battery Acura RL 2004 3.5 Owner's Guide

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 possible, run the engine f or a
while periodically (pref erably once
amonth).
Leave one window open slightly (if
the vehicle is being stored
indoors).
If you store your car f or 1 year or
longer, have your Acura dealer
perf orm the inspections called f or in
the 2 years/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 vehicle has
actually reached that time or mileage.
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. Disconnect the battery.
Support the f ront wiper blade
arms with a f olded towel or rag so
they do not touch the windshield. If the vehicle is to be stored f or a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground. Cover the vehicle with a
‘‘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.
255 244
Maint enance
St oring Your Car
297

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. Seeon page .
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereisproba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. (See on page .) Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page .
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 ). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
f rom a booster battery (see page
).
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page .
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.
316
332 272
316
217 328
332
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Jump Starting
Emergency T owing Emergency
Towing
Starting the
Engine
T he Starter Operates Normally
315

You cannot start your Acura by
pushing or pulling it.Open the hood and check the
physical condition of the battery
(see page ). 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 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.
To jump start your car, f ollow these
directions closely:
1.
272
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed316
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.

µ
´
´ Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the ground wire on
therightsideof theengineas
shown. Do not connect this jumper
cable to any other part of the
engine.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
Acura’s battery. Connect the other
end to the positive ( ) terminal
on the booster battery.
Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: climate control, stereo
system, lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle.
5. 4.
3.
2.
CONT INUED
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Jump Starting
317
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

Once your car is running, discon-
nectthenegativecablefromyour
car, then from the booster battery.
Disconnect the positive cable f rom
your car, then the booster battery.
Keep the ends of the jumper cables
away from each other and any metal
on the vehicle until all are
disconnected. Otherwise, you may
cause an electrical short.
Start your car. If the starter motor
still operates slowly, check the
jumper cable connections to make
sure they have good metal-to-
metal contact.
Follow the number order in the
illustration to connect the jumper
cables. Make sure to disconnect the
cables in the reverse order.
6. 7.
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed318
BOOSTER BATTERY

By eliminating as much of the
electrical load as possible, you can
drive several miles (kilometers)
before the battery is too discharged
to keep the engine running. Drive to
a service station or garage where
you can get technical assistance.
Immediately turn of f all electrical
accessories: radio, climate control,
rear def ogger, cruise control, etc.
Try not to use other electrically-
operated controls such as the power
windows. Keep the engine running
and take extra care not to stall it.
Starting the engine will discharge
the battery rapidly.
This indicator should come on when
the ignition switch is ON (II), and go
out af ter the engine starts. If it
comes on brightly when the engine
is running, it indicates that the
charging system has stopped
charging the battery.
Charging System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed322
CHARGING SYSTEM INDICATOR

Your car has certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that are part of the on-board
diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. In some states, part of the
emissions testing is to make sure
these codes are set. If they are not
set, the test cannot be completed.
If your car’s battery has been
disconnected or gone dead, these
codes are erased. It takes several
days of driving under various
conditions to set the codes again.If possible, do not take your car f or a
state emissions test until the
readiness codes are set. See State
Emissions Testing on pages and
.
348
349
Malf unction Indicator L amp
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Readiness Codes
324

The under-hood f use box is located
in the engine compartment next to
the battery. To open it, push the tab
as shown.
The interior f use box is underneath
the dashboard on the driver’s side.
To open it, turn the knob as shown.
All the electrical circuits in your car
have fuses to protect them from a
short circuit or overload. These
f uses are located in two f use boxes.
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed327
INTERIOR
KNOBUNDER-HOOD
TAB

µ
No. Amps.No. Amps. Circuits Protected
Circuits Protected
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15 20 A
10 A
20 A
15 A
20 A
20 A
20 A
20 A
20 A
10 A
10 A
20 A
30 A
30 A 16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
20 A
20 A
15 A
7.5 A 20 A
30 A
50 A
40 A
40 A
120 A 40 A
40 A
50 A Front Fog Light
ETS (Electrical Tilt/
Telescope Steering)
Meter
Back-up, Radio
Interior Lights
Wiper Motor
Ignition Switch
Power Window
Heater Motor
Battery
VSA Motor
Rear Window Defogger
Fuse box
Not Used
Brake, Horn
Hazard
Driver Power Window
TCS
VSA
Power Door Lock
Right Headlight Low
Left Headlight Low
Cooling Fan
Lef t Headlight High
Right Headlight High
Condenser Fan
Moonroof
Front Passenger’s Power
Seat
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed330
UNDER-HOOD FUSE BOX

If you decide to tow your car with all
f our wheels on the ground, make
sure you use a properly-designed and
attached tow bar. Prepare the
vehicle f or towing as described
above, and leave the ignition switch
in Accessory (I) so the steering
wheel does not lock. Make sure the
radio and any items plugged into the
accessory power socket are turned
of f so they do not run down the
battery.
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed333
The steering system can be damaged if
the steering wheel is locked. Leave the
ignition switch in Accessory (I), and
make sure the steering wheel turns
f reely bef ore you begin towing.Trying to lif t or tow your car by the
bumpers will cause serious damage.
The bumpers are not designed to
support the vehicle’s weight.