catalytic converter Acura RSX 2003 Owner's Manual

This shows the temperature of the
engine’s coolant. During normal
operation, the pointer should rise
from the bottom white mark to about
the middle of the gauge. In severe
driving conditions, such as very hot
weather or a long period of uphill
driving, the pointer may rise to near
the upper white mark. If it reaches
the red (Hot) mark, pull safely to the
side of the road. Turn to page f or
instructions and precautions on
checking the engine’s cooling
system.
This shows how much f uel you have.
It is most accurate when the car is on
level ground. It may show slightly
more or less than the actual amount
whenyouaredrivingoncurvyor
hilly roads.
The needle returns to the bottom
after you turn off the ignition. The
gauge shows the f uel level reading
immediately af ter you turn the
ignition switch back ON (II).
This meter shows the number of
miles (U.S.) or kilometers (Canada)
driven since you last reset it.
To reset a trip meter, display it, and
then press and hold the Select/Reset
button until the number resets to
‘‘0.0’’. There are two trip meters: Trip A
and Trip B. Switch between these
displays and the odometer by
pressing the Select/Reset button
repeatedly. Each trip meter works
independently, so you can keep track
of two dif f erent distances.
212
Gauges
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Temperature Gauge
Fuel Gauge
Trip Meter
67
Avoid driving with an extremely low
f uel level. Running out of f uel could
cause the engine to misf ire, damaging
the catalytic converter.

µMake sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Turn of f the lights.
Make sure the parking brake is f ully
released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes.
Always use the parking brake when
you park your car. The indicator on
the instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not f ully released; it
does not indicate that the parking
brakeisfirmlyset.Makesurethe
parking brake is set f irmly or your
car may roll if it is parked on an
incline.
If your car has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park.Thiskeepsthecarfrom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission making it easier to
move the shift lever out of Park
when you want to drive away. If the car is f acing uphill, turn the
f ront wheels away f rom the curb. If
you have a manual transmission, put
it in f irst gear.
If the car is f acing downhill, turn the
f ront wheels toward the curb. If you
have a manual transmission, put it in
reverse gear.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the cargo area or take them
with you.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire. Lock the doors.
Parking T ips
Parking
Driving180

µµ
Thediagramsinthissectiongive
you the dimensions and capacities of
your Acura, and the locations of the
identif ication numbers. It also
includes inf ormation you should
know about your vehicle’s tires and
emissions control systems. ................
Identif ication Numbers . 288
................................
Specif ications .290
DOT Tire Quality Grading .............................
(U.S.Cars) .292
.................................
Treadwear .292
...........
Traction AA, A, B, C . 292
...........
Temperature A,B,C .293
.........................
Oxygenated Fuels .294
......
Driving in Foreign Countries . 295.......................
Emissions Controls .296
.....................
The Clean Air Act .296
Crankcase Emissions Control ....................................
System .296
Evaporative Emissions Control ....................................
System .296
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor ................................
Recovery .297
...
Exhaust Emissions Controls . 297
....................
PGM-FI System .297
Ignition Timing Control ................................
System .297
Three Way Catalytic ...........................
Converter .297
....................
Replacement Parts . 297
..
Three Way Catalytic Converter . 298
..............
State Emissions Testing . 299
T echnical Inf ormat ion
T echnical Inf ormation287

If you are planning to take your
Acura outside the U.S. or Canada,
contact the tourist bureaus in the
areas you will be traveling in to f ind
out about the availability of unleaded
gasoline with the proper octane
rating.
If unleaded gasoline is not available,
be aware that using leaded gasoline
in your Acura will af f ect perf or-
mance and fuel mileage, and damage
its emissions controls. It will no
longer comply with U.S. and
Canadian emissions regulations, and
will be illegal to operate in North
America. To bring your car back into
compliance will require the replace-
ment of several components, such as
theoxygensensorsandthethree
way catalytic converter. These re-
placements are not covered under
warranty.
T echnical Inf ormation
Driving in Foreign Countries
295

The emissions control systems are
designed and certif ied to work to-
gether in reducing emissions to
levels that comply with the Clean Air
Act. To make sure the emissions
remain low, you should use only new
Genuine Acura replacement parts or
their equivalent f or repairs. Using
lowerqualitypartsmayincreasethe
emissions f rom your car.
The emissions control systems are
covered by warranties separate from
the rest of your car. Read your
warranty manual f or more informa-
tion.
The Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
Recovery (ORVR) system captures
the f uel vapors during ref ueling. The
vapors are adsorbed in a canister
f illed with activated carbon. While
driving, the f uel vapors are drawn
into the engine and burned of f .
The exhaust emissions controls
include three systems: PGM-FI,
Ignition Timing Control and Three
Way Catalytic Converter. These
three systems work together to
control the engine’s combustion and
minimize the amount of HC, CO, and
NOx that comes out the tailpipe. The
exhaust emissions control systems
are separate from the crankcase and
evaporative emissions control
systems. The PGM-FI System uses sequential
multiport f uel injection.
It has three subsystems: Air Intake,
Engine Control, and Fuel Control.
The Engine Control Module (ECM)
or the Powertrain Control Module
(PCM) uses various sensors to
determine how much air is going
into the engine. It then controls how
much f uel to inject under all operat-
ing conditions.
This system constantly adjusts the
ignition timing, reducing the amount
of HC, CO and NOx produced.
The three way catalytic converter is
in the exhaust system. Through
chemical reactions, it converts HC,
CO, and NOx in the engine’s exhaust
to carbon dioxide (CO ), nitrogen
(N ), and water vapor.
2
2
Replacement Parts
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
Recovery
Exhaust Emissions ControlsPGM-FI Syst em
Three Way Catalytic Converter
Ignit ion T iming Cont rol Syst em
T echnical Inf ormation
Emissions Cont rols
297

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
THREE WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTER

Î
................
Technical Descriptions . 287
.....
Emissions Control Systems . 296
.....................
Oxygenated Fuels .294
Three Way Catalytic ...............................
Converter .298
.......................
Temperature Gauge .67
..............
Tether Anchorage Points . 41
..
Three Way Catalytic Converter . 298
..........................
Time, Setting the .130
....................................
Tire Chains .241
.........
Tire, How to Change a Flat . 263
...............................................
Tires .235
..............................
Air Pressure .235
.........................
Checking Wear .236
..........................
Compact Spare .262
......
DOT Tire Quality Grading . 292
......................................
Inf lation .235
..................................
Inspection .236
..............................
Maintenance .237
...................................
Replacing .239
......................................
Rotating .238
...........................................
Snow .241
............................
Specif ications .290
................................
Tire Chains .241
..........................
Winter Driving .240
...................
Tools, Tire Changing . 263Towing
.....................................
A Trailer .186
................................
Emergency .285
Transmission Checking Fluid Level, ..............................
Automatic .217
Checking Fluid Level, ...................................
Manual .219
..................
Fluid Selection . 218,219
..............
Identif ication Number . 288
.............
Shif ting the Automatic . 173
..................
Shif ting the Manual . 170
.....................................
Treadwear .292
.......................................
Trip Meter .67
....................................
Turn Signals .70
.....................
Underside, Cleaning .259
Unexpected, Taking Care ..........................................
of the .261
....
Unif orm Tire Quality Grading . 292
........................
Unleaded Gasoline .155
.....................
Upholstery Cleaning .256
.......
Used Oil, How to Dispose of . 211..................................
Vanity Mirror .96
.................
Vehicle Capacity Load . 165
......................
Vehicle Dimensions .290
....
Vehicle Identif ication Number . 288
.............................
Vehicle Storage .252
.....................................
Ventilation .103
.................................................
VIN .287
...............................
Vinyl Cleaning .257
..................................
Viscosity, Oil .208
.............
WARNING, Explanation of . ii
.........
Warning Labels, Location of . 55
..................
Warranty Coverages .303
Washer, Windshield ........
Checking the Fluid Level . 216
.....................................
Operation .72
.........................................
Washing .254
..................
Waxing and Polishing . 255
Wheels ...............
Adjusting the Steering . 74
............
Alignment and Balance . 237
......
Cleaning Aluminum Alloys . 255
Index
U V
W
VIII