engine Acura TL 2006 Owner's Manual

2006 TL Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com.

Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
............................................................................. i
A Few Wo r

ds About Safety ........................................................................\
.................................................. ii
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
...............................................7
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Cont r
ols........................................................................\
...................................................57
Instrument panel indica tor and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
...............................119
How t o
op era

te the climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
...................................................... .
............. .

175
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
.................................................................................. 187
The proper way to start

the engine, shift the transmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.........................................................................207
T h
e Ma int

enance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................243
This section covers several problems motorists someti mes experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
.......................................................267
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and techni

cal information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)......................................................................279
A summary of th
e warr anties coverin

g your new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
.......................................283
How t o
order manuals an

d other technical literature.
Index ........................................................................\
......................................................................................... I
Service Inf ormat

ion Summary
A summary of informat

ion you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
.......................................................4

If you are pregnant, the best way to
protect yourself and your unborn
child when driving or riding in a
vehicle is to always wear a seat belt,
and keep the lap part of the belt as
low as possible across the hips.
In addition, an occupant who is out of
position in the f ront seat can be
seriously or f atally injured in a crash
by striking interior parts of the
vehicle or being struck by an
inflating front airbag.
After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and put on seat belts, it is
very important that they continue to
sit upright, well back in their seats,
with their feet on the floor, until the
vehicle is parked and the engine is
off.
Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches,
lies down, turns sideways, sits
forward, leans forward or sideways,
or puts one or both f eet up, the
chance of injury during a crash is
greatly increased. Advice f or Pregnant Women
Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
6.
Protecting A dults and Teens
18
Sitting improperly or out of
position can result in serious
injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright, well back in
the seat, with your feet on the
floor.

The SRS indicator alerts
you to a potential problem
with your airbags or seat belt
tensioners.
When you turn the ignition switch to
the ON (II) position, this indicator
comes on brief ly then goes of f . This
tells you the system is working
properly.
In a moderate to severe side impact,
sensors will detect rapid deceleration
and signal the control unit to
instantly inflate the side curtain
airbag on the driver’s or the
passenger’s side of the vehicle. If the impact is on the passenger’s
side, the passenger’s side curtain
airbag will inflate even if there are no
occupants on that side of the vehicle.
To get the best protection f rom the
side curtain airbags, occupants
should wear their seat belts and sit
upright and well back in their seats.
If the indicator comes on at any
other time, or does not come on at all,
you should have the system checked
by your dealer. For example:If the SRS indicator does not come
on after you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position.
If the indicator stays on after the
engine starts.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
How Your Side Curtain A irbags
Work How the SRS Indicator Works
30
SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG

Your vehicle’s exhaust contains
carbon monoxide gas. You should
have no problem with carbon
monoxide entering the vehicle in
normal driving if you maintain your
vehicle properly.High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage.If you must sit in your parked vehicle,
even in an unconf ined area, with the
engine running, adjust the climate
control system as f ollows:
The vehicle is raised f or an oil
change.
You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust.
The vehicle was in an accident
that may have damaged the
underside.
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:
With the trunk lid open, airf low can
pull exhaust gas into your vehicle’s
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
trunk open, open all the windows,
and set the climate control system as
shown below.
Select the f resh air mode.
Select the mode.
Set the f an speed to high.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
53
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.

The instrument panel has many
indicators to give you important
inf ormation about your vehicle. The engine can be severely damagedif this indicator f lashes or stays on
when the engine is running. For
more information, see page .
If this indicator comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged. For more inf ormation,
see page .
See page .This indicator has two f unctions:
If it stays on after you have fully
released the parking brake while
the engine is running, or if it
comes on while driving, it can
indicate a problem in the brake
system. For more inf ormation, see
page .
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. It reminds you and your
passengers to f asten your seat belts.
A beeper also sounds if you have not
f astened your seat belt.
If you continue driving without
f astening your seat belt, the beeper
sounds and the indicator f lashes
again at regular intervals, and you
will also see a ‘‘FASTEN SEAT
BELT’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ).
If you drive without releasing the
parking brake, a chime will sound,
and you will also see a ‘‘RELEASE
PARKING BRAKE’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page
).
If you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position bef ore f astening
your seat belt, the beeper sounds,
and the indicator f lashes. If you do
notfastenyourseatbeltbeforethe
beeper stops, the indicator stops
f lashing but remains on. Itcomesonwhenyouturnthe
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. It is a reminder to check
the parking brake. Driving with
the parking brake not f ully
released can damage the brakes
and tires.
1.
2.
69 256
256 257 258
70
Instrument Panel Indicators
Seat Belt Reminder
Indicator L ow Oil Pressure
Indicator
Charging System
Indicator
Malf unction Indicator
Lamp Parking Brake and
Brake System
Indicator
60
Canada
U.S.

This indicator also blinks several
times when you turn the ignition
switch f rom the ON (II) position to
the ACCESSORY (I) or the LOCK
(0) position.This indicator comes on when you
turn on the fog lights. See page
f or inf ormation on f og light
operation.
This indicator comes on f or a f ew
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position. It then
goes of f if you have inserted a
properly-coded ignition key. If it is
not a properly-coded key, the
indicator will blink and the engine
will not start (see page ).
This indicator is in the f uel gauge. It
comesonasareminderthatyou
must ref uel soon. When the indicator
comes on, there is about 1.2 U.S. gal
(4.5
) of f uel remaining in the tank
bef ore the needle reaches E. There
is a small reserve of f uel remaining
in the tank when the needle does
reach E.
91
85
U.S. models only
Immobilizer System
Indicator
L ow Fuel Indicator
Fog L ight Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
64
LOW FUEL INDICATOR

This shows the temperature of the
engine’s coolant. During normal
operation, the pointer should rise to
about the middle of the gauge. In
severe driving conditions, the pointer
may rise to the upper zone. If it
reaches the red (hot) mark, pull
safely to the side of the road. Turn to
page f or instructions and
precautions on checking the engine’s
cooling system.
This shows how much f uel you have.
It may show slightly more or less
than the actual amount. Driving
uphill or making turns can cause the
needle to f luctuate or the low f uel
indicator to come on early. The
needle returns to the bottom after
you turn of f the ignition.254
Temperature Gauge
Fuel Gauge
Gauges
Inst rument s and Cont rols
66
FUEL GAUGE
TEMPERATURE GAUGE
SPEEDOMETER
TACHOMETER
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.

The multi-inf ormation display in the
instrument panel displays various
inf ormation and messages when the
ignition switch is in the ON (II)
position. Some of the messages help
you operate your vehicle more
comf ortably.
Others help to keep you aware of the
periodic maintenance your vehicle
needs f or continued trouble-f ree
driving.Driver 1 or 2 Detected
Door and Trunk Open
Fasten Seat Belt
Release Parking Brake
Odometer
Trip Meter
Outside Temperature
Engine Oil Lif e Maintenance Messages
Auto door lock conditions
Auto door unlock conditions
Whenever unlocking (driver’s
door, or all doors)
Keyless lock acknowledgment
conditions
Security relock timer
Headlight auto of f timer
Interior light dimming time
To customize these control settings,
see page .
Low Windshield Washer Fluid
Level (Canada only)
Here is a list of the messages you
can see. The f ollowing pages give
you more inf ormation on these
messages.
Tighten Fuel Cap With the multi-information display
and the two buttons next to it, you
can also customize these vehicle
control settings to your liking.Language Selection (Canada only) HandsFree Link
Keyless Memory Settings
Trip Computer
Tire Pressure
76
Multi-Inf ormation Display
67
SELECT/
RESET
BUTTON
INFO
BUTTON
TMTM

¶¶µµµµ
µ µµµ
Both trip meters will reset if the
vehicle’s battery goes dead or is
disconnected. This shows the outside Fahrenheit
temperature in U.S. models, and
Centigrade temperature in Canadian
models.
To reset a trip meter, display it, then
press and hold the Select/Reset
button until the number resets to
‘‘0.0.’’
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. If the outside temperature is
incorrectly displayed, you can adjust
it up to 5°F ( 3°C) warmer or
cooler.
NOTE: The temperature must be
stabilized bef ore doing this
procedure.
Select the outside temperature
display, then press the Select/Reset
button f or 10 seconds. The f ollowing
sequence will appear f or 1 second
each:0,1,2,3,4,5, 5, 4, 3, 2,1, 0, 1 (0, 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1, 0, 1).
When it reaches the desired value,
release the Select/Reset button. You
should see the new outside
temperature displayed.
The temperature sensor is in the
f ront bumper. The temperature
reading can be affected by heat
ref lection f rom the road surf ace,
engine heat, and the exhaust f rom
surrounding traf f ic. This can cause
an incorrect temperature reading
when your speed is under 19 mph (30 km/h). When you start
your trip, the sensor is not f ully
acclimatized, theref ore it may take
several minutes until the proper
temperature is displayed.
Outside Temperature
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Inst rument s and Cont rols
72
SELECT/
RESET
BUTTON

This shows the remaining lif e of the
engine oil. It shows 100% af ter the
engine oil is replaced and the display
is reset. The engine oil lif e is
calculated based on engine operating
conditions and accumulated engine
revolutions.When the engine oil lif e reaches 15
percent, the display shows
‘‘SERVICE DUE SOON’’ and the
code f or the maintenance items to be
perf ormed.Have your dealer do the indicated
maintenance as soon as you see this
message, and have them reset the
display af ter completing the service.
If you do not perf orm the indicated
maintenance or do not reset the
display, the message changes to
‘‘SERVICE PAST DUE’’ when the
engine oil lif e becomes 0 percent.
These messages appear on the multi-
inf ormation display each time you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position.
When the engine oil lif e reaches 5
percent, the display shows
‘‘SERVICE DUE NOW’’ along with
the same maintenance items. For details on engine oil lif e and
maintenance messages, ref er to page
.
Also ref er to page f or important
maintenance saf ety precautions. 209
208
Engine Oil L if e
Maintenance Messages
Multi-Inf ormation Display
73