catalytic converter Acura TL 2003 3.2 Owner's Manual

This shows how much f uel you have.
It is most accurate when the car is on
level ground. It may show slightly
more or less than the actual amount
whenyouaredrivingoncurvyor
hilly roads.
The needle returns to the bottom
after you turn off the ignition. The
gauge shows the f uel level reading
immediately af ter you turn the
ignition switch back ON (II).
This shows the temperature of the
engine’s coolant. During normal
operation, the pointer should rise
from the bottom white mark to about
the middle of the gauge. In severe
driving conditions, such as very hot
weather or a long period of uphill
driving, the pointer may rise to near
the upper red mark. If it reaches the
red (Hot) mark, pull saf ely to the
side of the road. Turn to page f or
instructions and precautions on
checking the engine’s cooling
system.
This indicator displays the outside
temperature in Fahrenheit in U.S.
models, and in Centigrade in
Canadian models.
The temperature sensor is located in
the f ront bumper. Theref ore, the
temperature reading can be af f ected
by heat ref lection f rom the road sur-
f ace, engine heat, and the exhaust
f rom the surrounding traf f ic. This
can cause the temperature reading
not to be correct when your speed is
under 19 mph (30 km/h).
In certain weather conditions,
temperature readings near f reezing
(32°F, 0°C) could mean that ice is
f orming on the road surf ace.
299
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Gauges
Fuel Gauge
Temperature Gauge
Outside Temperature Indicator
66
Avoid driving with an extremely low
f uel level. Running out of f uel could
cause the engine to misf ire, damaging
the catalytic converter.

µMake sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you. Turn of f the lights.
Always use the parking brake when
you park your car. The indicator on
the instrument panel shows that the
parking brake is not f ully released; it
does not indicate that the parking
brakeisfirmlyset.Makesurethe
parking brake is set f irmly or your
car may roll if it is parked on an
incline. If the car is f acing uphill, turn the
f ront wheels away f rom the curb.
If the car is f acing downhill, turn the
f ront wheels toward the curb.
Make sure the parking brake is f ully
released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes.
Set the parking brake bef ore you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the car from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission making it
easier to move the shif t lever out of
Park when you want to drive away. Lockthedoorswiththekeyorthe
remote transmitter. Check the
indicator on the driver’s door to
verify that the security system is
set.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire.
Parking T ips
Parking
Driving199

µµ
Thediagramsinthissectiongive
you the dimensions and capacities of
your Acura, and the locations of the
identif ication numbers. It also
includes inf ormation you should
know about your vehicle’s tires and
emissions control systems. ................
Identif ication Numbers . 316
................................
Specif ications .318
DOT Tire Quality Grading .............................
(U.S.Cars) .320
.................................
Treadwear .320
.............
Traction AA, A, B, C . 320
.............
Temperature A,B,C .321
.........................
Oxygenated Fuels .322
......
Driving in Foreign Countries . 323.......................
Emissions Controls .324
.....................
The Clean Air Act .324
Crankcase Emissions Control ....................................
System .324
Evaporative Emissions Control ....................................
System .324
Onboard Ref ueling Vapor ................................
Recovery .324
...
Exhaust Emissions Controls . 325
....................
PGM-FI System .325
Ignition Timing Control ................................
System .325
Exhaust Gas Recirculation ...................
(EGR) System . 325
Three Way Catalytic ...........................
Converter .325
....................
Replacement Parts . 325
..
Three Way Catalytic Converter . 326
..............
State Emissions Testing . 327
T echnical Inf ormat ion
T echnical Inf ormation315

If you are planning to take your
Acura outside the U.S. or Canada,
contact the tourist bureaus in the
areas you will be traveling in to f ind
out about the availability of unleaded
gasoline with the proper octane
rating.
If unleaded gasoline is not available,
be aware that using leaded gasoline
in your Acura will af f ect perf or-
mance and fuel mileage, and damage
its emissions controls. It will no
longer comply with U.S. and
Canadian emissions regulations, and
will be illegal to operate in North
America. To bring your car back into
compliance will require the replace-
ment of several components, such as
theoxygensensorsandthethree
way catalytic converter. These re-
placements are not covered under
warranty.
Driving in Foreign Countries
T echnical Inf ormation323

The exhaust emissions controls
include f our systems: PGM-FI,
Ignition Timing Control, Exhaust
Gas Recirculation and Three Way
Catalytic Converter. These four
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 f rom the crankcase and
evaporative emissions control
systems.The emissions control systems are
covered by warranties separate from
the rest of your car. Read your
warranty manual f or more informa-
tion.
The PGM-FI System uses sequential
multiport f uel injection.
It has three subsystems: Air Intake,
Engine Control, and Fuel Control.
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 Exhaust Gas Recirculation
(EGR) system takes some of the
exhaust gas and routes it back into
the intake manif old. Adding exhaust
gas to the air/f uel mixture reduces
the amount of NOx produced when
the f uel is burned.
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 ), dinitrogen
(N ), and water vapor.
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
Acura replacement parts or their
equivalent f or repairs. Using lower
qualitypartsmayincreasethe
emissions f rom your vehicle.
2
2
Exhaust Emissions Controls Replacement Parts
PGM-FI Syst emIgnit ion T iming Cont rol Syst em
Exhaust Gas Recirculat ion (EGR)Syst em
Three Way Catalytic Converter
Emissions Cont rols
T echnical Inf ormation325

Keep the engine tuned-up.
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.
The three way catalytic converter
contains platinum, palladium and
rhodium. These metals 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.
Park your car away f rom high grass,
dry leaves, or other f lammables.
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 car’s three way catalytic
converter. Have your car diagnosed and
repaired if it is misf iring, back-
f iring, stalling, or otherwise not
running properly.
Three Way Catalytic Converter
T echnical Inf ormation326
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CONT INUED
...................
System Components . 44
...............
Use During Pregnancy . 19
....................................
Seat Heaters .99
........................
Seats, Adjusting the .88
............................
Security System .152
........
Sequential SportShif t Mode . 193
...............................
Serial Number .316
...........................
Service Intervals .224
...........................
Service Manual .333
.........
Service Station Procedures . 175
..........................
Setting the Clock .105
.....
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 190
........................
Shif t Lock Release .197
................................
Side Airbags .9 ,49
...............
Side Airbag Indicator . 51,60
Side Marker Lights, Bulb ..............................
Replacement .270
...............................
Signaling Turns .71
.....................................
Snow Tires .266
...................
Solvent-type Cleaners . 280
................................
Sound System .129
Spare Tire ......................................
Inf lating .288
............................
Specif ications .319
................
Spark Plugs, Replacing . 250
....................
Specif ications Charts . 318................................
Speed Control .153
...................................
Speedometer .64
.......................................
Spotlights .112
..........
SRS, Additional Inf ormation . 47
...
Additional Safety Precautions . 52
How the SRS Indicator .......................................
Works .50
...........
How Your Airbags Work . 47
........................
SRS Components .47
..................................
SRS Service .52
.............................
SRS Indicator .50 ,60
....
START (Ignition Key Position) . 79
.......................
Starting the Engine .189
In Cold Weather at High ..................................
Altitude .189
................
With a Dead Battery . 296
..............
State Emissions Testing . 327
........
Steam Coming f rom Engine . 299
Steering Wheel ..................................
Adjustment .75
.............
Anti-theft Column Lock . 78
...................
Stereo Sound System . 129
...........................
Storing Your Car .277
........................................
Sun Visor .109
........................
Sunglasses Holder .110 ....
Supplemental Restraint System . 47
......................................
Servicing .52
...............................
SRS Indicator .50
...................
System Components . 47
.....................................
Tachometer .64
......
Taillights, Changing Bulbs in . 273
.
Taking Care of the Unexpected . 287
....................................
Tape Player .137
Technical Descriptions ......
DOT Tire Quality Grading . 320
.....
Emissions Control Systems . 324
.....................
Oxygenated Fuels .322
Three Way Catalytic ...............................
Converter .326
.......................
Temperature Gauge .66
..............
Tether Anchorage Points . 41
..
Three Way Catalytic Converter . 326
..........................
Time, Setting the .105
....................................
Timing Belt .260
....................................
Tire Chains .266
.........
Tire, How to Change a Flat . 289
Index
T
VII