Acura RSX 2002 Owner's Manual

Keep the engine tuned-up.
Always use unleaded gasoline.
Even a small amount of leaded
gasoline can contaminate the
catalyst metals, making the three
way catalytic converter inef f ective.
The three way catalytic converter
contains precious metals that serve
as catalysts, promoting chemical
reactions to convert the exhaust
gasses without af f ecting the metals.
The catalytic converter is ref erred to
as a three-way catalyst, since it acts
on HC, CO, and NOx. A replacement
unit must be an original Acura part
or its equivalent.
The three way catalytic converter
must operate at a high temperature
for the chemical reactions to take
place. It can set on f ire any com-
bustible materials that come near it.
Park your car away f rom high grass,
dry leaves, or other f lammables.
A defective three way catalytic
converter contributes to air pollution,
and can impair your engine’s per-
f ormance. Follow these guidelines to
protect your car’s three way catalytic
converter. Have your car diagnosed and
repaired if it is misf iring, back-
f iring, stalling, or otherwise not
running properly.
T echnical Inf ormation
Three Way Catalytic Converter
298
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CONT INUED
If you take your vehicle f or a state
emissions test shortly af ter the
battery has been disconnected or
gone dead, it may not pass the test.
This is because of certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that must be set in the on-
board diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. These codes are erased
when the battery is disconnected,
and set again only after several days
of driving under a variety of
conditions.If the testing f acility determines that
the readiness codes are not set, you
will be requested to return at a later
date to complete the test. If you must
get the vehicle re-tested within the
next two or three days, you can
condition the vehicle for re-testing
by doing the f ollowing.
Make sure the gas tank is nearly,
but not completely, f ull (around
3/4).
Make sure the vehicle has been
parked with the engine of f f or 8
hours or more.
Make sure the ambient
temperature is between 20° and
95°F. Without touching the accelerator
pedal, start the engine and let it
idle f or 20 seconds.
Keep the vehicle in Park
(automatic transmission) or
Neutral (manual transmission).
Increase the engine speed to 2,000
rpm and hold it there until the
temperature gauge rises to at least
1/4of thescale(approximately3
minutes).
St at e Emissions T est ing
T echnical Inf ormation
T esting of Readiness Codes
299

Then drive in city/suburban
traffic for at least 10 minutes.
When traf f ic conditions allow, let
the vehicle coast f or several
seconds without using the
accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal.If the testing f acility determines the
readiness codes are still not set, see
your Acura dealer.
Select a nearby lightly traveled
major highway where you can
maintain a speed of 50 to 60 mph
(80to97km/h)foratleast20
minutes. Drive on the highway in
D (A/T) or 5th (M/T). Do not use
thecruisecontrol.Whentraffic
allows, drive f or 90 seconds
without moving the accelerator
pedal. (Vehicle speed may vary
slightly; this is okay.) If you cannot
do this f or a continuous 90
seconds because of traf f ic
conditions, drive f or at least 30
seconds, then repeat it two more
times (for a total of 90 seconds).
T echnical Inf ormation
St at e Emissions T est ing
300

Customer Relations................................
Inf ormation .302
....................
Warranty Coverages .303
Reporting Saf ety Def ects ..........................
(U.S. Vehicles) .304
.....................
Authorized Manuals .306
Warranty and Customer Relations
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions301

Acura dealership personnel are
trained prof essionals. They should
be able to answer all your questions.
If you encounter a problem that your
dealership does not solve to your
satisf action, please discuss it with
the dealership’s management. The
Service Manager or General
Manager can help. Almost all
problems are solved in this way.
If you are dissatisf ied with the
decision made by the dealership’s
management, contact the Acura
Customer Relations Of f ice.If you are dissatisf ied with the
decision made by the dealership’s
management, contact your Honda
Customer Relations Of f ice.
U.S. Owners:
Vehicle Identif ication Number
(see page )
Name and address of the dealer
who services your car
Date of purchase
Mileage on your car
Your name, address, and tele-
phone number
A detailed description of the
problem
Name of the dealer who sold the
car to you
When you call or write, please give
us this inf ormation:
Canadian Owners: In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands:
Vortex Motor Corp.Bella International P.O. Box 190816
San Juan, PR 00919-0816 (787) 250-4327
288
Cust omer Relat ions Inf ormat ion
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions302
Acura Client Services Department
1919 Torrance Blvd
Torrance, CA 90501-2746
or telephone: (800) 382-2238
Honda Canada Inc.
715 Milner Avenue
Toronto, ON
M1B 2K8
Tel: 1-888-9-HONDA-9
Fax: Toll-free 1-877-939-0909 Toronto (416) 287-4776
CUSTOMER RELATIONS
RELATIONS AVEC LA CLIENTÈLE

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belt that f ails to f unction properly is
covered f or the usef ul lif e of the
vehicle.
Your new Acura is covered by these
warranties:
provides prorated
coverage f or a replacement battery
purchased f rom an Acura dealer.
covers all genuine
Honda replacement parts against
defects in materials and workman-
ship. genuine Acura Accessories are
covered under this warranty. Time
and mileage limits depend on the
type of accessory and other f actors.
Please read your warranty manual
f or details. all exterior body panels are
covered f or rust-through f rom the
inside f or the specif ied time period
with no mileage limit. provides
coverageforaslongasthepur-
chaser of the muf f ler owns the car.
covers your new vehicle, except f or
the battery, emissions control
systems and accessories, against
def ects in materials and
workmanship.
these two
warranties cover your vehicle’s emis-
sions control systems. Time, mileage,
and coverage are conditional. Please
read the warranty manual for exact
inf ormation.
this warranty gives up
to 100 percent credit toward a
replacement battery. Restrictions and exclusions apply to
all these warranties. Please read the
2002 Acura Warranty Inf ormation
booklet that came with your car f or
precise inf ormation on warranty
coverages. Your Acura’s original
tires are covered by their
manuf acturer. Tire warranty
inf ormation is in a separate booklet.
Please ref er to the 2002 Warranty
Manual that came with your car.Seat Belt L imit ed Warrant y
Replacement Bat t ery L imit ed
Warranty
Replacement Part s L imit ed Warranty
Accessory Limited Warranty
Rust Perf orat ion L imit ed Warrant y Replacement Muf f ler L if et ime
Limited Warranty
New Vehicle L imit ed Warrant y
Emissions Cont rol Syst ems Def ect sWarrant y and EmissionsPerf ormance Warranty
Original Equipment Bat t ery L imit edWarrantyU.S. Owners
Canadian Owners
Warranty Coverages
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions303

To contact NHTSA, you may either
call the Auto Saf ety Hotline toll-f ree
at 1-800-424-9393 (or 366-0123 in
Washington D.C. area) or write to:
NHTSA, U.S. Department of
Transportation, Washington,
D.C. 20590. You can also obtain
other inf ormation about motor
vehicle safety from the Hotline.
If you believe that your vehicle has a
def ect which could cause a crash or
could cause injury or death, you
should immediately inf orm the
National Highway Traf f ic Saf ety
Administration (NHTSA) in addition
to notifying Acura Automobile
Division, American Honda Motor Co.,
Inc. If NHTSA receives similar com-
plaints, it may open an investigation,
and if it f inds that a saf ety def ect
exists in a group of vehicles, it may
order a recall and remedy campaign.
However, NHTSA cannot become
involved in individual problems
between you, your dealer, or Acura
Automobile Division, American
Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Reporting Saf ety Def ects (U.S. Vehicles)
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions304

305

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*
Valid only f or sales within the U.S. Canadian owners should
contact their authorized Acura dealer.
The f ollowing publications covering the operation and
servicing of your vehicle can be obtained f rom Helm
Incorporated, either by f illing out the attached f orm or,
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on the f orm. For manuals prior to the year shown below,
contact Helm Incorporated, P.O. Box 07280, Detroit,
Michigan 48207, or call 1-800-782-4356. Purchasing Factory Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)
Authorized Manuals
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2002 Acura RSXService Manual
2002 Acura RSX
Electrical Troubleshooting Manual 2002 Acura RSX
Body Repair Manual 2002 Acura RSX
Owner’s Manual
Order Form for Previous Years-
Indicate Year and Model Desired
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Orders are mailed within 10 days. Please
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Prices are subject to change without notice and without incurring
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) This manual complements the Service Manual by
providing in-depth troubleshooting inf ormation f or each
electrical circuit in your vehicle.
This manual describes the procedures involved in the
replacement of damaged body parts. This manual covers maintenance and recommended
procedures f or repair to engine and chassis components.
It is written f or the Journeyman mechanic, but is simple
enough f or most mechanically-inclined owners to under-
stand. Service Manual:
Electrical T roubleshooting Manual:
Body Repair Manual:
Authorized Manuals
307
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be sent. For purchases outside U.S.A. please write to the address shown
below for a quotation.
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