engine Acura RL 2005 Owner's Guide

CONT INUED
Park with the driver’s side closest
to the service station pump.
Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 percent ethanol
by volume and up to 15 percent
MTBE by volume. Do not use
gasoline containing methanol.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
. Open the f uel f ill door by pressing
the button on the driver’s door.
(To open the f uel f ill door
manually, see page .)
1.
2.
351
Service Station Procedures
Ref ueling
Quick Start Guide
Bef ore Driving
249
FUEL FILL CAP
FUEL FILL DOOR RELEASE BUTTON
Stop the engine, and keep
heat, sparks, and flames
away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.

Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
Place the cap in the holder on the
fuel fill door.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top off’’ the tank. Leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.
even though the tank is not f ull,
there may be a problem with your
vehicle’s fuel vapor recovery
system. The system helps keep
f uel vapors f rom going into the
atmosphere. Consult your dealer.Screw the f uel f ill cap back on
until it clicks at least once. If you
do not properly tighten the cap,
you will see ‘‘CHECK FUEL CAP’’
on the multi-information display
(see right column on this page),
and the malf unction indicator lamp
mayalsocomeon(seepage ).
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches.
If your f uel cap is loose or missing, a
‘‘CHECK FUEL CAP’’ message
appears on the multi-inf ormation
display af ter you turn the ignition
switch to ON (II), after you start the
engine or while you are driving. Turn
the ignition switch of f and conf irm
the f uel cap is installed. If it is,
loosen the cap, then retighten until it
clicks at least once.
3.
4.
5.
6.
349
If the f uel nozzle keeps clicking of f
Service Station Procedures
Check Fuel Cap Message
250

The CHECK FUEL CAP message
that is displayed after you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position or start the engine, should
go of f af ter tightening the f uel cap,
turning the ignition switch of f and on,
then driving over 12 mph (US) or 20
km/h (Canada) for at least 10
minutes. Due to dif f erent driving
conditions,itmaytakeafewdrive
trips to make the message go of f .
The CHECK FUEL CAP message
displayed while driving should go of f
af ter tightening the f uel cap, turning
the ignition switch of f and on, then
driving over 30 mph (US) or 48
km/h (Canada) for at least 45
seconds. Due to dif f erent driving
conditions,itmaytakeafewdrive
trips to make the message go of f .Park the vehicle, and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release lever located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
If the system still detects a loose or
missing f uel cap, the malf unction
indicator lamp (MIL) comes on. If a
loose or missing f uel cap was not the
cause of the CHECK FUEL CAP
message coming on, the MIL will
also come on. When the MIL comes
on, the message goes of f .
Turn the engine of f , and check or
retighten the f uel cap until it clicks at
least once. The MIL goes out af ter 3
days of normal driving once the cap
is tightened or replaced. If it does
not go out, have your dealer inspect
the vehicle. For more inf ormation,
see page .
1.
349
CONT INUED
Opening and Closing the Hood
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
251
HOOD RELEASE LEVER

Remove the dipstick again, and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower
mark, seeon
page .
Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.
Remove the dipstick (orange loop).
Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert it all the way back in its hole. Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
on page .
4.
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2.
3. 305 308
CONT INUED
Engine Coolant Check
A dding Engine Oil
Oil Check
A dding
Engine Coolant
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
253
RESERVE TANK
MAX
MIN
LOWER MARK UPPER MARK
DIPSTICK

Combine several short trips into
one.
The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Usethefresh-air
ventilation when possible.
an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses more f uel.
The build-up of snow or mud on
your vehicle’s underside adds
weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
mileage and reduces the chance of
corrosion.
Always drive in the highest gear
possible.
Refer to
on page f or inf ormation
about checking other items on your
vehicle. Always maintain your vehicle
according to the maintenance
schedule. See
on page
.
Drive moderately. Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking use more f uel. Try to maintain a constant speed.
Everytimeyouslowdownand
speed up, your vehicle uses extra
f uel. Use cruise control when
appropriate.
298
298
For example,
Improving Fuel Economy
Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
Owner’s
Maintenance Checks
Service Station Procedures, Fuel Economy
254

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the SH-AWD system, the
vehicle stability assist (VSA) system,
the tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS), and f acts you need if you
are planning to tow a trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive .262
.......................
Starting the Engine .263
Check Starting System ..................................
Message .264
..............
Automatic Transmission . 265
............................
SH-AWD System .272
...........................................
Parking .273
.............................
Braking System .274
................
Anti-lock Brakes(ABS) . 275
Tires Pressure ....
Monitoring System (TPMS) .277
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) ........................................
System .281
...........................
Towing a Trailer .283
Driving
Driving
261

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.
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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

If there is a problem with the
starting system, you will see a
‘‘CHECK STARTING SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display when the ignition switch is
turned to ON (II). You will also see
this message when the auto control
mode of the starting system has a
problem.If this message is on, the ignition
switchhastobeheldinthe
START (III) position manually
until the engine starts. The
ignitionswitchcanbeheldinthat
position up to 15 seconds.
Even though you may be able to
start the engine manually without
the auto control mode of the starting
system, have your dealer inspect
your vehicle.
Starting the Engine
Check Starting System Message
264

µµµ
µ µ
µ
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