Engine Acura TL 2009 Owners Manual

Lif t the hood up most of the way.
The hydraulic supports will lif t it
uptherestof thewayandholdit
up.To close the hood, lower it to about a
f oot (30 cm) above the f ender, then
press down f irmly with your hands.
Make sure the hood is securely
latched.
Park the vehicle on a level surf ace.
Insert the dipstick all the way back
into its hole.
Wipe of f the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Remove the dipstick (orange loop).
Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.
If the hood latch handle moves
stif f ly, or if you can open the hood
without lifting the handle, the
mechanism should be cleaned and
lubricated.
3. 1.
3.
2.
Service Station Procedures
Oil Check
490
LATCH
DIPSTICK
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Remove the dipstick again, and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page .See page f or the engine coolant
location. Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
on page f or
inf ormation on adding the proper
coolant.
Refer to on page f or inf ormation
about checking other items on your
vehicle.
To access the radiator reserve tank,
remove the right-side engine
compartment cover (see page ).
4.
547545 550
543
546
Service Station Procedures
A dding Engine Oil Engine Coolant Check
A dding
Engine Coolant
Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
Bef ore Driving
491
RESERVE TANK
MAX
MIN
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
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µµ
µ µ
µ
µ
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Aggressive driving (hard
acceleration and braking)
Excessive idling, accelerating and
braking in stop-and-go traf f ic
Cold engine operation (engines
aremoreefficientwhenwarmed
up)
Driving with a heavy load or the
air conditioner running
Improperly inf lated tires
The f ollowing f actors can lower your
vehicle’s f uel economy:
A properly maintained vehicle
maximizes f uel economy. Poor
maintenance can signif icantly reduce
f uel economy. Always maintain your
vehicle according to the maintenance
messages displayed on the
inf ormation display (see
on page ).
For example: Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking increase fuel
consumption.
Aerodynamic drag has a big ef f ect
on f uel economy at speeds above
45 mph (75 km/h). Reduce your
speed and you reduce the drag.
Trailers, car top carriers, roof
racks and bike racks are also big
contributors to increased drag.
If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, you can
boost your f uel economy by up
shif ting as early as possible.
Idling
results in 0 miles per gallon (0 kms
per liter).
It puts a heavier
load on the engine, increasing f uel
consumption.
In
particular, a build-up of snow or
mud on your vehicle’s underside
adds weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
economy. An underinf lated tire increases
‘‘rolling resistance,’’ which reduces
f uel economy.
543
CONT INUED
Fuel Economy Factors Use the recommended viscosity
motor oil, displaying the A PI
Certif ication Seal (see page ).
Improving Fuel Economy Owner’s
Maintenance Checks Drive moderately
Observe the speed limit
Always drive in the highest gear
possible
Avoid excessive idling
A void carrying excess weight in
your vehicle
K eep your vehicle clean
Maintain proper tire inf lation
547
Vehicle Maint enance Drive Ef f icient ly
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
493
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Fill the f uel tank until the nozzle automatically clicks of f .
Reset trip counter to zero.
Record the total gallons (liters) needed to ref ill.
Follow one of the simple calculations above.
The A/C
puts an extra load on the engine
which makes it use more f uel. Use
the f resh-air ventilation when
possible.
Combine several short trips into
one. A warmed-up engine is more
f uel ef f icient than a cold one.
Direct calculation is the
recommended source of inf ormation
about your actual f uel economy.
Using f requency of f ill-ups or taking
f uel gauge readings are NOT
accurate measures of f uel economy.
Fuel economy may improve over the
f irst several thousand miles. 1)
2)
3)
4)
Checking Your Fuel Economy
Measuring T echniquesMinimize the use of the air
conditioning system
Plan and combine trips
Calculating Fuel Economy
Fuel Economy
494
Miles per Gallon
100 Kilometers
Gallons
of fuel
Miles
driven
Liter Lper
100 km
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2009 TL

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 vehicle, the braking
system, the Super Handling-All
Wheel Drive (SH-AWD
)system,
vehicle stability assist (VSA
), aka
electronic stability control (ESC),
system and the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS). ........................
Preparing to Drive .502
Starting the Engine (Models without Keyless .....................
Access System) .503
Starting the Engine (Models with Keyless .....................
Access System) .505
..............
Automatic Transmission .507
Driving with the Paddle
.......................................
Shif ters .512
Super Handling-All Wheel ...
Drive (SH-AWD
) System .517
...........................................
Parking .519
.............................
Braking System .520
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .521
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
),
aka Electronic Stability ........
Control (ESC), System .523
Tire Pressure Monitoring ........................
System (TPMS) .526
...........................
Towing a Trailer .531
...................
Towing Your Vehicle .531
Driving
Driving
501
TM
TM
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2009 TL

Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.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 ).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
).
Youshoulddothesechecksand
adjustments bef ore you drive your
vehicle:
Check that the hood is f ully closed.
Check that the trunk is f ully
closed.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
f astened down securely.
3.
2.
1.
7.
8.
9.
4.
5. 6.
155
63 75
77
16
161
140
10. 11.
Preparing to Drive
502
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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.
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.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Apply the parking brake. If the engine does not start, wait at
least 10 seconds bef ore trying
again.
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.6.
1.
2.
3.
4. 5.
Starting the Engine (Models without Keyless Access System)
Driving
503
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 .
143
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2009 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 without Keyless Access System)
504
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2009 TL

Your vehicle’s starting system has an
auto control mode. When you have
your keyless access remote and push
the engine start/stop button while
depressing the brake pedal, this
f eature keeps the engine’s starter
motor running until the engine starts.
Follow these instructions to start the
engine:Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Apply the parking brake.
If the engine does not start, wait at
least 10 seconds bef ore trying
again.
If you hold the engine start/stop
button for more than 7 seconds,
the starter motor, depending on
the outside temperature, runs f or
about 10 to 25 seconds until the
engine starts.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, push and release the engine
start/stop button. You do not need
to hold the engine start/stop
button to start the engine.
Depending on the outside
temperature, the starter motor
runs f or about 6 to 9 seconds until
the engine starts.
The keyless access remote system
main switch is of f . The keyless access remote battery
becomes weak or dead.
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.
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.
In either of the f ollowing cases, you
should insert the keyless access
remote into the keyless remote slot.
For more inf ormation, see pages and . 6.
1.
2.
3.
5.
4.
186187
CONT INUED
Starting the Engine (Models with Keyless Access System)
Driving
505
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly
coded keyless access remote (or other
device) is used, the engine’s f uel system
is disabled. For more inf ormation, see
page .143
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2009 TL

If there is a problem with the
starting system, you will see a
‘‘CHECK STARTING SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display with the power mode ON.You will also see this message when
the auto control mode of the starting
system has a problem.
If this message is on, you should
press and hold the engine start/stop
button until the engine starts. The
engine start/stop button can be
pressedupto15seconds.
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.
Your vehicle has the engine start/
stop button instead of an ignition
switch to select the power mode. For
more information, see page .
If you cannot start the engine using
the normal engine start procedure,
do the f ollowing:
Set the parking brake.
Put the shif t lever into Park.
Press the engine start/stop button
to turn on the ACCESSORY mode.
Press and hold the engine start/
stop button f or about 15 seconds
while pressing the brake pedal.
Do not f ollow this procedure unless
it is a case of emergency. Even if you
can start the engine using this
method, the system may have a
malf unction. Contact your dealer as
soon as possible.
178 1.
2.
3.
4.
Starting the Engine (Models with Keyless Access System)
Check Starting System Message
Emergency Engine Start
506
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.
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2009 TL