wheel Acura RL 2000 3.5 Owner's Guide

Vehicl
e Stabilit y Assis t (VSA ) Syste m

VSA is turned on every time you start the engine, even if you turned it
off the last time you drove the car. VS
A an d Tir e Size s
Driving with varying tire or wheel sizes may cause the VSA to
malfunction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are of the same size and type as your original tires (see
page 245).
Deactivate the VSA system if you
need to drive with the compact spare
tire installed (see page 270).If you install winter tires, make sure
they are the same size as those that
were originally supplied with your car. Exercise the same cautionduring winter driving as you would if
your car was not equipped with VSA.

Driving

Drivin
g in Ba d Weathe r

Rain, fog, and snow conditions re-
quire a different driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your car well- maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control should not be used in these condi-
tions. Drivin
g Techniqu e — Always drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your car longer to react, even in conditions that mayseem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss of
control in wet weather. Be extra cautious for the first few miles (kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving conditions. This is especially true in
snow. A person can forget somesnow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills. Exercise extra caution when driving
in rain after a long dry spell. After
months of dry weather, the first
rains bring oil to the surface of the
roadway, making it slippery.

Drivin g

Drivin
g in Ba d Weathe r

Visibilit y — Being able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important in all weather conditions. This is
more difficult in bad weather. To be seen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers frequently. Keep the wind- shield washer reservoir full of the
proper fluid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the defroster and air conditioning to keep the windows
from fogging up on the inside (see
pages 126 and 131). Tractio
n — Check your tires
frequently for wear and proper pressure. Both are important in
preventing "hydroplaning" (loss of
traction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all four
wheels for the best handling.
Watch road conditions carefully, they can change from moment to
moment. Wet leaves can be as slip-
pery as ice. "Clear" roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditions can be very hazardous when the
outside temperature is near freezing.
The road surface can become covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be careful when downshifting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the drive wheels for a moment and cause
a skid. Be very cautious when passing, or
being passed by other vehicles. The spray from large vehicles reduces
your visibility, and the wind buffeting can cause you to lose control.

Driving

Towin
g a Traile r

Handling Crosswinds and Buffeting

Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause trailer
swaying. When being passed by a

large vehicle, keep a constant speed
and steer straight ahead. Do not try
to make quick steering or braking

corrections.

Backing Up
Always drive slowly and have someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the bottom of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the left to get the trailer to move to the left,and turn the wheel right to move the
trailer to the right.
Parking

Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including putting the
transmission in Park and firmly setting the parking brake. Also, place
wheel chocks at each of the trailer's
tires.

Drivin g

Maintenanc
e

This section explains why it is important to keep your car well
maintained and to follow basic
maintenance safety precautions.
This section also includes Maintenance Schedules for normal
driving and severe driving conditions,
a Maintenance Record, and instruc-
tions for simple maintenance tasks
you may want to take care of
yourself.
If you have the skills and tools to per-
form more complex maintenance tasks on your Acura, you may want
to purchase the Service Manual. See
page 315 for information on how to obtain a copy, or see your Acura

dealer.
Maintenance Safety....................... 202
Important Safety Precautions.. 203
Maintenance Schedule.................. 204
Required Maintenance Record.... 211
Owner Maintenance Checks........ 213
Fluid Locations............................... 214

Engine Oil....................................... 215 Adding Oil................................... 215
Recommended Oil..................... 215
Synthetic Oil............................... 216

Additives..................................... 216 Changing the Oil and Filter...... 217
Cooling System.............................. 219 Adding Engine Coolant............. 219Replacing Engine Coolant........ 221
Windshield Washers..................... 225
Automatic Transmission Fluid..... 226

Differential Oil............................... 227
Brake Fluid..................................... 227
Brake System............................. 228
Power Steering............................... 228
Hood Latch..................................... 229
Air Cleaner Element...................... 229 Spark Plugs..................................... 231 Replacement............................... 231
Specifications............................. 234 Battery............................................ 234
Wiper Blades.................................. 237
Air Conditioning System............... 239
Air Conditioning Filter.................. 240
Drive Belts...................................... 240
Timing Belt..................................... 241 Tires................................................ 241 Inflation....................................... 241
Inspection................................... 243
Maintenance............................... 244
Tire Rotation.............................. 244
Replacing Tires and Wheels.... 245
Wheels and Tires....................... 246
Winter Driving........................... 246
Snow Tires.............................. 247
Tire Chains............................. 247
Lights.............................................. 248 Replacing Bulbs......................... 250
Storing Your Car............................ 259

Maintenance

Powe
r Steering , Hoo d Latch , Ai r Cleane r Elemen t
Always use Genuine Honda Power Steering Fluid. If it is not available,
you may use another power steering fluid as an emergency replacement.However, continued use can causeincreased wear and poor steering in
cold weather. Have the powersteering system flushed and refilled
with Honda PSF as soon as possible.
A low power steering fluid level can indicate a leak in the system. Check
the fluid level frequently and have
the system inspected as soon as

possible.
Turning the steering wheel to full left
or right lock and holding it there can
damage the power steering pump.

Hoo d Latc h
Clean the hood latch assembly with a
mild cleaner, then lubricate it with a
multipurpose grease. Lubricate all
the moving parts (as shown),
including the pivot. Follow the time
and distance recommendations in
the Maintenance Schedule. If you are not sure how to clean and grease
the latch, contact your Acura dealer.
Ai
r Cleane r Elemen t

The air cleaner element should be cleaned or replaced according to the
time and distance recommendations
in the maintenance schedule.

Cleaning (Severe Conditions)

Clean the air cleaner element by
blowing compressed air through it in
the opposite direction to normal air
flow. If you do not have actcess to
compressed air (such as a service station), ask your Acura dealer to do
this service.
Follow the replacement procedure
for removal and reinstallation.
CONTINUED

Maintenanc e

PIVOT
S

LATC H

ASSEMBL Y

NOTIC E

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