transmission Acura TL 2012 Owner's Guide

To remove the keyless access remote:On automatic transmission models
If the vehicle is lef t in the
ACCESSORY mode, the ‘‘TO TURN
VEHICLE OFF’’ message is shown
on the multi-information display
when you open the driver’s door. If
the vehicle is lef t in the VEHICLE
OFF (LOCK) mode with the keyless
access remote in the slot, the
‘‘REMOVE KEYLESS REMOTE
FROM SLOT’’ message is shown on
the multi-information display.If youturnoff thevehicleandleave
the remote in the keyless access
remote slot, you will also hear a
reminder beeper.
TheshiftlevermustbeinPark
bef ore you can press the engine
start/stop button twice without
pressing the brake pedal to set the
vehicle into the VEHICLE OFF
(LOCK) mode.
K eyless A ccess System
200
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Inst rument s and Cont rols
2012 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 transmissionBreak-in Period
Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
468
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Bef ore Driving
2012 TL

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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:
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.
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 multi-
inf ormation display (see on page ).For example:
539
CONT INUED
Fuel Economy Factors Use the recommended viscosity
motor oil, displaying the A PI
Certif ication Seal (see page ).
Improving Fuel Economy 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
Owner’s
Maintenance Checks 543
Vehicle Maint enance
Drive Ef f icient ly
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
477
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2012 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, the vehicle
stability assist (VSA
), aka
electronic stability control (ESC),
system, the tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS), and the blind spot
inf ormation system (BSI). ........................
Preparing to Drive .486
Starting the Engine (Models without Keyless .....................
Access System) .487
Starting the Engine (Models with Keyless .....................
Access System) .489
...................
Manual Transmission . 491
..............
Automatic Transmission . 494
Driving with the Paddle .......................................
Shif ters .499
Super Handling-All Wheel ...
Drive (SH-AWD
) System . 504
...........................................
Parking .506
.............................
Braking System .507
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 508
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
),
aka Electronic Stability ........
Control (ESC), System . 510
.........................
Hill Start Assist .512
Tire Pressure Monitoring ........................
System (TPMS) .514
Blind Spot Inf ormation System ...........................................
(BSI) .519
...........................
Towing a Trailer .528
...................
Towing Your Vehicle . 528
Driving
Driving
485
TM
TM
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2012 TL

µ
The keyless access remote battery
becomes weak or dead. The keyless access remote system
main switch is of f .
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 .
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 (A/T) or
clutch pedal (M/T), 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. Press the clutch pedal down all the
way. The power mode f rom ON to
START does not f unction unless
the clutch pedal is pressed. In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery. Apply the parking brake. 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. The
starter motor runs until the engine
starts or a maximum of 10 25
seconds depending on engine
coolant temperature.If the engine does not start, wait
at least 10 seconds before
trying again.
1.
2.
3. 4.
194 195
Automatic transmission:
Manual transmission:
Starting the Engine (Models with Keyless Access System)
Driving
489
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 .
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. 149
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2012 TL

If you cannot start the engine using
the normal engine start procedure,
do the f ollowing:Set the parking brake.
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. 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.Press and hold the engine start/
stop button f or about 15 seconds
while pressing the brake pedal
(automatic) or the clutch pedal
(manual). Press the engine start/stop button
to turn on the ACCESSORY mode. Put the shif t lever into Park.
If this message is on, you should
press and hold the engine start/stop
button until the engine starts. The
engine start/stop button may need to
be held several seconds bef ore the
starter motor runs. The starter
motor can be run up to 15 seconds.
Your vehicle has the engine start/
stop button instead of an ignition
switch to select the power mode. For
more information, see page . 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.
1.
2.
3.
4.
184
Automatic transmission:
Starting the Engine (Models with Keyless Access System)
Emergency Engine Start
Check Starting System Message
490
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Driving
2012 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 shift into
reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause for a few seconds before
shifting into reverse, or shift
into one of the forward gears for 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 ). 493
CONT INUED
Manual T ransmission
Driving
491
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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2012 TL

Press the clutch pedal, and shif t to
reverse.
The manual transmission has a
lockout so you cannot accidentally
shif t f rom any f orward gear to
reverse while the vehicle is moving
at a certain speed. If you cannot shif t
to reverse when the vehicle is
stopped, do the f ollowing:
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 select the ACCESSORY or
VEHICLE OFF (LOCK) mode
(see page ).
With the clutch pedal still pressed
f ully, press the engine start/stop
button to start the engine.
If you need to use this procedure to
shif t to reverse, your vehicle may be
developing a problem. Have it
checked by your dealer.
1. 2.
3.
4.
185
Reverse Lockout
Manual T ransmission
Driving
493
Move the shift lever in sequence.
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2012 TL

Î
These indicators between the
tachometer and speedometer show
which position the shif t lever is in.Using a paddle shif t mode, the gear
position indicator shows you the
selected gear number (see page
).
The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If it f lashes while driving (in
any shif t position), it indicates a
possible problem in the transmission. If the malf unction indicator lamp
comes on along with the ‘‘D’’
indicator, there is a problem with the
automatic transmission control
system. Avoid rapid acceleration and
have the transmission checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
When the ‘‘D’’ indicator warns of a
possible problem with the
transmission, you will see a ‘‘CHECK
TRANSMISSION’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display.
499
Shif t L ever Position Indicators
Automatic Transmission
494
GEAR POSITION INDICATOR on
PADDLE SHIFT MODE
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page
Driving
Î
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
information, see
page s 184 and 187.
:
2012 TL

µ
Î
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. Press the release
buttononthefrontof theshiftlever
to move it.
To shif t f rom Park to any position,
pressfirmlyonthebrakepedal,and
pressthereleasebuttononthefront
of the shift lever, then move the
lever. You cannot shift out of Park
when the ignition switch is in the
LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I)
position.Do this:
Press the brake pedal and
press the shift lever release
button.
Press the shift lever release
button.
Move the shift lever.
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR DtoS
StoD
DtoN
NtoD RtoN
CONT INUED
Shif ting Park (P)
Automatic Transmission
Driving
495
RELEASE BUTTON
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Î
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) and ACCESSORY Mode is the
equivalent of ACCESSORY (I). For more
information, see pages 184 and 187.
:
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see
on
page . 497Shif t L ock Release
2012 TL