service Acura RL 2009 Owner's Manual

Calif ornia Proposition 65 WarningThis product contains or emits chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth
def ects or other reproductive harm.
Event Data Recorders
This data belongs to the vehicle owner and may not be accessed by anyone else
except as legally required or with the permission of the vehicle owner.
Service Diagnostic Recorders
This vehicle is equipped with service-related devices that record inf ormation about powertrain perf ormance. The data
can be used to verif y emissions law requirements and/or help technicians diagnose and solve service problems. It may
also be combined with data f rom other sources f or research purposes, but it remains conf idential.
Introduction
WARNING:
This vehicle is equipped with one or more devices commonly ref erred to as event data recorders. These
devices record f ront seat belt use, f ront passenger seat occupancy, airbag deployment data, and the f ailure
of any airbag system component.
ii
2009 RL

A convenient ref erence to the
sections in this manual.
A quick ref erence to the main
controls in your vehicle.
Explains the purpose of each
instrument panel indicator and gauge,
and how to use the controls on the
dashboard and steering column.What gasoline to use, how to break-
in your new vehicle, and how to load
luggage and other cargo.
The proper way to start the engine,
shif t the transmission, and park; plus
what you need to know if you’re
planning to tow a trailer.
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities,
and technical information.
How to operate the climate control
system, the audio system, and other
convenience f eatures. The maintenance minder shows you
when you need to take your vehicle
to the dealer for maintenance service.
There is also a list of things to check
and instructions on how to check
them.
This section covers several problems
motorists sometimes experience,
and details how to handle them.
Important inf ormation about the
proper use and care of your vehicle’s
seat belts, an overview of the
supplemental restraint system, and
valuable inf ormation on how to
protect children with child restraints.
A summary of the warranties
covering your new vehicle, and how
to contact us for any reason. Refer to
your warranty manual f or detailed
inf ormation.
How to order manuals and other
technical literature.
A summary of the inf ormation you
need when you pull up to the f uel
pump.
Overview of Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Instruments and Controls
FeaturesBef ore Driving
Driving
Maintenance
T echnical Inf ormation
Contents
T aking Care of the UnexpectedWarranty and Client Relations
(U.S. and Canada only)
Authorized Manuals
(U.S. only)
Index
Service Inf ormation Summary
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2009 RL

µ
This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts. It
explains how your airbags work. And
it tells you how to properly restrain
inf ants and children in your vehicle.
.........
Important Safety Precautions .8
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features .9
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens .13
.....
1.Close and Lock the Doors .13
...........
2.Adjust the Front Seats .15
............
3.Adjust the Seat-Backs .16
...
4.Adjust the Head Restraints .16
5.Fasten and Position the Seat
.....................................
Belts .17
6.Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .19
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women .19
...
Additional Safety Precautions .20
Additional Inf ormation About .......................
Your Seat Belts .21
..
Seat Belt System Components .21 ......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .22
Automatic Seat Belt
...............................
Tensioners .23
...........
Seat Belt e-pretensioners .24
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance .25
Additional Inf ormation About ...........................
Your Airbags .26
......
Airbag System Components .26
How Your Front Airbags
.........................................
Work .29
...
How Your Side Airbags Work .32
How Your Side Curtain
..........................
Airbags Work .34
..
How the SRS Indicator Works .34
How the Side Airbag Of f
......................
Indicator Works .35
How the Passenger Airbag ...............
Of f Indicator Works .35
.............................
Airbag Service .36
...
Additional Safety Precautions .37
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .38
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .38
All Children Should Sit in a .................................
Back Seat .39 The Passenger’s Front Airbag
.........
Can Pose Serious Risks .39
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .41
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .41
...
Additional Safety Precautions .41
Protecting Inf ants and Small ...................................
Children .43
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .43
.........
Protecting Small Children .44
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .45
....................
Installing a Child Seat .46
...............................
With LATCH .47
.........
With a Lap/Shoulder Belt .49
..............................
With a Tether .51
...........
Protecting Larger Children .52
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit .52
..................
Using a Booster Seat .53
When Can a Larger Child Sit in
.........................................
Front .54
...
Additional Safety Precautions .55
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard .56
...................................
Saf ety Labels .57
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
7
2009 RL

Be aware that objects placed on the
f ront seat can cause the indicator to
come on.
If no weight is detected on the f ront
seat, the airbag will be automatically
shut of f . However, the indicator will
not come on.
The passenger airbag of f indicator
maycomeonandoff repeatedlyif
the total weight on the seat is near
the airbag cutof f threshold.
If an adult or teenage passenger is
riding in f ront, move the seat as f ar
to the rear as possible, and have the
passenger sit upright and wear the
seat belt properly.If the indicator comes on with no
f ront seat passenger and no objects
on the seat, or with an adult riding
there, something may be interf ering
with the weight sensors. Look f or
and remove:
Any items under the f ront
passenger’s seat.
Any object hanging on the seat or
in the seat-back pocket.
Any object(s) touching the rear of
the seat-back. Your airbag systems are virtually
maintenance f ree, and there are no
parts you can saf ely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:
Any airbag
that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. Any
seat belt tensioner that activates
must also be replaced.
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by an authorized dealer or
a knowledgeable body shop.
If no obstructions are f ound, have
your vehicle checked by a dealer as
soon as possible.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Airbag Service
An airbag ever inf lates.
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2009 RL

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 and their anchors 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
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2009 RL

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 .
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. 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
.
1. 2.
79
431
519 429
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.
2009 RL

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 HFL and how to
receive or make phone calls, or visit
the acura.com/handsf reelink
website. 355
445444
Maintenance Messages
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Inst rument s and Cont rols
77
2009 RL

To switch the f unction between on
andoff,pressandholdtheDISP
button. With the system on, you will
see the ‘‘RDS INFO ON’’ message on
the upper display. If the station you
are listening to is an RDS station, the
displayed f requency switches to the
station name.
On the FM band, you can select a
favorite station and display the
program service name according to
the inf ormation provided by the
radio data system (RDS) if the
station has the RDS information
available.
Theprogramservicenamedisplay
f unction shows the name of the
station you are listening to. With the
audio system on and the FM band
selected, you can turn this f unction
on or of f .
Audio System
Radio Data System (RDS)Program Service (PS) Name Display
218
RDS INFO ON MESSAGE
2009 RL

Depending on where you drive, you
may experience reception problems.
Interf erence can be caused by any of
these conditions:Driving on the north side of a
large commercial truck on an
east/west road.
Driving in tunnels.
Driving on a road beside a vertical
wall, steep clif f , or hill to the south
of you.
Driving on the lower level of a
multi-tiered road.
Driving on a single lane road
alongside dense trees taller than
50 ft. (15 m) to the south of you.
There may be other geographic
situations that could af f ect satellite
radio reception. If your XM Radio service has expired
or you purchased your vehicle f rom
a previous owner, you can listen to a
sampling of the broadcasts available
on XM Satellite Radio. With the
ignition switch in the ACCESSORY
(I) or the ON (II) position, push the
power/volume knob to turn on the
audio system, and press the
button. A variety of music
types and styles will play.
Driving on the north side of an
east/west mountain road.
If you decide to purchase XM radio
service, contact XM
Radio at
,orat
1-800-852-9696. In Canada, contact
, or call 1-877-438-
9677. You will need to give them your radio I.D. number and your
credit card number. To get your
radio I.D. number, press and release
the side of the TUNE bar until
‘‘0’’ appears in the display. Your I.D.
will appear in the display.
While waiting for activation, make
sure your vehicle remains in an open
area with good reception. Once your
audio system is activated, ‘‘category’’
or ‘‘CH’’ will appear in the display,
andyou’llbeabletolistentoXM
Radio broadcasts. XM Satellite Radio
will continue to send an activation
signal to your vehicle f or at least 12
hours from the activation request. If
the service has not been activated
af ter 36 hours, contact XM Satellite
Radio.
After you’ve registered with XM
Radio, keep your audio system in the
XM Radio mode while you wait f or
activation. This should take about 30
minutes.
As required by the FCC:
Changes or modif ications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible f orcompliance could void the user’sauthority to operate the equipment.
www.xmradio.comwww.xmradio.ca
Receiving XM Satellite Radio
Service
Audio System
Features
235
2009 RL

Limitations, on Reverse Engineering,
Decompilation, and Disassembly.
You may not reverse engineer,
decompile, or disassemble the
SOFTWARE, except and only to the
extent that such activity is expressly
permitted by applicable law not with
standing this limitation.
Additional Sof tware/Services. The
SOFTWARE may permit ALPINE
ELECTRONICS, INC.,, MS,
Microsof t Corporation or their
af f iliates to provide or make
available to you SOFTWARE
updates, supplements, add-on
components, or Internet- based
services components of the
SOFTWARE af ter the date you
obtain your initial copy of the
SOFTWARE (‘‘Supplemental
Components’’).
No Liability f or Certain Damages,
EXCEPT AS PROHIBITED BY LAW,
MS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY
FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
CONSEQUENTIAL OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING
FROM OR IN CONNECTION
WITH THE USE OR
PERFORMANCE OF THE
SOFTWARE. THIS LIMITATION
SHALL APPLY EVEN IF ANY
REMEDY FAILS OF ITS
ESSENTIAL PURPOSE. IN NO
EVENT SHALL MS BE LIABLE
FOR ANY AMOUNT IN EXCESS
OF U.S.TWO HUNDRED FIFTY
DOLLARS (U.S.$250.00).
NO WARRANTIES FOR THE
SOFTWARE. THE SOFTWARE is
provided ‘‘AS IS’’ and with all f aults.
THEENTIRERISKASTO
SATISFACTORY QUALITY,
PERFORMANCE, ACCURACY,
AND EFFORT (INCLUDING LACK
OF NEGLIGENCE) IS WITH YOU.
ALSO, THERE IS NO WARRANTY
AGAINST INTERFERENCE WITH
YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THE
SOFTWARE OR AGAINST
INFRINGEMENT. IF YOU HAVE
RECEIVED ANY WARRANTIES
REGARDING THE DEVICE OR
THE SOFTWARE, THOSE
WARRANTIES DO NOT
ORIGINATE FROM, AND ARE
NOT BINDING ON, MS.
Compass System (U.S. model without navigation system)
302
2009 RL