wheel size Acura RL 2004 3.5 Owner's Manual

Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the VSA to
malf unction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are of the same size
and type as your original tires (see
page ).
Deactivate the VSA system if you
need to drive with the compact spare
tire installed (see page ).
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.
VSA is turned on every time you
start the engine, even if you turned it
off the last time you drove the
vehicle.
283
308
Driving
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
VSA and Tire Sizes
229

When shopping f or replacement
tires, you may find that some tires
are ‘‘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.It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, then replace the two
f ront tires or the two rear tires as a
pair. Replacing just one tire can
seriously af f ect your car’s handling.
The tires that came with your car
were selected to match the perform-
ance capabilities of the vehicle while
providing the best combination of
handling, ride comf ort, and long lif e.
Youshouldreplacethemwithradial
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.
CONT INUED
Replacing T ires and Wheels
Tires
Maint enance283
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.

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Tires that are marked ‘‘M S’’ or
‘‘All Season’’ on the sidewall have an
all-weather tread design. They
should be suitable f or most winter
driving conditions. Tires without
these markings are designed f or
optimum traction in dry conditions.
They may not provide adequate
perf ormance in winter driving.
For the best perf ormance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under
certain conditions.
Wheels:
Tires:
See page f or inf ormation about
DOT Tire Quality Grading.
The ABS and VSA system work by
comparing the speed of the wheels.
When replacing tires, use the same
size originally supplied with the
vehicle. Tire size and construction
can af f ect wheel speed and may
cause the system to work
inconsistently.
If you ever need to replace a wheel,
make sure you use an identical style
aluminum alloy wheel that originally
came on your Acura. Replacement
wheels are available at your Acura
dealer. 340
Winter Driving
Wheels and T ires
Tires
Maint enance284
16x7JJ
P225/55R16 94V

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
manufacturer’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 enance285
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 vehicle.

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)