check engine light Acura TL 2001 3.2 User Guide

Replace the engine oil f ill cap.
Start the engine. The oil pressure
indicator light should go out within
f ive seconds. If it does not, turn of f
the engine and reinspect your
work.
Let the engine run f or several
minutes and check the drain bolt
and oil f ilter f or leaks.
Turn of f the engine, let it sit f or
several minutes, then check the oil
level. If necessary, add oil to bring
the level to the upper mark on the
dipstick.
Refill the engine with the recom-
mended oil.
Engine oil change capacity
(including f ilter):
9. 8. 7.
6.
Engine Oil
Maint enance209
4.6 US qt (4.4, 3.9 Imp qt) Improper disposal of engine oil can be
harmf ul to the environment. If you
change your own oil, please dispose of
the used oil properly. Put it in a sealed
container and take it to a recycling
center. Do not discard it in a trash bin
or dump it on the ground.

If necessary, f ill the reserve tank
to the MAX mark. Install the
reserve tank cap.
Install the radiator cap, and
tighten it fully. Start the engine and hold it at
1,500 rpm until the cooling f an
comes on. Turn of f the engine.
Check the coolant level in the
radiator and add coolant if needed. Remove the radiator cap. Pour
coolant into the radiator up to the
base of the f iller neck and into the
reserve tank up to the MAX mark. Start the engine and let it run until
the radiator cooling f an comes on
at least twice. Then stop the
engine. Check the level in the windshield
washer reservoir at least monthly
during normal usage. In bad weather,
when you use the washers of ten,
check the level every time you stop
for fuel.
The windshield washer reservoir is
located behind the passenger’s side
headlight.
15.
14. 13. 12.
11.
CONT INUED
Maint enance
Cooling System, Windshield Washers
Windshield Washers
215

Check the f luid level with the engine
at normal operating temperature.Park the car on level ground. Shut
of f the engine.
Remove the dipstick (yellow loop)
f rom the transmission and wipe it
with a clean cloth.
Fill the reservoir with a good-quality
windshield washer f luid. This
increases the cleaning capability and
prevents f reezing in cold weather.
When you ref ill the reservoir, clean
the edges of the windshield wiper
blades with windshield washer f luid
on a clean cloth. This will help to
condition the blade edges.
Check the reservoir’s f luid level by
removing the cap and looking at the
level gauge attached to the cap.
The low washer level indicator will
light when the level is low (see page
). 1.
2.
59
Maint enance
Windshield Washers, A ut omat ic T ransmission Fluid
Automatic Transmission Fluid
Canadian Models
216
D D I
IPP S
ST TI
ICCK K
Do not use engine antif reeze or a
vinegar/water solution in the
windshield washer reservoir.
Antif reeze can damage your car’s paint,
while a vinegar/water solution can
damage the windshield washer pump.
Use only commercially-available
windshield washer f luid.

Run the air conditioning at least once
a week during the cold weather
months. Run it f or at least ten
minutes while you are driving at a
steady speed with the engine at
normal operating temperature. This
circulates the lubricating oil con-
tained in the ref rigerant.If the air conditioning does not get as
cold as before, have your dealer
check the system. Recharge the
system with Ref rigerant HFC-134a
(R-134a). (See Specif ications on page
.)
Your car’s air conditioning is a sealed
system. Any major maintenance,
such as recharging, should be done
by a qualif ied mechanic. You can do
a couple of things to make sure the
air conditioning works ef f iciently.
Periodically check the engine’s
radiator and air conditioning
condenser f or leaves, insects, and
dirt stuck to the f ront surf ace. These
block the air f low and reduce cooling
ef f iciency. Use a light spray f rom a
hose or a sof t brush to remove them. 288
A ir Condit ioning Syst em
Maint enance229
A A
I
IRR C
COON NDDI
ITT I
IOON NIINNG G C
COON NDDE
EN
NS SEER
R
Whenever you have the air conditioning
system serviced, make sure the service
f acility uses a ref rigerant recycling
system. This system captures the
ref rigerant f or reuse. Releasing
ref rigerant into the atmosphere can
damage the environment.
The condenser and radiator f ins bend
easily. Only use a low-pressure spray
or sof t-bristle brush to clean them.

Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereisproba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit f or the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. (Seeon page .)
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the car from
a booster battery (see page ).
When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:
Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
orNeutralorthestarterwillnot
operate.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See on page .
Diagnosing why your engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):
You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
266282
224 266
Emergency T owing
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed265

In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.If your car’s battery has run down,
you may be able to start the engine
by using a booster battery. Although
this seems like a simple procedure,
you should take several precautions.
You cannot start your Acura by
pushing or pulling it.
Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page .
Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to
on page . 77
165 277
282
T he Starter Operates Normally
Jump Starting
Emergency
Towing
Starting the
Engine
If Your Engine Won’t Start, Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed266
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.

µ
´ ´
CONT INUED
Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the grounding strap
as shown. Do not connect this
jumper cable to any other part of
the engine.
Remove the battery cover.
To jump start your car, f ollow these
directions closely:
Open the hood and check the
physical condition of the battery
(see page ). In very cold
weather, check the condition of
the electrolyte. If it seems slushy
or like ice, do not try jump starting
until it thaws.
Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: climate control, stereo
system, lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park and set the parking brake. Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
Acura’s battery. Connect the other
end to the positive ( ) terminal
on the booster battery.
4.
5.
3.
1.
2. 224
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed267
If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.

This indicator should light when the
ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
af ter the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing, it
indicates that the oil pressure
dropped very low f or a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure
and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action.Saf ely pull of f the road and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ).Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the light
does not go out within ten seconds,
turn of f the engine. There is a
mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired bef ore you can
continue driving. (See
on page .)
Letthecarsitforaminute.Open
the hood and check the oil level
(see page ). Although oil level
and oil pressure are not directly
connected, an engine that is very
low on oil can lose pressure during
cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
1.
2.
3. 4.
154 205 282
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Emergency
Towing
271
L LO OW W O
OIILL P
PR
RE ES
SS SUUR REE I
INND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn of f
the engine as soon as you can saf ely get
the car stopped.

CONT INUED
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 157
................................
Accessories .157
.
Additional Safety Precautions . 158
............................
Modif ications .158
ACCESSORY (Ignition Key .......................................
Position) .79
............
Accessory Power Sockets . 109
....................
Additives, Engine Oil . 207
...............................
Airbag (SRS) .9, 45
.....................
Air Cleaner Element .220
.................
Air Conditioning Filter . 230
......
Air Conditioning System . 114,121
..............................
Maintenance .229
.................................
Usage .116, 121
.......................
Air Pressure, Tires .232
.......................
Alcohol in Gasoline .292
......................................
Antif reeze .210
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) ...............................
Indicator .57, 178
...................................
Operation .177
..............
Anti-thef t, Audio System . 146
.
Anti-thef t Steering Column Lock . 78
..........................
Appearance Care .249
................................
Audio System .127 ...
Automatic Lighting Off Feature . 66
...............
Automatic Speed Control . 72
..............
Automatic Transmission . 166
..........................
Capacity,Fluid .288
...............
Checking Fluid Level . 216
.......................................
Shif ting .166
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 166
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 167
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 173
Battery Charging System ...........................
Indicator .56, 272
............................
Jump Starting .266
..............................
Maintenance .224
............................
Specif ications .289
..............................
Bef ore Driving .149
....................................
Belts,Seat .8,42
...........................
Beverage Holder .107
...................................
Body Repair .256
Brakes ...........
Anti-lock System (ABS) . 177
.............
Break-in, New Linings . 150
....................
Bulb Replacement .243 ...........................................
Fluid .218
.......................................
Parking .103
.................
System Indicator . 56,275
........................
Wear Indicators .176
.............................
Braking System .176
........................
Break-in, New Car .150
..
Brightness Control, Instruments . 67
........................
Brights, Headlights .65
Bulb Replacement ..........................
Back-up Lights .243
..............................
Brake Lights .243
..............................
Ceiling Light .245
........................
Courtesy Lights .245
........
Front Side Marker Lights . 241
.................................
Headlights .240
.........
High-mount Brake Light . 244
...................
License Plate Light . 244
............................
Specif ications .289
...................................
Spotlights .245
....................
Turn Signal Lights . 241
..............................
Bulbs, Halogen .240
Index
A
B
I

Î
............................
Capacities Chart .288
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 51
............................
Carrying, Cargo .159
Cassette Player ............................................
Care .144
...................................
Operation .141
..............
CAUTION, Explanation of . ii
...................................
CD Changer .137
.......................................
CD Player .135
..................................
Ceiling Light .110
........................
Certif ication Label .286
............................................
Chains .237
Changing Oil ........................................
How to .207
......................................
When to .196
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .259
............
Changing Engine Coolant . 212
...
Charging System Indicator . 56,272
............
Checklist, Bef ore Driving . 164
..................
Childproof Door Locks . 84
.....................................
Child Saf ety .21
.......................................
Child Seats .26
..........
Tether Anchorage Points . 41
....................
Cleaner Element, Air . 220Cleaning
....................
Aluminum Wheels .251
...................................
Carpeting .252
......................................
Exterior .250
.......................................
Interior .252
.......................................
Leather .253
...................................
Seat Belts .253
...........................................
Vinyl .253
....................................
Windows .254
.......
Climate Control System . 114,121
.........................
Clock, Setting the .104
..........................
CO in the Exhaust .51
........................................
Coin Box .105
............
Cold Weather, Starting in . 165
..............................
Compact Spare .258
.................
Console Compartment . 105
...............
Consumer Inf ormation . 300
.............
Controls, Instruments and . 53
Coolant ........................................
Adding .210
....................................
Checking .155
.........................
Proper Solution .210
...................................
Replacing .212
...................
Temperature Gauge . 62
....................
Corrosion Protection .255 Crankcase Emissions Control
........................................
System .294
..............
Cruise Control Operation . 72
..........
Customer Relations Of f ice . 300
................
DANGER, Explanation of . ii
...................................
Dashboard .2, 54
................
Daytime Running Lights . 66
............
Def ects, Reporting Saf ety . 303
................
Def ogger, Rear Window . 70
......
Def rosting the Windows . 120,125
....................................
Dimensions .288
...............
Dimming the Headlights . 65
Dipstick ..........
Automatic Transmission . 216
..................................
Engine Oil .154
..........................
Directional Signals .67
........
Disc Brake Wear Indicators . 176
.....................
Disposal of Used Oil .209
Doors ..............................
Monitor Light .58
......................
Power Door Locks .79
..........
DOT Tire Quality Grading . 290
.....................................
Drive Belts .230
Index
C
D
II