indicator on the driver’s door to
verify that the security system is
set.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire.
Always use the parking brake when
you park your car. The indicator on
the instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not f ully released; it
does not indicate that the parking
brakeisfirmlyset.Makesurethe
parking brake is set f irmly or your
car may roll if it is parked on an
incline.
If your car has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park.Thiskeepsthecarfrom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission making it easier to
move the shift lever out of Park
when you want to drive away.
If the car is f acing uphill, turn the
f ront wheels away f rom the curb. If
you have a manual transmission, put
it in f irst gear.
If the car is f acing downhill, turn the
f ront wheels toward the curb. If you
have a manual transmission, put it in
reverse gear.
Make sure the parking brake is f ully
released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes.
Parking T ips
Parking
Driving205

Your Acura is equipped with disc
brakes at all f our wheels. A power
assist helps reduce the ef f ort needed
on the brake pedal. The ABS helps
you retain steering control when
braking very hard.
Put your f oot on the brake pedal only
when you intend to brake. Resting
your f oot on the pedal keeps the
brakes applied lightly, causing them
to build up heat. Heat build-up can
reduce how well your brakes work. It
also keeps your brake lights on all
the time, conf using drivers behind
you.Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds
up heat and reduces their ef f ective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by downshif ting to a lower
gear and taking your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal.
Check your brakes af ter driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they f eel
normal. If not, apply them gently and
f requently until they do. Since a
longer distance is needed to stop
with wet brakes, be extra cautious
and alert in your driving.
All f our brakes have audible brake
wear indicators.
When the brake pads need replacing,
you will hear a distinctive metallic
‘‘screeching’’ sound when you apply
the brakes. If you do not have the
brake pads replaced, they will begin
screeching all the time.
Your brakes may sometimes squeal
or squeak when you apply them
lightly. Do not conf use this with the
brakewearindicators.Theymakea
very audible ‘‘screeching.’’ Brake Wear Indicators
The Braking System
Driving206

this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work f or you by always keeping f irm,
steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes ref erred to as
You will f eel a pulsation in the brake
pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is
normal; it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of
traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on
thebrakepedalveryhardbeforeyou
activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
Your car has an Anti-lock Brake
System (ABS) as standard
equipment. ABS helps to prevent the
wheels f rom locking up and skidding
during hard braking, allowing you to
retain steering control.
When the f ront tires skid, you lose
steering control; the car continues
straightaheadeventhoughyouturn
the steering wheel. The ABS helps to
prevent lock-up and helps you retain
steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly; much f aster than a
person can do it.
The hydraulic system that operates
the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the car (the lef t-f ront brake is
connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking
at two wheels.
‘‘stomp and steer.’’
CONT INUED
Brake System Design
A nti-lock BrakesYou should never pump the
brake pedal;
The Braking System
Driving207
F F r
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