tires Acura RL 2009 Owner's Guide

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Maintenance Minder
454
Maintenance Sub Items
Replace rear differential fluid Driving in mountainous areas at very low vehicle
speeds or trailer towing results in higher level of
mechanical (shear) stress to fluid. This requires
differential fluid changes more frequently than
recommended by the Maintenance Minder. If you
regularly drive your vehicle under these conditions,
have the differential fluid changed at 7,500 miles
(12,000 km), then every 15,000 miles (24,000 km).
Maintenance Sub Items
Rotate tires
Replace air cleaner element If you drive in dusty conditions, replace every 15,000
miles (24,000 km).
Replace dust and pollen filter If you drive primarily in urban areas that have high
concentrations of soot in the air from industry and
from diesel-powered vehicles, replace every 15,000
miles (24,000 km).
Inspect drive belt
Replace transmission and transfer fluid Driving in mountainous areas at very low vehicle
speeds or trailer towing results in higher
transmission and transfer temperatures.
This requires transmission and transfer fluid changes
more frequently than recommended by the
Maintenance Minder. If you regularly drive your
vehicle under these conditions, have the transmission
and transfer fluid changed at 60,000 miles
(100,000 km), then every 30,000 miles (48,000 km).
Replace spark plugs
Replace timing belt and inspect water pump If you drive regularly in very high temperatures (over
110°F, 43°C), or in very low temperatures (under20°F, 29°C), replace every 60,000 mile (U.S.)/
100,000 km (Canada).
Inspect valve clearance
Replace engine coolant
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Maintenance Minder
2009 RL

Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort.Underinf lated tires wear unevenly,
adversely af f ect handling and f uel
economy, and are more likely to
fail from being overheated.
Overinf lated tires can make your
vehicleridemoreharshly,are
more prone to damage f rom road
hazards, and wear unevenly.
Thetirepressuremonitoringsystem
(TPMS)willwarnyouwhenatire
pressure is low. See page f or
inf ormation on the TPMS.
The f ollowing pages give more
detailed inf ormation on how to take
care of your tires and what to do
when they need to be replaced.
To saf ely operate your vehicle, your
tires must be the proper type and
size, in good condition with adequate
tread, and correctly inf lated.
Clean the wheels as you would the
rest of the exterior. Wash them with
thesamesolution,andrinsethem
thoroughly.
Aluminum alloy wheels have a
protective clear-coat that keeps the
aluminum f rom corroding and
tarnishing. Cleaning the wheels with
harsh chemicals (including some
commercial wheel cleaners) or a stif f
brush can damage the clear-coat. To
clean the wheels, use a mild
detergent and a sof t brush or sponge.
429
Inf lation Guidelines
Tires
Wheels
Wheels, Tires
480
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.
2009 RL

If you check the pressure when the
tires are hot [driven f or several miles
(kilometers)], you will see readings 4
to6psi(30to40kPa,0.3to
0.4 kgf /cm ) higher than the cold
reading. This is normal; do not
release air to match the cold
pressure. The tires will be
underinf lated.
Youshouldgetyourowntire
pressure gauge and use it whenever
you check your tire pressures. This
will make it easier f or you to tell if a
pressure loss is due to a tire problem
and not due to a variation between
gauges.While tubeless tires have some
ability to self -seal if they are
punctured, you should look closely
f or punctures if a tire starts losing
pressure.
Even though your vehicle is
equipped with TPMS, we
recommend that you visually check
your tires every day. If you think a
tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.
Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure in each tire at least once a
month. Even tires that are in good
condition may lose one to two psi (10
to 20 kPa, 0.1 to 0.2 kgf /cm ) per
month. Remember to check the
sparetireatthesametime.
Check the pressure in the tires when
they are cold. This means the vehicle
has been parked f or at least three
hours, or driven less than 1 mile (1.6
km).
Add or release air, if needed, to
match the recommended cold tire
pressures on page .
482
Tires
Maint enance
481
2009 RL

The following charts show the
recommended cold tire pressures f or
most normal and high-speed driving
conditions.For convenience, the recommended
tire sizes and cold tire pressures are
on a label on the driver’s doorjamb.
For additional technical inf ormation
about your tires, see page .
We strongly recommend that you do
not drive faster than the posted
speed limits and conditions allow. If
you ever drive in a sanctioned
competitive event at sustained high
speeds (over 112 mph or 181 km/h),
be sure to adjust the cold tire
pressuresasshownbelow.If youdo
not, excessive heat can build up and
cause sudden tire f ailure.Therecommendedtirepressuresfor
high speed driving are not on the
label on the driver’s doorjamb,
contactyourdealerformore
inf ormation about the tire pressures.
526
Tire Size/Type
Compact Spare Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure
Cold Tire Pressure Front
Rear
Front
Rear
U.S. model only
Recommended Tire Pressures
High Speed Driving
Normal Driving High Speed Driving
Tires
482
T155/70D17
110M
P245/45R18 96V
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm
)
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm
)
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
) 36 psi (250 kPa , 2.5 kgf/cm
)
35 psi (240 kPa , 2.4 kgf/cm
)
P245/45R18 96V
2009 RL

Every time you check inf lation, you
should also examine the tires f or
damage, f oreign objects, and wear.
Youshouldlookfor:Bumps or bulges in the tread or
side of the tire. Replace the tire if
youfindeitherof theseconditions.
Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side
of the tire. Replace the tire if you
can see f abric or cord.
Excessive tread wear.
When you return to normal speed
driving, be sure to readjust the tire
pressure f or normal driving. You
should wait until the tires are cold
bef ore adjusting the tire pressure.
Your tires have wear indicators
molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down, you will see a 1/2
inch (12.7 mm) wide band 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.
Tires
Tire Inspection
Maint enance
483
TREAD WEAR INDICATORSINDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
2009 RL

The last four digits of the TIN (tire
identif ication number) are f ound on
the sidewall of the tire and indicate
the date of manufacture (Seeon page ).
The service lif e of your tires is
dependent on many f actors,
including, but not limited to, driving
habits, road conditions, vehicle
loading, inf lation pressure,
maintenance history, speed, and
environmental conditions (even
when the tires are not in use). In addition to your regular
inspections and inf lation pressure
maintenance, it is recommended that
you have annual inspections
perf ormed once the tires reach f ive
years old. It is also recommended
that all tires, including the spare, be
removed from service after 10 years
from the date of manufacture,
regardless of their condition or state
of wear.
528
Tires
Tire
Labeling
Tire Service Lif e
484
2009 RL

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.Replace your tires with radial tires of
the same size, load range, speed
rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire’s sidewall).
Mixing radial and bias-ply tires on
your vehicle can reduce braking
ability, traction, and steering
accuracy. Using tires of a dif f erent
size or construction can cause the
ABS and vehicle stability assist
system (VSA) to work inconsistently.
To help increase tire lif e and
distribute wear more evenly, rotate
the tires according to the
maintenance messages displayed on
the multi-information display. Move
the tires to the positions shown in
the illustration each time they are
rotated. If you purchase directional
tires, rotate only front-to-back.
When the tires are rotated, make
sure the air pressures are checked. The ABS and VSA system work by
comparing the speed of each wheel.
When replacing tires, use the same
size originally supplied with the
vehicle. Tire size and construction
can af f ect wheel speed and may
cause the system to activate.
CONT INUED
Tires
T ire Maintenance Replacing T ires and Wheels
Tire Rotation
Maint enance
485
(For Non-directional
Tires and Wheels)(For Directional
Tires and Wheels)
Front Front
Improper wheel weights can damage
your vehicle’s aluminum wheels. Use
only Acura wheel weights f or balancing.
2009 RL

It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, replace the two f ront
tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
af f ect your vehicle’s handling.Wheels:
Tires:
See page f or DOT tire quality
grading inf ormation, and page
f or tire size explanation.
Also be sure you use only TPMS
specif ic wheels. If you do not, the
tire pressure monitoring system will
notworkonthattire.
If you ever need to replace a wheel,
make sure the wheel’s specif ications
match those of the original wheel
that came on your vehicle.
Replacement wheels are available at
your Acura dealer. 528
526
Tires
Wheels and T ires
486
18x8.0JAL(TPMS)
P245/45R18 96V
Installing improper tires on your
vehicle can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner’s manual.
2009 RL

´
Tires marked ‘‘M S’’ or ‘‘All
Season’’ on the sidewall have an all-
weather tread design suitable for
most winter driving conditions.
For the best perf ormance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under
certain conditions. If you mount snow tires on your
vehicle, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as the original tires. Mount snow
tires on all f our wheels. The traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
maybelowerthanyouroriginaltires.
Check with the tire dealer f or
maximum speed recommendations.
Mount tire chains on your tires when
required by driving conditions or
local laws. Install them only on the
f ront tires.
Because your vehicle has limited tire
clearance, Acura strongly
recommends using the chain listed
below, made by Security Chain
Company (SCC).
Cable-type: SCC Radial Chain
SC1042
CONT INUED
Tires
Winter DrivingSnow T ires T ire Chains
Maint enance
487
2009 RL

When installing cables, f ollow the
manuf acturer’s instructions, and
mount them as tight as you can.
Make sure they are not contacting
the brake lines or suspension. Drive
slowly with them installed. If you
hear them coming into contact with
the body or chassis, stop and
investigate. Remove them as soon as
you begin driving on cleared roads.
Tires
488
Using the wrong chains, or not
properly installing chains, can
damage the brake lines and
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously injured or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding the
selection and use of tire chains.Traction devices that are the wrong
size or improperly installed can
damage your vehicle’s brake lines,
suspension, body, and wheels. Stop
driving if they are hitting any part of
the vehicle.
2009 RL