Acura RL 2005 Owner's Manual

To eliminate potential hazards, read
the instructions bef ore you begin,
and make sure you have the tools
and skills required.To clean parts, use a commercially
available degreaser or parts
cleaner, not gasoline. Be sure there is
adequate ventilation whenever you
operate the engine.
Let the
engine and exhaust system cool
bef ore touching any parts. Do
not run the engine unless
instructed to do so.
Some of the most important saf ety
precautions are given here. However,
we cannot warn you of every
conceivable hazard that can arise in
perf orming maintenance. Only you
can decide whether or not you
should perf orm a given task.
Make sure your vehicle is parked
on level ground, the parking brake
is set, and the engine is of f .
To reduce the possibility of f ire or
explosion, keep cigarettes, sparks,
and f lames away f rom the battery
and all f uel-related parts.
Wear eye protection and
protective clothing when working
with the battery or compressed air.
All service items not detailed in this
section should be perf ormed by a
certif ied technician or other qualif ied
mechanic.
Maintenance Saf ety
Important Saf ety Precautions
Potential Vehicle HazardsCarbon Monoxide poison f rom
engine exhaust.
Burns f rom hot parts. Injury f rom moving parts.
290
Improperly maintaining this
vehicle, or failing to correct a
problem before driving can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection
and maintenance
recommendations and
schedules in this owner’s
manual.
Failure to properly follow
maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to
be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures
and precautions in this owner’s
manual.

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One of the most convenient and
important f eatures of the multi-
inf ormation display on your vehicle
is the maintenance minder.
Based on engine operating
conditions and accumulated engine
revolutions, the onboard computer in
your vehicle calculates the remaining
engine oil lif e.
The system also displays the code
f or other scheduled maintenance
items needing service.
The remaining engine oil lif e is
displayed on the engine oil lif e
minder according to the table shown
below.
Calculated Engine Oil Lif e (%)
100% 91% 90% 81%
80% 71%
70% 61%
60% 51%
50% 41%
40% 31%
30% 21%
20% 16%
15% 11%10% 6% 5% 1% 0% Displayed
Engine Oil Lif e (%)
100% 90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
15%
10% 5%
0%
To see the remaining engine oil lif e
displayed on the lower right corner
on the multi-information display as a
percentage, turn the ignition switch
to ON (II), and press the SEL/
RESETbuttononthesteeringwheel
repeatedly until the engine oil lif e
minder appears (see page ).
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Maintenance Minder
Engine Oil L if e Minder
Maint enance
291
REMAINING ENGINE OIL LIFE

ÝÛÝÛ
Press the SEL/RESET button on the
steering wheel repeatedly to select
the engine oil lif e minder, the
message ‘‘CHANGE OIL’’ along with
the percentage of oil lif e remaining,
and the maintenance item code, are
displayed on the lower part of the
multi-inf ormation display.
The message will be canceled if the
or buttononthesteeringwheel
is pressed. Press the or button
to see the message again.
When the remaining engine oil lif e is
15 to 6 percent, the multi-inf ormation
display shows a ‘‘SERVICE DUE
SOON’’ message along with the
maintenance schedule code
indicating the main and sub items
required at the time of the oil change.
Refer to page and for a
complete list of the maintenance
main items and sub items. 299 300
Maintenance Minder
292
MESSAGE
MAINTENANCE
CODE REMAINING
ENGINE OIL LIFT
MAINTENANCE
MAIN ITEM MAINTENANCE
SUB ITEMS

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The message will be canceled if the
or buttononthesteeringwheel
is pressed. Press the or button
to see the message again.
When the remaining oil lif e is 1 to 5
percent, the multi-information
display shows a ‘‘SERVICE DUE
NOW’’ message with the same
maintenance items ‘‘SERVICE DUE
SOON’’ was displayed. When you
see this message have the indicated
maintenance perf ormed as soon as
possible. Press the SEL/RESET button on the
steering wheel repeatedly to select
the engine oil lif e minder, the
message ‘‘CHANGE OIL’’ along with
the percentage ‘‘5%,’’ and the
maintenance item code are displayed
on the lower part of the multi-
inf ormation display when the
calculated engine oil lif e is 1 5
percent (see page ).
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CONT INUED
Maintenance Minder
Maint enance
293

ÝÛÛÝ
Your dealer will reset the display
af ter completing the required
maintenance service. You will see
‘‘OIL LIFE 100%’’ on the display the
next time you turn the ignition
switch to ON (II).
Press and hold the SEL/RESET
button on the steering wheel f or
more than 10 seconds. The
remaining engine oil lif e reset
mode will be shown on the multi-
inf ormation display.
If maintenance service is done by
some one other than your dealer,
reset the maintenance minder as
f ollows:
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
If the oil lif e minder is not
displayed, press the SEL/RESET
buttononthesteeringwheel
repeatedly until it is.
To reset the engine oil lif e, press
the or button on the steering
wheel to select RESET on the
display, and press the SEL/
RESET button.To cancel resetting the oil life,
press the or button on the
steering wheel to select CANCEL
on the display, and press the SEL/
RESET button.
If you do not complete the reset
procedure within 30 seconds af ter
selecting the reset mode, the mode
will be canceled automatically.
If you have the required service
perf ormed but do not reset the
display, or reset the display without
perf orming the service, the system
will not show the proper
maintenance intervals. This can lead
to serious mechanical problems
because you will no longer have an
accurate record of when
maintenance is needed.
1.
2.
3.
Maintenance Minder
294
U.S.
CANADA

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Immediately have the service
perf ormed, and make sure to reset
the oil lif e minder as previously
described.
The message will be canceled if the
or buttononthesteeringwheel
is pressed. Press the or button
to see the message again.
If the indicated maintenance service
is not done and the remaining engine
oil lif e reaches 0 percent, the multi-
inf ormation display will show the
message ‘‘SERVICE PAST DUE’’
and the maintenance item code. This
message is displayed when the total
mileage after reaching 0 percent
engine oil lif e is less than 10 miles
(f or U.S. models)/10 km (f or
Canadian models). Press the SEL/RESET button on the
steering wheel repeatedly to select
the engine oil lif e minder, the
message ‘‘CHANGE OIL’’ along with
the percentage ‘‘0%,’’ and the
maintenance item code are displayed
on the lower part of the multi-
inf ormation display when the
calculated engine oil lif e is 0 1
percent.
CONT INUED
Maintenance Minder
Maint enance
295

ÝÛÝÛ
And also, the percentage ‘‘0’’ keeps
blinking on the display.
If the indicated required service is
not done and the remaining engine
oil lif e becomes 0 percent, the multi-
inf ormation display will show a
‘‘SERVICE PAST DUE’’ message,
thetotalmileageaftertheremaining
oillifebecame0percent,andthe
maintenance item code.This message is displayed when you
drive over 10 miles (f or U.S. models)
or 10 km (f or Canadian models)
af ter seeing the 0 percent message.
Immediately have the service
perf ormed, and make sure to reset
the display as previously described.
The maximum total mileage shown
with this message is ‘‘999 mile (f or
U.S. models) or 999 km (f or
Canadian models)’’.
The message will be canceled if the
or buttononthesteeringwheel
is pressed. Press the or button
to see the message again.
This particular message is displayed
whenthemileageaftertheengineoil
lifebecame0percentreaches10
miles (f or U.S. models)/10 km (f or
Canadian models).
Maintenance Minder
296
MAINTENANCE CODE
CANADA U.S.
TOTAL PAST DUE MILEAGE

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When you press the SEL/RESET
button to select the engine oil lif e
minder, the message ‘‘CHANGE
OIL’’ along with the maintenance
item code, and the total negative
mileage af ter the oil lif e became 0
percent, will be displayed on the
lower part of the multi-inf ormation
display. This particular message is displayed
when you drive over 10 miles (f or
U.S. models) or 10 km (f or Canadian
models) af ter seeing 0 percent.
Your authorized dealer knows your
vehicle best and can provide
competent, ef f icient service.
However, service at a dealer is not
mandatory to keep your warranties
in effect. Maintenance may be done
by any qualif ied service f acility or
person who is skilled in this type of
automotive service. Keep all receipts
as proof of completion, and have the
person who does the work f ill out the
maintenance record. Check your
warranty booklet f or more
inf ormation.
We recommend the use of Acura
parts and f luids whenever you have
maintenance done. These are
manuf actured to the same high-
quality standards as the original
components, so you can be conf ident
of their performance and durability.
The maximum total negative mileage
is ‘‘ 999 mile (f or U.S. models) or
999 km (f or Canadian models)’’.
CONT INUED
Maintenance Minder
Maint enance
297
TOTAL PAST DUE MILAGE
U.S.
CANADA

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Ì Youshouldcheckthefollowing
items at the specif ied intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perf orm
any check, turn to the appropriate
page listed.
Engine oil level Check every
time you fill the fuel tank. See
page .
Engine coolant level Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
you f ill the f uel tank. See page .
Automatic transmission Check
the f luid level monthly. See page .
Brakes Check the f luid level
monthly. See page .
Tires Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread f or
wear and foreign objects. See page . Lights Check the operation of
the headlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
and license plate lights monthly.
See page .
U.S. Vehicles:
According to state and federal
regulations, f ailure to perf orm
maintenance on the items marked
with will not void your emissions
warranties. However, Acura
recommends that all maintenance
services be perf ormed in accordance
with the intervals indicated by the
Multi-Inf ormation Display. 253
308
310 311
325 314
Maintenance Minder
Owner’s Maintenance Checks
Maintenance, replacement, or
repair of emissions control
devices and systems may be done
by any automotive repair
establishment or individual using
parts that are ‘‘certif ied’’ to EPA
standards.
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Maintenance Minder
299
:
Independent of the maintenance messages in the Multi-Information
Display, replace the brake fluid every 3 years.
If the message ‘‘SERVICE DUE NOW’’ does not appear more than 12 months
after the display is reset, change the engine oil every year.
See information on maintenance and emissions warranty in the first column
on page .
Inspect idle speed every 160,000 miles (256,000 km).
Adjust the valves during services A, B, 1, 2, or 3 if they are noisy.
NOTE: 1:
298
Maintenance Main Items
Replace engine oil
Replace engine oil and oil filter
Rotate tires
Inspect front and rear brakes
Check parking brake adjustment
Visually inspect these items: Tie rod ends, steering gear box, and boots
Suspension components
Driveshaft boots
Brake hoses and line (including ABS)
All fluid levels and condition of fluids
Exhaust system
Fuel lines and connections
A
B
Symbol1
Maintenance Minder