check engine light Acura TL 2009 Owner's Manual

If you turn the steering wheel to the
f ull lef t or right position repeatedly
while stopping or driving at very low
speed, you may f eel slightly harder
steering in order to prevent damage
to the steering box caused by
overheating.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK POWER
STEERING SYSTEM’’ message on
the multi-information display.This indicator comes on red if any
door or the trunk lid is not closed
tightly.
You will also see a corresponding
indicator(s) on the multi-information
display to indicate which door and/
or the trunk is not closed tightly (see
page ).
If this happens, stop the vehicle in a
saf e place and turn of f the engine.
Reset the system by restarting the
engine. The indicator will stay on,
but should go of f af ter driving a
short distance. If it does not go of f ,
or comes back on again while driving,
take the vehicle to your dealer to
have it checked. With the indicator
on, the EPS may be turned of f ,
making the vehicle harder to steer.
This indicator comes on with the
high beam headlights. For more
inf ormation, see page .
This indicator also comes on with
reduced brightness when the
daytime running lights (DRL) are on
(see page ).
This indicator comes on when you
turn on the f og lights. For more
inf ormation, see page .
11 134
136
137
Instrument Panel Indicators
Door/T runk Open
Indicator High Beam Indicator
Fog L ight Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
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Î
ÎÎIf you see a ‘‘CHECK DRL
SYSTEM’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display, there is a
problem with the daytime running
light system. Take your vehicle to a
dealer to have it checked.
The headlights revert to normal
operation when you turn them on
with the switch.
The lights will turn on again when
you unlock or open the driver’s door.
If you unlock the door, but do not
open it within 15 seconds, the lights
will go off. With the driver’s door
open, you will hear a lights on
reminder chime.
Models equipped with the
keyless access system have an
engine start/stop button instead
of an ignition switch. VEHICLE
OFF (LOCK) Mode is the
equivalent of LOCK (0). For
more inf ormation, see pagesand . With the headlight switch of f or in
the position, the high beam
headlights and the high beam
indicator come on with reduced
brightness when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position and release the parking
brake. They remain on until you turn
the ignition switch of f , even if you
set the parking brake.
Models equipped with the
keyless access system have an
engine start/stop button instead
of an ignition switch. ON Mode
is the equivalent of ON (II). For
more inf ormation, see pagesand .
:
178180 :
178180
Headlights
Daytime Running L ights
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Turn the engine of f , and conf irm the
f uel f ill cap is installed. If it is, loosen
it, then retighten it until it clicks at
least once. The message should go
off after several days of normal
driving once you tighten or replace
the f uel f ill cap. To scroll to another
message, press the INFO button.If the system still detects a leak in
your vehicle’s evaporative emissions
system, the malf unction indicator
lamp (MIL) comes on. If the f uel f ill
cap was not already tightened, turn
the engine of f , and check or
retighten the f uel f ill cap until it
clicks at least once. The MIL should
go off after several days of normal
driving once the cap is tightened or
replaced. If the MIL does not go of f ,
have your vehicle inspected by a
dealer. For more inf ormation, see
page .
Park the vehicle, and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly.
Put your f ingers between the f ront
edge of the hood and the f ront
grille to locate the hood latch
handle. Push this handle up until it
releases the hood. Lif t the hood.
The ‘‘TIGHTEN FUEL CAP’’
message will appear each time you
restart the engine until the system
turns the message of f .
1.
2.
596
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Service Station Procedure
Opening and Closing the Hood
Bef ore Driving
489
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
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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
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Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. Make sure
the parking brake is set f irmly, or
your vehicle may roll if it is parked
on an incline.
If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, set the parking brake
bef ore you put the transmission in
Park. This keeps the vehicle f rom
moving and putting pressure on the
parking mechanism in the
transmission.Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Turn of f the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you.
Lock the doors.
If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The hot three way
catalytic converter could cause
these materials to catch on fire.
Check the indicator on the
instrument panel to verif y that the
security system is set.If the vehicle is f acing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb.
Make sure the parking brake is
f ully released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or
damage the rear brakes.
If you are unable to stop the
engine normally while in the Park
position, see on page . 184
On models with keyless access system
Parking T ips
Emergency Engine
Stop
Parking
Driving
519
NOTE:
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Your vehicle is equipped with disc
brakes at all f our wheels. A power
assist helps reduce the ef f ort needed
on the brake pedal. The emergency
brake assist system increases the
stopping f orce when you depress the
brake pedal hard in an emergency
situation. The anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps you retain steering
control when braking very hard.
Resting your f oot on the pedal keeps
the brakes applied lightly, builds up
heat, reduces their ef f ectiveness and
reduces brake pad lif e. In addition,
f uel economy can be reduced. It also
keeps your brake lights on all the
time, conf using drivers behind you.Constant application of the brakes
when going down a long hill builds
up heat and reduces their ef f ective-
ness. Use the engine to assist the
brakes by taking your f oot of f the
accelerator and downshif ting to a
lower gear.
Check your brakes af ter driving
through deep water. Apply the
brakes moderately to see if they f eel
normal. If not, apply them gently and
f requently until they do. Be extra
cautious and alert in your driving.
The hydraulic system that operates
the brakes has two separate circuits.
Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle (the lef t-f ront brake is
connected with the right-rear brake,
etc.). If one circuit should develop a
problem, you will still have braking
at two wheels.If the brake pads need replacing, you
will hear a distinctive, metallic
screeching sound when you apply
the brake pedal. If you do not have
the brake pads replaced, they will
screech all the time. It is normal f or
the brakes to occasionally squeal or
squeak when you apply them.
All f our brakes have audible brake
wear indicators.
Brake Wear Indicators
Braking System Design
Braking System
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Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that turns on every time you start the
engine and monitors the pressure in
your tires while driving.If you think you can saf ely drive a
short distance to a service station,
proceed slowly to the station, then
inflate the tire to the recommended
pressure shown on the driver’s
doorjamb.
If the tire is f lat, or if the tire
pressure is too low to continue
driving, replace the tire with the
compact spare tire (see page ).
Driving on a signif icantly under-
inf lated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inf lation also reduces f uel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
af f ect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.
Becausetirepressurevariesby
temperature and other conditions,
the low tire pressure/TPMS
indicator may come on unexpectedly.
When the low tire pressure/TPMS
indicator is on, one or more of your
tires is signif icantly underinf lated.
Youshouldstopandcheckyourtires
as soon as possible, and inflate them
to the proper pressure as indicated
on the vehicle’s tire inf ormation
placard.
Each tire has its own pressure
sensor. If the air pressure of a tire
becomes signif icantly low, the
sensor in that tire immediately sends
a signal that causes the low tire
pressure/TPMS indicator in the
instrument panel to come on. If this
happens, you will see which tire is
losing pressure on the multi-
inf ormation display along with a
‘‘CHECK TIRE PRESSURE’’
message. It is possible that the pressures
shown on the multi-inf ormation
display and the pressures you
manually measure are slightly
dif f erent.
If the dif f erence is signif icant or you
cannot make the low tire pressure/
TPMS indicator and message on the
multi-inf ormation display go out af ter
inf lating the tires to the specif ied
values, have your dealer check the
system as soon as possible. 583
Low Tire Pressure/
TPMS Indicator
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
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This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.
If you have the skills and tools to
perf orm more complex maintenance
tasks on your vehicle, you may want
to purchase the service manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your dealer.
This section also includes
instructions on how to read the
maintenance minder messages on
the multi-information display, and
instructions f or simple maintenance
tasks you may want to take care of
yourself .......................
Maintenance Saf ety .534
....................
Maintenance Minder .535
..............................
Fluid Locations .545
......
Engine Compartment Covers .546
........................
Adding Engine Oil .547
.........
Changing the Oil and Filter .548
..............................
Engine Coolant .550
....................
Windshield Washers .552
....
Automatic Transmission Fluid .553
....................................
Brake Fluid .555
.............................................
Lights .556
................
Cleaning the Seat Belts .564
.....................................
Floor Mats .565
..................
Dust and Pollen Filter .566
.................................
Wiper Blades .566
...............................................
Tires .568
...................
Checking the Battery .577
.............................
Vehicle Storage .578
633
Maintenance
Maint enance
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Youshouldcheckthefollowing
items at the specif ied intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perf orm
any check, turn to the appropriate
page listed.
Lights Check the operation of
the headlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
and license plate lights monthly.
See page .
Engine oil level Check every
time you fill the fuel tank. See
page .
Engine coolant level Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
you f ill the f uel tank. See page .
Automatic transmission Check
the f luid level monthly. See page .
Brakes Check the f luid level
monthly. See page .
Tires Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread f or
wear and foreign objects. See page . 491
556
490
553 555
568
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Maintenance Minder
Owner’s Maintenance Checks
Maint enance
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Check these things:Check the transmission interlock.
The shift lever must be in Park or
neutral.
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position or on models with
keyless access system, press the
engine start/stop button to set ON
Mode (see page ). Turn on the
headlights, and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or do not come on at all,
the battery is discharged. See on page .
When you turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position or on
models with keyless access system,
press the engine start/stop button to
set START Mode (see page ),
you do not hear the normal noise of
the engine trying to start. You may
hear a clicking sound, a series of
clicks, or nothing at all.
Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position or on models with keyless
access system, press the engine
start/stop button to set START
Mode (see page ):
You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. 591
180
180
180
If theEngineWon’tStart
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting
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