winter tires Acura TL 2004 Owner's Manual

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

´
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.

Î
.................
Vehicle Capacity Load . 172
......................
Vehicle Dimensions .256
....
Vehicle Identif ication Number . 254Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
....................................
System .190
........
VSA System Indicator . 54,190
...
VSA Activation Indicator . 54,190
.........................
VSA Of f Switch .191
.............................
Vehicle Storage .227
.................................................
VIN .254
..................................
Viscosity, Oil .204
....................................
Tire Chains .225
.........
Tire, How to Change a Flat . 231
...............................................
Tires .220
..............................
Air Pressure .221
.........................
Checking Wear .222
..........................
Compact Spare .230
......
DOT Tire Quality Grading . 258
......................................
Inf lation .221
..................................
Inspection .222
...................................
Replacing .224
......................................
Rotating .223
...........................................
Snow .225
............................
Specif ications .257
.............................
Summer Tire .224
.......................
Traction Devices .225
..........................
Winter Driving .224
...................
Tools, Tire Changing . 231
Towing .....................................
A Trailer .192
................
Emergency Wrecker . 249
...........................
Traction Devices .225
Transmission Checking Fluid Level, ..............................
Automatic .209
.
Checking Fluid Level Manual . 210
..................
Fluid Selection . 209,210 ..............
Identif ication Number . 254
.............
Shif ting the Automatic . 190
..................
Shif ting the Manual . 178
.............................
Treadwear .223, 258
................................
Trip Computer .65
.......................................
Trip Meter .62
................................................
Trunk .80
........
Emergency Trunk Release . 84
.................................
Opening the .83
...................
Open Monitor Light . 60
....................................
Turn Signals .74
Unexpected, Taking Care ..........................................
of the .229
....
Unif orm Tire Quality Grading . 258
........................
Unleaded Gasoline .164
.......
Used Oil, How to Dispose of . 206 .............
WARNING, Explanation of . ii
.........
Warning Labels, Location of . 47
..................
Warranty Coverages .267
Washer, Windshield ........
Checking the Fluid Level . 208
.......................................
Indicator .62
.....................................
Operation .73
Wheels ...............
Adjusting the Steering . 78
............
Alignment and Balance . 223
..........................
Compact Spare .230
Windows ..................
Operating the Power . 97
...........................
Rear, Def ogger .77
Index
U
V W
VIII