page 72 Acura RL 2005 Owner's Manual

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The maximum load f or your vehicle
is 850 lbs (395 kg). This f igure
includes the total weight of all
occupants, cargo, and accessories,
and the tongue load if you are towing
a trailer. Steps f or determining correct load
limit:
Locate the statement, ‘‘the
combined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed 850
lbs’’ on your vehicle’s placard.
[The placard is on the driver’s
doorjamb.]
Determine the combined weight
of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle.
Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers f rom
850 pounds or 395 kilograms.
The resulting f igure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity.
For example, if the maximum load
is 850 lbs and there will be f ive 150
lb. passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 100 lbs. (850 750 (5 150) = 100 lbs.)
Determine the combined weight
of luggage and cargo being loaded
on the vehicle. That weight may
not saf ely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity in
step 4.
If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load f rom your trailer will
be transf erred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of
yourvehicle(seepage ).
1.
2.
3.
4. 5.
6.
283
Carrying Cargo
Load Limits
258
Overloading or improper
loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in
which you can be hurt or killed.
Follow all load limits and other
loading guidelines in this
manual.

Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurt
someone during a crash.
Do not put any items on top of the
rear shelf . They can block your
view and be thrown around the
vehicle during a crash.
Be sure items placed on the f loor
behind the f ront seats cannot roll
under the seats and interf ere with
the pedals or seat operation.
Keep the glove box closed while
driving. If it is open, a passenger
could injure their knees during a
crash or sudden stop.Distribute cargo evenly on the
f loor of the trunk, placing the
heaviest items on the bottom and
as far forward as possible.
If you carry large items that
prevent you f rom closing the trunk
lid, exhaust gas can enter the
passenger area. To avoid the
possibility of
, f ollow the instructions
on page .
If you carry any items on a roof
rack,besurethetotalweightof
the rack and the items does not
exceed the maximum allowable
weight. Please contact your dealer
for further information. If you carry any items extending
through the trunk pass-through,
tie down or secure all items that
could be thrown around the
vehicle and hurt someone during a
crash or sudden stop.
54 carbon monoxide
poisoning
Carrying Items in the Passenger
Compartment
Carrying Cargo in the Trunk or on
a Roof Rack
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving
259

Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Check that the hood is f ully closed.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
f astened down securely.Check the seat adjustment (see
page ).
Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page ).
Make sure the doors and the
trunk are securely closed and
locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments bef ore you drive
your vehicle.
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
pages and ).
When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicators in the
instrument panel and the
messages on the multi-inf ormation
display (see page , and).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. 17
119
111
122 123
59 68
76
Preparing to Drive
262

If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
down, and hold it there while
starting to clear flooding. If the
engine still does not start, return
to step 5.
Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, then
release the ignition switch. You do
not need to hold the ignition
switch in the START (III) position
to start the engine. The engine’s
starter motor keeps running
automatically for up to 7 seconds until the engine starts.
The starter motor keeps running
automatically for up to 15 seconds
until the engine starts, if :
Your vehicle’s starting system has an
auto control mode. When you turn
the ignition switch to the START
(III) position, this f eature keeps the
engine’s starter motor running until
the engine starts. Follow these
instructions to start the engine:
If the engine does not start, wait at
least 10 seconds bef ore trying
again. The engine does not start within 7
seconds af ter the starter motor
began to run.
You hold the ignition switch in the
START (III) position f or more
than 7 seconds.
1.
2.
3.
4. 5.
6.
Starting the Engine
Driving
263
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page . 114

These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shif t
lever is in. In the Sequential
SportShif t Mode, the ‘‘M’’ indicator
next to the ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on,
and the illuminated number under
the low oil pressure indicator shows
you the gear you have selected.To shif t f rom any position, press
f irmly on the brake pedal and slide
the lever along the guide on the
console. You cannot shif t out of Park
when the ignition switch is in the
LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I)
position.
The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II). If it
f lashes while driving (in any shif t
position), it indicates a possible
problem in the transmission.
If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem in the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
When the ‘‘D’’ indicator warns of a
possible problem with the
transmission, you will see a ‘‘CHECK
TRANSMISSION’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page
).
76
Shif t L ever Position Indicators
Shif ting
Automatic Transmission
Driving
265

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To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop bef ore shif ting
into Park. The shif t lever must be in
Park bef ore you can remove the key
from the ignition switch.
Your vehicle has a reverse lockout so
you cannot accidentally shif t to
reverse f rom neutral or any other
driving position when the vehicle
speed exceeds 5 6 mph (8 10
km/h).
If there is a problem in the reverse
lockout system, or your vehicle’s battery is disconnected or goes dead,
you cannot shif t to reverse. (Ref er to
on page ).
Use neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from neutral to
another gear.
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page . Press the brake
pedal to shif t f rom Park to reverse.
To shif t f rom neutral to reverse,
come to a complete stop and then
shif t.
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear (1 through 5) f or your
speed and acceleration. You may
notice the transmission shifting up at
higher engine speeds when the
engine is cold. This helps the engine
warm up f aster.
If you cannot shif t to reverse when
the vehicle is stopped, press the
brake pedal, slowly shif t to neutral,
andthenshifttoreverse.
270 270
Do this:
Press the brake pedal, then
move the shift lever.
Move the lever.
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoN
NtoD
DtoD
DtoD DtoNNtoR RtoP
3
3
Shif t L ock Release
Neutral (N)
Park (P)
Shif t L ock Release Reverse (R)
Drive (D)
Automatic Transmission
266

The anti-lock brake system (ABS)
helps prevent the brakes f rom
locking up, and helps you retain
steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly, much f aster than a
person can do it.
this def eats the purpose of the ABS.
Let the ABS work f or you by always
keeping f irm, steady pressure on the
brake pedal as you steer away from
the hazard. This is sometimes
ref erred to as ‘‘stomp and steer.’’
You will f eel a pulsation in the brake
pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is
normal: it is the ABS rapidly
pumpingthebrakes.Ondry
pavement, you will need to press on
thebrakepedalveryhardbeforethe
ABS activates. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.If the ABS indicator comes on, the
anti-lock f unction of the braking
system has shut down. The brakes
still work like a conventional system,
but without anti-lock. You should
have your dealer inspect your vehicle
as soon as possible.If the ABS indicator comes on while
driving, test the brakes as shown on
page . When the ABS indicator comes on,
you will also see a ‘‘CHECK ABS
SYSTEM’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display.
350
You should never pump the brake pedal;
ABS Indicator
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
Driving
275
ABS INDICATOR

Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that turns on every time you start the
engine and monitors the pressure in
your tires while driving.
Each tire has its own pressure
sensor. If the air pressure of a tire
becomes signif icantly low, the
sensor in that tire immediately sends
a signal that causes the low tire
pressure indicator in the
instrumental panel and the
appropriate tire position indicator on
thetirepressuremonitoronthe
multi-inf ormation display (see page)tocomeon. For example, if you check and f ill
your tires in a warm area, then drive
in extremely cold weather, the tire
pressure will be lower than
measured and could be underinflated
and cause the low tire pressure
indicator to come on. Or, if you
check and adjust your tire pressure
in cooler conditions, and drive into
extremely hot conditions, the tire
maybecomeoverinflated.However,
the low tire pressure indicator will
not come on if the tires are
overinf lated.
When the low tire pressure indicator
is on, one or more of your tires is
signif icantly underinf lated. The
multi-inf ormation display also shows
a ‘‘CHECK TIRE PRESSURE’’
message (see page ). You should
stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure as indicated on the
vehicle’s tire inf ormation placard.
Driving on a signif icantly under-
inf lated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inf lation also reduces f uel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
af f ect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.
Becausetirepressurevariesby
temperature and other conditions,
the low tire pressure indicator may
come on unexpectedly.
Refer to page for tire inflation
guidelines.
278 279
325
CONT INUED
Low Tire Pressure
Indicator
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Driving
277

Although your tire pressure is
monitored, you must manually check
thetirepressuresmonthly.If you have a f lat tire, the low tire
pressure and tire monitor indicators
will come on. Replace the indicated
flat tire with the compact spare tire
(see page ).
When all tire pressures are normal,
the multi-information display will
show ‘‘TIRE PRESSURE OK
SYSTEM FUNCTION NORMAL.’’
Each tire, including the spare, should
be checked monthly when cold, and
set to the recommended inf lation
pressure as specif ied on the vehicle
placard and in the owner’s manual
(see page ).
If you think you can saf ely drive a
short distance to a service station,
proceed slowly to the station, then
inflate the tire to the recommended
pressure.
If the tire is f lat, or if the tire
pressure is too low to continue
driving, replace the tire with the
compact spare tire.
When any of the tires has low
pressure, the multi-inf ormation
display shows a ‘‘TIRE PRESSURE
ERROR SYSTEM FUNCTION
NORMAL’’ message (see page ).
After you replace the flat tire with
the spare, the low tire pressure
indicator stays on. This is normal;
the system is not monitoring the
spare tire pressure. Manually check
the spare tire pressure to be sure it
is correct.
Never use a puncture-repairing agent
in a f lat tire. If used, you will have to
replace the tire pressure sensor.
Havetheflattirerepairedbyyour
dealer as soon as possible.
336
326
72
Changing a T ire with T PMS T ire Pressure Monitor
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
278

CONT INUED
If there is a system error with the
TPMS, the multi-inf ormation display
showsa‘‘SYSTEMFUNCTION
ERROR’’ message (see page ),
and the tire pressure readings will
not be displayed. You will also see a
‘‘CHECK TPMS SYSTEM’’ message
on the multi-information display (see
page ).If any of the tires have low pressure,
the multi-information display will
shows a ‘‘CHECK TIRE PRESSURE’’
message. You will also see one or
more low pressure tire positions
blinking in the display (see page
). When the TPMS is functioning
normally, you can press the SEL/
RESETbuttononthesteeringwheel
to see the pressure readings of each
tire in psi (U.S. models) or kPa
(Canadian models) (see page ).
280 72
277 74
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
T ire Pressure Readings
Driving
279
VEHICLE ICONU.S.