Acura RL 2000 3.5 Owner's Manual

Wipe
r Blade s
Wipe r Blade s

3. Remove the blade from its holder by grasping the tabbed end of the
blade. Pull firmly until the tabs come out of the holder. 4. Examine the new wiper blades. If
they have no plastic or metal rein-
forcement along the back edge,
remove the metal reinforcement strips from the old wiper blade and
install them in the slots along the
edge of the new blade. 5. Slide the new wiper blade into the
holder until the tabs lock.
6. Slide the wiper blade assembly onto the wiper arm. Make sure itlocks in place.
7. Turn the ignition switch ON (II) and return the windshield wipersto their park position.

Maintenanc e

BLAD
E


BLADE

REINFORCEMEN T

Ai
r Conditionin g Syste m

Your car's air conditioning is a sealed system. Any major maintenance,
such as recharging, should be done
by a qualified mechanic. You can do a couple of things to make sure the
air conditioning works efficiently.
Periodically check the engine's
radiator and air conditioning
condenser for leaves, insects, and dirt stuck to the front surface. These
block the air flow and reduce cooling efficiency. Use a light spray from a
hose or a soft brush to remove them.

The condenser and radiator fins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure spray
or soft-bristle brush to clean them.
Run the air conditioning at least once
a week during the cold weather
months. Run it for at least ten
minutes while you are driving at a
steady speed with the engine at
normal operating temperature. This
circulates the lubricating oil con-
tained in the refrigerant.
If the air conditioning does not get as

cold as before, have your dealer

check the system. Recharge the
system with Refrigerant HFC-134a
(R-134a). (See Specifications on page 298.)

Whenever you have the air conditioning

system serviced, make sure the service

facility uses a refrigerant recycling
system. This system captures the
refrigerant for reuse. Releasing
refrigerant into the atmosphere can

damage the environment.

Maintenance

AI
R CONDITIONIN G CONDENSE R
NOTIC
E
NOTIC E

Ai
r Conditionin g Filter , Driv e Belt s

Ai r Conditionin g Filte r
The air conditioning filter removes pollen and dust that is brought in
from the outside through the climate control system.
This filter should be replaced every 30,000 miles (48,000 km) under nor-
mal conditions. It should be replaced every 15,000 miles (24,000 km) if you
drive primarily in urban areas that
have high concentrations of soot in
the air from industry and diesel-pow- ered vehicles. Replace it more often
if air flow from the climate control system becomes less than usual.
Have the air conditioning filter re-
placed by your Acura dealer. Driv
e Belt s
Check the condition of the three drive belts. Examine the edges of
each belt for cracks or fraying.
Check the tension of each belt by
pushing on it with your thumb
midway between the pulleys.
The belts should have the following

"play" or deflection.

Alternator belt:
0.37— 0.45 in (9.5 —11.5 mm)

Compressor belt:

0.31 — 0.43 in (8.0 — 11.0 mm)

Power steering belt:

0.41 — 0.49 in (10.5 —12.5 mm)

If you see signs of wear or looseness,
have your dealer adjust or replace
the belts.

Maintenanc e
ALTERNATO
R BEL T
COMPRESSO R BEL T
POWE
R STEERIN G
BEL T

Timin
g Belt , Tire s
Timin g Bel t
The timing belt and balancer belt should normally be replaced at the
intervals shown in the maintenance

schedule.

Replace these belts at 60,000 miles (U.S.) or 100,000 km (Canada) if you
regularly drive your car in one or
more of these conditions:
In very high temperatures
(over 110°F,43°C).
In very low temperatures

(under —20°F, — 29°C). Tire
s
To safely operate your car, your tires must be the proper type and size, in
good condition with adequate tread, and correctly inflated. The following
pages give more detailed information on how and when to check air
pressure, how to inspect your tires
for damage and wear, and what to do
when your tires need to be replaced.
Inflatio
n

Keeping the tires properly inflated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread life and riding comfort. Underinflated tires wear
unevenly, adversely affect handling and fuel economy, and are more
likely to fail from being overheated. Overinflated tires can make your car
ride more harshly, are more prone to damage from road hazards, and wear

unevenly.

We recommend that you visually check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it immediately with a tire gauge.

CONTINUED

Maintenanc e

Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner's manual regarding tire inflation and maintenance.

Tire
s

Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month. Even
tires that are in good condition may
lose one to two psi (10 to 20 kPa, 0.1
to 0.2 kgf/cm2) per month.
Remember t
o check the spare tire at
the same time you check all the other tires.
Check the pressure in the tires when
they are cold. This means the car
has been parked for at least three
hours. If you have to drive the car
before checking the tire pressure,
the tires can still be considered "cold" if you drive less than 1 mile
(1.6 km).
If you check the pressure when the
tires are hot (the car has been driven several miles), you will see readings
4 to 6 psi (30 to 40 kPa, 0.3 to 0.4
kgf/cm
2) higher than the cold
reading. Thi
s is normal. Do not let
air out to match the specified cold
pressure. The tire will be
underinflated.
You should get your own tire pressure gauge and use it whenever
you check your tire pressures. This will make it easier for you to tell if apressure loss is due to a tire problem
and not due to a variation between

gauges.
Recommended Tire Pressures for
Normal Driving

The following chart shows the recommended cold tire pressures formost normal driving conditions and
speeds. Tire pressures for high
speed driving are the same as for
normal driving.
The compact spare tire pressure is:
6 0 ps i (42 0 kP a , 4. 2 kgf/cm 2
)
These pressures are also given on
the tire information label on thedriver's doorjamb.

Maintenanc e

Tire
s
Tubeless tires have some ability to self-seal if they are punctured.
However, because leakage is often
very slow, you should look closely
for punctures if a tire starts losing
pressure. Inspectio
n
Every time you check inflation, you
should also examine the tires for
damage, foreign objects, and wear.
You should look for: Bumps or bulges in the tread or
side of the tire. Replace the tire if
you find either of these conditions. Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side
of the tire. Replace the tire if you
can see fabric or cord. Excessive tread wear.
Your car's tires have wear indicators
molded into the tread. When thetread wears down to that point, you
will see a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide
band running across the tread. This shows there is less than 1
/16 inch
(1.6 mm) of tread left on the tire. A
tire that is this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see the
tread wear indicator in three or more
places around the tire.

Maintenance

INDICATO
R LOCATIO N MARK S
TREA D WEA R INDICATOR S

Tire
s

Maintenanc e

In addition to proper inflation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you find a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
The tires were properly balanced by the factory. They may need to be
rebalanced at some time before theyare worn out. Have your dealer
check the tires if you feel a consis-
tent vibration while driving. A tire should always be rebalanced if it is
removed from the wheel for repair. Make sure the installer balances the
wheels when you have new tires installed. This increases riding
comfort and tire life. Your car'soriginal tires were dynamic or "spin"
balanced at the factory. For best results, have the installer perform adynamic balance.

Improper wheel weights can damage your vehicle's aluminum wheels. Use
only Genuine Acura wheel weights for
balancing.
Tir
e Rotatio n
To help increase tire life and distribute wear more evenly, you
should have the tires rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km). Move the
tires to the positions shown in the chart each time they are rotated.

Maintenanc e
NOTIC
E
Fron
t Fron
t

(Fo r Non-directiona l

Tire s an d Wheels )
(Fo
r Directiona l

Tire s an d Wheels )

Tire
s

When shopping for replacement tires, you may find that some tiresare "directional." This means they
are designed to rotate only in one
direction. If you use directional tires,
they should be rotated only front-to-
back. Replacin
g Tire s an d Wheel s
The tires that came with your car were selected to match the perform- ance capabilities of the car while
providing the best combination of
handling, ride comfort, and long life.
You should replace them with radial tires of the same size, load range,speed rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire's sidewall). Mixing radial and
bias-ply tires on your car can reduce its braking ability, traction, andsteering accuracy. It is best to replace all four tires at
the same time. If that is not possible or necessary, then replace the two
front tires or the two rear tires as a pair. Replacing just one tire canseriously affect your car's handling.

CONTINUED

Maintenanc e

Installing improper tires on your
car can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.

Always use the size and type of

tires recommended in this owner's manual.

Tire
s

The ABS and VSA system work by comparing the speed of the wheels.
When replacing tires, use the same size originally supplied with the car.
Tire size and construction can affect wheel speed and may cause the system to work inconsistently.
If you ever need to replace a wheel,
make sure you use an identical style
aluminum alloy wheel that originally
came on your Acura. Replacement
wheels are available at your Acura
dealer.
Wheel
s an d Tire s
Wheels:16x 7 J J

Tires:

P215/60R1694 V
See page 301 for information about
DOT Tire Quality Grading.
Winte
r Drivin g

Tires that are marked "M
+ S" or
"All Season
" on the sidewall have an
all-weather tread design. They should be suitable for most winter
driving conditions. Tires without
these markings are designed for optimum traction in dry conditions.
They may not provide adequate performance in winter driving.For the best performance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should installsnow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under certain conditions.

Maintenanc e

Tire
s

Snow Tires
If you mount snow tires on your
Acura, make sure they are radial tires of the same size and load rangeas the original tires. Mount snow
tires on all four wheels to balance
your car's handling in all weather conditions. Keep in mind the traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
may not be as high as your car's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads
are clear. Check with the tire dealer
for maximum speed recommen-
dations.
Tire Chains
Because your Acura has limited tire
clearance, mount only SAE Class "S"
cable-type traction devices on the
front tires. Use traction devices only when required by driving conditionsor local laws. Make sure they are the
correct size for your tires.
Metal link-type "chains" should not
be used. No matter how tight they seem to be installed, they can come
into contact with the body and
suspension, causing serious damage. When installing cables, follow the
manufacturer's instructions and
mount them as tightly as you can.
Drive slowly with them installed. If
you hear them coming in contact with the body or chassis, stop andinvestigate. Make sure the cables are
installed tightly, and that they are
not contacting the brake lines or
suspension.

Remove them as soon as you begin driving on cleared roads.

Traction devices that are the wrong
size or improperly installed can damage your car's brake lines,
suspension, body, and wheels. Stop
driving if they are hitting any part of the car.
Maintenance

NOTIC
E