tires Acura RL 2002 3.5 Owner's Guide

If you mount snow tires on your
Acura, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as the original tires. Mount snow
tiresonallfourwheelstobalance
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 should
drive cautiously even when the roads
areclear.Checkwiththetiredealer
f or maximum speed recommen-
dations.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 f or 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, f ollow the
manuf acturer’s instructions and
mount them as tightly as you can.
Drive slowly with them installed. If
youhearthemcomingincontact
with the body or chassis, stop and
investigate. Make sure the cables are
installed tightly, and that they are
not contacting the brake lines or
suspension. Remove them as soon as
you begin driving on cleared roads.
Snow T ires
T ire Chains
Tires
Maint enance259
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 of
the car.
01/09/28 20:07:47 31SZ3660_262

Block the rear wheels.
Fill the f uel tank.
Change the engine oil and f ilter
(see page ).
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Park.
If you need to park your car f or an
extended period (more than one
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your car back on the road. If
possible, store your car indoors.
If the car is to be stored for a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Leave one window open slightly (if
the car is being stored indoors).Coverthecarwitha‘‘breathable’’
cover, one made f rom a porous
material such as cotton.
Nonporous materials, such as
plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
Disconnect the battery.
Support the f ront wiper blade
arms with a f olded 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
vehiclebodywaxtothepainted
surfaces that mate with the door
and trunk seals. If possible, run the engine f or a
while periodically (pref erably once
amonth).
If you store your car f or 12 months
or longer, have your Acura dealer
perf orm the inspections called f or 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 ). The
replacements called f or in the
maintenance schedule are not
needed unless the car has actually
reached that time or mileage.
229
218
Maint enance
St oring Your Car
271
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Follow these precautions whenever
you are using the compact spare tire:Thecompactsparetirehasashorter
tread lif e than a regular tire. Replace
it when you can see the tread wear
indicator bars. The replacement
shouldbethesamesizeanddesign
tire, mounted on the same wheel.
Thecompactsparetireisnot
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the compact wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
under any circumstances.
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces than the regular tire. Use
greater caution while driving on
this tire.
Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare.
Your car has a compact spare tire
that takes up less space. Use this
sparetireasatemporaryreplace-
ment only. Get your regular tire
repaired or replaced and put it back
on your car as soon as you can.
The wheel of the compact spare
tire is designed especially to f it
your car. Do not use your spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Turn of f the VSA system (see
page ).
Driving with the compact spare
tiremayactivatetheVSAsystem.202
Compact Spare Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed282
I IN
ND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R L
LOOC CAA T
TI
IOON N M
MA
AR
RKK
T
T R
RE EA
A D
D W
WE EA
A R
R I
INND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R B
BAA R
R
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
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µµ µ
There are three popular types of
prof essional towing equipment. If your car needs to be towed, call a
prof essional 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. The operator
loads your car on the back of a truck.
The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (f ront or rear) and lif t
them of f the ground. The other two
tires remain on the ground. The tow
truck uses metal cables with hooks
on the ends. These hooks go around
parts of the f rame or suspension and
the cables lif t that end of the car of f
the ground. Your car’s suspension
and body can be seriously damaged.
If your Acura cannot be transported
by f lat-bed, it should be towed by
wheel-lif t equipment with the f ront
wheels of f the ground. If , due to
damage, your car must be towed
with the f ront wheels on the ground,
do the f ollowing.
Release the parking brake.
Shif t the transmission to Neutral. With the f ront wheels on the ground,
it is best to tow the car no farther
than 50 miles (80 km), and keep the
speedbelow35mph(55km/h).Flat -bed Equipment
Wheel-lif t Equipment Sling-t ype Equipment
This is the best way to transport
your A cura.
T his is
an acceptable way to tow your
Acura. T his method of towing is
unacceptable.
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed306
Improper towing preparation will
damage the transmission. Follow the
above procedure exactly. If you cannot
shif t the transmission or start the
engine, your car must be transported
with the f ront wheels of f the ground.
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Thediagramsinthissectiongive
you the dimensions and capacities of
your Acura, and the locations of the
identif ication numbers. It also
includes inf ormation you should
know about your vehicle’s tires and
emissions control systems.................
Identif ication Numbers .310
................................
Specif ications .312
DOT Tire Quality Grading
.............................
(U.S.Cars) .314
.................................
Treadwear .314
......................................
Traction .314
.............................
Temperature .315
.........................
Oxygenated Fuels .316
......
Driving in Foreign Countries .317 .......................
Emissions Controls .318
.....................
The Clean Air Act .318
Crankcase Emissions Control
....................................
System .318
Evaporative Emissions Control ....................................
System .318
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor ................................
Recovery .318
...
Exhaust Emissions Controls .319
....................
PGM-FI System .319
Ignition Timing Control
................................
System .319
Exhaust Gas Recirculation ...................
(EGR) System .319
Three Way Catalytic ...........................
Converter .319
....................
Replacement Parts .319
..
Three Way Catalytic Converter .320
..............
State Emissions Testing .321
T echnical Inf ormat ion
T echnical Inf ormation309
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T echnical Inf ormation
Specif ications
313
Lights
Engine
Alignment
Tires
Battery
Fuses 12 V
12 V
55 W (H1) (High beam)
27/8 W
3.54x3.58in(90x91mm)212 cu-in (3,474 cm
)
9.6 : 1
0.00 in (0.0 mm)
0.08 in (2.0 mm) 0°
0° 30’
2° 50’
P225/55R16 94V
T135/80D16 101M
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm
)
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
21 W
21/5 W
55 W (H1)
21 W
3CP
21 W
3CP
5W
5W
3.4 W
3.4 W
2W
Headlights
Front turn signal/parking lights
Rear turn signal lights
Stop/Taillights
Front fog lights
High-mount brake light
Front side marker lights
Back-up lights
License plate lights
Ceiling lights
Trunk light
Door courtesy lights
Vanity mirror light Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs
Water cooled 4-stroke
SOHC V-6 gasoline engine
Toe
Camber
Caster
Size
Pressure See spark plug maintenance
section page246.
Capacity 12 V 55 AH/5 HR
Interior
Under-hood See page304or the fuse box cover. See page305or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box door under the dashboard.65 AH/20 HR
12 V Front
Rear
Front
Rear
Front
Front/Rear
Spare
Front/Rear
Spare
in
Front
Rear
Low beam headlight bulbs are a type of high voltage discharge
tube (D2R).
1:
1
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µ
The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-
half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100. The relative perf ormance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart signif icantly f rom the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and dif f erences in
road characteristics and climate.
The tires on your car meet all U.S.
Federal Saf ety Requirements. All
tires are also graded for treadwear,
traction, and temperature perform-
ance according to Department of
Transportation (DOT) standards.
The f ollowing explains these
gradings.
Quality grades can be f ound where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and the
maximum section width. For
example:
The traction grades, f rom highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. These
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specif ied government test surf aces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
perf ormance.
Warning: The traction grade
assignedtothistireisbasedon
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
All passenger car tires must conf orm
to Federal Saf ety Requirements in
addition to these grades. T readwear
Unif orm T ire Quality Grading T readwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A
DOT Quality Grades Traction AA, A, B, C
DOT T ire Quality Grading (U.S. Cars)
T echnical Inf ormation314
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µWarning: The temperature grade f or
this tire is established f or a tire that
is properly inf lated and not over-
loaded. Excessive speed, underinf la-
tion, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire
f ailure.
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire f ailure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
perf ormance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Saf ety Standard No.
109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of perf ormance on the
laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
DOT T ire Quality Grading (U.S. Cars)
T echnical Inf ormation
Temperature A,B,C
315
01/09/28 20:16:36 31SZ3660_318

µµ
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µµ
µ a seat
belt that f ails to f unction properly is
covered f or the usef ul lif e of the
vehicle.
provides
coverageforaslongasthepur-
chaser of the muf f ler owns the
vehicle.
Your new Acura is covered by these
warranties:
covers your new vehicle, except f or
the battery, emissions control
systems and accessories, against
def ects in materials and
workmanship. provides prorated
coverage f or a replacement battery
purchased f rom an Acura dealer.
this warranty gives up
to 100 percent credit toward a
replacement battery. these two
warranties cover your vehicle’s emis-
sions control systems. Time, mileage,
and coverage are conditional. Please
read the warranty manual for exact
inf ormation.
covers all genuine
Acura replacement parts against
defects in materials and workman-
ship. genuine Acura Accessories are
covered under this warranty. Time
and mileage limits depend on the
type of accessory and other f actors.
Please read your warranty manual
f or details. all exterior body panels are
covered f or rust-through f rom the
inside f or the specif ied time period
with no mileage limit.
Restrictions and exclusions apply to
all these warranties. Please read the
2002 Acura Warranty Inf ormation
booklet that came with your car f or
precise inf ormation on warranty
coverages. Your Acura’s original
tires are covered by their
manuf acturer. Tire warranty
inf ormation is in a separate booklet.
Please ref er to the 2002 Warranty
Manual that came with your car.Seat Belt Limited Warranty
Replacement Muf f ler L if et imeLimited Warranty
New Vehicle L imit ed Warrant y Replacement Bat t ery L imit ed
Warranty
Original Equipment Bat t ery L imit ed Warranty
Emissions Cont rol Syst ems Def ect s
Warrant y and EmissionsPerf ormance Warranty
Replacement Part s L imit edWarranty
Accessory Limited Warranty
Rust Perf orat ion L imit ed Warrant yU.S. Owners
Canadian Owners
Warranty Coverages
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions326
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CONT INUED
...
Accessories and Modif ications .184
................................
Accessories .184
.
Additional Safety Precautions .185
............................
Modif ications .185
ACCESSORY (Ignition Key .......................................
Position) .78
.............
Accessory Power Socket .108
....................
Additives, Engine Oil .228
.........................
Airbag (SRS) .9,43,45
.....................
Air Cleaner Element .241
.................
Air Conditioning Filter .252
..............
Air Conditioning System .114
..............................
Maintenance .251
.................................
Usage .116,121
.......................
Air Outlets (Vents) .114
.......................
Air Pressure, Tires .253
...........................
Alarm, Anti-theft .156
.......................
Alcohol in Gasoline .316
.......
Aluminum Wheels, Cleaning .275
......................................
Antif reeze .231
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
...............................
Indicator .56, 199
...................................
Operation .199
..............
Anti-thef t, Audio System . 156Anti-thef t Steering Column
..............................................
Lock .77
..........................
Anti-thef t System .157
..........................
Appearance Care .273
............................................
Armrest .89
.........................................
Ashtrays .110
...............
Audio Controls, Remote . 155
................................
Audio System .128
Automatic Climate Control ........................................
System .114
.........................
Automatic Lighting .64
Automatic Seat Belt ...................................
Tensioners .41
.............
Automatic Speed Control . 158
..............
Automatic Transmission . 192
..........................
Capacity,Fluid .312
...............
Checking Fluid Level . 238
.......................................
Shif ting .192
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 192
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 192
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 195Battery
Charging System ...........................
Indicator .54, 296
............................
Jump Starting .290
..............................
Maintenance .246
............................
Specif ications .313
..............................
Bef ore Driving .177
....................................
Belts,Seat .8,40
...........................
Beverage Holder .104
...................................
Body Repair .280
Brakes ...........
Anti-lock System (ABS) . 198
.............
Break-in, New Linings . 178
....................
Bulb Replacement .266
...........................................
Fluid .239
.......................................
Parking .102
.................
System Indicator . 54,299
........................
Wear Indicators .197
.............................
Braking System .197
........................
Break-in, New Car .198
..
Brightness Control, Instruments . 66
........................
Brights, Headlights .63
Index
A B
I
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