tire type Acura RL 2001 3.5 Owner's Manual

Important Safety Precautions
You'll find many safely recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
The recommendations on this page are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inflate only in a
moderate to severe frontal collision.
So even though your car is equipped
with airbags, make sure you and
your passengers always wear your seat belts, and wear them properly. (See page 15.)
Restrain All Children Children are safest when they are
properly restrained in the back seat,
not the front seat. A child who is too small for a seat belt must be properly
restrained in a child safety seat. (See
page 20.) Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
While airbags can save lives, they can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Infants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Besure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page 9.)

Don't Drink and Drive

Alcohol and driving don't mix. Even one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with every additional drink. So don't drink
and drive, and don't let your friends
drink and drive, either. Control Your Speed
Excessive speed is a major factor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the risk, but serious accidents can alsooccur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Keep Your Car in Safe Condition
Having a tire blowout or amechanical failure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition frequently,and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page 206.)

Driver and Passenger Safety

Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System

VSA is turned on every time you start the engine, even if you turned it
off the last time you drove the car. VSA and Tire Sizes
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 247).

Deactivate the VSA system if you
need to drive with the compact spare
tire installed (see page 272 ).
If you install winter tires, make sure
they are the same size as those that
were originally supplied with your car. Exercise the same caution
during winter driving as you would if
your car was not equipped with VSA.

Driving

Timing Belt, Tires

Timing Belt
The timing belt and balancer belt should normally be replaced at the
intervals shown in the maintenance
schedule.

Replace these belts at 60,000 miles (U.S.) or 100,000 km (Canada) if you
regularly drive your car in one or
more of these conditions:
In very high temperatures
(over 110°F, 43°C).
In very low temperatures

(under — 20°F, — 29°C).

Tires
To safely operate your car, your tiresmust be the proper type and size, in
good condition with adequate tread, and correctly inflated. The following
pages give more detailed information on how and when to check air
pressure, how to inspect your tires
for damage and wear, and what to do
when your tires need to be replaced.
Inflation

Keeping the tires properly inflated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread life and riding comfort. Underinflated tires wear
unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more
likely to fail from being overheated. Overinflated tires can make your car
ride more harshly, are more prone to damage from road hazards, and wear

unevenly.

We recommend that you visually check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it immediately with a tire gauge.

CONTINUED

Maintenance

Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you canbe seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this

owner's manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.

Tires

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. Replacing Tires and Wheels
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, and steering 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

Maintenance

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.

Tires

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 shoulddrive 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 conditions or 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 areinstalled 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 ofthe car.

Maintenance

NOTICE

Emergency Towing

If your car needs to be towed, call a
professional towing service or, if you
belong to one, an organization that
provides roadside assistance. Never tow your car behind another vehicle
with just a rope or chain. It is very
dangerous.

There are three popular types of professional towing equipment.

Flat-bed Equipment — The operator

loads your car on the back of a truck.
This is the best way to transport
your Acura.

Wheel-lift Equipment — The tow

truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (front or rear) and lift
them off the ground. The other two
tires remain on the ground. This is

an acceptable way to tow your

Acura.
Sling-type Equipment — The tow

truck uses metal cables with hooks on the ends. These hooks go around
parts of the frame or suspension and the cables lift that end of the car off
the ground. Your car's suspensionand body can be seriously damaged.
This method of towing is
unacceptable.

If your Acura cannot be transported
by flat-bed, it should be towed by
wheel-lift equipment with the front
wheels off the ground. If, due to damage, your car must be towed
with the front wheels on the ground, do the following.
Release the parking brake. Shift the transmission to Neutral.
Improper towing preparation will

damage the transmission. Follow the

above procedure exactly. If you cannot

shift the transmission or start the
engine, your car must be transported
with the front wheels off the ground.

With the front wheels on the ground, it is best to tow the car no farther
than 50 miles (80 km), and keep the speed below 35 mph (55 km/h).
Taking Care of the Unexpected
NOTICE

Warranty Coverages

U.S. Owners
Your new Acura is covered by these

warranties:

New Vehicle Limited Warranty — your new vehicle, except for

covers 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 LifetimeLimited 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
2001 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
information is in a separate booklet.

Canadian Owners

Please refer to the 2001 Warranty
Manual that came with your car.

Warranty and Customer Relations

Index

Engine Coolant........................... 223
Engine Oil and Filter................. 219
Fuses........................................... 292 Light Bulbs................................. 252

Schedule..................................... 206

Spark Plugs................................. 233

Tires............................................ 247
Wiper Blades.............................. 239
Replacing Seat Belts After a
Crash............................................. 42

Reserve Tank, Engine Coolant.... 172
Reverse Gear Position................... 183
Rotation, Tire................................. 246
Safety Belts......................................... 8
Safety Defects, Reporting*.......... 317
Safety Features.................................. 7

Airbags............................................9
Door Locks................................... 10

Head Restraints........................... 10
Seat Belts........................................ 8
Seats & Seat-Backs...................... 10
Safety Labels, Location of.............. 50
Safety Messages................................ ii Seat Belts...................................... 8, 40

Additional Information................ 40

Advice for Pregnant Women...... 18
Automatic Seat BeltTensioner.. 41
Child Seat Anchor Plate.............. 39
Cleaning...................................... 267

Lap/Shoulder Belt....................... 40

Maintenance................................. 42 Reminder Light and Beeper................................. 40, 54
Replacement................................. 42
System Components.................... 40 Use During Pregnancy................ 18

Wearing a Lap/Shoulder Belt.... 15

Seat Heaters................................... 103
Seat Position Memory................... 101
Seats, Adjusting the......................... 94
Security Alarm System ................. 165
Serial Number................................ 300
Service Intervals............................ 208
Service Manual*............................ 319
Service Station Procedures.......... 169
Setting the Clock........................... 109

Shifting the Automatic
Transmission.............................. 182
Shift Lever Position Indicator...... 182 Shift Lock Release......................... 185
Side Airbags..................................... 45

How The Side Airbag Indicator
Light Works............................. 47

How Your Side Airbags Work.... 45

Side Marker Lights, Bulb

Replacement in.......................... 255

Signaling Turns................................ 66
Ski Sleeve........................................ 104

Snow Tires...................................... 249
Solvent-type Cleaners.................... 264
Sound System................................. 136
Spare Tire Inflating....................................... 272
Specifications............................. 303
Spark Plugs, Replacing................. 233
Specifications Charts..................... 302
Speed Control................................... 73
Speedometer.................................... 58
Spotlights........................................ 118
COAT/M/FA)