weight Acura RL 2005 Owner's Guide

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The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
below.
When driving uphill and downhill,
use the Sequential SportShif t mode
to provide the proper engine power
and engine braking on each gear.
Select f ourth, third, second, or f irst
gear; depending on the vehicle
speeds and read condition. Do not
use f if th gear. The recommended
speed range f or each gear position is
showninthetable.
Speed range
030km/h
(0 19 mph)
30 50 km/h
(19 31 mph)
50 65 km/h
(31 41 mph)
over 65 km/h
(over 41 mph) Maketurnsmoreslowlyandwider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
Use D position when towing a trailer
on level roads. D is the proper shif t
lever position to use when towing a
trailer in hilly terrain. (See ‘‘ ’’onthenextpagefor
additional gear information.) Gear position
1
2
3
4
3
CONT INUED
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
T owing Speeds and Gears Making T urns and Braking
Driving
on Hills
Towing a Trailer
Driving
287

Unscrew and remove the engine oil
fill cap on top of the left valve cover.
Pour in the oil slowly and caref ully so
you do not spill. Clean up any spills
immediately. Spilled oil could
damage components in the engine
compartment.
Install the engine oil f ill cap, and
tighten it securely. Wait a f ew
minutes, and recheck the oil level.
Do not f ill above the upper mark; you
could damage the engine.Honda Motor Oil is the pref erred
5W-20 lubricant f or your vehicle. It is
highly recommended that you use
Honda Motor Oil in your vehicle f or
optimum engine protection. Make
sure the API Certif ication Seal says
‘‘For Gasoline Engines.’’
Oil is major contributor to your
engine’s perf ormance and longevity.
Always use a premium-grade
detergent oil displaying the API
Certif ication Seal. This seal indicates
the oil is energy conserving and that
it meets the American Petroleum
Institute’s latest requirements.
The oil viscosity or weight is
provided on the container’s label.
5W-20 oil is f ormulated f or year-
round protection of your vehicle to
improve cold weather starting and
f uel economy.
CONT INUED
Recommended Engine Oil
A dding Engine Oil
Maint enance
305
API CERTIFICATION SEAL
ENGINE OIL FILL CAP
Ambient Temperature

Your vehicle does not require any oil
additives. Additives may adversely
af f ect the engine or transmission
perf ormance and durability.Open the hood, and remove the
engine oil f ill cap. Remove the oil
drain bolt and washer f rom the
bottom of the engine. Drain the oil
into an appropriate container.
You may use a synthetic motor oil if
it meets the same requirements
given f or a conventional motor oil: it
displays the API Certif ication Seal,
and it is the proper weight. You must
f ollow the oil and f ilter change
intervals given on the maintenance
schedule.
Always change the oil and f ilter
according to the maintenance
messages shown on the multi-
inf ormation display. The oil and f ilter
collect contaminants that can
damage your engine if they are not
removed regularly.
Changing the oil and f ilter requires
special tools and access f rom
underneath the vehicle. The vehicle
should be raised on a service station-
type hydraulic lif t f or this service.
Unless you have the knowledge and
proper equipment, you should have
this maintenance done by a skilled
mechanic.
Run the engine until it reaches
normal operating temperature,
then shut it off.
1. 2.
Synthetic Oil
Engine Oil A dditives
Changing the Oil and Filter
A dding Engine Oil, Changing the Oil and Filter
306
WASHER
OIL DRAIN BOLT

Make sure the rear f loor mats are
properly hooked to the f loor mat
anchors. Your vehicle is equipped
with f ront passenger’s seat weight
sensors. If the rear passenger’s f loor
mat is on the seat rail of the front
passenger’s seat, the sensors will
detect the decreased weight on the
seat and they may not work properly.
If you use a non-Acura f loor mat,
make sure it f its properly and that it
canbeusedwiththefloormat
anchors. Do not put additional f loor
mats on top of the anchored mats.
The floor mats that came with your
vehicle hook over f loor mat anchors.
This keeps the f loor mats f rom
sliding f orward/rearward and
possibly interf ering with the pedals
or making the f ront passenger’s
weight sensor’s inef f ective.
If you remove a f loor mat, make sure
tore-anchoritwhenyouputitback
in your vehicle. Floor Mats
Floor Mat s
322
DRIVER’S SIDE FLOOR MAT
FRONT PASSENGER’S
SIDE FLOOR MATREAR PASSENGER’S FLOOR MAT
HOOK HOOK HOOK
Front
Front Front

In addition to proper inf lation,
correct wheel alignment helps to
decrease tire wear. If you f ind a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
Have your dealer check the tires if
you f eel a consistent vibration while
driving. A tire should always be
rebalanced if it is removed f rom the
wheel. When you have new tires
installed, make sure they are
balanced. This increases riding
comf ort and tire lif e. For best results,
have the installer perform a dynamic
balance.To help increase tire lif e and
distribute wear more evenly, rotate
the tires every 7,500 miles (12,000
km). Move the tires to the positions
showninthecharteachtimethey
are rotated. If you purchase
directional tires, rotate only f ront-to-
back.
Your tires have wear indicators
molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down, you will see a
band 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide across
the tread. This shows there is less
than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread lef t
on the tire.
A tire this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should
replace the tire if you can see three
or more tread wear indicators.
If you rotate tires, check air pressure
of all tires.
Tires
T ire Maintenance
T ire Rotation
Maint enance
327
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS Front
Front
(For Directional
Tires and Wheels)
(For Non-directional
Tires and Wheels)
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle’s aluminum wheels. Use
only Acura wheel weights f or balancing.

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Specif ications
366
Dimensions
Weights
Air Conditioning Capacities
4.2 US qt (4.0
)
193.6 in (4,917 mm)
72.7 in (1,847 mm)
57.1 in (1,451 mm)
110.2 in (2,800 mm)
62.0 in (1,576 mm)
62.4 in (1,585 mm)
HFC-134a (R-134a)
15.8 17.60 oz (450 500 g) ND-OIL8 1.59 US gal (6.0
)
2.27 US gal (8.6)
4.5 US qt (4.3
)
5.3 US qt (5.0
)
2.9 US qt (2.7)
7.9 US qt (7.5)
Length
Width
Height
Wheelbase
Track
Gross vehicle weight rating
Refrigerant type
Charge quantity
Lubricant type
See the certification label attached
to the driver’s doorjamb.
0.79 US qt (0.75
)
0.77 US qt (0.73)
Excluding the oil remaining in the engine. Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in the
engine.
Reserve tank capacity: 6.9 US qt (6.5
)
2.6 US qt (2.5)
0.45 US qt (0.43
)
0.48 US qt (0.45)
3.3 US qt (3.1
)
Fuel tank
Engine
coolant
Engine oil
Automatic
transmission
fluid
Rear differential fluid
SH-AWD
differential
case
SH-AWD
clutch case
Transfer
assembly
fluid
Windshield
washer
reservoir
1:
2: Approx.
Front
Rear Change
Total
Change
Including filter
Without filter
Total
Change
Total
Change
Total
Change
Total
Change
Total
U.S. vehicles
Canadian
vehicles 19.4 US gal (73
)
0.16 US gal (0.58
) 2.8 US qt (2.7
)
1
2

ÎÎ
Fluids..........
Automatic Transmission . 310
..........................................
Brake .311
..........................
Power Steering .312
..................
Windshield Washer . 310
.....................................
Fog Lights .106
........................
Four-way Flashers .109
............................
Front Airbags .11, 27
......................................
Front Seat .119
....................................
Adjusting .119
.......................................
Heaters .142
...................................
Airbags .11, 27
...........................
Air Ventilation .143
.................................................
Fuel .248
.........................
Check Fuel Cap .250
......................
Fill Door and Cap .249
...........................................
Gauge .68
.....................
Low Fuel Indicator .64
................
Octane Requirement . 248
Opening the Fuel Fill Door ................................
Manually .351
...............................
Oxygenated .248
........................
Tank, Ref ueling .249
.....................
Fuses, Checking the .354 ................
Gas Mileage Improving . 254
.........................................
Gasoline .248
...........................................
Gauge .68
.....................
Low Fuel Indicator .64
................
Octane Requirement . 248
........................
Tank, Ref ueling .249
................
Gas Station Procedures . 249
.............................................
Gauges .68
...
Engine Coolant Temperature . 68
...............................................
Fuel .68
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight .......................................
Rating) .284
............
Gearshif t Lever Positions . 265
......................................
Glove Box .153
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight .......................................
Rating) .284
.............
Halogen Headlight Bulbs . 314
........................
Hands Free Link .231
............
Hazard Warning Flashers . 109Headlights
Adaptive Front Lighting System ......................................
(AFS) .107
........................................
Aiming .314
..................
Automatic Lighting . 105
.........
Daytime Running Lights . 106
..................
High Beam Indicator . 64
....................
Lights On Indicator .62
..........
Low Beams, Turning on . 104
.......................
Reminder Chime .104
........
Replacing Halogen Bulbs . 314
..........
High beams, Turning on . 104
...................................
Washer .102
............................
Head Restraints .120
...............................
Heated Mirror .123
...................................
Heater, Seat .142
.............
High Altitude, Starting at . 264
HomeLink Universal ................................
Transceiver .204
.......................
Hood, Opening the .251
................................................
Horn .101
...
Identif ication Number, Vehicle . 364
Index
G
H
I
IV
TM

...........................................
Snow .329
............................
Specif ications .367
...................
Tools, Tire Changing . 337
Torque Distribution Monitor .................................
(SH-AWD) .272
Towing .....................................
A Trailer .283
................
Emergency Wrecker . 360
....
Equipment and Accessories . 284
.............................
Weight Limit .283
.............................................
TPMS .277
.............................
Trailer Loading .283
......................
Trailer Towing Tips .287
Transmission Checking Fluid Level, ..............................
Automatic .310
...........................
Fluid Selection .310
..............
Identif ication Number . 364
.............
Shif ting the Automatic . 265
.....................................
Treadwear .336
.......................................
Trip Meter .70
..............................................
Trunk .117
..................
Emergency Opener . 118
...............................
Opening the .117
.......
Open Monitor Indicator . 13,77
..................................
Turn Signals .104 Unexpected, Taking Care
..........................................
of the .335
....
Unif orm Tire Quality Grading . 368
........................
Unleaded Gasoline .248
.......
Used Oil, How to Dispose of . 307
.................
Vehicle Capacity Load . 258
......................
Vehicle Dimensions .366
....
Vehicle Identif ication Number . 364
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) ....................................
System .281
........
VSA System Indicator . 63,281
...
VSA Activation Indicator . 63,281
.........................
VSA Of f Switch .282
.............................
Vehicle Storage .333
.................................................
VIN .364
..................................
Viscosity, Oil .305
.............
WARNING, Explanation of . ii
.........
Warning Labels, Location of . 55....................
Warranty Coverages .379
Washer, Windshield ........
Checking the Fluid Level . 310
...................................
Operation .102
Wheels .............
Adjusting the Steering . 111
............
Alignment and Balance . 327
..........................
Compact Spare .336
...............................
Nut Wrench .338
Windows .............................
Auto Reverse .146
................
Operating the Power . 145
.........................
Rear, Def ogger .110
Windshield .....................................
Cleaning .102
...................................
Def roster .165
.....................................
Washers .102
Wipers, Windshield .......................
Changing Blades .323
...................................
Operation .102
........
Summer/Winter Position . 103
....................................
Worn Tires .326
.....
Wrecker, Emergency Towing . 360
Index
W V UINDEX
IX