tire type Acura TL 2004 Owner's Manual

You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags
supplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inf late only in a
moderate to severe f rontal collision.
So even though your vehicle is
equipped with airbags, make sure
you and your passengers always
wear your seat belts, and wear them
properly (see page ).
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat. Infants and small children
should be restrained in a child seat.
Larger children should use a booster
and a lap/shoulder belt until theycanusethebeltproperlywithouta
booster (see page ).
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
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 drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
14 43
194
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Restrain All ChildrenBe Aware of Airbag Hazards
Don’t Drink and Drive
Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Driver and Passenger Saf ety6

Your vehicle has several convenient
storage areas:Glove box
Front door and seat-back pockets
Console compartment
Trunk
Roof -rack (if installed)
In addition, the trunk pass-through
allows you to carry longer items.
However, carrying too much cargo,
or improperly storing it, can af f ect
your vehicle’s handling, stability,
stopping distance, and tires, and
make it unsaf e. Bef ore carrying any
type of cargo, be sure to read the
f ollowing pages.
Bef ore Driving
Carrying Cargo
171
CONSOLE COMPARTMENT FRONT DOOR POCKET
TRUNK SEAT-BACK POCKET GLOVE BOX

If the indicator does not come on
when the ignition switch is turned to
ON(II),theremaybeaproblem
with the VSA system. Have an Acura
dealer inspect your vehicle as soon
as possible.
Without VSA, your vehicle will have
normal braking and cornering ability,
but it will not have VSA traction and
stability enhancement.This switch is under the lef t vent.
Press it to turn the Vehicle Stability
Assist system on and of f .
When VSA is off, the VSA Activation
Indicator comes on as a reminder.
Pressing the switch again turns the
system back on.VSA is turned on every time you
start the engine, even if you turned it
off the last time you drove the
vehicle.
Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the VSA to
malf unction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are the same size
and type as your original tires (see
page ).
Deactivate the VSA system if you
need to drive with the compact spare
tire installed (see page ).
If you install winter tires, make sure
they are the same size as those that
were originally supplied with your
vehicle. Exercise the same caution
during winter driving as you would if
your vehicle was not equipped with
VSA.
224
230
VSA Of f Switch
VSA and Tire Sizes
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
Driving191
VSA OFF SWITCH

´
Slide the wiper blade assembly
onto the wiper arm. Make sure it
locks in place.
Lower the wiper arm down against
the windshield.
To saf ely operate your vehicle, your
tires must be the proper type and
size, in good condition with adequate
tread, and correctly inf lated.
The f ollowing pages give more
detailed inf ormation about your tires,
how and when to inspect your tires
for damage and wear, and what to do
when your tires need to be replaced. Your vehicle is equipped with high
perf ormance all-season tires
(marked All Season or M S on the
sidewalls). These tires provide
excellent handling and braking
perf ormance in most driving
situations.
Your vehicle is equipped with high
perf ormance summer tires. These
tires have a high-traction compound
and tread pattern to provide superior
acceleration, cornering, and stopping
under most driving conditions.However, these tires are not suitable
f or driving on snow or ice, so all-
season or winter tires must be
installed f or winter driving
conditions.
See page f or winter driving
conditions.
Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort.
Underinf lated tires wear unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel
economy, and are more likely to
fail from being overheated.
Overinf lated tires can make your
vehicleridemoreharshly,are
more prone to damage f rom road
hazards, and wear unevenly.
6.
7.
224
All Models Except 6-Speed with SummerTires
6-Speed with Summer Tires
Wiper Blades, Tires
Maint enance
Tires Tyre Types
Inf lation
220

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Wheels:
Tires: See page f or DOT tire quality
grading inf ormation, and page
f or tire size inf ormation.
Tires marked ‘‘M S’’ or ‘‘All
Season’’ on the sidewall have an all-
weather tread design suitable for
most winter driving conditions.
For the best perf ormance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under
certain conditions.
If your vehicle is equipped with
summer tires, be aware that these
tires are not designed f or winter
driving conditions. For more
inf ormation, consult your Acura
dealer.
If you ever replace a wheel, make
sure that the wheel’s specif ications
match those of the original wheels. It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, replace the two f ront
tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
af f ect your vehicle’s handling. Replace your tires with radial tires of
the same size, load range, speed
rating and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire’s side wall).
Mixing radial and bias-ply tires on
your vehicle can reduce braking
ability, traction, and steering
accuracy. Using tires of a dif f erent
size or construction can cause the
anti-lock brake and the vehicle
stability assist systems to work
inconsistently. 258
259
(All season tire)
(Summer tire)
Tires
Maint enance
Replacing T ires Wheel and T ire Specif icationsWinter Driving
Summer T ires
224
17x8.0JJ
P235/45R17 93W
235/45R17 93W Installing improper tires on your
vehicle 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.

If you mount snow tires on your
Acura, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as original tires. Mount snow tires on
all f our wheels. The traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
maybelowerthanyouroriginaltires.
Check with the tire dealer f or
maximum speed recommendations.
Because your Acura has limited tire
clearance, mount only SAE Class ‘‘S’’
cable-type traction devices, with
rubber chain tensioners on the f ront
tires. Use traction devices only when
required by driving conditions or
local laws. Make sure they are the
correct size f or your tires. Metal link-
type ‘‘chains’’ should not be used.When installing cables, f ollow the
manuf acturer’s instructions, and
mount them as tight as you can.
Make sure they are not contacting
the brake lines or suspension. Drive
slowly with them installed. If you
hear them coming into contact with
the body or chassis, stop and
investigate. Remove them as soon as
you begin driving on cleared roads.
Tires
Maint enance
Snow T ires
Tire Chains
225
NOTICE:
Traction devices that are the
wrong size or improperly installed can
damage your vehicle’s brake lines,
suspension, body, and wheels. Stop
driving if they are hitting any part of
the vehicle.

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There are three popular types of
prof essional towing equipment.
Shif t the transmission to Neutral.
ShifttoD,thentoN.
Turn of f the engine.
The tow
truck uses metal cables with hooks
on the ends. These hooks go around
parts of the f rame or suspension and
the cables lif t that end of the vehicle
of f the ground. Your vehicle’s sus-
pension and body can be seriously
damaged.
If your vehicle needs to be towed,
call a prof essional towing service or
organization. Never tow your vehicle
behind another vehicle with just a
rope or chain. It is very dangerous.
The operator
loads your vehicle on the back of a
truck.
The tow
truck uses two pivoting arms that go
under the tires (f ront or rear) and lif t
them of f the ground. The other two
tires remain on the ground. If your Acura cannot be transported
by f lat-bed, it should be towed by
wheel-lif t equipment with the f ront
wheels of f the ground. If , due to
damage, your vehicle must be towed
with the f ront wheels on the ground,
do the f ollowing: Release the parking brake.
Start the engine. Release the parking brake.
Automatic Transmission:
6-speed Manual Transmission:
Sling-t ype Equipment
Flat -bed Equipment Wheel-lif t Equipment
T his method of towing
is unacceptable.
T his is the best way to
transport your A cura.
T his is
an acceptable way to tow your
Acura.
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed249
NOTICE: Improper towing preparation
will damage the transmission. Follow
the above procedure exactly. If you
cannot shif t the transmission or start
the engine (automatic transmission),
your vehicle must be transported with
the f ront wheels of f the ground.

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Specif ications
T echnical Inf ormation257
Lights
Battery
Fuses Engine
Alignment
Tires
3.50 x 3.39 in (89.0 x 86.0 mm)
12 V 21/5 W
195.8 cu-in (3,210 cm
)
Water cooled 4-stroke
SOHC VTEC 6-cylinder (V6), gasoline engine
12 V 21 W 12 V 51 W (HB4)
DRL (Canadian models)
Front turn signal/Side marker/
Parking lights
Fog Lights
Rear turn signal lights
Back-up lights
License plate light
Ceiling light
Trunk light
Door courtesy lights
Vanity mirror lights
Spotlights 12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V21 CP
3CP
5W
5W
2CP
5W
4CP
Capacity 65 AH/20 HR
Interior
Under-hood 12 V51 W (HB3)
12 V
11 : 1
See page 248or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box door on each side of the
dashboard.
See page 247or the fuse box
cover. Type
BorexStroke
Displacement
Compression ratio
Spark plugs
Toe-in
Camber
Caster
0.00 in (0.0 mm)
0.08 in (2.0 mm)
0°30’
1°00’
3°17’
P235/45R17 93W 235/45R17 93W IZFR6K-11
SKJ20DR-M11
35 psi (240 kPa , 2.4 kgf/cm
)
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm)
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm)
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
Size
Pressure
T145/70R17 96M T135/80R16 101M
Front
Rear
Front
Rear
Front
NGK:
DENSO:
Front/Rear
Spare
Front
Rear
Spare A/T Vehicles:
M/T Vehicles:
All season tire
Summer tire
Vehicles with manual transmission
Vehicles with automatic transmission
1:
2:
3:
4:
1
2
34

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Warning: The temperature grade f or
this tire is established f or a tire that
is properly inf lated and not over-
loaded. Excessive speed, underinf la-
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire
f ailure.
Date of manuf acture. Tire type code. Manuf acturer’s
identification mark. This indicates that the tire
meets all requirements of
the U.S. Department of
Transportation.
Tire Identif ication Number (TIN) is
a group of numbers and letters that
look like the f ollowing example TIN.
Speed symbol (an
alphabetical code indicating
the maximum speed rating). Load index (a numerical code
associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry). Rim diameter in inches. Tire construction code (R
indicates radial).
Whenever tires are replaced, they
should be replaced with tires of the
same size. Following is an example
of tire size with an explanation of
what each component means. Aspect ratio (the tire’s section
height as a percentage of its
width). Tire width in millimeters. Vehicletype(Pindicates
passenger vehicle).
The tires that came on your vehicle
have a number of markings. Those
you should be aware of are described
below.
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled
conditions on a specif ied indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire f ailure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
perf ormance, which all passenger
vehicle tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Saf ety
Standard No. 109 and No. 139.
Grades B and A represent higher
levels of perf ormance on the
laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
PR
DOT
2202
235
45 17
93
W
OBGN
PVC
Temperature A,B,C
Tire Labeling
DOT T ire Quality Grading (U.S. Vehicles), T ire L abeling
T ire Ident if icat ion Number
Tire Size
T echnical Inf ormation259
DOT OBGN PVC 2202
P235/45R17 93W

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Your new Acura is covered by these
warranties:
covers your new vehicle, except f or
the battery, emissions control
systems, and accessories, against
def ects in materials and
workmanship.
these two
warranties cover your vehicle’s emis-
sions control systems. Time, mileage,
and coverage are conditional. Please
read the warranty manual for exact
inf ormation.
this warranty gives up
to 100 percent credit toward a
replacement battery. a seat
belt that f ails to f unction properly is
coveredfortheusefullifeof the
vehicle.
all exterior body panels are
covered f or rust-through f rom the
inside f or the specif ied time period
with no mileage limit.
Acura accessories are covered under
this warranty. Time and mileage
limits depend on the type of
accessory and other f actors. Please
read your warranty manual f or
details.
covers all Acura
replacement parts against defects in
materials and workmanship. provides prorated
coverage f or a replacement battery
purchased f rom an Acura dealer.
provides
coverageforaslongasthepur-
chaser of the muf f ler owns the
vehicle.
Restrictions and exclusions apply to
all these warranties. Please read the
2004 Acura Warranty Inf ormation
booklet that came with your vehicle
f or precise inf ormation on warranty
coverages. Your Acura’s original
tires are covered by their
manuf acturer. Tire warranty
inf ormation is in a separate booklet.
Please ref er to the 2004 Warranty
Manual that came with your vehicle.
Warranty Coverages
Warrant y and Cust omer Relat ions
U.S. Owners
Canadian Owners
New Vehicle L imit ed Warrant yEmissions Cont rol Syst ems Def ect sWarrant y and EmissionsPerf ormance Warranty
Original Equipment Bat t ery L imit edWarranty Seat Belt Limited Warranty
Rust Perf orat ion L imit ed Warrant y
Accessory Limited Warranty
Replacement Part s L imit edWarranty Replacement Bat t ery L imit ed
Warranty
Replacement Muf f ler L if et imeLimited Warranty
267