ignition Acura CL 2003 Repair Manual

If your car’s battery is disconnected
or goes dead, all stored driving
positions will be lost. To store the
driving positions again, see the
storingprocedureonpage .
The Navigation System will also
disableitself.Thenexttimeyouturn
on the ignition switch, the system
will require you to enter a PIN
bef ore it can be used. Ref er to the
Navigation System Owner’s Manual.
If your car’s battery is disconnected
or goes dead, your driver’s power
window (see page ) and your
audio system will disable itself . The
nexttimeyouturnontheradioyou
will see ‘‘ ’’ in the f requency
display. Use the Preset buttons to
enter the f ive-digit code (see page
). 100
106
157
3.2 CL with Navigation System
Battery
Maint enance261
Charging the battery with the cables
connected can seriously damage your
car’s electronic controls. Detach the
battery cables bef ore connecting the
battery to a charger.

µ
Check the condition of the wiper
blades at least every six months.
Look f or signs of cracking in the
rubber, or areas that are getting
hard. Replace the blades if you f ind
these signs, or if they leave streaks
and unwiped areas when used.
Disconnect the blade assembly
fromthewiperarmbypushingin
the lock tab. Hold it in while you
push the blade assembly toward
thebaseof thearm.
To replace the blade: Turn the ignition ON (II), switch
the wipers to INT or (low
position), then turn the ignition
OFF when the wiper arm is
approximately midway in its travel. Raise the wiper arm of f the
windshield.
1. 2.
3.
Wiper Blades
Maint enance262
W WIIPP E
ER
R A
AR
RMM S
S L
LO
OC CKK
T
T A
A B
B

Remove the blade f rom its holder
by grasping the tabbed end of the
blade. Pull f irmly until the tabs
come out of the holder.Examine the new wiper blades. If
they have no plastic or metal rein-
f orcement along the back edge,
remove the metal reinf orcement
strips f rom the old wiper blade and
install them in the slots along the
edge of the new blade.Slide the new wiper blade into the
holder until the tabs lock.
Slide the wiper blade assembly
onto the wiper arm. Make sure it
locks in place.
Turn the ignition switch ON (II)
andreturnthewindshieldwipers
to their park position. Lower the wiper arm down against
the windshield.
4. 5. 6.
7.
8.
9.
WiperBlades,AirConditioningSystem
Maint enance263
B BL
LAA D
DE
E B
BLLA
A D
DE
E
R
RE EI
INNF FOOR RCCEEM
M E
EN
NT T

If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Stopping in traf f ic or on the shoulder
of a busy road is dangerous. Drive
slowly along the shoulder until you
gettoanexitoranareatostopthat
is far away from the traffic lanes.Turn on the hazard warning lights
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the car while
you change the tire.The tools are in the tool box on
the right side of the trunk. Take
the tools out of the tool box.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.
Park the car on f irm, level and
non-slippery ground away f rom
traf f ic. Put the transmission in
Park (automatic) or Reverse
(manual). Apply the parking brake. Open the trunk. Raise the trunk
f loor by pulling up on the handle.
To keep the f loor out of the way,
hook the handle over the edge of
the trunk opening.5. 4.
3. 2.
1.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed295
T T R
RU UN NKK F
FL
LOOO ORR
S
SP PA
A R
REE T
TI
IRRE E T
TO
OO OLL B
BOOX X
H
H
A
AN
ND DL
LEE
H
H A
AN
ND DL
LEE
J
JAA C
CKK
The car can easily roll off the
jack, seriously injuring anyone
underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the car when it
is supported only by the jack.

When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
orNeutralorthestarterwillnot
operate.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See on page . Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereisproba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. (See
on page .)If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the car from
a booster battery (see page ).
303 320
259
303
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting Emergency T owing
301

In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly.
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page . Do you have f uel? Turn the
ignition switch to ON (II) for a
minute and watch the f uel gauge.
The low f uel level warning light
may not be working, so you were
not reminded to f ill the tank.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See
on page .
79
193 314
320
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine Emergency
Towing
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed302

Start the engine and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If the light
does not go out within ten seconds,
turn of f the engine. There is a
mechanical problem that needs to
be repaired bef ore you can
continue driving. (Seeon page .)
Saf ely pull of f the road and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning indicators.
This indicator should light when the
ignition switch is ON (II), and go out
af ter the engine starts. It should
never come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing, it
indicates that the oil pressure
dropped very low f or a moment, then
recovered. If the indicator stays on
with the engine running, it shows
that the engine has lost oil pressure
and serious engine damage is
possible. In either case, you should
take immediate action. If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ). Letthecarsitforaminute.Open
the hood and check the oil level
(see page ). Although oil level
and oil pressure are not directly
connected, an engine that is very
low on oil can lose pressure during
cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
1.
2.
3. 4.
181 239 320
Emergency
Towing
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed308
L LO OW W O
OIILL P
PR
RE ES
SS SUUR REE I
INND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn of f
the engine as soon as you can saf ely get
the car stopped.

By eliminating as much of the
electrical load as possible, you can
drive several miles (kilometers)
before the battery is too discharged
to keep the engine running. Drive to
a service station or garage where
you can get technical assistance.
Immediately turn of f all electrical
accessories: radio, climate control,
rear def ogger, cruise control, etc.
Try not to use other electrically-
operated controls such as the power
windows. Keep the engine running
and take extra care not to stall it.
Starting the engine will discharge
the battery rapidly.
This indicator should come on when
the ignition switch is ON (II), and go
out af ter the engine starts. If it
comes on brightly when the engine
is running, it indicates that the
charging system has stopped
charging the battery.
Charging System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed309
C CH H A
AR
RGGI INNG G S
SYYSSTTE
EM
M I
INND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R

If the indicator remains on past three
driving trips, or the f uel cap was not
loose or missing, have the car
checked by the dealer as soon as
possible. Drive moderately until the
dealer has inspected the problem.
Avoid full-throttle acceleration and
driving at high speed.
Youshouldalsohavethedealer
inspect your car if this indicator
comes on repeatedly, even though it
may turn of f as you continue driving.
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch ON (II) and
goes of f af ter the engine starts. If it
comes on at any other time, it
indicates one of the engine’s
emissions control systems may have
a problem. Even though you may
f eel no dif f erence in your car’s per-
f ormance, it can reduce your f uel
economy and cause your car to put
out excessive emissions. Continued
operation may cause serious damage. If you have recently ref ueled your
car, the cause of this indicator
coming on could be a loose or
missing f uel f ill cap. Check the cap
and tighten it until it clicks several
times. Replace the f uel f ill cap if it is
missing. Tightening the cap will not
make the indicator turn of f
immediately; it takes at least three
driving trips.
This indicator may also come on
along with the ‘‘D ’’ indicator.
5
Malf unction Indicator L amp
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed310
M M
A
AL
LFFU
UN NCCTTI
IOON N I
INND DI
ICCA A T
TO
OR R L
LA
A M
M P
P
If you keep driving with the
malf unction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your car’s emissions controls
and engine. Those repairs may not be
covered by your car’s warranties.

Your car has certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that are part of the on-board
diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. In some states, part of the
emissions testing is to make sure
these codes are set. If they are not
set, the test cannot be completed.
If your car’s battery has been
disconnected or gone dead, these
codes are erased. It takes several
days of driving under various
conditions to set the codes again.If possible, do not take your car f or a
state emissions test until the
readiness codes are set. To check if
they are set, turn the ignition ON (II),
but do not start the engine. The
Malf unction Indicator Lamp will
come on f or 20 seconds. If it then
goes of f , the readiness codes are set.
If it blinks 5 times, the readiness
codes are not set. See State
Emissions Testing on page .
335
Readiness Codes
Malf unction Indicator L amp
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed311