engine Acura RL 2000 3.5 Owner's Manual

2000 RL 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

Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety........................................................................\
........................................ .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 Controls........................................................................\
........................................ .51
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
..................... .119
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................165
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... .177
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................201
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
..................................................... .261
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your\
vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
..............................269
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, a nd how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
............................................ .295
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 Manuals (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.

Protectin
g Adult s

6 . Adjus t th e Steerin g Whee l
Adjust the steering wheel, if needed, so that the wheel points toward your
chest, not toward your face.
Pointing the steering wheel toward
your chest provides optimal protection from the airbag.
See page 71 for how to adjust the
steering wheel. 7.Maintai
n a Prope r Sittin g
Positio n
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on seat belts, it is
very important that they continue to sit upright, well back in their seats,
with their feet on the floor, until the
car is parked and the engine is off.
Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches,
lies down, turns sideways, sits
forward, leans forward or sideways,
or puts one or both feet up, the chance of injury during a crash is
greatly increased. In addition, an occupant who is out of
position in the front seat can be seriously or fatally injured by
striking interior parts of the car, or
by being struck by an inflating front
airbag. Being struck by an inflating side airbag can result in possibly
serious injuries.

CONTINUED

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Sitting improperly or out of
position can result in serious
injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright, well back in
the seat, with your feet on the

floor.

Additiona
l Informatio n Abou t You r Fron t Airbag s
Ho w th e SR S Indicato r Ligh t
Work s
The purpose of the SRSindicator light is to alert
you to a potential problem with your
front airbags. This light will also alert you to a potential problem with
your automatic seat belt tensioners (page 41); or your side airbags or
passenger's side airbag automatic
cutoff system (page 46).
When you turn the ignition ON (II), this indicator will light up briefly
then go out. This tells you that the system is working properly. However, if the light comes on at any
other time, you should have the
system checked by your dealer. For

example:
If the SRS indicator light does not
come on after you turn the ignition

ON (II).
If the light stays on after the

engine starts.
If the light comes on or flashes on
and off while you drive.
If you see any of these indications,
your front or side airbags may not deploy, your passenger's side airbag
automatic cutoff system may not
work properly, or your seat belt
tensioners may not work when you
need them. See your Acura dealer as soon as possible.
Driver an d Passenge r Safet y
Ignoring the SRS indicator light
can result in serious injury or
death if the airbags, cutoff
system, or tensioners do not
work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS light alerts you to a potential problem.S R S

Carbo
n Monoxid e Hazar d
Your car's exhaust contains carbon monoxide gas. You should have no
problem with carbon monoxide
entering the car in normal driving if
you maintain your car properly. Have the exhaust system inspected
for leaks whenever:
The car is raised for an oil change. You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust. The car was in an accident that
may have damaged the underside. High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage. With the trunk lid open, air flow can
pull exhaust gas into your car's
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
trunk lid open, open all the windows and set the climate control system as
shown below.
If you must sit in your parked car,
even in an unconfined area, with the
engine running, adjust the climate
control system as follows:
1. Select the Fresh Air mode. 2. Select the mode.
3. Set the fan speed to high.
4. Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.

Indicato
r Light s

Sea t Bel t Reminde r Ligh t
This indicator lights when you turn the ignition switch ON (II). It is a
reminder to you and your passengers
to protect yourselves by fastening
the seat belts. A beeper also sounds
if you have not fastened your seat

belt.

If you do not fasten your seat belt,
the beeper will stop after a few seconds but the light stays on until
you do. Both the light and the beeper stay off if you fasten your seat belt
before turning on the ignition. Lo
w Oi l Pressur e
Indicato r

The engine can be severely damaged if this light flashes or stays on when

the engine is running. For complete

information, see page 282.

Charging Syste m
Indicato r

If this light comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not

being charged. For complete
information, see page 283.
Parkin
g Brak e an d Brak e Syste m
Indicato r
This light has two functions:
1. It comes on when you turn the ignition switch ON (II) as a
reminder to check the parking
brake. If the parking brake is not set, it goes off after the engine
starts. If the parking brake is set,
it goes off when you release the
parking brake with the engine
running. Driving with the parking
brake applied can damage the
brakes and tires.
2. If it remains lit after you release the parking brake while the engineis running, or comes on while
driving, it can indicate a problem
in the brake system. For complete
information, see page 285.
Instrument s an d Control s U.S
.
Canad
a

BRAK E

Indicato
r Light s

Light s O n Indicato r
On cars with automatic lighting (see
page 64)
This indicator reminds you that the exterior lights are on. It comes on
when the light switch is in either the or position. If you turn the
ignition switch to ACCESSORY (I)
or LOCK (0) without turning off the
light switch, this indicator will
remain on. A reminder chime will also sound when you open the driver's

door.

This indicator will also come on when the light switch is in AUTO and the lights turn on automatically.
Cruise Contro l Indicato r
This lights when you set the cruise
control. See page 73 for information
on operating the cruise control.
Immobilize
r Syste m
Indicato r
This indicator comes on for a few seconds when you turn the ignition
switch ON (II). It will then go off if
you have inserted a properly-coded ignition key. If it is not a properly-coded key, the indicator will blink
and the engine will not start (see
page 78).
This indicator also blinks several times when you turn the ignitionswitch from ON (II) to ACCESSORY (I) or LOCK (0).
Malfunctio n Indicato r
Lam p

See page 284.
Supplementa
l Restrain t

Syste m Indicato r

This indicator lights when you turn the ignition switch ON (II). If itcomes on at any other time, it
indicates a potential problem with
your front airbags. This light will also alert you to a potential problem
with your side airbags, passenger's side airbag automatic cutoff system
or automatic seat belt tensioners.
For complete information, see page
45.

Side Airba g Indicato r
This indicator lights when you turn the ignition switch ON (II). If it
comes on at any other time, it
indicates that the passenger's side
airbag has automatically shut off.
For complete information, see page
47.

Instrument s an d Control s

CRUIS
E
CONTRO L
S

R
S

SID E

AIRBA G

Gauge
s

The gauges illuminate when you turn the ignition switch ON (II).

Speedomete r

U.S. Models

This shows your speed in miles per hour (mph). The smaller inner
numbers are the speed in kilometers
per hour (km/h).

Canadian Models

This shows your speed in kilometers per hour (km/h). The smaller inner
numbers are the speed in miles per
hour (mph).

Tachomete r

The tachometer shows the engine speed in revolutions per minute (rpm). To protect the engine from

damage, never drive with the

tachometer needle in the red zone. MAINTENANC
E
REQUIRE D INDICATO RTRI
P METER/OUTSID E
TEMPERATUR E INDICATO R
RESE
T

BUTTO N
Instrument s an d Control s ODOMETE
R FUE
L GAUG E

TACHOMETE
R
SPEEDOMETE
R
TEMPERATUR
E
GAUG E
SELEC
T

BUTTO N

Gauge
s

Outside Temperature Indicator
This indicator displays the outside temperature in Fahrenheit in U.S.
models, and in Centigrade inCanadian models.
The temperature sensor is located in the front bumper. Therefore, the
temperature reading can be affected
by heat reflection from the road sur-
face, engine heat, and the exhaust
from the surrounding traffic. This can cause the temperature reading
not to be correct when your speed is
under 19 mph (30 km/h).
In certain weather conditions,
temperature readings near freezing (32°F, 0°C) could mean that ice is
forming on the road surface. Temperatur
e Gaug e
This shows the temperature of the engine's coolant. During normal
operation, the pointer should rise
from the bottom white mark to about
the middle of the gauge. In severe driving conditions, such as very hot
weather or a long period of uphill driving, the pointer may rise to near
the upper white mark. If it reaches
the red (Hot) mark, pull safely to the side of the road. Turn to page 280 for
instructions and precautions on checking the engine's cooling

system.
Fue
l Gaug e
This shows how much fuel you have. It is most accurate when the car is on
level ground. It may show slightly more or less than the actual amount
when you are driving on curvy or hilly roads.
The gauge stays at the same fuel level reading after you turn off theignition. When you add fuel, the
gauge slowly changes to the new
reading after you turn the ignitionswitch back ON (II).
Instrument s an d Control s

Gauge
s

Maintenanc e Require d Indicato r
This indicator reminds you that it is time to take your car in for
scheduled maintenance.

Refer to the Maintenance Schedules
for Normal and Severe Driving Conditions on pages 206 — 210.
For the first 6,000 miles (9,600 km)
after the Maintenance Required
Indicator is reset, it will come on for
two seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II). Between 6,000 miles (9,600 km) and
7,500 miles (12,000 km) this
indicator will light for two seconds
when you first turn the ignition switch ON (II), and then flash for
ten seconds.
If you exceed 7,500 miles (12,000
km) without having the scheduled maintenance performed, this
indicator will remain on as a constant
reminder. Your dealer will reset this indicator
after completing the scheduled
maintenance. If this maintenance is done by someone other than your
Acura dealer, reset the indicator as follows.
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Press and hold the select and reset buttons next to the instrument pan-el, then turn the ignition switchON (II).
3. Hold the buttons for about ten sec- onds, until the indicator resets.
Instrument s an d Control s
MAINTENANC
E REQUIRE D INDICATO R
SELECT
BUTTO N
RESE T
BUTTO N

Control
s Nea r th e Steerin g Whee l

Do not leave the light switch in
AUTO if you will not be driving the car for an extended period (a week
or more). You should also turn off
the lights if you plan to leave the engine idling or the engine off for a
long time. This will prevent the
battery from discharging.
The automatic lighting feature iscontrolled by a sensor located on top
of the dashboard. Do not cover thissensor or spill liquids on it. Daytim
e Runnin g Light s
(Canadia n Models )
With the headlight switch off, the high beam headlights come on with
reduced brightness when you turn
the ignition switch to ON (II) andrelease the parking brake. They
remain on until you turn the ignition off, even if you set the parking brake.
The headlights revert to normal operation when you turn them on
with the switch.
Instrument s an d Control s

LIGH
T
SENSO R