light Acura RL 2001 3.5 Owner's Manual

Exterior Care

Washing
Frequent washing helps preserve
your car's beauty. Dirt and grit can
scratch the paint, while tree sap and
bir

d droppings can permanently ruin
th

e finish.
Wash your car in a shad
y area, not in
direc
t sunlight. If the car is parked in
the sun, move it into the shade and
le

t the exterior cool down before you
start.
Only use the solvents and cleaners
recommended

in this Owner's

Manual

.

Chemical solvents and strong cleaners

can damage the paint, metal, and
plastic on
your car.
Rinse the
car thoroughly with cool
water to remove loose dirt. Fill a bucket with cool water. Mix
i

n a mild detergent, such as
dishwashin

g liquid or a product
made especially for car washing. Wash the car using the water and
detergen

t solution and a soft-
bristle brush, sponge, or soft cloth. Star

t at the top and work your way
down. Rinse frequently. Check the body for road tar, tree
sap

, etc. Remove these stains with
tar
remover or turpentine. Rinse it
off immediately so it does
not
har
m the finish. Remember to re-
wa

x these areas, even if the rest of
the car does not need waxing. When you have washed and rinsed
th

e whole exterior, dry it with a
chamoi
s or soft towel. Letting it
air-dry will cause dulling and water

spots

.

As you dry the car, inspect it for
chip

s and scratches that could allow
corrosion to start. Repair them with
touch-up paint (see page 265 ).
Appearance Care

NOTICE

Exterior Care
Waxing
Always wash and dry the whole car before waxing it. You should wax
your car, including the metal trim,
whenever water sits on the surface in large patches. It should form into
beads or droplets after waxing.
You should use a quality liquid or paste wax. Apply it according to the
instructions on the container. In
general, there are two types of
products:
Waxes — A wax coats the finish and protects it from damage by exposure
to sunlight, air pollution, etc. Youshould use a wax on your Acura
when it is new.
Polishes — Polishes and cleaner/
waxes can restore the shine to paint
that has oxidized and lost some of its shine. They normally contain mild
abrasives and solvents that remove
the top layer of the finish. You should use a polish on your Acura if
the finish does not have its original shine after using a wax.
Cleaning tar, insects, etc. with
removers also takes off the wax.
Remember to re-wax those areas, even if the rest of the car does not

need waxing.

Aluminum Wheels Clean your Acura's aluminum alloy
wheels as you do the rest of the exterior. Wash them with the samesolution, and rinse them thoroughly.
The wheels have a protective clear- coat that keeps the aluminum from
corroding and tarnishing. Using
harsh chemicals, including some commercial wheel cleaners, or stiff
brushes can damage this clear-coat. Only use a mild detergent and soft
brush or sponge to clean the wheels. Paint Touch-up
Your dealer has touch-up paint to match your vehicle's color. The color
code is printed on a sticker on thedriver's doorjamb. Take this code to
your dealer so you are sure to get the correct color.
Inspect your car frequently for chipsor scratches in the paint. Repair
them right away to prevent corrosion of the metal underneath. Use the
touch-up paint only on small chips and scratches. More extensive paint
damage should be repaired by a
professional.

Appearance Care

Changing a Flat Tire
If you have a flat tire while driving,
stop in a safe place to change it.
Stopping in traffic or on the shoulder of a busy road is dangerous. Drive
slowly along the shoulder until you
get to an exit or an area to stop that is far away from the traffic lanes.
1. Park the car on firm, level, andnon-slippery ground away from
traffic. Put the transmission in Park. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn on the hazard warning lights and turn the ignition switch toLOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the car while
you change the tire.
3. Open the trunk. Raise the trunk

floor by lifting up on the back edge.

To keep the trunk floor out of the
way, attach the hook into the slot
in the trunk lid.

4. Take the tool kit out of the trunk.

5. Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.

CONTINUED

Taking Care of the Unexpected

The car can easily roll off the

jack, seriously injuring anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and never get under the car when it
is supported only by the jack. TRUNK FLOOR
HOOK
JACK SPARE TIRE TOOL KIT

If Your Engine Won't Start

Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don't light at all,
the battery is discharged. See

Jump Starting on page 280 .
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the fuses. If
the fuses are OK, there is proba-
bly something wrong with the electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualified technician to
determine the problem. (See

Emergency Towing on page 296 .)
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page 236). You can
then try jump starting the car from a booster battery (see page 280).
The Starter Operates Normally In this case, the starter motor'sspeed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when you turn the ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run. Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer to Starting the
Engine on page 181. Do you have fuel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the fuel gauge.
The low fuel level warning light may not be working, so you were
not reminded to fill the tank. There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
fuel pump. Check all the fuses
(see page 292).

If you find nothing wrong, you will
need a qualified technician to find
the problem. See Emergency
Towing on page 296 .

Taking Care of the Unexpected

Jump Starting

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.
3. Connect one jumper cable to thepositive ( + ) terminal on your
Acura's battery. Connect the other end to the positive (
+ ) terminal
on the booster battery. 4. Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( — ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect theother end to the ground wire on
the right side of the engine as shown. Do not connect this jumper
cable to any other part of the

engine.

5. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, have an assistant startthat vehicle and run it at a fast idle.

Taking Care of the Unexpected
CONTINUED

NOTICE

Low Oil Pressure Indicator

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 pressureand serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action.
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical damage almost immediately. Turn offthe 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 171). Although oil leveland oil pressure are not directly
connected, an 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 thedipstick (see page 217 ). 4. Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the lightdoes not go out within ten seconds,
turn off the engine. There is a mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired before you can continue driving. (See Emergency
Towing on page 296 .)
Taking Care of the Unexpected

LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR

NOTICE

Brake System Indicator

The Brake System Indicator normally comes on when you turn
the ignition switch ON (II). It is a
reminder to check the parking brake.It comes on and stays lit if you do not
fully release the parking brake. If it comes on at any other time, it
indicates a problem with the car's
brake system. In most cases, the
problem is a low fluid level in the
brake fluid reservoir. Press lightly on
the brake pedal to see if it feels
normal. If it does, check the brake
fluid level the next time you stop at a service station (see page 230 ). If the
fluid level is low, take the car to your dealer and have the brake system
inspected for leaks or worn brake

pads.

However, if the brake pedal does not
feel normal, you should take immediate action. Because of the
brake system's dual-circuit design, a
problem in one part of the system
will still give you braking at two
wheels. You will feel the brake pedal
go down much farther before the car
begins to slow down, and you will
have to press harder on the pedal.
The distance needed to stop will be much longer. Slow down by shifting to a lower
gear, and pull to the side of the road
when it is safe. Because of the
longer distance needed to stop, it is
hazardous to drive the car. You should have it towed, and repaired as
soon as possible. (See Emergency
Towing on page 296 .)
If you must drive the car a shortdistance in this condition, drive
slowly and cautiously.
If the ABS indicator and the VSA system indicator come on with this
indicator, have the car inspected by
your dealer immediately.
Taking Care of the Unexpected

BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR*

"U.S. indicator shown

Closing the Moonroof

If the electric motor will not close
the moonroof, do the following:
1. Check the fuse for the moonroof motor (see page 292). If the fuse
is blown, replace it with one of the
same or lower rating.
2. Try closing the moonroof. If the new fuse blows immediately or the
moonroof motor still does not
operate, you can close the
moonroof manually.
3. Get the moonroof wrench out of the tool kit in the trunk.
4. Remove the lens from the rear ceiling light (see page 259). 5. Remove the plug in the center of
the rear ceiling light. 6. Insert the moonroof wrench into
the socket behind this plug. Turn
the wrench until the moonroof is
fully closed.
7. Remove the wrench. Replace the
plug and lens.

Taking Care of the Unexpected
PLUG
SOCKET

Fuses
Checking and Replacing Fuses

If something electrical in your car
stops working, the first thing you
should check for is a blown fuse.
Determine from the chart on pages 294 and 295 , or the diagram on the
fuse box lid, which fuse or fuses control that component. Check those
fuses first, but check all the fuses
before deciding that a blown fuse is not the cause. Replace any blown
fuses and check the component's
operation.

1. Turn the ignition switch to LOCK (0). Make sure the headlights and
all other accessories are off.
2. Remove the cover from the fuse box. FUSE

3. Check each of the large fuses in
the under-hood fuse box by

looking through the top at the wire

inside. Removing these fuses

requires a Phillips-head screw-

driver.
4. Check the smaller fuses in the
under-hood fuse box and all the
fuses in the interior fuse box by pulling out each fuse with the fuse
puller provided in the door of theinterior fuse box.
Taking Care of the Unexpected BLOWN
FUSE

PULLER

Fuses

5. Look for a burned wire inside the fuse. If it is burned, replace it with
one of the spare fuses of the same
rating or lower. If you cannot drive the car without
fixing the problem, and you do not
have a spare fuse, take a fuse of the same rating or a lower rating from
one of the other circuits. Make sure
you can do without that circuit
temporarily (such as the cigarette
lighter or radio).
If you replace the blown fuse with aspare fuse that has a lower rating, it
might blow out again. This does not
indicate anything wrong. Replace the
fuse with one of the correct rating as soon as you can.
Replacing a fuse with one that has a
higher rating greatly increases the
chances of damaging the electrical
system. If you do not have a replace-
ment fuse with the proper rating for the circuit, install one with a lower rating.
6. If the replacement fuse of the
same rating blows in a short time,

there is probably a serious electrical problem in your car.
Leave the blown fuse in that
circuit and have your car checked
by a qualified mechanic.
If the radio fuse is removed, the audio system will disable itself. The
next time you turn on the radio you
will see "Code" in the frequency display. Use the Preset buttons to
enter the five-digit code (see page
164).
Taking Care of the Unexpected
CONTINUED

BLOWN

NOTICE