engine ACURA RL 2012 Service Manual

µµ µ
µ µ µ The f ollowing f actors can lower your
vehicle’s f uel economy:
Idling
results in 0 miles per gallon (0 kms
per liter). Aerodynamic drag has a big ef f ect
on f uel economy at speeds above
45 mph (75 km/h). Reduce your
speed and you reduce the drag.
Trailers, car top carriers, roof
racks and bike racks are also big
contributors to increased drag.Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking increase fuel
consumption.
In
particular, a build-up of snow or
mud on your vehicle’s underside
adds weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
economy.It puts a heavier
load on the engine, increasing f uel
consumption.An underinf lated tire increases
‘‘rolling resistance,’’ which reduces
f uel economy.
A properly maintained vehicle
maximizes f uel economy. Poor
maintenance can signif icantly reduce
f uel economy. Always maintain your
vehicle according to the maintenance
messages displayed on the multi-
inf ormation display (see
on page ).For example:
Improperly inf lated tires Driving with a heavy load or the
air conditioner running Cold engine operation (engines
aremoreefficientwhenwarmed
up) Excessive idling, accelerating and
braking in stop-and-go traf f ic Aggressive driving (hard
acceleration and braking)
452
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Fuel Economy
Fuel Economy Factors
Avoid excessive idling Observe the speed limit Drive moderately
K eep your vehicle clean A void carrying excess weight in
your vehicle Maintain proper tire inf lation Use the recommended viscosity
motor oil, displaying the A PI
Certif ication Seal (see page
).
Owner’s
Maintenance Checks Improving Fuel Economy458Drive Ef f icient ly
Vehicle Maint enance
Bef ore Driving
389
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µ
Fill the f uel tank until the nozzle automatically clicks of f .
Reset trip counter to zero.
Record the total gallons (liters) needed to ref ill.
Follow one of the simple calculations above. Direct calculation is the
recommended source of inf ormation
about your actual f uel economy.
Using f requency of f ill-ups or taking
f uel gauge readings are NOT
accurate measures of f uel economy.
Fuel economy may improve over the
f irst several thousand miles
(kilometers).The A/C
puts an extra load on the engine
which makes it use more f uel. Use
the f resh-air ventilation when
possible.
Combine several short trips into
one. A warmed-up engine is more
f uel ef f icient than a cold one.
1)
2)
3)
4)
Fuel Economy
Checking Your Fuel Economy
Measuring T echniques
Calculating Fuel EconomyMinimize the use of the air
conditioning system
Plan and combine trips
390
Miles
drivenGallons
of fuelMiles per
Gallon
100KilometersLper
100 km Liter
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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 braking system
(CMBS ), and f acts you need if you
are planning to tow a trailer......................... Preparing to Drive . 400
....................... Starting the Engine . 401
Check Starting System
................................. Message . 402
.............. Automatic Transmission . 403
Driving with the Paddle
................................... Shif ters . 407
................ D-Paddle Shif t Mode . 407
.............. Sequential Shif t Mode . 409
Super Handling-All Wheel Drive
................. (SH-AWD
) System . 412
........................................... Parking . 414
............................. Braking System . 415
............... Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 416
Collision Mitigation Braking
.................. System (CMBS ) . 418
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
399
TM
TM
TMTM
TM TM
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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
). Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure. 1.
2.
3.
4.5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.17
7861 70 156
148 161
Preparing to Drive
400
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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.
Starting the Engine
Driving
401
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 .
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.150
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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
402
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µ µIf you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page .
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 f rom the ignition
switch.
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 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.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.405
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR
DtoS
StoD
DtoN
NtoD
RtoNDo this:
Press the brake pedal, and
press the shift lever release
button.
Press the shift lever release
button.
Move the shift lever.
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ock Release
Reverse (R) Shif ting
Park (P)
404
RELEASE BUTTON
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CONT INUED
Use 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.
If 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. With the shift lever in D or S, you
canalsousethepaddleshiftersto
shif t the transmission up or down.
With the paddle shifters, you can
operate the transmission much like a
manual transmission without a
clutch pedal. For more inf ormation
on driving with the paddle shif ters,
see page .
To shift into the S
position, press the release button on
the top of the shif t lever, and move
the lever to S. This position is similar
to D, except only gears f rom f irst to
fifth are selected. (When shifting up
automatically, the vehicle speed is
higher than when in the D position.)
The S position keeps thetransmission f rom cycling between
fourth, fifth and sixth gears in stop-
and-go driving.
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear (1 through 6 gear) to
keep the engine at the best speed f or
the driving conditions.This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release
button does not work.
Make sure the ignition switch is in
the LOCK (0) position. Set the parking brake.
Remove the built-in key from the
keyless access remote (see page
). 1.
2.
407
181 Shif t L ock Release Neutral (N)
Engine Speed L imiter
S Position (S) Drive (D)
Automatic Transmission
Driving
405
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If you need to use the shif t lock
release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by a dealer.
Push down on the built-in key
while you press the release button
and move the shif t lever out of
Park to neutral.Remove the built-in key from the
shif t lock release slot, then
reinstall the cover. Make sure the
notchonthecoverisonthedriver’s
side. Press the brake pedal, and
restart the engine.
Insert the built-in key into the shift
lock release slot. Put a cloth on the edge of the shif t
lock release slot cover to prevent
scratches. Use a small f lat-tip
screwdriver or metal f ingernail f ile
to caref ully pry up the edge of the
cover and remove it from the slot. 3. 4.
5.6.
Automatic Transmission
406
COVERSHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
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CONT INUED
WhenyouaredrivingintheD
position, you can shif t the
transmission up or down manually
with the paddle shifters.
To shif t up or down, use the
(right) or (lef t) paddle shif ter on
either side of the steering wheel.Each time you pull (right), the
transmission shif ts to a higher gear.
Pull (lef t) to downshif t. You will
see the selected gear number on the
instrument panel.
When you pull either paddle shif ter,
the gear position indicator shows you
the selected gear number.Downshifting with the paddle shifter
allows you to increase the engine
brakingwhengoingdownsteepor
long hills, and provides more power
when climbing uphills. You can
upshif t the transmission manually to
reduce the rpm. Using the Paddle Shif ters in the
D position (D-Paddle Shif t Mode)
Driving with the Paddle Shif ters
Driving
407
GEAR POSITION INDICATOR
PADDLE SHIFTERS
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