hood open Acura RL 2000 3.5 Owner's Manual

Securit
y Syste m

The security system helps to protect your car and valuables from theft.
The horn sounds and a combination of headlights, parking lights, side
marker lights and taillights flashes if
someone attempts to break into your
car or remove the radio. This alarm continues for two minutes, then the
system resets. To reset an alarming
system before the two minutes have
elapsed, unlock either front door
with the key or the remote
transmitter.
The security system sets auto- matically fifteen seconds after you
lock the doors, hood, and trunk. For
the system to activate, you must lock
the doors from the outside with the key, lock tab, door lock switch, or
remote transmitter. The security
system light next to the driver's door
lock starts blinking immediately to show you the system is setting itself. SECURIT
Y SYSTE M LIGH T
Once the security system is set,
opening any door (without using the
key or the remote transmitter), or the hood, will cause it to alarm. It
also alarms if the radio is removed
from the dashboard or the wiring is
cut.
With the system set, you can still
open the trunk with the master key
or the remote transmitter without
triggering the alarm. The alarm will sound if the trunk lock is forced, or
the trunk is opened with the trunk
release button on the driver's door.
The security system will not set if the hood, trunk, or any door is not
fully closed. If the system will not set,check the Door and Brake Lamp
Monitor on the instrument panel (see page 57 ), to see if the doors
and trunk are fully closed. Since it is
not part of the monitor display,
manually check the hood.
Do not attempt to alter this system
or add other devices to it.
Comfor t an d Convenienc e Feature s

Before
Driving
Before you begin driving your Acura,
you should know what gasoline to use, and how to check the levels of
important fluids. You also need to
know how to properly store luggage or packages. The information in this
section will help you. If you plan to
add any accessories to your car,
please read the information in this section first. Break-in Period.............................. 166
Gasoline.......................................... 166
Service Station Procedures .......... 167 Filling the Fuel Tank................. 167Opening the Hood..................... 168
Oil Check................................ 169
Engine Coolant Check.......... 170
Fuel Economy................................ 171 Car Condition............................. 171
Driving Habits............................ 171
Accessories and Modifications.... 172 Carrying Cargo.............................. 174

Before Drivin g

Servic
e Statio n Procedure s

5. Screw the fuel fill cap back on,
tighten it until it clicks several
times. If you do not properly
tighten the cap, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp may come on (see
page 284).

6. Push the fuel fill door closed until

it latches.

Openin g th e Hoo d

1. Shift to Park or Neutral and set

the parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
LATC
H HANDL E

2. Standing in front of the car, reach
in between the hood and the front bumper with your finger. Slide the
latch handle.

Befor e Drivin g
HOO
D RELEAS E HANDL E

Servic
e Statio n Procedure s

If you can open the hood without
sliding the hood latch handle, or the
hood latch handle moves stiffly or does not spring back as before, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated (see page 229 ).
3. Lift the hood up most of the way.
The hydraulic supports will lift it up the rest of the way and hold it
up .

To close the hood, lower it to about a
foot (30 cm) above the fender, thenpress down firmly with your hands.
After closing the hood, make sure it is securely latched. Oil Check
Check the engine oil level every time
you fill the vehicle with fuel. Wait a
few minutes after turning the engine off before you check the oil.
1. Remove the dipstick (orange

handle).

2. Wipe the dipstick with a clean

cloth or paper towel.

CONTINUED

Befor e Drivin g

DIPSTIC
K

Coolin
g Syste m

Replacin g Engin e Coolan t
The cooling system should be completely drained and refilled with
new coolant according to the time and distance recommendations in
the maintenance schedule. Only use Genuine Honda Antifreeze/Coolant.
Draining the coolant requires access
to the underside of the car. Unless
you have the tools and knowledge,
you should have this maintenance done by a skilled mechanic.

1. Turn the ignition ON (II). Turn
the heater temperature controldial to maximum heat (climate

control to 90°F/32°C). Turn off

the ignition. Open the hood. Make
sure the engine and radiator are

cool to the touch.

2. Remove the radiator cap.
DRAI
N PLU G
3. Loosen the drain plug on the bottom of the radiator. Thecoolant will come out through the
hole in the splash cover.

CONTINUED

Maintenanc e

Replacin
g a Hig h Bea m Headligh t
Bul b
The low beam headlight bulbs are a type of high voltage discharge tube.
High voltage can remain in the
circuit even with the light switch off
and the key removed. Because of
this, you should not attempt to
examine or change a low beam
headlight bulb yourself. If a low
beam headlight bulb fails, take the car to your dealer to have it replaced. Halogen bulbs are used for the high
beam headlight bulbs. When replacing a high beam headlight bulb,
handle it by its base and protect the
glass from contact with your skin or
hard objects. If you touch the glass, clean it with denatured alcohol and a

clean cloth.

Halogen bulbs get very hot when lit. Oil,
perspiration, or a scratch on the glass
can cause the bulb to overheat and

shatter.
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the electrical connector from the bulb by pulling theconnector straight back.
3. Remove the rubber weather seal by pulling on the tab.

Maintenanc e
NOTIC
E

Jum
p Startin g
If your car's battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
you should take several precautions.
You cannot start your Acura bypushing or pulling it. To jump start your car, follow these
directions closely:
1. Open the hood and check the physical condition of the battery
(see page 234). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy
or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.

If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can freeze.
Attempting to jump start with a frozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

2. Turn off all the electrical acces- sories: climate control, stereo
system, lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.

Takin g Car e
o
f th e Unexpecte d
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.
NOTICE

I
f You r Engin e Overheat s

The pointer of your car's tempera- ture gauge should stay in the mid-range under most conditions. It may
go higher if you are driving up a long steep hill on a very hot day. If it
climbs to the red mark, you should
determine the reason.

Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause serious damage to your engine. Your car can overheat for several
reasons, such as lack of coolant or a

mechanical problem. The only

indication may be the temperature

gauge climbing to or above the red mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming from under the hood.

In either case, you should take

immediate action.
1. Safely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake.
Turn off the climate control and all
other accessories. Turn on the
hazard warning indicators.
2. If you see steam
and/or spray
coming from under the hood, turn
of

f the engine.
3. I

f you do not see steam
or spray,
leave the engine running and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading
(climbing a long, steep hill
on a
hot day with the A/C running, for
example), the engine should start
to cool down
almost immediately.
If it does, wait
until the tempera-
ture gauge comes down
to the mid-
point then continue driving.
Takin g Car e
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f th e Unexpecte d

NOTIC
E

Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.

I
f You r Engin e Overheat s
4. If the temperature gauge stays at the red mark, turn off the engine.
5. Wait until you see no more signs of steam or spray, then open the

hood.

6. Look for any obvious coolant leaks, such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you find a leak, it
must be repaired before you continue driving (see Emergenc y
Towin g on page 292).
7. If you don't find an obvious leak, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page170). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to halfway
between the MIN and MAX marks.
8. If there was no coolant in the reserve tank, you may also have to
add coolant to the radiator. Let the
engine cool down until the pointer reaches the middle of the tempera-
ture gauge, or lower, before check- ing the radiator.
9. Using gloves or a large heavy cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without pushing
down, to the first stop. This
releases any remaining pressure in
the cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down on
the cap and turn it until it comes off. 10. Start the engine and set the
temperature control dial to
maximum (climate control to
FULL AUTO at 90° F/32° C). Add
coolant to the radiator up to the
base of the filler neck. If you do
not have the proper coolant
mixture available, you can add
plai
n water. Remember to have
the cooling system drained and
refilled with the proper mixture as
soon as you can.
11. Put the radiator cap back
on
tightly. Run the engine and watch
the temperature gauge. If it goes
back t

o the red mark, the engine
needs repair. (See Emergenc y
Towin g o

n page 29
2.)
12. If the temperature stays normal, check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
MAX mark. Put the cap back
on

tightly.

Takin g Car e
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Removing the radiator cap

while the engine is hot can

cause the coolant to spray out,
seriously scalding you.
Always let the engine and radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.

Lo
w Oi l Pressur e Indicato r

This indicator should light when the ignition switch is ON (II), and go outafter the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is
running. If it starts flashing, it
indicates that the oil pressure
dropped very low for a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows that the engine has lost oil pressure
and serious engine damage is
possible
. I
n either case, you should
take immediate action.
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn off
the engine as soon as you can safely get
the car stopped.

1.

Safely pull off the road and shut

off the engine. Turn on the hazard

warning indicators.
2. Let the car sit for a minute. Open the hood and check the oil level
(see page
169). Although oil level
and oil pressure are not directly connected, a
n engine that is very
low on oil can lose pressure during cornering and other driving

maneuvers.

3. If necessary, add oil to bring the level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page
215). 4. Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the light
does not go out within ten seconds,
turn off the engine. There is a
mechanical problem that needs tob

e repaired before you can
continue driving. (See Emergenc y
Towin g o

n page 29
2.)
Takin g Car e
o
f th e Unexpecte d
NOTIC
E

LO W OI L PRESSUR E INDICATO R