Acura RSX 2004 Owner's Manual

Your vehicle has several identif ying
numbers in various places.
The Vehicle Identif ication Number
(VIN) is the 17-digit number your
Acura dealer uses to register your
vehicle f or warranty purposes. It is
also necessary f or licensing and
insuring your vehicle. The easiest
placetofindtheVINisonaplate
fastened to the top of the dashboard.
Youcanseeitbylookingthrough
the windshield on the driver’s side. It
is also on the Certification label at-
tached to the driver’s doorjamb, and
is stamped on the engine com-
partment bulkhead. The VIN is also
provided in bar code on the
Certif ication label.
Identif ication Numbers
T echnical Inf ormation218
CERTIFICATION LABEL
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER

The Engine Number is stamped into
the engine block.
The Transmission Number is on a
label on top of the transmission.
Identif ication Numbers
T echnical Inf ormation219
ENGINE NUMBERMANUAL TRANSMISSION NUMBER
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NUMBER

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Specif ications
T echnical Inf ormation220
Dimensions
Weights Air Conditioning
Capacities
Engine 173.0 in (4,395 mm)
67.9 in (1,725 mm)
55.1 in (1,400 mm)
HFC-134a (R-134a)
17.6 19.4 oz (500 550 g) SP-10
13.2 US gal (50
)
1.35 US gal (5.1
)
101.2 in (2,570 mm)
58.3 in (1,482 mm)
58.3 in (1,481 mm)
3.19 x 3.50 in (81.0 x 88.9 mm) 121.9 cu-in (1,998 cm
)
9.8 : 1
11.0 : 1 1.32 US gal (5.0
)
1.69 US gal (6.4
)
1.66 US gal (6.3)
4.2 US qt (4.0
)
4.8 US qt (4.5)
4.2 US qt (4.0)
4.8 US qt (4.5)
5.6 US qt (5.3)
6.1 US qt (5.8)
0.16 US gal (0.6
)
Including the coolant in the reserve tank and that remaining in the
engine.
Reserve tank capacity:
Excluding the oil remaining in the engine.
Length
Width
Height
Wheelbase
Track
Gross vehicle weight rating See the certification label attached
to the driver’s doorjamb. Refrigerant type
Charge quantity
Lubricant type
Fuel tank
Engine
coolant
Engine oil
Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plug Water cooled 4-stroke
DOHC VTEC in line,
4-cylinder gasoline engine.
IZFR6K11
IFR7G-11KS
SKJ20DR-M11
SK22PR-M11S Approx.
1:
2:
3:
4:
Front
Rear
ChangeManual
Automatic
Total Manual
Automatic
Change Including filter
Without filter
Total
RSX and Premium models
Type-S
1:
2:
RSX and Premium models
Type-S
NGK
DENSO
1
21
2
1
2 1
4
2
3
2
3
2
3

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Specif ications
T echnical Inf ormation221
Capacities
Fuses
Alignment
Tires
Lights
Battery 0.0in(0mm)
0.08 in (2.0 mm) 0°00’
1.8 US qt (1.7
)
1.6 US qt (1.5)
2.9 US qt (2.7
)
6.9 US qt (6.5)
2.6 US qt (2.5)
4.8 US qt (4.5)
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V 0°45’
1°30’
P205/55R16 89V
T135/70D15 99M
T125/70D16 96M 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)
Manual
transmission
fluid
Interior
Under-hood
Toe-in
Camber
Caster
Size
Pressure
Headlights
Front turn signal
Front position lights
Rear turn signal lights
Brake/Taillights
High-mount brake light
Rear side marker lights
Back-up lights
License plate lights
Ceiling light
Cargo area light
Spotlights
Glove box light
12 V 3.4 W12 V
12 V 12 V
12 V 12 V
8W 5W
8W
5W
21 W
5W
21 W
21 W/5 W
21 W
5W(Amber) 55 W
21 W
12 V 36 AH/5 HR
Capacity 55 W
12 V
12 V See page
213or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box door under the dashboard.
See page 214or the fuse box
cover.
Front/Rear
Spare
Front
Rear
Spare
High
Low
1:
2:
3:
4:Front
Rear
Front
Rear
Front
Canadian RSX
U.S. RSX
Canadian Premium
Type-S
Change
Total
Change
Total
U.S. vehicles
Canadian
vehicles
Automatic trans-
mission fluid
Windshield
washer reservoir
1
2, 3, 4
1, 2, 3
4

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The tires on your car meet all U.S.
Federal Saf ety Requirements. All
tires are also graded for treadwear,
traction, and temperature perform-
ance according to Department of
Transportation (DOT) standards.
The f ollowing explains these
gradings.
Quality grades can be f ound where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and the
maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger vehicle tires must
conf orm to Federal Saf ety
Requirements in addition to these
grades. The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied government
test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-
half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100. The relative perf ormance of
tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may
depart signif icantly f rom the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and dif f erences in
road characteristics and climate.
The traction grades, f rom highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specif ied government test surf aces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
perf ormance.
Warning: The traction grade
assignedtothistireisbasedon
straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
DOT T ire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
T echnical Inf ormation
Unif orm T ire Quality Grading
T readwear 200
Traction AA
Temperature A
DOT Quality Grades Treadwear
Traction AA, A, B, C
222

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The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire f ailure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
perf ormance, which all passenger
vehicle tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Saf ety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of
perf ormance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by
law. Warning: The temperature grade f or
this tire is established f or a tire that
is properly inf lated and not over-
loaded. Excessive speed, underinf la-
tion, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire
f ailure.
DOT T ire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles)
T echnical Inf ormation
Temperature A,B,C
223

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Rim diameter in inches.
Load index (a numerical code
associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry).
Speed symbol (an
alphabetical code indicating
the maximum speed rating).
Tire Identif ication Number (TIN) is
a group of numbers and letters that
look like the f ollowing example TIN.
This indicates that the tire
meets all requirements of
the U.S. Department of
Transportation.Manuf acturer’s
identification mark.
Tire type code. Date of manufacture.
The tires that came on your vehicle
have a number of markings. Those
you should be aware of are described
below.
Whenever tires are replaced, they
should be replaced with tires of the
same size. Following is an example
of tire size with an explanation of
what each component means.
Vehicletype(Pindicates
passenger vehicle).
Tire width in millimeters.
Aspect ratio (the tire’s section
height as a percentage of its
width).
Tire construction code (R
indicates radial).
P
225
55
R 94
V 16
DOT
B97R
FW6X2202
Tire Labeling
T echnical Inf ormation
T ire Ident if icat ion Number
Tire Size
224
DOT B97R FW6X 2202
P225/55R16 94V

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The burning of gasoline in your
vehicle’s engine produces several by-
products. Some of these are carbon
monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen
(NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC).
Gasoline evaporating f rom the tank
also produces hydrocarbons. Con-
trolling the production of NOx, CO,
and HC is important to the environ-
ment. Under certain conditions of
sunlight and climate, NOx and HC
react to f orm photochemical ‘‘smog.’’
Carbon monoxide does not contri-
bute to smog creation, but it is a
poisonous gas.
In Canada, Acura vehicles comply
with the Canadian emission
requirements, as specif ied in an
agreement with Environment
Canada, at the time they are
manuf actured. Your vehicle has a Positive
Crankcase Ventilation System. This
keeps gasses that build up in the
engine’s crankcase f rom going into
the atmosphere. The Positive Crank-
case Ventilation valve routes them
from the crankcase back to the
intake manif old. They are then
drawn into the engine and burned.
As gasoline evaporates in the f uel
tank, an evaporative emissions
control canister f illed with charcoal
adsorbs the vapor. It is stored in this
canister while the engine is of f . Af ter
the engine is started and warmed up,
the vapor is drawn into the engine
and burned during driving.
The United States Clean Air Act
sets standards f or automobile
emissions. It also requires that
automobile manufacturers explain to
owners how their emissions controls
workandwhattodotomaintain
them. This section summarizes how
the emissions controls work.
Scheduled maintenance is on page
.
157
Emissions Cont rols
T echnical Inf ormation
Crankcase Emissions Control
System
Evaporative Emissions Control
System
The Clean Air Act
225

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 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
lower quality parts may increase the
emissions f rom your vehicle.
The emissions control systems are
covered by warranties separate from
the rest of your vehicle. Read your
warranty manual for more inf orma-
tion.
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
Emissions Cont rols
T echnical Inf ormation
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor
Recovery
Exhaust Emissions Controls Replacement PartsPGM-FI Syst em
Ignit ion T iming Cont rol Syst emThree Way Catalytic Converter
226

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.
Parkyourvehicleawayfromhigh
grass, dry leaves, or other f lamma-
bles.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 vehicle’s three way
catalytic converter.
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. Keep the engine tuned-up.
Have your vehicle diagnosed and
repaired if it is misf iring, back-
f iring, stalling, or otherwise not
running properly.
Three Way Catalytic Converter
T echnical Inf ormation227
THREE WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTER