Acura RL 2009 Owner's Manual

Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurt
someone during a crash.
Do not put any items on top of the
rear shelf . They can block your
view and be thrown around the
vehicle during a crash.
Be sure items placed on the f loor
behind the f ront seats cannot roll
under the seats and interf ere with
the pedals or seat operation.
Keep the glove box closed while
driving. If it is open, a passenger
could injure their knees during a
crash or sudden stop.Distribute cargo evenly on the
f loor of the trunk, placing the
heaviest items on the bottom and
as far forward as possible.
If you carry large items that
prevent you f rom closing the trunk
lid, exhaust gas can enter the
passenger area. To avoid the
possibility of
, f ollow the instructions
on page . If you carry any items extending
through the trunk pass-through,
tie down or secure all items that
could be thrown around the
vehicle and hurt someone during a
crash or sudden stop.
If you carry any items on a roof
rack, be sure the total weight of
the rack and the items does not
exceed 121 lbs (55 kg).
If you use an accessory roof rack,
the roof rack weight limit may be
lower. Ref er to the inf ormation
that came with your roof rack. 56
carbon monoxide
poisoning
Carrying Items in the Passenger
Compartment
Carrying Cargo in the T runk or on
a Roof Rack
Carrying Cargo
398
2009 RL

The cargo f loor hooks can also be
used to tie down and secure items on
the f loor.
There are hooks on the f loor and
both sides of the trunk. They can be
used to install the cargo net f or
securing items. The side cargo
hooks are designed to hold light
items (maximum load: 6 lbs or 3 kgs
for each hook). Heavy objects may
damage the side hooks.
Cargo Hooks
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving
399
SIDE CARGO HOOKS CARGO FLOOR HOOKS
2009 RL

400
2009 RL

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 Super Handling-All
Wheel Drive (SH-AWD
)system,
the vehicle stability assist (VSA)
system, the tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS), the collision
mitigation brake system (CMBS),
and f acts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer. ........................
Preparing to Drive .402
.......................
Starting the Engine .403
Check Starting System .................................
Message .404
..............
Automatic Transmission .405
Driving with the Paddle
...................................
Shif ters .409
................
D-Paddle Shif t Mode .409
..............
Sequential Shif t Mode .411
Super Handling-All Wheel Drive .................
(SH-AWD
) System .413
...........................................
Parking .415
.............................
Braking System .416
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .417
Collision Mitigation Brake
........................
System (CMBS) .419
Tire Pressure Monitoring ........................
System (TPMS) .429
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
),
aka Electronic Stability ........
Control (ESC), System .435
...........................
Towing a Trailer .437
...................
Towing Your Vehicle .442
Driving
Driving
401
TM
TM
2009 RL

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.
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.
When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicators in the
instrument panel, and the
messages on the multi-inf ormation
display (see pages , and).
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure (see page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
1.
2.
3.
4. 5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. 17
78 61 70
156
148
161
481
Preparing to Drive
402
2009 RL

If theenginedoesnotstartwithin
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.
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:
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. Depending on
the outside temperature, the
starter motor runs f or about 6 to 9 seconds until the engine starts.
If you hold the ignition switch in
the START (III) position f or more
than 7 seconds, the starter motor,
depending on the outside
temperature, runs f or about 10 to
25 seconds until the engine starts.
If the engine does not start, wait at
least 10 seconds bef ore trying
again.
1.
2.
3.
4. 5.
6.
Starting the Engine
Driving
403
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 .
151
2009 RL

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 the ON (II) position. 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
404
2009 RL

The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it f lashes while driving (in
any shif t position), it indicates a
possible problem in the transmission.
If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem with the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration, and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
When the ‘‘D’’ indicator warns of a
possible problem with the
transmission, you will see a ‘‘CHECK
TRANSMISSION’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page).
These indicators between the
tachometer and speedometer show
which position the shif t lever is in.
To shif t f rom Park to any position,
pressfirmlyonthebrakepedal,and
press the release button on the top
of the shift lever, then move the
lever. You cannot shift out of Park
when the ignition switch is in the
LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I)
position.
79
CONT INUED
Shif t L ever Position Indicators Shif ting
Automatic Transmission
Driving
405
2009 RL

µ
µ
µ µUse 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.
Press the brake
pedal and press the release button to
shif t f rom Park to reverse. To shif t
f rom reverse to neutral, come to a
completestopandthenshift.Press
the release button bef ore shif ting
into reverse f rom neutral.
To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop bef ore shif ting
into Park. You must also press the
release button to shift into Park. The
shif t lever must be in Park bef ore
you can turn the ignition switch to
the LOCK (0) position, or remove
the built-in key from the ignition
switch.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page .
This position
mechanically locks the transmission.
Use Park whenever you are turning
of f or starting the engine. To shif t
outofPark,youmustpressonthe
brake pedal and have your foot off
the accelerator pedal. Press the
release button on the top of the shift
lever to move it. Use this position f or
your normal driving. The transmis-
sion automatically adjusts to keep
the engine at the best speed f or the
driving conditions.
407Do this:
Press the brake pedal, and
press the shift lever release
button.
Press the shift lever release
button.
Move the shift lever.
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR DtoS
StoD
DtoN
NtoD RtoN
Automatic Transmission
Neutral (N)
Reverse (R) Shif t L ock Release
Park (P) Drive (D)
406
2009 RL

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.
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.
To shift into the S
position, press the release button on
the front of the shift lever, and move
the lever to S. This position is similar
to D, except only gears f rom f irst to
f ourth are selected. The S position
keeps the transmission f rom cycling
between fourth and fifth gears in
stop-and-go driving.
With the shift lever in D or S, you
canalsousethepaddleshiftersto
shif t the transmission up or down.
Once you begin to use the paddle
shif ters in S, the transmission will no
longer upshif t or downshif t
automatically. For more inf ormation
of driving with the paddle shif ters,
see page . 1.
2.
409
CONT INUED
Engine Speed Limiter Shift Lock Release
S Position (S)
Automatic Transmission
Driving
407
2009 RL