wheel Acura RL 2004 3.5 Workshop Manual

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

Regular cleaning and polishing of
your Acura helps to keep it ‘‘new’’
looking. This section gives you hints
on how to clean your car and
preserve its appearance: the paint,
brightwork, wheels and interior. Also
included are several things you can
do to help prevent corrosion..................................
Exterior Care .300
.....................................
Washing .300
.......................................
Waxing .301
....................
Aluminum Wheels .301
..........................
Paint Touch-up .301
..................................
Interior Care .302
...................................
Carpeting .302
.................................
Floor Mats .302
.........................................
Fabric .303
...........................................
Vinyl .303
.......................................
Leather .303
...................................
Seat Belts .303
................................
Wood Trim .304
....................................
Windows .304
..........................
Air Fresheners .304
....................
Corrosion Protection .305
.................................
Body Repairs .306
Appearance Care
Appearance Care299

µ
µ Inspect your car f requently f or chips
or 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
prof essional. Your dealer has touch-up paint to
match your car’s color. The color
code is printed on a sticker on the
driver’s doorjamb. Take this code to
your dealer so you are sure to get
the correct color.
Always wash and dry the whole
vehiclebeforewaxingit.Youshould
wax your car, including the metal
trim, whenever water sits on the
surf ace in large patches. It should
formintobeadsordropletsafter
waxing.
The wheels have a protective clear-
coat that keeps the aluminum from
corroding and tarnishing. Using
harsh chemicals, including some
commercial wheel cleaners or stif f
brushes, can damage this clear-coat.
Only use a mild detergent and sof t
brush or sponge to clean the wheels.
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 f inish. You
should use a polish on your Acura if
the f inish does not have its original
shine af ter using a wax.
Waxes A wax coats the finish and
protects it f rom damage by exposure
to sunlight, air pollution, etc. You
should use a wax on your Acura
when it is new. 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: Clean your Acura’s aluminum alloy
wheels as you do the rest of the
exterior.Washthemwiththesame
solution, and rinse them thoroughly. Cleaning tar, insects, etc. with
removers also takes off the wax.
Remember to re-wax those areas,
even if the rest of the vehicle does
not need waxing.
Exterior Care
Appearance Care
Waxing
Paint T ouch-up
A luminum Wheels
301

Repair chips and scratches in the
paint as soon as you discover them.
Inspect and clean out the drain
holes in the bottom of the doors
and body.
Check the f loor coverings f or
dampness. Carpeting and f loor
mats may remain damp f or a long
time, especially in winter. This
dampness can eventually cause
the f loor panels to corrode.
Two f actors normally contribute to
causing corrosion in your car:
Many corrosion-preventive measures
are built into your Acura. You can
help keep your car f rom corroding
by perf orming some simple periodic
maintenance: Use a high-pressure spray to clean
the underside of your car. This is
especially important in areas that
useroadsaltinwinter.Itisalsoa
good idea in humid climates and
areas subject to salt air. Be careful
of the ABS wheel sensors and
wiring at each wheel.
Have the corrosion-preventive
coatings on the underside of your
car inspected and repaired
periodically.
Moisture trapped in body cavities.
Dirtandroadsaltthatcollectsin
hollows on the underside of the
vehicle stays damp, promoting
corrosion in that area.
Removal of paint and protective
coatings f rom the exterior and
underside of the vehicle.
1.
2.
Corrosion Prot ect ion
Appearance Care305

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
should be the same size and design
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.
Turn of f the VSA system (see
page ).
Driving with the compact spare
tiremayactivatetheVSAsystem. 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.228
Compact Spare Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed308
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)

Ú
Turn the jack’s end bracket
counterclockwise to loosen it, then
remove the jack by lif ting it
straight up. Loosen the f ive wheel nuts 1/2
turn with the wheel wrench.
Locate the jacking point nearest
thetireyouneedtochange.Itis
pointed to by a mark molded
into the underside of the body.
Placethejackunderthejacking
point. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch.
6.
7.8.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Changing a Flat T ire
310
JACK
WHEEL WRENCH JACKING
POINT

CONT INUED
Remove the wheel nuts, then
remove the f lat tire. Temporarily
place the f lat tire on the ground
with the outside surface of the
wheel f acing up. You could scratch
the wheel if you put it f ace down.Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipe any dirt of f the mounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully,itmaybehotfrom
driving.
Use the extension and wheel
wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.
9.
10.
11.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed311
WHEEL
WRENCH BRAKE HUB
EXTENSION

Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten
them f ully.Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
Lower the vehicle to the ground
and remove the jack.
12.
13.14.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Changing a Flat T ire
312
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m)

Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:
Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
orNeutralorthestarterwillnot
operate.
Sliptheholeatthetopof thejack
over the bracket in the trunk well.
Turn the jack’s end bracket to lock
it in place. Store the tool kit back
in its place.
Close the trunk lid. Store the center cap and spacer
basket in the trunk. Make sure the
center cap will not get scratched
or damaged. Unclip the hook f rom the trunk lid
and lower the trunk f loor.
Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
19.
20.
21.
22. 80
Changing a Flat Tire, If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
If Your Engine Won’t Start Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
314
Loose items can fly around the
interior in a crash and could
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.

Î
Î
The Brake System Indicator
normallycomesonwhenyouturn
the ignition switch ON (II). It is a
reminder to check the parking brake.
It comes on and stays lit if you do not
f ully release the parking brake. If it comes on at any other time, it
indicates a problem with the vehicle’s
brake system. In most cases, the
problem is a low f luid level in the
brake f luid reservoir. Press lightly on
the brake pedal to see if it f eels
normal. If it does, check the brake
f luid level the next time you stop at a
service station (see page ). If the
f luid level is low, take the vehicle to
your dealer and have the brake
system inspected f or leaks or worn
brake pads.
However, if the brake pedal does not
f eel 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 f eel the brake pedal
go down much f arther bef ore the
vehicle 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 shif ting to a lower
gear, and pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e. Because of the
longer distance needed to stop, it is
hazardous to drive the vehicle. You
should have it towed, and repaired as
soon as possible. (See
on page .)
If you must drive the vehicle a short
distance in this condition, drive
slowly and cautiously.
If the ABS indicator and the VSA
system indicator come on with this
indicator, have the vehicle inspected
by your dealer immediately.
266
332
Brake System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Emergency
Towing
325
BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR
U.S. indicator shown