Acura RL 2000 3.5 Owner's Manual

2000 RL Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through\
this reference.
For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.h\
elminc.com.
Contents

Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety........................................................................\
........................................ .ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
............................................ .2
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
..................................... .5
Proper use and care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restr\
aint System.
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
........................................ .51
Instrument panel indicator and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering colu\
mn controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features ........................................................................\
..................... .119
How to operate the climate control system, the audio system, and other c\
onvenience features.
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................165
What gasoline to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving ........................................................................\
..................................................................... .177
The proper way to start the engine, shift the transmission, and park, pl\
us towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................201
The Maintenance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Appearance Care........................................................................\
..................................................... .261
Tips on cleaning and protecting your vehicle. Things to look for if your\
vehicle ever needs body repairs.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
..............................269
This section covers several problems motorists sometimes experience, a nd how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
............................................ .295
ID numbers, dimensions, capacities, and technical information.
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................309
A summary of the warranties covering your new Acura, and how to contact \
us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................315
How to order manuals and other technical literature.
Index........................................................................\
........................................................................\
...... I
Service Information Summary
A summary of information you need when you pull up to the fuel pump.

Owner's Identification
This Owner's Manual should be considereda permanent part of the car, and should
remain with the car when it i
s sold.
The information and specifications included in this publication were in affect at the time
of approval for printing. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. reserves the right, however, to
discontinue or change specifications or
design at any time without notice and
with out incurring any obligation whatsoever.
OWNER
ADDRESS
STREET
CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP CODE /
POSTAL CODE
V. I. N.
DELIVERY DATE
(Date sold to original retail purchaser)
DEALER NAME DEALER NO.
ADDRESS
STREET
CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP CODE/
POSTAL CODE
OWNER'S SIGNATURE
DEALER'S SIGNATURE

Introductio
n

Congratulations on your selection of the 2000 Acura 3.5 RL. We are certain
you will be pleased with your purchase of one of the finest luxury cars in the

world.

One of the best ways to enhance the enjoyment of your new Acura is to read
this manual. In it, you will learn how to operate its driving controls and convenience items. Afterwards, keep this owner's manual in your car so you
can refer to it at any time.
Several warranties protect your new Acura. Read the warranty booklet
thoroughly so you understand the coverages and are aware of your rights and responsibilities.
Maintaining your car according to the schedules given in this manual helps
to keep your driving trouble-free while it preserves your investment. When
your car needs maintenance, keep in mind that your Acura dealer's staff is specially trained in servicing the many systems unique to your Acura. Your
Acura dealer is dedicated to your satisfaction and will be pleased to answer any questions and concerns.
As you read this manual, you will
find information that is preceded by symbol. This
information is intended to help you avoid damage to your Acura, other
property, or the environment.
a
NOTIC
E

A
Fe w Word s Abou t Safet y
Your safety, and the safety of others, is very important. And operating this
car safely is an important
responsibility.
To help you make informed decisions about safety, we have
provided operating procedures and other information on labels and in
this manual. This information alerts
you to potential hazards that could hurt you or others.
Of course, it is not practical or
possible to warn you about all the
hazards associated with operating or maintaining your car. You must use
your own good judgement. You will find this important safety information in a variety of forms,
including: Safet y Label s — on the car. Safet
y Message s — preceded by a safety alert symbol and one of
three signal words: DANGER , WARNING , or CAUTION .

These signal words mean:

You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLYHURT if you don't follow instructions.
You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY HURT if you don't follow instructions.
You CAN be HURT if you don't follow
instructions.

Safet y Heading s — such as Important Safety Reminders or Important
Safety Precautions. Safet
y Sectio n — such as Driver and Passenger Safety. Instruction
s — how to use this car correctly and safely.
This entire book is filled with important safety information — please read it carefully.

You
r Ca r a t a Glanc e

MIRRO R
CONTROL S
(P. 98)
INSTRUMEN
T
PANE L

(P. 53)
DIGITA
L
CLOC K

(P .
108 )

CLIMAT E CONTRO L
SYSTE M

(P. 120 )

AUDI O SYSTE M

(P. 134 )

HOO D RELEAS E
HANDL E
(P. 168 )
FUE
L FIL L DOO R RELEAS E

HANDL E

(P. 167 )
TRUN
K RELEAS E
BUTTO N

(P. 86)

POWE
R WINDO W
SWITCHE S

(P. 105 )

DRIVIN
G POSITIO N
MEMOR Y

(P. 100 )

You
r Ca r a t a Glanc e
WINDSHIEL D WIPERS/WASHER S
(P . 68 , 70 ) HAZAR
D WARNIN G LIGHT S
(P . 70 )
REA R WINDO W DEFOGGE R
(P . 71 )
FO G LIGHT S
(P . 67 )

STEERIN
G WHEE L
ADJUSTMENT S

(P . 71 )
HEADLIGHTS/TUR N SIGNAL S
(P . 63 , 66 )
INSTRUMEN
T PANE L BRIGHTNES S
(P . 66 )
CRUIS
E CONTRO L
(P - 73 )
VEHICL
E STABILIT Y
ASSIS T SYSTE M OF F
SWITC H
(P . 189 )

4

Driver
and Passenge r Safet y

This section gives you important information about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It shows you how to use seat belts
properly. It explains your Supple-
mental Restraint System. And it tells
you how to properly restrain infants and children in your car.
Important Safety Precautions .......... 6
Your Car's Safety Features .............. 7
Seat Belts........................................ 8

Airbags............................................ 9

Seats & Seat-Backs...................... 10
Head Restraints........................... 10Door Locks................................... 10
Pre-Drive Safety Checklist......... 11

Protecting Adults............................. 12

1. Close and Lock the Doors...... 12
2. Adjust the Front Seats............ 12
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs............. 13
4. Adjust the Head Restraints.... 14
5. Fasten and Position the Seat
Belts...................................... 15

6. Adjust the Steering Wheel..... 17
7. Maintain a Proper Sitting

Position................................. 17

Advice for Pregnant Women...... 18
Additional Safety Precautions.... 19

Protecting Children......................... 20

All Children Must Be
Restrained................................ 20

Children Should Sit in the Back Seat............................................ 21
The Passenger's Front Airbag Poses Serious Risksto Children............................ 21
If You Must Drive with Several
Children.................................... 23

If a Child Requires Close
Attention................................... 23

Additional Safety Precautions.... 23 General Guidelines for Using
Child Seats................................ 24

Protecting Infants........................ 28

Protecting Small Children.......... 32

Protecting Larger Children........ 35
Using Child Seats with
Tethers...................................... 39
Additional Information About Your

Seat Belts.................................. 40

Seat Belt System Components... 40

Lap/Shoulder Belt....................... 40

Automatic Seat Belt
Tensioners................................
41

Seat Bel
t Maintenance................ 42

Additional Information About Your
Front Airbags........................... 43

SRS Components.........................

43

How You
r Front Airbags

Work.......................................... 43

How the SRS Indicator Light
Works........................................ 45

Additional Information About Your
Side Airbags.............................

46

How You
r Side Airbags Work.... 46

How The Side Airbag Indicator
Light Works............................. 47

Additional Information About Your
Airbags...................................... 48

Airbag Service.............................. 48

Additional Safety Precautions.... 48

Carbon Monoxide Hazard.............. 49
Safety Labels.................................... 50

Driver an d Passenge r Safet y

Importan
t Safet y Precaution s

You'll find many safety recommendations throughout thissection, and throughout this manual.
The recommendations on this page are the ones we consider to be the
most important.
Alway s Wea r You r Sea t Bel t
A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbagssupplement seat belts, but airbags
are designed to inflate only in a
moderate to severe frontal collision. So even though your car is equipped
with airbags, make sure you and
your passengers always wear your seat belts, and wear them properly. (See page 15.)
Restrai n Al l Childre n
Children are safest when they are
properly restrained in the back seat,
not the front seat. A child who is too small for a seat belt must be properly
restrained in a child safety seat. (See
page 20.) B
e Awar e o f Airba g Hazard s
While airbags can save lives, they can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,or are not properly restrained.
Infants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be sure to follow all instructions and
warnings in this manual. (See page 9.)

Don' t Drin k an d Driv e

Alcohol and driving don't mix. Even one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with every additional drink. So don't drink
and drive, and don't let your friends
drink and drive, either. Contro
l You r Spee d
Excessive speed is a major factor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed the greater the risk, but serious accidents can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Kee p You r Ca r i n Saf e Conditio n
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical failure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition frequently, and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance. (See page 204.)
Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y

You
r Car' s Safet y Feature s

(1 ) Safet y Cag e
(2 ) Crus h Zone s
(3 ) Seat s & Seat-Back s
(4 ) Hea d Restraint s
(5 ) Collapsibl e Steerin g Colum n
(6 ) Sea t Belt s
(7 ) Fron t Airbag s
(8 ) Sid e Airbag s
(9 ) Sea t Bel t Tensioner s
(10 ) Doo r Lock s Your car is equipped with many
features that work together to
protect you and your passengers during a crash.
Some safety features do not require
any action on your part. These
include a strong steel framework
that forms a safety cage around the
passenger compartment; front and
rear crush zones that are designed to crumple and absorb energy during a
crash; a collapsible steering column;
and seat belt tensioners that
automatically tighten the front seat
belts in the event of a crash.

CONTINUED

Drive r an d Passenge r Safet y