tire type Acura RSX 2004 Owner's Manual

You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe f rontal collision.
So even though your vehicle is
equipped with airbags, make sure
you and your passengers always
wear your seat belts, and wear them
properly. (See page .)
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat. Infants and small children
should be restrained in a child seat.
Larger children should use a booster
and a lap/shoulder belt until theycanusethebeltproperlywithouta
booster (see page ).
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either. While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual (see page
). Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
14 1041
159
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Restrain All ChildrenDon’t Drink and Drive Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
6

Your vehicle has several convenient
storage areas:Glove box
Door and seat-back pockets
Cargo area
Roof -rack (if installed)
However, carrying too much cargo,
or improperly storing it, can af f ect
your vehicle’s handling, stability,
stopping distance, and tires, making
it unsaf e. Bef ore carrying any type of
cargo, be sure to read the f ollowing
pages.
Carrying Cargo
Bef ore Driving129
DOOR POCKET
CARGO AREA GLOVE BOX
SEAT-BACK POCKET
Overloading or improper
loading can affect handling and
stability and cause a crash in
which you can be hurt or killed.
Follow all load limits and other
loading guidelines in this
manual.

CONT INUED
To saf ely operate your vehicle, your
tires must be the proper type and
size, in good condition with adequate
tread, and correctly inf lated.
The f ollowing pages give more
detailed inf ormation on how to take
care of your tires and what to do
when they need to be replaced.Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort.
Underinf lated tires wear unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel
economy, and are more likely to
fail from being overheated.
Overinf lated tires can make your
vehicleridemoreharshly,are
more prone to damage f rom road
hazards, and wear unevenly.
Tires
Maint enance
Inf lation
183
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.

We recommend that you visually
check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.Thecompactsparetirepressureis:
For convenience, the recommended
tire sizes and cold air pressures are
on a label on the driver’s doorjamb.
For additional technical inf ormation,
see page .Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure at least once a month. Even
tires that are in good condition may
lose one to two psi (10 to 20 kPa, 0.1
to 0.2 kgf /cm ) per month.
Remember to check the spare tire at
thesametime.
Check the pressure in the tires when
they are cold. This means the vehicle
has been parked f or at least three
hours, or driven less than 1 mile (1.6
km).
Add or release air, if needed, to
match the recommended cold tire
pressuresonthispage.
(Canada: RSX)
(U.S.: All models, Canada: Premium
and Type-S models)
222
Tire Size Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure for
Normal Driving
Cold Tire Pressure for
Normal Driving
Front:
Rear: Front:
Rear:
Tires
Maint enance184
P205/55R16 89V
33 psi (230 kPa ,2.3 kgf/cm
)
31 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
) P195/65R15 89H
33 psi (230 kPa ,2.3 kgf/cm
)
31 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
)
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.20 kgf/cm)

´
Tires marked ‘‘M S’’ or ‘‘All
Season’’ on the sidewall have an all-
weather tread design suitable for
most winter driving conditions.
For the best perf ormance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under
certain conditions.
If you mount snow tires on your
Acura, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as original tires. Mount snow tires on
all f our wheels. The traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
maybelowerthanyouroriginaltires.
Check with the tire dealer f or
maximum speed recommendations.
Wheels:
Tires:
See page f or inf ormation about
DOT Tire Quality Grading.
Replacement wheels are available at
your Acura dealer. (U.S. : All models
Canada : Premium and Type-S
models)
(Canada : RSX)
(U.S. : All models
Canada : Premium and Type-S
models)
(Canada : RSX)
222
CONT INUED
Winter Driving
Snow T ires
Wheel and T ire Specif ications
Tires
Maint enance187
16x61/2JJ
15x6JJ
P205/55R16 89V
P195/65R15 89H
Installing improper tires on your
vehicle can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner’s manual.

Check the condition of the battery
monthlybylookingatthetest
indicator window. The label on the
battery explains the test indicator’s
colors.
Use only SAE class ‘‘S’’ chains. Only
certain brands of chains will f it your
Acura without coming in contact
with the body or causing mechanical
damage. Bef ore buying any types of
chains, you should consult with your
Acura dealer about the designs and
brands that will work on your Acura.
Also,makesureyoupurchasethe
correct size f or your tires. When installing chains, f ollow the
manuf acturer’s instructions and
mount them as tightly as you can.
Drive slowly with chains installed. If
you hear them contacting the body
or chassis, stop and investigate.
Make sure the chains are installed
tightly, and that they are not
contacting the brake lines or
suspension. Remove the chains as
soonasyoustartdrivingoncleared
roads.
Mount tire chains on your vehicle
when warranted by driving
conditions or required by local laws.
Make sure the chains are the correct
size f or your tires. Install them only
on the front tires.
Checking the Battery
T ire Chains
Tires, Checking the Battery
Maint enance188
NOTICE:TEST INDICATOR WINDOWChains of the wrong size or
ones that are improperly installed can
damage your vehicle’s brake lines,
suspension, body, and wheels. Stop
driving if you hear the chains hitting
any part of the vehicle.

Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
Follow these precautions:Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
under any circumstances.
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces. Use greater caution while
driving on this tire. Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Do not drive with the compact
sparetiremountedonthefront
wheels f or a long period; it will
damage the Limited Slip
Dif f erential.
Replace the compact spare tire when
you can see the tread wear indicator
bars. The replacement should be the
same size and design tire, mounted
onthesamewheel.Thesparetireis
not designed to be mounted on a
regular wheel, and the spare wheel is
not designed f or mounting a regular
tire.
Do not mount tire chains on it.
Type-S only
Compact Spare Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed192
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.20 kgf/cm)

Lift the bass speaker out of the
spare tire and set it aside. Do not
pull on the wiring harness going to
the speaker.
Take the spare tire out of its well.Turn the jack’s end
counterclockwise to loosen it, then
remove the jack.Loosen each wheel nut 1/
2turn
with the wheel wrench.
5.
6. 7.8.
Type-S only:
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed194
BASS SPEAKER
(Type-S only) JACK

Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten
them f ully.
Lower the vehicle to the ground
and remove the jack.
15.
13.
14.
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed196
(Except Type-S)
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m)

Store the jack in its holder. Turn
the jack’s end bracket clockwise to
raisethejackandlockitinplace.
Screw the adapter into the hole in
the spare tire well.Remove the wheel cover or center
cap and place the flat tire face
down in the spare tire well.
Set the bass speaker inside the
wheel.
Secure the f lat tire with the wing
bolt.
Remove the spacer cone f rom the
wing bolt, turn it over, and put it
back on the bolt.
18.
16.
17. 20.
21.
Type-S only: Type-S only:
19.All except Type-S:
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed197
ADAPTER (Type-S only) WING BOLTSPACER
CONE