engine Acura TL 2008 Owner's Guide

Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments every day bef ore
you drive your vehicle.Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Check that the hood and trunk are
f ully closed.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure. Check the seat adjustment (see
page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page ).
Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).
Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
f astened down securely. When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicators in the
instrument panel, and the
messages on the multi-inf ormation
display (see pages , and
).
3. 2.
1.
4. 5.
6.
7.
8.
9. 10.
103
107 91
14 57 65
68
Preparing to Drive
252
 — —
y
y
(% y y
2008 TL

Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Press the clutch pedal down all the
way. The START (III) position
does not f unction unless the clutch
pedal is pressed.If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
down, and hold it there while
starting to clear flooding. If the
engine still does not start, return
to step 5.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in the START (III)
position f or more than 15 seconds
at a time. If the engine does not
start right away, pause for at least
10 seconds bef ore trying again.
6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Starting the Engine (Models with Manual Transmission)
Driving
253
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page .The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
94
\f—\f—
y
\f\fy
(%\fy\fy
2008 TL

Your vehicle’s starting system has an
auto control mode. When you turn
the ignition switch to the START
(III) position, this f eature keeps the
engine’s starter motor running until
the engine starts. Follow these
instructions to start the engine:If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
down, and hold it there while
starting to clear flooding. If the
engine still does not start, return
to step 5.
Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, then
release the ignition switch. You do
not need to hold the ignition
switch in the START (III) position
to start the engine. Depending on
the outside temperature, the
starter motor runs f or about 6 to 9
seconds until the engine starts. If you hold the ignition switch in
the START (III) position f or more
than 7 seconds, the starter motor,
depending on the outside
temperature, runs f or about 10 to
25 seconds until the engine starts.
If the engine does not start, wait at
least 10 seconds bef ore trying
again.
6.
1.
2.
3.
4. 5.
Starting the Engine (Models with Automatic Transmission)
254
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page .
94
\f—\f—
y
\fy
(%\fy\fy
2008 TL

If there is a problem with the
starting system, you will see a
‘‘CHECK STARTING SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON (II) position. You
will also see this message when the
auto control mode of the starting
system has a problem.If this message is on, the ignition
switchhastobeheldintheSTART
(III) position manually until the
engine starts. The ignition switch
canbeheldinthatpositionupto15
seconds.
Even though you may be able to
start the engine manually without
the auto control mode of the starting
system, have your vehicle inspected
by a dealer.
Check Starting System Message
Starting the Engine (Models with Automatic Transmission)
Driving
255
\f—\f—
y

y
(%\fy\f\fy
2008 TL

When slowing down, you can get
extra braking from the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure the engine speed will not
go into the tachometer’s red zone in
the lower gear.
The manual transmission is
synchronized in all f orward gears f or
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot accidentally shif t f rom
f if th to reverse instead of sixth (see
page ). When shif ting up or
down,makesureyoupushtheclutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shif ting,
do not rest your f oot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster. Come to a full stop before you shift
into reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t into
reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause f or a f ew seconds bef ore
shif ting into reverse, or shif t into one
of the f orward gears f or a moment.
This stops the gears so they won’t
‘‘grind.’’
257The engine can be damaged if
you inadvertently downshif t into the wrong gear (f or example, going f romthird gear at high rpms to second gearinstead of upshif ting to f ourth gear; theengine speed limiter will not work in thissituation).
Manual T ransmission
256
Note:
Rapid slowing or speeding up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.
\f—\f—
y
\fy
(%\fy\f
y
2008 TL

If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
rpm below the red zone.
Bef ore downshif ting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer’s red zone.
Shif t up
1st to 2nd
2nd to 3rd 3rd to 4th4th to 5th
5th to 6th Normal acceleration
17 mph (27 km/h)
27 mph (43 km/h)
36 mph (58 km/h)
41 mph (66 km/h)
44 mph (71 km/h)
Drive in the highest gear that lets
the engine run and accelerate
smoothly. This will give you good
f uel economy and ef f ective
emissions control. The f ollowing
shif t points are recommended:
The manual transmission has an
electric lockout so you cannot
accidentally shif t f rom f if th to
reverse instead of sixth while the
vehicle is moving.
CONT INUED
Engine Speed L imiter
Recommended Shif t Points Reverse L ockout
Manual T ransmission
Driving
257
\f—\f—
y
y
(%\fy\fy
2008 TL

With the clutch pedal pressed,
move the shift lever to the first/
second gear side of the neutral
gate, then shif t to reverse.If you are still unable to shif t to
reverse, apply the parking brake,
and turn the ignition key to the
ACCESSORY (I) or LOCK (0)
position.
Press the clutch pedal, and shif t to
reverse.
With the clutch pedal still pressed,
start the engine.
If you need to use this procedure to
shif t to reverse, your vehicle may be
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by your dealer.
1. 2.
3.
4.
Manual T ransmission
258
\f—\f—
y
y
(%\fy\fy
2008 TL

µ
µ
µµ µ
µ To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop bef ore shif ting
into Park. The shif t lever must be in
Park bef ore you can remove the key
from the ignition switch.
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The transmis-
sion automatically adjusts to keep
the engine at the best speed f or the
driving conditions.
ForfasteraccelerationwheninD,
you can get the transmission to
automatically downshif t by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shif t down one,
two or three gears, depending on
your speed.
Press the brake
pedal to shif t f rom Park to reverse.
To shif t f rom neutral to reverse,
come to a complete stop and then
shif t.
Your vehicle has a reverse lockout so
you cannot accidentally shif t to
reverse f rom neutral or any other
driving position when the vehicle
speed exceeds 5 6 mph (8 10
km/h).
If you cannot shif t to reverse when
the vehicle is stopped, press the
brake pedal, slowly shif t to neutral,
andthenshifttoreverse.
If there is a problem in the reverse
lockout system, or your vehicle’s battery is disconnected or goes dead,
you cannot shif t to reverse. (Ref er to
on page ).
Use neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle and apply the parking brake.
Press on the brake pedal when you
are moving the shif t lever f rom
neutral to another gear.
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page . 264
264
To shift from: PtoR
RtoN
NtoD DtoL
LtoD
DtoN NtoR RtoP Do this:
Press the brake pedal, then
move the shift lever.
Move the lever.
Drive (D)
Reverse (R)
Shif t L ock Release
Neutral (N)
Park (P)
Shif t L ock Release
Automatic Transmission
260
\f—\f—
y
\fy
(%\fy\fy
2008 TL

µWhen you move the shif t lever f rom
‘‘D’’ to the Sequential SportShift
mode, the display shows the selected
gear.
With the shif t lever in ‘‘D’’ position,
you can select the Sequential
SportShift mode to shift gears much
like a manual transmission, but
without a clutch pedal.
To enter the Sequential SportShif t
mode, move the shif t lever f urther to
the driver’s side. To return to ‘‘D,’’
move the shift lever to the
passenger’s side.
When you move the
shif t lever to this position, the
transmission shifts to the lowest
gear that can be selected without
exceeding the engine redline. At
normal speeds, it selects third gear.
As the vehicle slows, it selects
second gear at about 56 mph
(90 km/h), and f irst gear at about 29
mph (47 km/h). Accelerating in f irst
gear, the transmission upshif ts to
second gear at about 37 mph
(59 km/h). You must move the shif t
lever to D f or the transmission to
upshif t to third gear. On Type S, at
closed throttle, it selects second gear
at about 61 mph (98 km/h), and first
gear at about 37 mph (59 km/h).
CONT INUED
Sequential SportShif t ModeLow (L)
Automatic Transmission
Driving
261
SELECTED GEAR
\f—\f—
y
y
(%\fy\fy
2008 TL

´µ
´ µ
In Sequential SportShif t mode, each
time you push f orward on the shif t
lever, the transmission shifts to a
higher gear. Pull back on the lever to
downshif t. The number of the gear
selected is displayed on the
instrument panel.
In Sequential SportShif t mode, you
can also shif t up or down by using
the (right side) or (lef t side)
paddleshiftersoneachsideof the
steering wheel.
Each time you press the right side
( ), the transmission shif ts to a
higher gear. Press the lef t side ( )
to downshif t. The number of the
gear selected is displayed on the
instrument panel.When you accelerate away f rom a
stop, the transmission will start in
f irst gear. You have to manually
upshif t between f irst and f if th gears.
Make sure you upshif t bef ore the
engine speed reaches the
tachometer’s red zone.
The transmission remains in the
selectedgear(5,4,3,2,or1).There
is no automatic downshif t when you
push the accelerator pedal to the
f loor.
On Type S only
Automatic Transmission
262
\f—\f—
y
\fy
(%\fy\fy
2008 TL