brakes Acura TL 2011 Owner's Manual

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If this indicator comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged, and you will also see
a ‘‘CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display. For more inf ormation, see
page .
This indicator comes on brief ly when
you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position. It will then go of f if
you have inserted a properly coded
ignition key, on models with keyless
access system, if an appropriate
keyless access remote is used. If it is
not a properly coded key or keyless
access remote, the indicator will
blink, and the engine’s f uel system
will be disabled (see page ). 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 pages
and . This indicator has two f unctions:
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.
If you drive without releasing the
parking brake, a beeper will sound,
and you will also see a ‘‘RELEASE
PARKING BRAKE’’ message on
the multi-information display (see
page ).
1.
143 :
178 181
561
204
CONT INUED
Instrument Panel Indicators
Charging
Immobilizer Parking Brake and
Brake System
Indicator
Inst rument s and Cont rols
65
U.S. Canada
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System Indicator
System Indicator
2011 TL

To apply the parking brake, pull the
lever up f ully. To release it, pull up
slightly, push the button, and lower
the lever. The parking brake
indicator on the instrument panel
should go out when the parking
brake is f ully released (see page ).If you drive without releasing the
parking brake, a beeper will sound,
and you will also see a ‘‘RELEASE
PARKING BRAKE’’ message
on the multi-information display
(see page ).
65 65
Parking Brake
204
PARKING
BRAKE LEVERDriving the vehicle with the parking
brake applied can damage the rear
brakes and hubs. A beeper will sound if
the vehicle is driven with the parking
brake on.
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2011 TL

Cruise control allows you to maintain
asetspeedabove25mph(40km/h)
without keeping your f oot on the
accelerator pedal. It should be used
f or cruising on straight, open
highways. It is not recommended f or
city driving, winding roads, slippery
roads, heavy rain, or bad weather.Push in the CRUISE button on the
steering wheel. The CRUISE
MAIN indicator on the instrument
panel will come on.Press and release the SET/
DECELbuttononthesteering
wheel. The CRUISE CONTROL
indicator on the instrument panel
comes on to show the system is
now activated.
Cruise control may not hold the set
speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your vehicle speed
increases going down a hill, use the
brakes to slow down. This will cancel
thecruisecontrol.Toresumetheset
speed, press the RES/ACCEL button.
The CRUISE CONTROL indicator
on the instrument panel will come
back on.
Thecruisecontrolsystemcanbe
lefton,evenwhenitisnotinuse.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speedabove25mph(40km/h).
1.
2. 3.
CONT INUED
Using the Cruise Control
Cruise Control
Features
383
RES/ACCEL
BUTTON
SET/DECEL
BUTTON
CRUISE BUTTON
CANCEL BUTTON
Improper use of the cruise
control can lead to a crash.
Use the cruise control only
when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
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2011 TL

You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:Press and hold the RES/ACCEL
button. When you reach the
desired cruising speed, release the
button. You can decrease the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
To increase the speed in very
small amounts, tap the RES/
ACCEL button. Each time you do
this, your vehicle speeds up about
1 mph (1.6 km/h). Push on the accelerator pedal.
Accelerate to the desired cruising
speed, then press the SET/
DECEL button. Even with cruise control turned on,
you can still use the accelerator
pedal to speed up f or passing. Af ter
completing the pass, take your foot
of f the accelerator pedal. The vehicle
will return to the set cruising speed.
To slow down in very small
amounts, tap the SET/DECEL
button. Each time you do this,
your vehicle will slow down about
1 mph (1.6 km/h). Press and hold the SET/DECEL
button. Release the button when
you reach the desired speed. If you need to decrease your
speed quickly, use the brakes as you
normally would.
Tap the brake or clutch pedal
lightly with your f oot. The
CRUISE CONTROL indicator on
the instrument panel will go out.
When the vehicle slows to the
desired speed, press the SET/
DECEL button. Resting your f oot on the brake or
clutch pedal causes the cruise
control to cancel.
Changing the Set Speed
Cruise Control
384
NOTE:
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2011 TL

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced.Do not change the oil until the
multi-inf ormation display indicates
it is needed. Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km). Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Your vehicle is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane of 91 or higher. If this
octane grade is unavailable, regular
unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane of 87 or higher may be used
temporarily. The use of regular
unleaded gasoline can cause metallic
knocking noises in the engine and
will result in decreased engine
perf ormance. The long-term use of
regular-grade gasoline can lead to
engine damage.
You may hear a knocking noise from
the engine if you drive the vehicle at
low engine speed (below about 1,000
rpm) in a higher gear. To stop this,
raise the engine speed by shif ting to
a lower gear.
On vehicles with manual transmission
Break-in Period
Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
444
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance, and
cause the malf unction indicator lamp
on your instrument panel to come on. If
this happens, contact your dealer f or
service. Some gasoline today is blended
with oxygenates such as ethanol. Your
vehicle is designed to operate on
oxygenated gasoline containing up to
10% ethanol by volume. Do not use
gasoline containing methanol. If you
notice any undesirable operating
symptoms, try another service station
or switch to another brand of gasoline. We recommend quality gasoline
containing detergent additives that help
prevent f uel system and engine deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain harmf ul manganese-
based f uel additives such as MMT , if
such gasoline is available.
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2011 TL

Your dealer has Acura accessories
that allow you to personalize your
vehicle. These accessories have
been designed and approved f or your
vehicle, and are covered by warranty.Bef ore installing any accessory:
Make sure the accessory does not
obscure any lights, or interf ere
with proper vehicle operation or
perf ormance.
Although non-Acura accessories may
f it on your vehicle, they may not
meet f actory specif ications, and
could adversely af f ect your vehicle’s
handling, stability, and reliability. Bef ore installing any electronic
accessory, have the installer
contact your dealer for assistance.
If possible, have your dealer
inspect the f inal installation.
Do not install accessories on the
side pillars or across the rear
windows. Accessories installed in
theseareasmayinterferewith
proper operation of the side
curtain airbags. Be sure electronic accessories do
not overload electrical circuits
(see page ) or interf ere with
proper operation of your vehicle.
When properly installed, cellular
phones, alarms, two-way radios, and
low-powered audio systems should
not interf ere with your vehicle’s
computer controlled systems, such
as your airbags, anti-lock brakes, and
tire pressure monitoring system.
Modif ying your vehicle, or installing
some non-Acura accessories, can
make your vehicle unsaf e. Bef ore
you make any modif ications or add
anyaccessories,besuretoreadthe
f ollowing inf ormation.
565
A ccessories
A ccessories and Modif ications
Bef ore Driving
453
Improper accessories or
modifications can affect your
vehicle’s handling, stability, and
performance, and cause a
crash in which you can be hurt
or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding
accessories and modifications.
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2011 TL

Some examples are: Removing parts f rom your vehicle,
or replacing components with non-
Acura components could seriously
af f ect your vehicle’s handling,
stability, and reliability.Raising your vehicle with a non-
Acura suspension kit can af f ect
the handling, stability, and
reliability. Lowering the vehicle with a non-
Acura suspension kit that
signif icantly reduces ground
clearance can allow the
undercarriage to hit speed bumps
or other raised objects, which
could cause the airbags to deploy. Non-Acura wheels, because they
are a universal design, can cause
excessive stress on suspension
components and will not be
compatible with the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS).
Larger or smaller wheels and tires
can interf ere with the operation of
your vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and
other systems.
Modif ying your steering wheel or
any other part of your vehicle’s
safety features can make the
systems inef f ective.
If you plan to modif y your vehicle,
consult your dealer.
Modif ying Your Vehicle
A ccessories and Modif ications
454
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2011 TL

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual and automatic transmissions.
It also includes important
information 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 .460
Starting the Engine (Models without Keyless .....................
Access System) .461
Starting the Engine (Models with Keyless .....................
Access System) .463
...................
Manual Transmission . 465
..............
Automatic Transmission . 468
Driving with the Paddle .......................................
Shif ters .473
Super Handling-All Wheel ...
Drive (SH-AWD
) System . 478
...........................................
Parking .480
.............................
Braking System .481
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 482
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
),
aka Electronic Stability ........
Control (ESC), System . 484
.........................
Hill Start Assist .486
Tire Pressure Monitoring ........................
System (TPMS) .488
...........................
Towing a Trailer .493
...................
Towing Your Vehicle . 493
Driving
Driving
459
TM
TM
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2011 TL

When shif ting up or down, make
sure you push the clutch pedal down
all the way, shif t 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 f aster.
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.’’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
any forward gear to reverse while
the vehicle is moving at a certain
speed (see page ). 467
CONT INUED
Manual T ransmission
Driving
465
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.
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2011 TL

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.
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 uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb. If your vehicle has a manual
transmission, put it in f irst gear.If the vehicle is f acing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb. If your vehicle has a manual
transmission, put it in reverse gear.
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 when the vehicle is
parked (in the Park position on the
automatic transmission models),
see on
page .
186
On models with keyless access system
Parking T ips
Emergency Engine Stop
Parking
480
NOTE:
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2011 TL