mileage Acura RL 2000 3.5 Owner's Manual

Fuel
Econom y

The condition of your car and your driving habits are the two most
important things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Ca r Conditio n
Always maintain your car according to the maintenance schedule. This
will keep it in top operating condition.
An important part of that mainte- nance is the Owne r Maintenanc e
Check s (see page 213 ). For
example, an underinflated tire
causes more "rolling resistance,"
which uses fuel. It also wears out
faster, so check the tire pressure at
least monthly.
In winter, the build-up of snow on
your car's underside adds weight and rolling resistance. Frequent cleaning
helps your fuel mileage and reduces
the chance of corrosion. Drivin
g Habit s
You can improve fuel economy by driving moderately. Rapid acceler-
ation, abrupt cornering, and hard
braking use more fuel.
Always drive in the highest gear that allows the engine to run and acceler-
ate smoothly.
Depending on traffic conditions, try
to maintain a constant speed. Every
time you slow down and speed up,
your car uses extra fuel. Use the cruise control, when appropriate, toincrease fuel economy. A cold engine uses more fuel than a
warm engine. It is not necessary to "warm-up" a cold engine by letting it
idle for a long time. You can drive
away in about a minute, no matter
how cold it is outside. The engine will warm up faster, and you get
better fuel economy. To cut down on
the number of "cold starts," try to combine several short trips into one.
The air conditioning puts an extra load on the engine which makes ituse more fuel. Turn off the A/C orset the climate control to a higher
temperature to cut down on air
conditioning use. Use the flow-
through ventilation when the outside
air temperature is moderate.

Before Drivin g

Maintenanc
e Schedul e

The Maintenance Schedule specifies how often you should have your carserviced and what things need
attention. It is essential that you have
your car serviced as scheduled to retain its high level of safety,dependability, and emissions control
performance.
The services and time or distance
intervals shown in the maintenanceschedule assume you will use your
car as normal transportation for
passengers and their possessions.
You should also follow these
recommendations:

Avoid exceeding your car's loadlimit. This puts excess stress on
the engine, brakes, and manyother parts of your car. The load
limit is shown on the label on the driver's doorjamb.
Operate your car on reasonable
roads within the legal speed limit.
Drive your car regularly over a
distance of several miles
(kilometers).
Always use unleaded gasoline with
the proper octane rating (see page
166). Whic
h Schedul e t o Follow :
Service your car according to the
time and mileage periods on one of the Maintenance Schedules on the
following pages. Select the schedule
for "Severe Conditions" if most of
your driving is done under one or more of the conditions listed on that
page. Otherwise, follow the schedule
for "Normal Conditions."

Maintenanc e

Maintenanc
e Schedul e

Your authorized Acura dealer knows your car best and can providecompetent, efficient service.
However, service at a dealer is not
mandatory to keep your warranties
in effect. Maintenance may be done
by any qualified service facility or
person who is skilled in this type of
automotive service. Keep all the
receipts as proof of completion, and
have the person who does the work
fill out the Maintenance Record. Check your warranty booklet for
more information. We recommend the use of Genuine
Honda parts and fluids whenever you
have maintenance done. These are
manufactured to the same high-
quality standards as the original
components, so you can be confident
of their performance and durability.
U.S. Vehicles:

Maintenance , replacemen t o r

repai r o f emission s contro l
device s an d system s ma y b e don e
b y an y automotiv e repai r

establishmen t o r individua l usin g

part s tha t ar e "certified " t o EP A
standards . According to state and federal
regulations, failure to perform
maintenance on the items marked
with # will not void your emissions
warranties. However, Acura recommends that all maintenanceservices be performed at the
recommended time or mileage
period to ensure long-term reliability.

Maintenance

Storin
g You r Ca r

If you need to park your car for an
extended period (more than one
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it for storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your car back on the road. If
possible, store your car indoors. Fill the fuel tank.
Change the engine oil and filter
(see page 217). Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Clean the interior. Make sure the
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry. Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Park. Block the rear wheels.
If the car is to be stored for a
longer period, it should be supported on jackstands so the
tires are off the ground. Leave one window open slightly (if
the car is being stored indoors). Disconnect the battery.
Support the front wiper blade
arms with a folded towel or rag so
they do not touch the windshield.
To minimize sticking, apply a silicone spray lubricant to all door
and trunk seals. Also, apply a
vehicle body wax to the painted surfaces that mate with the door
and trunk seals. Cover the car with a "breathable"
cover, one made from a porous
material such as cotton.
Nonporous materials, such as
plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint. If possible, run the engine for a
while periodically (preferably once a month).
If you store your car for 12 months or longer, have your Acura dealer
perform the inspections called for in
the 24 months/30,000 miles (48,000
km) maintenance schedule (Normal Conditions) as soon as you take it
out of storage (see page 206). The
replacements called for in the
maintenance schedule are not
needed unless the car has actually
reached that time or mileage.

Maintenance

Drivin
g in Foreig n Countrie s

If you are planning to take your
Acura outside the U.S. or Canada, contact the tourist bureaus in the
areas you will be traveling in to findout about the availability of unleaded
gasoline with the proper octane

rating.

If unleaded gasoline is not available,
be aware that using leaded gasoline
in your Acura will affect perfor-
mance and fuel mileage, and damage
its emissions controls. It will no
longer comply with U.S. and Canadian emissions regulations, and
will be illegal to operate in North
America. To bring your car back into compliance will require the replace-
ment of several components, such as
the oxygen sensors and the three
way catalytic converter. These re-
placements are not covered under
warranty.
Technica l Informatio n

Custome
r Relation s Informatio n
Acura dealership personnel are trained professionals. They should
be able to answer all your questions.
If you encounter a problem that yourdealership does not solve to yoursatisfaction, please discuss it with
the dealership's management. The
Service Manager or General Manager can help. Almost all
problems are solved in this way. If you are dissatisfied with the
decision made by the dealership's
management, contact the Acura Customer Relations Office.
U.S. Owners:
Acura Automobile DivisionClient Services Office
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
1919 Torrance Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90501-2746
or telephone: (800) 382-2238
In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin

Islands:
Vortex Motor Corp.Bella International P.O. Box 190816

San Juan, PR 00919-0816
(787) 250-4327
Canadian Owners:
Refer to the Canadian Zone Office
Map on the next page. When you call or write, please give
us this information: Vehicle Identification Number
(see page 296 ) Name and address of the dealer
who services your car Date of purchase
Mileage on your car
Your name, address, and tele- phone number A detailed description of the
problem Name of the dealer who sold the
car to you
Warrant y an d Custome r Relation s

Warrant
y Coverage s

U.S . Owner s
Your new Acura is covered by these
warranties:

New Vehicle Limited Warranty —

covers your new vehicle, except for
the battery, emissions control systems and accessories, against
defects in materials and

workmanship.

Emissions Control Systems Defects
Warranty and Emissions
Performance Warranty — these two

warranties cover your vehicle's emis- sions control systems. Time, mileage,
and coverage are conditional. Please
read the warranty manual for exact
information.

Original Equipment Battery Limited
Warranty — this warranty gives up
to 100 percent credit toward a

replacement battery.
Seat Belt Limited Warranty — a seat

belt that fails to function properly is
covered for the useful life of the

vehicle.

Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
— all exterior body panels are
covered for rust-through from the
inside for the specified time period
with no mileage limit.

Accessory Limited Warranty —

Genuine Acura Accessories are
covered under this warranty. Time
and mileage limits depend on the
type of accessory and other factors. Please read your warranty manual
for details.

Replacement Parts Limited
Warranty — covers all Genuine
Acura replacement parts against defects in materials and workman-

ship.
Replacement Battery Limited

Warranty — provides prorated

coverage for a replacement battery
purchased from an Acura dealer.

Replacement Muffler Lifetime
Limited Warranty — provides

coverage for as long as the pur-
chaser of the muffler owns the
vehicle.
Restrictions and exclusions apply to
all these warranties. Please read the
2000 Acura Warranty Information
booklet that came with your car for
precise information on warranty coverages. Your Acura's original
tires are covered by their manufacturer. Tire warranty infor-
mation is in a separate booklet.

Canadia n Owner s

Please refer to the 2000 Warranty
Manual that came with your car.

Warrant y an d Custome r Relation s

Inde
x

Reserve Indicator......................... 57

Tank, Filling the......................... 167

Fuel Mileage, Improving............... 171

Fuses, Checking the...................... 288

Gasohol........................................... 303

Gasoline.......................................... 166

Fuel Reserv

e Indicator................ 57

Gauge............................................
60

Octane Requirement................

. 166

Tank, Fillin

g the......................... 167

Gas Statio

n Procedures................. 167

Gauges..............................................
58

Engine Coolan

t Temperature .... 60

Fuel................................................
60

Maintenance Require

d

Indicator.................................... 61

GAWR (Gross Axle Weight

Rating) ........................................ 195

Gearshift Lever Positions .............180

Glass Cleaning............................... 265

Glove Box......................................... 87

GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight

Rating) ........................................ 195

Halogen Headlight Bulbs.............. 250
Hazard Warning Flashers............... 70

Headlights
Automatic Lighting..................... 64
Daytime Running Lights............. 65
High Beam Indicator................... 57

High Beams, Turning on............ 63

Lights On Indicator..................... 55

Low Beams, Turning on............. 63

Reminder Chime.......................... 63
Replacing Halogen Bulbs ......... 250

Turning on.................................... 63

Head Restraints............................... 95

Heating and Cooling...................... 120
High Altitude, Starting at.............. 179
High-Low Beam Switch .................. 63

High-mount Brake Light............... 255
HomeLink Universal
Transmitter.................................. 88

Hood Latch..................................... 229

Hood, Opening the ........................ 168

Horn................................................... 62

Hot Coolant, Warning about........ 219
Hydroplaning.................................. 193 Identification Number, Vehicle.... 296
If Your Car Has to be Towed....... 292
Ignition

Keys............................................... 77

Switch............................................ 80
Timing Control System............. 306
Immobilizer System......................... 78
Important Safety Precautions .......... 6
Indicator Lights, Instrument Panel.............................................. 53
Inflation, Proper Tire .................... 241
Inside Mirror.................................... 98

Inspection, Tire.............................. 243

Instrument Panel............................. 53
Instrument Panel Brightness......... 66
Interior Cleaning............................ 264
Introduction......................................... i
CONTINUED