traction control Acura TL 2003 3.2 Owner's Manual

This indicator has three f unctions:Itcomesonasareminderthatyou
have turned off the Traction
Control System.
It f lashes when the TCS is
regulating wheelspin.
If itcomesonandstaysonwhen
the Traction Control System is on,
it indicates that there is a problem
in the TCS.
This light also comes on when you
turn the ignition ON (II) and goes off
af ter the engine starts. See page f or more inf ormation on the
TCS. This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II).
If this light comes on and stays on at
any other time, or it does not come
on when you turn the ignition switch
ON (II), there is a problem with the
VSA system. Take the car to your
dealer to have it checked. Without
VSA, your car still has normal
driving ability, but will not have VSA
traction and stability enhancement.
See page f or more information
on the VSA system.
Itcomesonasareminderthatyou
have turned of f the Vehicle
Stability Assist (VSA) system.
It flashes when VSA is active (see
page ).
It comes on along with the VSA
system indicator if there is a
problem with the VSA system.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II). See page f or more inf ormation on the
VSA system. This indicator has three f unctions:
1.
2.
3. 1.
2.
3.
203 206
206206
On Premium Model
On Type-SOn Type-S
Traction Control System
(T CS) IndicatorVehicle Stability Assist
(VSA ) System IndicatorVSA A ctivation Indicator
Indicator L ights
Inst rument s and Cont rols61

........................
Preparing to Drive .188
.......................
Starting the Engine .189
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude .189
..............
Automatic Transmission . 190
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 190
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 191
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 197
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 197
...........................................
Parking .199
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The Braking System .200
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Brake Wear Indicators . 200
...............
Brake System Design . 201
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes .201
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders .202
........................
ABS Indicator .202
..............
Traction Control System . 203
...............
TCS ON/OFF Switch . 204
............................
TCS Indicator .205
...
Vehicle Stability Assist System . 206
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 209
...........................
Towing a Trailer .211
This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your car, the braking system,
the Traction Control System, the
Vehicle Stability Assist System, and
f acts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer.
Driving
Driving187

this defeats the
purpose of the ABS. Let the ABS
work f or you by always keeping f irm,
steady pressure on the brake pedal
as you steer away from the hazard.
This is sometimes ref erred to as
You will f eel a pulsation in the brake
pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is
normal; it is the ABS rapidly
pumping the brakes.
Activation varies with the amount of
traction your tires have. On dry
pavement, you will need to press on
thebrakepedalveryhardbeforeyou
activate the ABS. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
The hydraulic system that operates
the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (the lef t-f ront brake is
connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking
at two wheels.
Your car has an Anti-lock Brake
System (ABS) as standard
equipment. ABS helps to prevent the
wheels f rom locking up and skidding
during hard braking, allowing you to
retain steering control.
When the f ront tires skid, you lose
steering control; the car continues
straightaheadeventhoughyouturn
the steering wheel. The ABS helps to
prevent lock-up and helps you retain
steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly; much f aster than a
person can do it.
‘‘stomp and steer.’’
CONT INUED
A nti-lock Brakes
You should never pump the
brake pedal;
Brake System Design
Driving
The Braking System
201
F Fr
roo n
nt
t

When starting out or driving at low
speeds on a loose or slippery road
surface, you may notice that the
vehicle does not respond to the
accelerator in the same way it does
at other times. This is a sign TCS is
activating. You will see the TCS
indicator light f lash.
Your Acura is equipped with a
Traction Control System (TCS) to
assist you in maintaining traction
while driving slowly on loose or
slippery surf aces. The TCS assists
only in low-speed, low-traction
conditions; up to approximately 18
mph (30 km/h).
TCS monitors the speed of all f our
wheels. When it senses a f ront wheel
losing traction, it applies braking to
that wheel. The TCS indicator
f lashes when this occurs.
Driving with TCS requires no special
skills or technique. The TCS does
not control your car’s whole braking
system and cannot prevent skidding
if you enter a corner too f ast. It is
still your responsibility to drive at
reasonable speeds and to leave a
suf f icient margin of saf ety.
Test your brakes as instructed on
page . If the brakes f eel normal,
drive slowly and have your car
repaired by your dealer as soon as
possible. Avoid sudden hard braking
which could cause the rear wheels to
lock up and possibly lead to a loss of
control.
The TCS indicator will come on
alongwiththeABSindicatorif there
is a problem with the anti-lock brake
system.
The VSA system indicator may come
on along with the ABS indicator if
there is a problem with the anti-lock
brake system.
305
CONT INUED
On Premium model
On Premium model
On Type-S
Driving
Traction Control System
The Braking System, Traction Control System
203
T T C
CS S I
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OR R

You should still install winter tires on
your car during the winter. Make
sure to use the same size originally
supplied with vehicle. Exercise the
samecautioninwinterdrivingasyou
would if your car was not equipped
with TCS.
Driving with the compact spare tire
installed (see page ) may
activate the TCS. You should turn of f
the system.
If the brakes overheat while TCS is
activating, the TCS indicator will
stop flashing and stay on temporarily.
This indicates that TCS has turned
off. After the brakes have cooled
down (usually f or about 10 minutes),
TCSwillturnbackonandthe
indicator will turn of f .This switch is under the side vent. It
letsyouturntheTractionControl
System on and of f . You cannot turn
of f the TCS while the TCS indicator
light is f lashing.Deactivate the system by pressing
the TCS On/Off switch. The TCS
indicator light comes on as a
reminder. Pressing the switch again
turns the system back on.
The Traction Control System turns
on every time you start the engine,
even if you turned it of f the last time
you drove the vehicle.
288
Traction Control System
Driving
TCS ON/OFF Switch
204

If the TCS indicator comes on and
stays on for more than 10 minutes
while driving, pull to the side of the
road when it is saf e and turn of f the
engine. Reset the system by
restarting the engine, and watch the
TCS indicator. If the indicator
remains on, or comes back on while
driving, have the system inspected
by your Acura dealer. You can still
drive the vehicle without TCS.
This indicator will come on along
with the ABS indicator if there is a
problem in the anti-lock brake
system (seeon page
).
The TCS indicator may occasionally
come on f or one or two seconds and
then go out. This is normal.
The TCS indicator comes on or
f lashes under the f ollowing condi-
tions:
When you turn the ignition switch
to ON (II).
When you manually turn of f TCS.
It f lashes when TCS is regulating
wheelspin.
If the system’s diagnostics senses
a problem with TCS, the indicator
will come on and stay on.
If the brakes overheat, the
indicator will come on. 202
Traction Control System
Driving
ABS Indicator
T CS Indicat or
205

The VSA system cannot enhance the
car’s driving stability in all situations
and does not control your vehicle’s
entire braking system. It is still your
responsibility to drive and corner at
reasonable speeds and to leave a
suf f icient margin of saf ety.When VSA activates, you will see the
VSA Activation indicator blink.
When VSA activates, you may notice
that the engine does not respond to
the accelerator in the same way it
does at other times. You will also see
the VSA Activation Indicator blink. The Vehicle Stability Assist system
helps to stabilize the vehicle during
cornering if the car turns more or
less than desired. It also assists you
in maintaining traction while
accelerating on loose or slippery
road surf aces. It does this by
regulating the engine’s output, and
by selectively applying braking.On Type-S
VSA A ct ivat ion Indicat or
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
Driving206
V VS
SAA A
AC
CTTI
IVV A
AT
TI
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TO
OR R

µExercise extra caution when driving
in rain af ter a long dry spell. Af ter
months of dry weather, the f irst
rains bring oil to the surf ace of the
roadway, making it slippery.
Always drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your car longer to
react, even in conditions that may
seem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss of
control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious f or the f irst f ew miles
(kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in
snow. A person can f orget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills.
Rain, f og, and snow conditions
require a dif f erent driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your car well-
maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control
should not be used in these
conditions. Driving T echnique
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving209

µµBeing able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important
in all weather conditions. This is
more dif f icult in bad weather. To be
seen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights. Check your tires
f requently f or wear and proper
pressure. Both are important in
preventing ‘‘hydroplaning’’ (loss of
traction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all f our
wheels f or the best handling.
Watch road conditions caref ully,
they can change f rom moment to
moment. Wet leaves can be as slip-
pery as ice. ‘‘Clear’’ roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditions
can be very hazardous when the
outside temperature is near f reezing.
The road surf ace can become
covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be caref ul when downshif ting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the
drive wheels f or a moment and cause
askid. Be very cautious when passing, or
beingpassedbyothervehicles.The
spray f rom large vehicles reduces
your visibility, and the wind buf f eting
can cause you to lose control.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers f requently. Keep the wind-
shield washer reservoir f ull of the
proper f luid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to
streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the def roster and air
conditioning to keep the windows
f rom f ogging up on the inside (see
pages and ).
122 127
Visibility
Traction
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving210

Your Acura has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and
their cargo. You can use it to tow a
trailer if you caref ully observe the
load limits, use the proper equipment,
and f ollow the guidelines in this
section.The total
weight of the trailer and
everything loaded in it must not
exceed 1,000 lbs (450 kg). Towing
a load that is too heavy can
seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling and perf ormance. It can
also damage the engine and
drivetrain. The weight that
the tongue of a f ully-loaded trailer
puts on the hitch should be
approximately 10 percent of the
trailer weight. Too little tongue
load can make the trailer unstable
and cause it to sway. Too much
tongue load reduces f ront-tire
traction and steering control.
CONT INUED
Load Limits
T otal T railer Weight: T ongue L oad:
Towing a Trailer
Driving211