engine oil Acura RL 2005 Owner's Manual

Your vehicle’s exhaust contains
carbon monoxide gas. You should
have no problem with carbon
monoxide entering the vehicle in
normal driving if you maintain your
vehicle properly.High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage.
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:
With the trunk open, airf low can pull
exhaust gas into your vehicle’s
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
trunk open, open all the windows and
set the climate control system as
shown below.
If you must sit in your parked vehicle
with the engine running, even in an
unconfined area, adjust the climate
control system as f ollows:
Select the f resh air mode.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
The vehicle is raised f or an oil
change.
You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust.
The vehicle was in an accident
that may have damaged the
underside.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
54
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.

The instrument panel has many
indicators to give you important
inf ormation about your vehicle. This indicator comes on when youturn the ignition switch to ON (II). It
reminds you and your passengers to
f asten your seat belts. A beeper also
sounds if you have not f astened your
seat belt.
If you turn the ignition switch to ON
(II) bef ore f astening your belt, the
beeper sounds and the indicator
f lashes. If you do not f asten your
seat belt bef ore the beeper stops, the
indicator stops f lashing but remains
on.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK
EMISSION SYSTEM’’ message on
the multi-information display. For
more information, see page . The engine can be severely damaged
if this indicator f lashes or stays on
when the engine is running, or if a
‘‘CHECK ENGINE OIL LEVEL’’
message is on the multi-inf ormation
display. For more inf ormation, see
page .
If this indicator comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged, and you will also see
a ‘‘CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-information
display. For more inf ormation, see
page .
If you continue driving without
f astening your seat belt, the beeper
sounds and the indicator f lashes
again at regular intervals, and you
will also see a ‘‘FASTEN SEAT
BELT’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ). 348
348 349
77
Instrument Panel Indicators
Seat Belt Reminder
Indicator
L ow Oil Pressure
Indicator
Charging System
Indicator
Malf unction Indicator
Lamp
60

This shows the outside Fahrenheit
temperature in U.S. models, and
Centigrade temperature in Canadian
models.The temperature sensor is in the
f ront bumper. The temperature
reading can be affected by heat
ref lection f rom the road surf ace,
engine heat, and the exhaust f rom
surrounding traf f ic. This can cause
an incorrect temperature reading
when your speed is under
19 mph (30 km/h). When you start
your trip, the sensor is not f ully
acclimatized, theref ore it may take
several minutes until the proper
temperature is displayed.
In certain weather conditions,
temperature readings near f reezing
(32°F, 0°C) could mean that ice is
f orming on the road surf ace.
This shows the remaining lif e of the
engine oil. It shows 100% af ter the
engine oil is replaced and the display
is reset. The engine oil lif e is
calculated based on engine operating
conditions and accumulated engine
revolutions. For more inf ormation,
see page .
You can adjust the outside
temperature display (see page ).
291
83
Outside Temperature
Engine Oil Lif e
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Inst rument s and Cont rols
71
OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE
U.S.
CANADA ENGINE OIL LIFE

You can receive or make phone calls
f rom your cell phone through your
Acura’s HandsFreeLink (HFL)
system without touching your cell
phone.When the engine oil lif e reaches 15
percent, the display shows
‘‘SERVICE DUE SOON’’ and the
code f or the maintenance items to be
perf ormed.
When the engine oil lif e reaches 5
percent, the display shows
‘‘SERVICE DUE NOW’’ along with
the same maintenance items.Have your dealer do the indicated
maintenance as soon as you see this
message, and have them reset the
display af ter completing the service.
If you do not perf orm the indicated
maintenance or do not reset the
display, the message changes to
‘‘SERVICE PAST DUE’’ when the
engine oil lif e becomes 0 percent.
These messages appear on the multi-
inf ormation display each time you
turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
For details on engine oil lif e and
maintenance messages, ref er to page
.
Also ref er to page f or important
maintenance saf ety precautions.
To use the system, your cell phone
and the HFL system must be linked.
Not all cell phones are compatible
with this system. Ref er to page
for instructions on how to link
your cell phone to the HFL and how
to receive or make phone calls. 291
290
230
HandsFreeL ink
Maintenance Messages
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Inst rument s and Cont rols
75
TM

Bef ore you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use and how to check the
levels of important f luids. You also
need to know how to properly store
luggage or packages. The
inf ormation in this section will help
you. If you plan to add any
accessories to your vehicle, please
read the information in this section
first..............................
Break-in Period .248
.................
Fuel Recommendation . 248
.........
Service Station Procedures . 249
.....................................
Ref ueling .249
.........
Check Fuel Cap Message . 250
Opening and Closing .................................
the Hood .251
....................................
Oil Check .253
..............
Engine Coolant Check .253
...............................
Fuel Economy .254
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 255
.............................
Carrying Cargo .257
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
247

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Do not tow a trailer. We recommend quality gasolines
containing detergent additives that
help prevent f uel system and engine
deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your authorized dealer f or service.
Your vehicle is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane of 91 or higher. If this
octane grade is unavailable, regular
unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane of 86 or higher may be used
temporarily. The use of regular
unleaded gasoline can cause metallic
knocking noises in the engine and
will result in decreased engine
perf ormance. The long-term use of
regular-grade gasoline can lead to
engine damage.
Break-in Period
Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
248

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.
1.
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

This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.
This section also includes
instructions on how to read the
maintenance messages in the multi-
inf ormation display, a maintenance
record, and instructions f or simple
maintenance tasks you may want to
take care of yourself .
If you have the skills and tools to
perf orm more complex maintenance
tasks on your vehicle, you may want
to purchase the service manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your dealer.......................
Maintenance Saf ety .290
....................
Maintenance Minder . 291
....................
Maintenance Record .301
..............................
Fluid Locations .303
......
Engine Compartment Covers . 304
........................
Adding Engine Oil .305
.........
Changing the Oil and Filter . 306
..............................
Engine Coolant .308
....................
Windshield Washers .310
....
Automatic Transmission Fluid . 310
....................................
Brake Fluid .311
....................
Power Steering Fluid . 312
....................................
Timing Belt .313
.............................................
Lights .314
................
Cleaning the Seat Belts . 321
.....................................
Floor Mats .322
.................................
Wiper Blades .323
...............................................
Tires .325
...................
Checking the Battery . 331
.............................
Vehicle Storage .333
381
Maintenance
Maint enance
289

µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µ
µµ
µ
One of the most convenient and
important f eatures of the multi-
inf ormation display on your vehicle
is the maintenance minder.
Based on engine operating
conditions and accumulated engine
revolutions, the onboard computer in
your vehicle calculates the remaining
engine oil lif e.
The system also displays the code
f or other scheduled maintenance
items needing service.
The remaining engine oil lif e is
displayed on the engine oil lif e
minder according to the table shown
below.
Calculated Engine Oil Lif e (%)
100% 91% 90% 81%
80% 71%
70% 61%
60% 51%
50% 41%
40% 31%
30% 21%
20% 16%
15% 11%10% 6% 5% 1% 0% Displayed
Engine Oil Lif e (%)
100% 90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
15%
10% 5%
0%
To see the remaining engine oil lif e
displayed on the lower right corner
on the multi-information display as a
percentage, turn the ignition switch
to ON (II), and press the SEL/
RESETbuttononthesteeringwheel
repeatedly until the engine oil lif e
minder appears (see page ).
71
CONT INUED
Maintenance Minder
Engine Oil L if e Minder
Maint enance
291
REMAINING ENGINE OIL LIFE

ÝÛÝÛ
Press the SEL/RESET button on the
steering wheel repeatedly to select
the engine oil lif e minder, the
message ‘‘CHANGE OIL’’ along with
the percentage of oil lif e remaining,
and the maintenance item code, are
displayed on the lower part of the
multi-inf ormation display.
The message will be canceled if the
or buttononthesteeringwheel
is pressed. Press the or button
to see the message again.
When the remaining engine oil lif e is
15 to 6 percent, the multi-inf ormation
display shows a ‘‘SERVICE DUE
SOON’’ message along with the
maintenance schedule code
indicating the main and sub items
required at the time of the oil change.
Refer to page and for a
complete list of the maintenance
main items and sub items. 299 300
Maintenance Minder
292
MESSAGE
MAINTENANCE
CODE REMAINING
ENGINE OIL LIFT
MAINTENANCE
MAIN ITEM MAINTENANCE
SUB ITEMS