change wheel Acura RL 2004 3.5 Owner's Manual

To change between low beams and
high beams, pull the turn signal lever
until you hear a click, then let go.
The blue high beam indicator will
light (see page ).
When the light switch is in either of
these positions, the Lights On
indicator comes on as a reminder.
This light remains on if you leave the
light switch on and turn the ignition
switch to ACCESSORY (I) or LOCK
(0). If you leave the lights on with the
ignition switch in ACCESSORY (I)
or LOCK (0), you will hear a
reminder chime when you open the
driver’s door.
The rotating switch on the lef t lever
controls the lights. Turning this
switch to the position turns on
the parking lights, taillights,
instrument panel lights, side marker
lights, and rear license plate lights.
Turning the switch to the position turns on the
headlights. 62
U.S. models only
Headlights
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Inst rument s and Cont rols68

The dial on the dashboard to the lef t
of the instrument panel is used to
adjust the brightness of the lights in
the controls and displays. Turn the
dial to adjust the brightness.Signal a turn or lane change with this
lever. Push down on the lever to
signal a lef t turn, and up to signal a
right turn. If you push it up or down
all the way, the turn signal continues
to blink even when you release the
lever. It shuts off automatically as
you complete the turn.
To reduce glare at night, the instru-
ment panel illumination dims when
you turn the light switch to or
. Turning the instrument panel
brightness control f ully to the lef t,
past the detent, will return the instru-
ment panel to its f ull brightness.
CONT INUED
Instrument Panel Brightness T urn Signals
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
71
TURN SIGNAL LEVER
INSTRUMENT PANEL
BRIGHTNESS DIAL

Turn the f og lights on and of f by
pressing the button. The indicator in
the button lights to show the f og
lights are on.
To signal a lane change, push lightly
on the turn signal lever in the proper
direction and hold it. The lever will
return to the center position as soon
as you release it.
You can use the f og lights only when
the headlights are on low beam.
They will go of f when you turn the
headlights of f or onto high beam.
With the light switch in the AUTO
position, you can also use the f og
lights when the headlights turn on
automatically. They will go of f when
the headlights turn of f .
U.S. models only
Fog Lights
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
Inst rument s and Cont rols72
Cars without Navigation System

The right lever controls the wind-
shield wipers and washers. The
rotary switch at the end of the lever
has three positions;INT: intermittent : low speed
: high speed In intermittent, the wipers operate
every f ew seconds. The sweep
interval will change slightly with
speed; getting shorter as you drive
f aster. In low speed and high speed,
the wipers run continuously. You can vary how of ten the wipers
sweep the windshield by turning the
INT TIME ring next to the rotary
switch.
If you turn the INT TIME ring to the
shortest delay, the wipers will
change from intermittent to low
speed operation when vehicle speed
exceeds 12 mph (20 km/h).
CONT INUED
Windshield Wipers
Inst rument s and Cont rols
Controls Near the Steering Wheel
73

Press any button on the control
panel: MEMO, 1 or 2.
Push any of the adjustment
switches f or the seat or steering
wheel.
Shif t out of Park.
To stop the system’s automatic ad-
justment;
Adjust the outside mirrors.
If you select a memorized position
without inserting the key in the
ignition switch, only the seat and
outside mirrors will adjust. To get
the system to also adjust the steering
wheel, insert the key in the ignition
switch. You will hear two beeps
when it is complete. Both f ront seats are equipped with
seat heaters. The ignition switch
must be ON (II) to use them. Push
the front of the switch, HI, to rapidly
heat up the seat. After the seat
reaches a comf ortable temperature,
select LO by pushing the back of the
switch. This will keep the seat warm.
If desired, you can use the adjust-
ment switches to change the posi-
tions of the seat, steering wheel or
outside mirrors af ter they are in
their memorized position. If you
change the memorized position, the
indicator light in the memory button
will go out. To keep this driving
position f or later use, you must store
it in the driving position memory.
Seat Heaters
Driving Position Memory System, Seat Heaters
Inst rument s and Cont rols100
SEAT HEATERS

such as trying to take a
corner too f ast or making a sudden
lane change. Always drive at a safe,
prudent speed f or the road and
weather conditions.
Always steer moderately
when you are braking hard. Severe
or sharp steering wheel movement
can still cause your car to veer into
oncoming traffic or off the road. The ABS is self -checking. If anything
goes wrong, the ABS indicator on
the instrument panel comes on (see
page ). This means the anti-lockf unction of the braking system has
shut down. The brakes still work like
a conventional system without anti-
lock, providing normal stopping
ability. You should have the dealer
inspect your car as soon as possible
if this light stays on af ter you start
the engine, or comes on while
driving.
it only helps with steering
control during braking. You should
always maintain a saf e f ollowing
distance f rom other vehicles. on loose or
uneven surf aces, such as gravel or
snow, than a vehicle without anti-
lock. Slow down and allow a greater
distance between vehicles under
those conditions.
60
CONT INUED
The Braking System
Driving
Import ant Saf et y Reminders A BS Indicat or
A BS will not prevent a skid that
results f rom changing direction
abruptly,
A BS cannot prevent a loss of
stability. A BS does not reduce the time or
distance it takes to stop the
vehicle;A vehicle with A BS may require a
longer distance to stop
225
ABS INDICATOR

µExercise extra caution when driving
in rain af ter a long dry spell. Af ter
months of dry weather, the f irst
rains bring oil to the surf ace of the
roadway, making it slippery.
Rain, f og, and snow conditions
require a dif f erent driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your car well-
maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control
should not be used in these
conditions. Always drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your car longer to
react, even in conditions that may
seem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss of
control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious f or the f irst f ew miles
(kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in
snow. A person can f orget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills. Driving T echnique
Driving
Driving in Bad Weather
230

µµBeing able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important
in all weather conditions. This is
more dif f icult in bad weather. To be
seen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights. Check your tires
f requently f or wear and proper
pressure. Both are important in
preventing ‘‘hydroplaning’’ (loss of
traction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all f our
wheels f or the best handling.
Watch road conditions caref ully,
they can change f rom moment to
moment. Wet leaves can be as slip-
pery as ice. ‘‘Clear’’ roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditions
can be very hazardous when the
outside temperature is near f reezing.
The road surf ace can become
covered with areas of water puddles
mixed with areas of ice, so your
traction can change without warning.
Be caref ul when downshif ting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the
drive wheels f or a moment and cause
askid.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers f requently. Keep the wind-
shield washer reservoir f ull of the
proper f luid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to
streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the def roster and air
conditioning to keep the windows
f rom f ogging up on the inside (see
pages and ).
Be very cautious when passing, or
beingpassedbyothervehicles.The
spray f rom large vehicles reduces
your visibility, and the wind buf f eting
can cause you to lose control.
126 131
Visibility
Traction
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving231

Block the rear wheels.
Fill the f uel tank.
Change the engine oil and f ilter
(see page ).
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc. are
completely dry.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in Park.
If you need to park your car f or an
extended period (more than one
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your car back on the road. If
possible, store your car indoors.
If possible, run the engine f or a
while periodically (pref erably once
amonth).
Leave one window open slightly (if
the vehicle is being stored
indoors).
If you store your car f or 1 year or
longer, have your Acura dealer
perf orm the inspections called f or in
the 2 years/30,000 miles (48,000 km)
maintenance schedule (Normal
Conditions) as soon as you take it
out of storage (see page ). The
replacements called f or in the
maintenance schedule are not
needed unless the vehicle has
actually reached that time or mileage.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and trunk seals. Also, apply a
vehiclebodywaxtothepainted
surfaces that mate with the door
and trunk seals. Disconnect the battery.
Support the f ront wiper blade
arms with a f olded towel or rag so
they do not touch the windshield. If the vehicle is to be stored f or a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground. Cover the vehicle with a
‘‘breathable’’ cover, one made
f rom a porous material such as
cotton. Nonporous materials, such
as plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
255 244
Maint enance
St oring Your Car
297

Ú
Turn the jack’s end bracket
counterclockwise to loosen it, then
remove the jack by lif ting it
straight up. Loosen the f ive wheel nuts 1/2
turn with the wheel wrench.
Locate the jacking point nearest
thetireyouneedtochange.Itis
pointed to by a mark molded
into the underside of the body.
Placethejackunderthejacking
point. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch.
6.
7.8.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Changing a Flat T ire
310
JACK
WHEEL WRENCH JACKING
POINT