warning Acura TL 2000 3.2 Owner's Manual

A Few Words About Safety
Your safety, and the safety of others,
is very important. And operating this
car safely is an important
responsibility.
To help you make informed decisions about safety, we have
provided operating procedures and other information on labels and in
this manual. This information alerts
you to potential hazards that could
hurt you or others.
Of course, it is not practical or
possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or
maintaining your car. You must use
your own good judgement. You will find this important safety information in a variety of forms,
including: • Safety Labels — on the car.
• Safety Messages — preceded by a safety alert symbol and one of
three signal words: DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION.
These signal words mean:
You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLYHURT if you don't follow instructions.
You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if you don't follow instructions.
You CAN be HURT if you don't follow instructions.
• Safety Headings — such as Important Safety Reminders or Important Safety Precautions.
• Safety Section — such as Driver and Passenger Safety.
• Instructions — how to use this vehicle correctly and safely.
This entire book is filled with important safety information — please\
read it carefully.
DANGER

Your Car at a Glance
TRACTION CONTROL(P.175)
MOONROOF SWITCH (P.96)
INSTRUMENT PANEL
BRIGHTNESS
(P.64)
HEADLIGHTS/
TURN SIGNALS (P.63, 65) WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS
(P.65) HAZARD WARNING
LIGHTS
(P.67)
CRUISE CONTROL
(P.69) HORN
(P.62)
TILT ADJUSTMENT
(P.68) REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER
(P.67)

Important Safety Precautions
You'll find many safetyrecommendations throughout thissection, and throughout this manual.
The recommendations on this page are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inflate only in a
moderate to severe frontal collision.
So even though your car is equipped
with airbags, make sure you and
your passengers always wear your seat belts, and wear them properly. (See page 15.)
Restrain All Children Children are safest when they are
properly restrained in the back seat,
not the front seat. A child who is too small for a seat belt must be properly
restrained in a child safety seat. (See page 20.) Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
While airbags can save lives, they can cause serious or fatal injuries tooccupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Infants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be sure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page 9.)
Don't Drink and Drive
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 drinkand drive, and don't let your friends
drink and drive, either. Control Your Speed
Excessive speed is a major factor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the
risk, but serious accidents can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Keep Your Car in Safe Condition
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical failure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition frequently, and perform all regularly scheduledmaintenance. (See page 192 .)
Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children
U.S. Models
To remind you of the passenger's front airbag hazards, and thatchildren must be properly restrained
in the back seat, your car has
warning labels on the dashboard and on the driver's and front passenger's
visors. Please read and follow the instructions on these labels.
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY can occur• Children 12 and under can be killed by the air bag• The BACK SEAT is the SAFEST place for children• NEVER put a rear-facing child seat in the front• Sit as far back as possible from the air bag• ALWAYS use SEAT BELTS and CHILD RESTRAINTS
WARNING
Canadian Models
To remind you of the front airbaghazards, your car has warning labelson the driver's and front passenger's
visors. Please read and follow the instructions on these labels.
CAUTIONTO AVOID SERIOUS INJURY:
• FOR MAXIMUM SAFETY PROTECTION IN ALL TYPES OF CRASHES, YOU MUST
ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SAFETY BELT.
• DO NOT INSTALL REARWARD-FACING CHILD SEATS IN ANY FRONTPASSENGER SEAT POSITION.
• DO NOT SIT OR LEAN UNNECESSARILY CLOSE TO THE AIR BAG.
•
DO NOT PLACE ANY OBJECTS OVER THEAIR BAG OR BETWEEN THE AIR BAG
AND YOURSELF.
•
SEE THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR FURTHERINFORMATION AND EXPLANATIONS.
PRECAUTION:POUR EVITER DES BLESSURES GRAVES:
• POUR PROFITER DUNE PROTECTION MAXIMALE LORS D'UNE COLLISION BOUCLEZ
TOUJOURS VOTRE CEINTURE DE SECURITE.
• NINSTALLEZ JAMAIS UN SIEGE POUR ENFANTS FAISANT FACE A L ARRIERE SUR
LE SIEGE DU PASSAGER AVANT.
•
NE VOUS APPUYEZ PAS ET NE VOUS ASSEYEZPAS PRES DU COUSSIN GONFLABLE.
• NE DEPOSEZ AUCUN OBJET SUR LE COUSSINGONFLABLE OU ENTRE LE COUSSIN
GONFLABLE ET VOUS.
• LISEZ LE GUIDE UTILISATEUR POUR DE PLUS AMPLES RENSEIGNEMENTS.
Driver and Passenger Safety
Children Can Be KILLED or INJURED
by Passenger Air Bag
The back seat is the safest place for children 12 and under.
Make sure all children use seat belts or child seats.
WARNING

Safety Labels
These labels are in the locationsshown. They warn you of potential
hazards that could cause serious
injury. Read these labels carefully.
If a label comes off or becomes hard
to read, contact your Acura dealer
for a replacement.
DASHBOARD
US models only SUN VISOR
US models
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY can occur• Children 12 and under can be kited by the air bag• The BACK SEAT is the SAFEST place for children
• NEVER put a rear-facing child seat in the front
• Sit as far back as possible from the air bag
• ALWAYS use SEAT BELTS and CHILD RESTRAINTS
Canadian models
HOOD
Accidental deployment can seriously hurt or
kill you.
Follow Service Manual instructions carefully.
Un deploiemen t accidental risque da causer de graves
Uessures,volrehimort
suivre attentivemen t les instructions du manuel de reparation.
Driver and Passenger Safety
RADIATOR CAP
DANGERWARMING
NEVER OPEN WHEN HOT. '
Not coolant will scald you. N' OUYREZ PUS QUAND CHAUD.
NIGHT BEI NEISSEH MOTOR OFFNEN.
WARNING
Children Can Be KILLED or INJURED
by Passenger Air Bag
The back seat is the safest place for children 12 and under.Make sure all children use seat belts or child seats.
WARNING
ATTENTION

Instruments and Controls
This section gives information aboutthe controls and displays thatcontribute to the daily operation of
your Acura. All the essential controls are within easy reach.
Control Locations................... 52
Indicator Lights........................ 53
Gauges................................58
Speedometer........................ 58
Tachometer.......................... 58
Odometer.......................... 58
Trip Meter............................. 59
Temperature Gauge..................60
Fuel Gauge............................60
Maintenance Required Indicator.......................... 60
Controls Near the Steering
Wheel................................... 62
Headlights..............................63
Automatic Lighting Off
Feature........................... 64
Daytime Running Lights............ 64
Instrument Panel Brightness ........64
Turn Signals......................... 65
Windshield Wipers.................65
Windshield Washers............. 67 Hazard Warning....................... 67
Rear Window Defogger............ 67
Steering Wheel Adjustment....... 68
Steering Wheel Controls............. 69 Cruise Control.........................69
Remote Audio Controls 72
Keys and Locks.........................73
Keys............................... 73
Immobilizer System............... 74
Ignition Switch ......................... 75
Power Door Locks.................77
Remote Transmitter.................78
Childproof Door Locks.............. 81
Trunk.................................. 82
Glove Box ................................ 83
HomeLink Universal Transmitter........................... 84
Seat Adjustments........................ 89
Driver's Seat Full PowerAdjustments........................ 89
Front Passenger's Seat Adjustments.........................90
Driver's Lumbar Support........... 91Head Restraints...................... 91
Center Console Armrest............92
Rear Seat Armrest....................4 92
Trunk Pass-through Cover........ 92
Seat Heaters........................... 94
Power Windows........................... 95
Moonroof...............................96
Mirrors.................................97
Adjusting the Power Mirrors....... 98
Parking Brake......................... 99
Digital Clock...........................100
Console Compartment................ 101
Coin Box..................................101
Armrest Storage
Compartments.......................102
Beverage Holder........................ 103
Sun Visor...............................104
Vanity Mirror........................... 104
Sunglasses Holder.....................105
Accessory Power Sockets.......... 105
Interior Lights..........................106
CD Holder................................ 107
Instruments and Controls

Indicator Lights
Door-open Indicator
The appropriate light comes on in this display if the trunk or any door
is not closed tightly.
All the lights in the monitor display come on for a few seconds when you
turn the ignition switch ON (II). Turn Signal and
Hazard Warning
Indicators
The left or right turn signal light blinks when you signal a lane changeor turn. If the light does not blink or
blinks rapidly, it usually means one of the turn signal bulbs is burned out (see page 237). Replace the bulb as
soon as possible, since other drivers
cannot see that you are signalling.
When you turn on the Hazard
Warning switch, both turn signal lights blink. All turn signals on theoutside of the car should flash. "Daytime Running
Lights" Indicator
Canadian models only
This indicator lights when you turn the ignition switch to ON (II) with
the headlight switch off and the
parking brake set. It should go off if
you turn on the headlights or release the parking brake. If it comes on atany other time, it means there is a
problem with the DRL. There may also be a problem with the high
beam headlights.
High Beam Indicator
This light comes on with the high beam headlights. See page 63 forinformation on the headlight
controls.
On Canadian models, this indicator
comes on with reduced brightness
when the Daytime Running Lights (DRL) are on (see page 64).
Instruments and Controls

Controls Near the Steering Wheel
The two levers on the steeringcolumn contain controls for driving
features you use most often. The left lever controls the turn signals,
headlights, and high beams. The
right lever controls the windshield
washers and wipers.
The controls under the left air vent are for the moonroof, the traction
control, and the cruise control.
The tilt adjustment lever on the underside of the steering column
allows you to tilt the steering wheel.
* To use the horn, press the pad around the "A" logo.TRACTION HEADLIGHTS/ WINDSHIELD REAR WINDOW
CONTROL TURN SIGNALS WIPERS/WASHERS DEFOGGER
MOONROOF
SWITCH
INSTRUMENT PANEL TILT ADJUSTMENT HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS
BRIGHTNESS
Instruments and Controls

Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Windshield WashersTo clean the windshield, pull back onthe wiper control lever. The washersspray until you release the lever. The
wipers run at low speed while you're pulling the lever, then complete one
more sweep of the windshield after
you release it. Hazard Warning
Push the red button to the right of
the clock to turn on the hazard
warning lights (four-way flashers).
This causes all four outside turn signals and both indicators in the
instrument panel to flash. Use the
hazard warning lights if you need to
park in a dangerous area near heavy
traffic, or if your car is disabled. Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger will clear fog, frost, and thin ice from the
window. Push the defogger button to turn it on and off. The light above
defogger is on. If you do not turn it
off, the defogger will shut itself off
after about 15 minutes. It also shuts
off when you turn off the ignition.
You have to turn it on again when
you restart the car.
CONTINUED
Instruments and Controls

Seat Adjustments
Driver's Seat Full Power
Adjustments
See pages 12 — 14 for important safety
information and warnings about how to
properly position seats and seat-backs.
The two power seat adjustment switches are on the outside edge of
the seat bottom. The horizontal switch adjusts the seat bottom in
several directions. The short verticalswitch adjusts the seat-back angle.
You can adjust the seat with the ignition switch in any position. Make
all adjustments before you start
driving. Push the horizontal switch forward
or backward to move the seat
forward or backward. Pull up or push down on the front of
the switch to move the seat bottom's
front edge up or down. Pull up or
push down on the rear of the switch
to move the rear of the seat bottom
up or down.
CONTINUED
Instruments and Controls