tow Acura RL 2006 Owner's Manual

2006 RL Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com.

Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
............................................................................. i
A Few Word s About S

afety........................................................................\
.................................................. ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
.......................................................4
Driver and Pass enger Safety

........................................................................\
...............................................7
Prop er use a

nd care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Contro l
s........................................................................\
...................................................59
Instrument panel indica tor and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
...............................193
How t o
op era
te th

e climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
...................................................... .
............. .
295
What gasoli n

e to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
...................................................................................309
The proper way to start the engine, s hift th

e transmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.........................................................................347
T h
e Ma int
en

ance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................393
This section covers several prob lems motorists sometime

s experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
.......................................................423
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and technical information.
Warranty

and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)..................................................................... 437
A summary of th
e warr anties coverin
g yo

ur new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
.......................................441
How t o
order manuals an
d othe

r technical literature.
Index ........................................................................\
......................................................................................... I
Service Information S u

mmary
A summary of information you n

eed when you pull up to the fuel pump.

Pull to the side of the road when it is
saf e, shif t to Park, and let the engine
idle until the indicator goes out.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If this indicator comes on at
any other time, there is a problem in
the SH-AWD system. You will also
see a ‘‘CHECK SH-AWD SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display(seepage ).Takeyour
vehicle to a dealer to have it checked.
For more inf ormation, see page .
If it comes on while driving, it
indicates the dif f erential
temperature is too high.
You will also see a ‘‘SH-AWD DIFF
TEMP. HIGH’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page
).
If the indicator blinks while driving,
pull to the side of the road when it is
saf e, shif t to Park, and let the engine
idle until the indicator goes out.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ). If it comes on while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are extremely low on
pressure.If this happens, pull to the side of the
road when it is saf e, check which tire
has lost pressure on the multi-
inf ormation display, and determine
the cause. If it is because of a flat tire,
have the flat tire repaired as soon as
possible. If two or more tires are
underinf lated, call a prof essional
towing service. For more
inf ormation, see page .
Your vehicle has Michelin PAX tires.
Repair or replacement of PAX tires
must be done by an Acura dealer or
an authorized Michelin PAX system
dealer. For more inf ormation, see
page .
78
320
78 79394 421
On models with Michelin PAX system
SH-A WD Indicator
Low Tire Pressure
Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
Inst rument s and Cont rols
67
Continuing to drive with the SH-AWD
indicator blinking may cause serious
damage to the system.

Make any steering wheel adjustment
bef ore you start driving.Move the steering wheel in, out, up,
or down by pushing and holding the
adjustment switch in that direction.Release the switch when the
steering wheel reaches the desired
position. Make sure the steering
wheel points towards your chest, not
toward your face, and that you can
see the instrument panel gauges and
indicators.
CONT INUED
Steering Wheel A djustments
Inst rument s and Cont rols
143
Adjusting the steering wheel
position while driving may
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle and be seriously injured
inacrash.
Adjust the steering wheel only
when the vehicle is stopped.

You can extend the sun visor f urther
by pulling it back. To use a sun visor, pull it down. You
can also use a sun visor at the side
window. Remove the support rod
f rom the clip, and swing the sun
visor toward the side window.There are two accessory power
sockets. One is located in the f ront
of the center console. To use the
power socket, push and release the
lid, then push it f orward until the
socket comes to the proper position
to use.
Do not use the sun visor extension
feature over the rear view mirror.
Make sure to slide a sun visor
forward to set it to the normal length
bef ore f lipping it back in place.
Make sure you put the sun visor
back in place when you are getting
into or out of the vehicle.
Interior Convenience Items
Sun Visors
A ccessory Power Sockets
188

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 87 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
296

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. 366
363
CONT INUED
Engine Coolant Check
A dding Engine Oil
Oil Check
A dding
Engine Coolant
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
301
RESERVE TANK
MAX
MIN
LOWER MARK UPPER MARK
DIPSTICK

µ·
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.
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.)
Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers f rom
850 lbs (395 kg). Determine the combined weight
of luggage and cargo being loaded
in the vehicle. That weight may
unsaf ely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity in
step 4.
In addition, the total weight of the
vehicle, all occupants, accessories,
cargo, and trailer tongue load
must not exceed the gross vehicle
weight rating (GVWR) or the
gross axle weight rating (GAWR).
Bothareonalabelonthedriver’s
doorjamb. 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 ).
The maximum load f or your vehicle
is 850 lbs (385 kg) f or U.S. vehicles,
and 395 kg for Canadian vehicles.
This f igure includes the total weight
of all occupants, cargo, and
accessories, and the tongue load if
you are towing a trailer.
1.
2.
3.
4.5.
6.
341
Carrying Cargo
Load Limits
306
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.

........................
Preparing to Drive .310
.......................
Starting the Engine .311
Check Starting System .................................
Message .312
..............
Automatic Transmission .313
...........................
SH-AWD System .320
...........................................
Parking .321
.............................
Braking System .322
................
Anti-lock Brakes(ABS) . 323
Collision Mitigation Brake System ......................................
(CMBS) .325
Tire Pressure ...
Monitoring System (TPMS) . 335
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) ........................................
System .339
...........................
Towing a Trailer .341
...................
Towing Your Vehicle . 346
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), the collision mitigation
brake system (CMBS), and facts you
need if you are planning to tow a
trailer.
Driving
Driving
309

µIf you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
rpm below the red zone. Make sure the ignition switch is in
the LOCK (0) position. Set the parking brake.
Bef ore downshif ting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer’s red zone. This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal does not work.
This position is
similar to D, except only the f irst
three gears are selected. Use D
when towing a trailer in hilly terrain,
or to provide engine braking when
going down a steep hill. D can also
keep the transmission f rom cycling
between third, f ourth, and f if th gears
in stop-and-go driving.
ForfasteraccelerationwheninD or
D, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshif t by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shif t down one,
two, or three gears, depending on
your speed. To release the reverse lockout, make
sure the ignition switch is in the
ACCESSORY(I) position. 1.
2.
3
3
3
Engine Speed Limiter Shift Lock Release
Drive (D )
Automatic Transmission
3
318

If the SH-AWD indicator on the
instrument panel stays on, and the
multi-inf ormation display shows an
SH-AWD message, there is a
problem with the system. Your
vehicle still has normal f ront-wheel
drive with vehicle stability assist
(VSA), but does not have the
advantages of SH-AWD. Have your
vehicle checked by a dealer as soon
as possible.Check the indicator on the
instrument panel to verif y that the
security system is set. If the vehicle is f acing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb. If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb. Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The hot three way
catalytic converter could cause
these materials to catch on fire.
Make sure the parking brake is
f ully released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or
damage the rear brakes.
Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. Make sure
the parking brake is set f irmly, or
your vehicle may roll if it is parked
on an incline.
Set the parking brake bef ore you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the vehicle from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission.
Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Turn of f the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you.
Lock the doors.
SH-A WD System, Parking
Parking
Parking T ips
Driving
321