2008 Acura RL Acura RL 2008 Owner's Manual

One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new vehicle is to
read this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and
convenience items. Af terwards, keep this owner’s manual in your vehicle so
youcanrefertoitatanytime.
Several warranties protect your new vehicle. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights
and responsibilities.As you read this manual, you will
f ind inf ormation that is preceded by
a symbol. This
inf ormation is intended to help you
avoid damage to your vehicle, other
property, or the environment.
Maintaining your vehicle according to the maintenance minder shown in the
instrument panel helps to keep your driving trouble-f ree while it preserves
your investment. When your vehicle needs maintenance, keep in mind that
your dealer’s staf f is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique
to your vehicle. Your dealer is dedicated to your satisf action and will be
pleased to answer any questions and concerns.
Congratulations on your selection of the 2008 Acura RL. We are certain you
will be pleased with your purchase of one of the f inest luxury vehicles in the
world.
Introduction
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If a seat belt is worn during a crash,
it must be replaced by the dealer. A
belt that has been worn during a
crash may not provide the same level
of protection in a subsequent crash.
The dealer should also inspect the
anchors f or damage and replace
them if needed. If the automatic seat
belt tensioners activate during a
crash, they must be replaced.
For saf ety, you should check the
condition of your seat belts regularly.
Pull each belt out f ully, and look f or
f rays, cuts, burns, and wear. Check
that the latches work smoothly and
the belts retract easily. If a belt does
not retract easily, cleaning the belt
may correct the problem (see page
). Any belt that is not in good
condition or working properly will
not provide good protection and
should be replaced as soon as
possible.
Acura provides a limited warranty on
seat belts. See your booklet f or details.
415
Acura Warranty
Inf ormation
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Seat Belt Maintenance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
25
Not checking or maintaining
seat belts can result in serious
injury or death if the seat belts
do not work properly when
needed.
Check your seat belts regularly
and have any problem
corrected as soon as possible.
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CONT INUED
Your f ront airbags are also advanced
airbags. The main purpose of this
feature is to help prevent airbag-
caused injuries to short drivers and
children who ride in f ront.
For both advanced airbags to work
properly:Occupants must sit upright and
wear their seat belts properly.
Back-seat passengers should not
put their f eet under the f ront seats.
Failure to f ollow these instructions
could damage the sensors or prevent
them f rom working properly. The driver’s advanced front airbag
system includes a seat position
sensor under the seat. If the seat is
too far forward, the airbag will
inf late with less f orce, regardless of
the severity of the impact.
If there is a problem with the sensor,
the SRS indicator will come on, and
the airbag will inf late in the normal
manner regardless of the driver’s
seating position.The passenger’s advanced f ront
airbag system has weight sensors
under the seat. Although Acura does
not encourage carrying an inf ant or
small child in f ront, if the sensors
detect the weight of an inf ant or
small child (up to about 65 lbs or 29
kg), the system will automatically
turn the passenger’s front airbag off.
Do not spill any liquids on or
under the seats, cover the sensors,
or put any objects or metal items
under the f ront seats.
Be aware that objects placed on the
passenger’s seat can also cause the
airbag to be turned off.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Advanced Airbags
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
31
DRIVER’S
SEAT
POSITION
SENSORPASSENGER’S
SEAT WEIGHT
SENSOR
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There will be some delay between
the moment the passenger moves
into or out of the airbag deployment
pathandwhentheindicatorcomes
on or goes of f .
A f ront seat passenger should not
use a cushion or other object as a
backrest. It may prevent the cutof f
system f rom working properly.
Only one airbag will deploy during a
side impact. If the impact is on the
passenger’s side, the passenger’s
side airbag will deploy even if there
is no passenger.
To get the best protection f rom the
side airbags, front seat occupants
should wear their seat belts and sit
upright and well back in their seats.
If the side airbag of f indicator comes
on (see page ), have the
passenger sit upright. Once the
passenger is out of the airbag’s
deployment path, the system will
turn the airbag back on, and the
indicator will go out.
Your vehicle has a side airbag cutof f
system designed primarily to protect
a child riding in the f ront passenger’s
seat.
Although Acura does not encourage
children to ride in f ront, if the
position sensors detect a child has
leaned into the side airbag’s
deployment path, the airbag will shut
off.
Thesideairbagmayalsoshutoff if a
short adult leans sideways, or a
larger adult slouches and leans
sideways into the airbag’s
deployment path.
Objects placed on the f ront
passenger seat can also cause the
side airbag to be shut of f . 35
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Side A irbag Cut of f Syst em
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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Improperly replacing
or covering f ront seat-back covers
can prevent your side airbags f rom
inf lating during a side impact.
If water or
another liquid soaks into the seat-
back, it can prevent the side airbag
cutoff system from working
properly.
Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
This could make the
driver’s seat position sensor or the
f ront passenger’s weight sensors
inef f ective. If it is necessary to
remove or modif y a f ront seat to
accommodate a person with
disabilities, f irst contact Acura
Client Services at 800-382-2238.
Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly.
Even if your
airbags do not inflate, your dealer
should inspect the driver’s seat
position sensor, the f ront
passenger’s weight sensors, the
f ront seat belt tensioners, and all
seat belts worn during a crash to
make sure they are operating
properly.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ingyour dealer.
Do not expose the f ront passenger’sseat-back to liquid.
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason.
Do not remove or modif y a f rontseat without consulting yourdealer.
T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o a
problem.
If your vehicle has a moderat e t osevere impact .Additional Saf ety Precautions
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
37
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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.You will also see a ‘‘CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
Check the tire pressure monitor on
the multi-inf ormation display and
determinethecause(seepage ).
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 . If this indicator begins to f lash,
there is a problem with the tire
pressure monitoring system
(TPMS). You will also see a
‘‘CHECK TPMS SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display. The indicator continues to
f lash f or a while (approximately 1
minute), then stays on. If this
happens, have your dealer check
the system as soon as possible.
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 .
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
This indicator has two f unctions: If it comes on while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are signif icantly low
on pressure.
1. 2.
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373
459 426
426If equipped
Instrument Panel Indicators
Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
67
Continuing to drive with the SH-AWD
indicator blinking may cause serious
damage to the system.
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When the engine oil lif e reaches 15 %,
the display shows ‘‘SERVICE DUE
SOON’’ and the code f or the
maintenance items to be perf ormed.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 %.
These messages appear on the multi-
inf ormation display each time you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position.
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.
When the engine oil lif e reaches 5 %,
the display shows ‘‘SERVICE DUE
NOW’’ along with the same
maintenance items.
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, or
visit the acura.com/handsfreelink
website.
386
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386
Maintenance Messages
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Inst rument s and Cont rols
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Youshouldhavereceivedakey
number tag with your keys. You will
need this key number if you ever
have to get a lost key replaced. Use
only Acura-approved key blanks.Protect the keys f rom direct
sunlight, high temperature, and
high humidity.
Donotdropthekeysorsetheavy
objects on them.
Keep the keys away f rom liquids.
If they get wet, dry them
immediately with a sof t cloth.
The keys do not contain batteries.
Do not try to take them apart.
The built-in key (see page ) f its
all the locks on your vehicle. These keys contain electronic
circuits that are activated by the
immobilizer system. They will not
work to start the engine if the
circuits are damaged.
177
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols
149
KEY NUMBER TAG
BUILT-IN KEYS
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Your vehicle has a keyless access
system. When you carry the remote
with you, you can lock/unlock the
door(s), unlock the trunk, and start
the engine without using the built-in
key.
The system may not work if:Thebatteryof theremoteisweak.
You carry a cell phone, a laptop
computer, or other electrical
device near the remote.
There is strong electrical current
nearby.
The remote is covered by metal.
A vehicle is being operated with a
transmitter nearby.
When the remote battery is dead. Protect the remote and the built-in
key f rom direct sunlight, high
temperature, and high humidity.
Always keep the remote and the
built-in key away from any magnetic
material.
Youshouldhavereceivedakey
number tag with your built-in key.
You will need this key number if you
ever have to get a lost key replaced.
Use only Acura-approved key blanks.
When the vehicle battery is dead.
Make sure the driver always carries
the remote/built-in key set. Do not drop the remote or the
built-in key, and do not set heavy
objects on them.
The built-in keys do not contain
batteries.
Keep the remote and the built-in key
away f rom liquids. If they get wet,
dry them immediately with a sof t
cloth.
K eyless A ccess System
Inst rument s and Cont rols
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The climate control system in your
vehicle provides a comfortable
driving environment in all weather
conditions.
The standard audio system has
many f eatures. This section
describes those f eatures and how to
use them.
Theclimatecontrolsystemandthe
audio system have a voice control
feature.
Your vehicle has an anti-theft audio
system that requires a code number
to enable it.
The security system helps to
discourage vandalism and thef t of
your vehicle................
Climate Control System .198
................................
Audio System .207
......
Playing the AM/FM Radio .208
....
AM/FM Radio Frequencies .212
........
AM/FM Radio Reception .212
.................
Adjusting the Sound .214
Playing the XM
Satellite
......................................
Radio .217
...
Operating the Disc Changer .223
...
DiscChangerErrorMessages.234
..................
Protecting Your Discs .235
......................
Auxiliary Input Jack .238
................
Remote Audio Controls .239
.................
Radio Thef t Protection .241
...........................
Compass System .242
................
Voice Control Basics .265
......................
Setting the Clock .274
............................
Security System .276
...............................
Cruise Control .277
..
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) .280
HomeLink
Universal
................................
Transceiver .295
......................................
AcuraLink .299
.......
Bluetooth
HandsFreeLink.308
...
Rearview Camera and Monitor .326
Features
Features
197
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