maintenance Acura TL 2000 3.2 Workshop Manual

Air Conditioning System
Your car's air conditioning is a sealedsystem. Any major maintenance,
such as recharging, should be done
by a qualified mechanic. You can do
a couple of things to make sure the
air conditioning works efficiently.
Periodically check the engine's
radiator and air conditioning
condenser for leaves, insects, and dirt stuck to the front surface. These
block the air flow and reduce cooling
efficiency. Use a light spray from a
hose or a soft brush to remove them.
The condenser and radiator fins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure spray
or soft-bristle brush to clean them. AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER
Run the air conditioning at least once
a week during the cold weather months. Run it for at least ten
minutes while you are driving at asteady speed with the engine at
normal operating temperature. This
circulates the lubricating oil con-
tained in the refrigerant If the air conditioning does not get as
cold as before, have your dealer
check the system. Recharge the system with Refrigerant HFC-134a (R-134a). (See Specifications on page 282.)
Whenever you have the air conditioning
system serviced, make sure the service
facility uses a refrigerant recycling system. This system captures therefrigerant for reuse. Releasing
refrigerant into the atmosphere can
damage the environment.
Maintenance
NOTICE
NOTICE

Air Conditioning Filter, Drive Belts
Air Conditioning Filter
The air conditioning filter removespollen and dust that is brought in
from the outside through the heating
and cooling system.
This filter should be replaced every 30,000 miles (48,000 km) under nor-
mal conditions. It should be replaced
every 15,000 miles (24,000 km) if you
drive primarily in urban areas that
have high concentrations of soot in
the air from industry and diesel-pow-
ered vehicles. Replace it more often
if air flow from the climate controlsystem becomes less than usual.
Have the air conditioning filter re-
placed by your Acura dealer. Drive Belts
POWER STEERING BELT
Check the condition of the two drive
belts. Examine the edges of each
belt for cracks or fraying.
Check the tension of the power
steering belt by pushing on it with
your thumb midway between the
pulleys.
The belt should have the following "play" or deflection. Power steering belt:
0.51 -0.65 in (13.0-16.5 mm)
If you see signs of wear or looseness,
have your dealer adjust or replace the belts.
Maintenance

Timing Belt, Tires
Timing Belt
The timing belt should normally bereplaced at the intervals shown in
the maintenance schedule.
Replace this belt at 60,000 miles (U.S.)or 100,000 Ion (Canada) if you
regularly drive your car in one or
more of these conditions:
• In very high temperatures (over 110° F, 43° C).
• In very low temperatures (under -20°F, -29°C). Tires
To safely operate your car, your tires
must be the proper type and size, in
good condition with adequate tread, and correctly inflated. The following
pages give more detailed information on how and when to check air
pressure, how to inspect your tires
for damage and wear, and what to do
when your tires need to be replaced.
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can cause a crash in which you canbe seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner's manual regarding tire inflation and maintenance.
Maintenance

Tires
Inflation
Keeping the tires properly inflated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread life and riding comfort. Underinflated tires wear
unevenly, adversely affect handling and fuel economy, and are more
likely to fail from being overheated. Over-inflated tires can make your car
ride more harshly, are more prone to damage from road hazards, and wear
unevenly.
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. 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
2) per month.
Remember to check the spare tire at
the same time you check all the other tires.
Check the pressure in the tires when
they are cold. This means the car
has been parked for at least three hours. If you have to drive the car
before checking the tire pressure, the tires can still be considered "cold" if you drive less than 1 mile (1.6km). If you check the pressure when the
tires are hot (the car has been driven several miles), you will see readings
4 to 6 psi (30 to 40 kPa, 0.3 to 0.4
kgf/cm2) higher than the cold
reading. This is normal. Do not let air out to match the specified cold
pressure. The tire will be
underinflated.
You should get your own tire pressure gauge and use it whenever
you check your tire pressures. This
will make it easier for you to tell if a pressure loss is due to a tire problemand not due to a variation between
gauges.
Maintenance

Tires
Recommended Tire Pressures forNormal Driving
The following chart shows the recommended cold tire pressures for
most normal driving conditions andspeeds. Tire pressures for high
speed driving are the same as for
normal driving.Tire Size
P205/60R1691V Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
2)
The compact spare tire pressure is:60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm
2)
These pressures are also given on the tire information label on thedriver's doorjamb.
Tubeless tires have some ability to self-seal if they are punctured.
However, because leakage is often
very slow, you should look closely
for punctures if a tire starts losing pressure. Inspection
Every time you check inflation, you
should also examine the tires for
damage, foreign objects, and wear.
You should look for: • Bumps or bulges in the tread or side of the tire. Replace the tire if
you find either of these conditions.
• Cuts, splits, or cracks in the side of the tire. Replace the tire if you
can see fabric or cord.
• Excessive tread wear.
CONTINUED
Maintenance

Tires
INDICATOR LOCATION MARKS
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS
Your car's tires have wear indicators molded into the tread. When the
tread wears down to that point, you
will see a 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) wide
band running across the tread. This shows there is less than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread left on the tire. A
tire that is this worn gives very little
traction on wet roads. You should replace the tire if you can see the
tread wear indicator in three or more
places around the tire. Maintenance
In addition to proper inflation,
correct wheel alignment helps to decrease tire wear. If you find a tire
is worn unevenly, have your dealer
check the wheel alignment.
The tires were properly balanced by the factory. They may need to be
rebalanced at some time before they
are worn out. Have your dealer
check the tires if you feel a consis-
tent vibration while driving. A tire
should always be rebalanced if it is
removed from the wheel for repair. Make sure the installer balances the
wheels when you have new tires
installed. This increases riding
comfort and tire life. Your car's
original tires were dynamic or "spin"
balanced at the factory. For best
results, have the installer perform a dynamic balance.
Improper wheel weights can damage
your car's aluminum wheels. Use only Genuine Acura wheel weights for
balancing.
Maintenance
NOTICE

Tires
Tire Rotation
Front
(For Non-directional (For Directional Tires and Wheels) Tires and Wheels)
To help increase tire life and
distribute wear more evenly, you
should have the tires rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km). Move the
tires to the positions shown in the
chart each time they are rotated. When shopping for replacement
tires, you may find that some tires
are "directional." This means they
are designed to rotate only in one
direction. If you use directional tires,
they should be rotated only front-to-back. Replacing Tires and Wheels
The tires that came with your car were selected to match the perform-
ance capabilities of the car while
providing the best combination ofhandling, ride comfort, and long life.
You should replace them with radial tires of the same size, load range,speed rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire's sidewall). Mixing radial and
bias-ply tires on your car can reduce its braking ability, traction, and
steering accuracy.
CONTINUED
Maintenance
Front

Tires
Installing improper tires on your
car 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.
It is best to replace all four tires at
the same time. If that is not possible or necessary, then replace the two
front tires or the two rear tires as a
pair. Replacing just one tire can seriously affect your car's handling. The ABS works by comparing the
speed of the wheels. When replacing
tires, use the same size originally supplied with the car. Tire size and
construction can affect wheel speed
and may cause the system to work inconsistently.
If you ever need to replace a wheel,
make sure you use an identical style
aluminum alloy wheel that originally
came on your Acura. Replacement
wheels are available at your Acura dealer. Wheels and TiresWheel:
16x61/2JJ
Tire: P205/60R16 91V
See page 284 for information about
DOT Tire Quality Grading.
Maintenance

Tires
Winter DrivingTires that are marked "M+S" or "All Season" on the sidewall have an
all-weather tread design. They
should be suitable for most winter
driving conditions. Tires without
these markings are designed for optimum traction in dry conditions.
They may not provide adequate performance in winter driving.
For the best performance in snowyor icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under certain conditions.
Snow Tires
If you mount snow tires on your
Acura, make sure they are radial tires of the same size and load rangeas the original tires. Mount snow
tires on all four wheels to balance
your car's handling in all weather conditions. Keep in mind the traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
may not be as high as your car's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads
are clear. Check with the tire dealer
for maximum speed recommen- dations.
Traction Devices
Mount traction devices only when
required by driving conditions or
local laws. Make sure they are the correct size for your tires. Install
them only on the front tires.
Because your Acura has limited tire
clearance, mount only SAE class "S"
cable-type traction devices.Link-type "chains" should not be
used. No matter how tight they seem
to be installed, they can come into contact with the body andsuspension, causing serious damage. When installing traction devices,
follow the manufacturer'sinstructions and mount them as
tightly as you can. Drive slowly with
them installed. If you hear them coming in contact with the body or
chassis, stop and investigate. Make
sure the traction devices are
installed tightly, and that they are
not contacting the brakes or suspension.
Remove them as soon as you start driving on cleared roads.
Cables that are the wrong size or
improperly installed can damage your
car's brake lines, suspension, body, and
wheels. Stop driving if they are hitting
any part of the car.
Maintenance
NOTICE

Lights
Check the operation of your car's
exterior lights at least once a month.
A burned out bulb can create an unsafe condition by reducing your
car's visibility and the ability to signal your intentions to other
drivers. HEADLIGHT HIGH BEAM TURN SIGNAL/SIDE MARKER LIGHT
HEADLIGHT LOW BEAM
Maintenance