service Acura RL 2006 Owner's Manual

2006 RL Online Reference Owner's Manual
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For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helminc.com.

Contents
Owner's Identification Form
Introduction ........................................................................\
............................................................................. i
A Few Word s About S

afety........................................................................\
.................................................. ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
.......................................................4
Driver and Pass enger Safety

........................................................................\
...............................................7
Prop er use a

nd care of your vehicle's seat belts, and Supplemental Restraint System.
Instruments and Contro l
s........................................................................\
...................................................59
Instrument panel indica tor and gauge, and how to use dashboard and steering column controls.
Comfort and Convenience Features........................................................................\
...............................193
How t o
op era
te th

e climate control system, the audio system, and other convenience features.
Before Driving ........................................................................\
...................................................... .
............. .
295
What gasoli n

e to use, how to break-in your new vehicle, and how to load luggage and other cargo.
Driving........................................................................\
...................................................................................309
The proper way to start the engine, s hift th

e transmission, and park, plus towing a trailer.
Maintenance........................................................................\
.........................................................................347
T h
e Ma int
en

ance Schedule shows you when you need to take your vehicle to the dealer.
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
.......................................393
This section covers several prob lems motorists sometime

s experience, and how to handle them.
Technical Information........................................................................\
.......................................................423
ID numbers, dimensions, capaciti es, and technical information.
Warranty

and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)..................................................................... 437
A summary of th
e warr anties coverin
g yo

ur new Honda, and how to contact us.
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
.......................................441
How t o
order manuals an
d othe

r technical literature.
Index ........................................................................\
......................................................................................... I
Service Information S u

mmary
A summary of information you n

eed when you pull up to the fuel pump.

µ
This section gives you important
inf ormation about how to protect
yourself and your passengers. It
shows you how to use seat belts. It
explains how your airbags work. And
it tells you how to properly restrain
inf ants and children in your vehicle.
.........
Important Safety Precautions .8
.......
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features .9
.........
Protecting Adults and Teens .13
.....
1. Close and Lock the Doors .13
...........
2. Adjust the Front Seats .14
............
3. Adjust the Seat-Backs .15
...
4. Adjust the Head Restraints .16
5. Fasten and Position the Seat
.....................................
Belts .17
6. Maintain a Proper Sitting ................................
Position .18
.....
Advice f or Pregnant Women .19
...
Additional Safety Precautions .20
Additional Inf ormation About .......................
Your Seat Belts .21
..
Seat Belt System Components .21 ......................
Lap/Shoulder Belt .21
Automatic Seat Belt ...............................
Tensioners .22
..........
Seat Belt E-pretensioners .23
...............
Seat Belt Maintenance .25
Additional Inf ormation About ...........................
Your Airbags .26
......
Airbag System Components .26
How Your Front Airbags
.........................................
Work .29
...
How Your Side Airbags Work .32
How Your Side Curtain
..........................
Airbags Work .34
..
How the SRS Indicator Works .34
How the Side Airbag Of f
......................
Indicator Works .35
How the Passenger Airbag ...............
Of f Indicator Works .35
.............................
Airbag Service .36
...
Additional Safety Precautions .37
Protecting Children General ................................
Guidelines .38
All Children Must Be ...............................
Restrained .38
All Children Should Sit in a .................................
Back Seat .39The Passenger’s Front Airbag
.........
Can Pose Serious Risks .39
If You Must Drive with Several ...................................
Children .41
If a Child Requires Close ..................................
Attention .41
...
Additional Safety Precautions .41
Protecting Inf ants and Small ...................................
Children .42
.......................
Protecting Inf ants .42
.........
Protecting Small Children .44
.....................
Selecting a Child Seat .45
....................
Installing a Child Seat .46
...............................
With LATCH .47
..........................
With a Seat Belt .49
..............................
With a Tether .51
...........
Protecting Larger Children .52
...............
Checking Seat Belt Fit .52
..................
Using a Booster Seat .53
When Can a Larger Child Sit in
.........................................
Front .54
...
Additional Safety Precautions .55
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard .56
...................................
Saf ety Labels .57
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
7

Even if your
airbags do not inflate, your dealer
should inspect the driver’s seat
position sensor and the f ront
passenger’s weight sensors to
make sure they are operating
properly.
If no one is riding in the f ront seat,
the airbag will be automatically shut
of f . However, the indicator will not
come on.
Your airbag systems are virtually
maintenance f ree, and there are no
parts you can saf ely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:
Any airbag
that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. If a
f ront airbag inf lates, the seat belt
tensioners must also be replaced.
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by your dealer or a
knowledgeable body shop. Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly.
If the indicator comes on with no
passenger in the f ront, or with an
adult in the seat, there may be a
problem with the advanced airbag
system. Have the vehicle checked by
your dealer as soon as possible.
The passenger airbag of f indicator
may also come on and of f repeatedly
if total weight on the seat is near the
airbag cutoff threshold.
If this happens, have the passenger
ride properly restrained in a back
seat. If the passenger must ride in
front, move the seat as far to the
rear as possible, have the passenger
sit upright and wear the seat belt
properly.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
If your vehicle has a moderat e t o
severe impact .
An airbag ever inf lates. T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o a
problem.
Airbag Service
36

Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury.
This could make the
driver’s seat position sensor or the
f ront passenger’s weight sensors
inef f ective. If it is necessary to
remove or modif y a f ront seat to
accommodate a person with
disabilities, f irst contact Acura
Client Services at 800-382-2238. Improperly replacing
or covering f ront seat-back covers
can prevent your side airbags f rom
inf lating during a side impact.
If water or
another liquid soaks into the seat-
back, it can prevent the side airbag
cutof f system f rom working
properly.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
Do not t amper wit h airbagcomponent s or wiring f or anyreason.
Do not remove or modif y a f rontseat without consulting yourdealer. Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ingyour dealer.
Do not expose the f ront passenger’sseat-back to liquid.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
37

Pull to the side of the road when it is
saf e, shif t to Park, and let the engine
idle until the indicator goes out.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position. If this indicator comes on at
any other time, there is a problem in
the SH-AWD system. You will also
see a ‘‘CHECK SH-AWD SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display(seepage ).Takeyour
vehicle to a dealer to have it checked.
For more inf ormation, see page .
If it comes on while driving, it
indicates the dif f erential
temperature is too high.
You will also see a ‘‘SH-AWD DIFF
TEMP. HIGH’’ message on the
multi-inf ormation display (see page
).
If the indicator blinks while driving,
pull to the side of the road when it is
saf e, shif t to Park, and let the engine
idle until the indicator goes out.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
You will also see a ‘‘CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE’’ message on the multi-
inf ormation display (see page ). If it comes on while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are extremely low on
pressure.If this happens, pull to the side of the
road when it is saf e, check which tire
has lost pressure on the multi-
inf ormation display, and determine
the cause. If it is because of a flat tire,
have the flat tire repaired as soon as
possible. If two or more tires are
underinf lated, call a prof essional
towing service. For more
inf ormation, see page .
Your vehicle has Michelin PAX tires.
Repair or replacement of PAX tires
must be done by an Acura dealer or
an authorized Michelin PAX system
dealer. For more inf ormation, see
page .
78
320
78 79394 421
On models with Michelin PAX system
SH-A WD Indicator
Low Tire Pressure
Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
Inst rument s and Cont rols
67
Continuing to drive with the SH-AWD
indicator blinking may cause serious
damage to the system.

You can receive or make phone calls
f rom your cell phone through your
Acura’s HandsFreeLink (HFL)
system without touching your cell
phone.When the engine oil lif e reaches 15 %,
the display shows ‘‘SERVICE DUE
SOON’’ and the code f or the
maintenance items to be perf ormed.Have your dealer do the indicated
maintenance as soon as you see this
message, and have them reset the
display af ter completing the service.
If you do not perf orm the indicated
maintenance or do not reset the
display, the message changes to
‘‘SERVICE PAST DUE’’ when the
engine oil lif e becomes 0 percent.
To use the system, your cell phone
and the HFL system must be linked.
Not all cell phones are compatible
with this system. Ref er to page for instructions on how to link
your cell phone to the HFL and how
to receive or make phone calls. These messages appear on the multi-
inf ormation display each time you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position.
For details on engine oil lif e and
maintenance messages, ref er to page
.
Also ref er to page f or important
maintenance saf ety precautions.
When the engine oil lif e reaches 5 %,
the display shows ‘‘SERVICE DUE
NOW’’ along with the same
maintenance items. 349
348
278
HandsFreeL ink
Maintenance Messages
Multi-Inf ormation Display
Inst rument s and Cont rols
77
TM

The engine may not run, and some
malf unctions may occur, if the
remote is:The engine may not start if the
remote is subjected to strong radio
waves.
Also, the engine may not start if the
remote is too close to the windows.
Outside the vehicle.
On the dashboard.
On the rear interior panel.
In the glove box.
In the door pockets.
In the trunk, etc.
K eyless A ccess System
Ignition Switch Operating Range
168
Make sure you know where the remote
is when you are inside the vehicle.
Remember that you can start the engine
without using the built-in key when the
remote is inside the vehicle.
Make sure you always carry the remote
with you.
If you lose your remote, call Acura
Client Services at (800) 382-2238 (U.S.
models).

The indicator stays on while you
are driving.
The indicator comes on with the
ignition switch in the ON (II)
position.
The indicator comes on f or several
seconds when you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position. Have
your vehicle checked by your dealer
if : The multi-inf ormation display
shows ‘‘CHECK KEYLESS
ACCESS SYSTEM.’’
In this case, use the built-in key to
lock/unlock the doors and start the
engine.
If you lose or drop your remote, and
the beeper sounds, contact Acura
Client Services at (800) 382-2238
(U.S. models)
K eyless A ccess System
Check K eyless A ccess Syst em
172
KEYLESS ACCESS SYSTEM
INDICATOR

Depending on where you drive, you
may experience reception problems.
Interf erence can be caused by any of
these conditions:Driving on the north side of a
large commercial truck on an
east/west road.
Driving in tunnels.
Driving on a road beside a vertical
wall, steep clif f , or hill to the south
of you.
Driving on the lower level of a
multi-tiered road.
Driving on a single lane road
alongside dense trees taller than
50 ft. (15 m) to the south of you.
There may be other geographic
situations that could af f ect satellite
radio reception. If you decide to purchase XM
satellite radio service, contact XM
Radio at
, or at
1-800-852-9696. You will need to give
them your radio I.D. number and
your credit card number. To get your radio I.D. number, turn the TUNE
knob until ‘‘0’’ appears in the display.
Your I.D. will appear in the display.
If your XM Radio service has expired
or you purchased your vehicle f rom
a previous owner, you can listen to a
sampling of the broadcasts available
on XM Satellite Radio. With the
ignition switch in the ACCESSORY
(I) or the ON (II) position, push the
power/volume knob to turn on the
audio system, and press the button. A variety of music
types and styles will play. While waiting f or activation, make
sure your vehicle remains in an open
area with good reception. Once your
audio system is activated, ‘‘category’’
or ‘‘CH’’ will appear in the display,
andyou’llbeabletolistentoXM
Radio broadcasts. XM Radio will
continue to send an activation signal
to your vehicle for at least 12 hours
from the activation request. If the
service has not been activated after
36 hours, contact XM Radio. After you’ve registered with XM
Radio, keep your audio system in the
Satellite Radio mode while you wait
f or activation. This should take about
30 minutes.
Driving on the north side of an
east/west mountain road.As required by the FCC:
Changes or modif ications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible f orcompliance could void the user’sauthority to operate the equipment.
www.xmradio.com
Playing the XMSatellite Radio
Receiving XM Satellite Radio
Service
218

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) allows
you to maintain a set speed and keep
the vehicle ahead of you at a safe
distance without having to use the
accelerator pedal or the brake pedal.
When the vehicle ahead of you slows
down or speeds up, ACC senses the
change in distance and compensates
by accelerating or braking your
vehicle to reach the cruising speed
you previously set. The distance
between vehicles is based on your
speed: the f aster you go, the longer
the distance will be; the slower you
go, the shorter it will be.If the vehicle ahead of you slows
down or speeds up suddenly, ACC
alerts you by sounding a beeper and
displaying a message on the multi-
inf ormation display.
TheACCradarsensorinthefront
grille can detect and monitor the
distance of a vehicle up to 328 f eet
(100 meters) ahead of your vehicle.
For more inf ormation on the radar
sensor, see page .
Do not use ACC under these
conditions:
In poor visibility.
In heavy traffic.
When you must slow down and
speed up repeatedly.
On winding roads.
When you enter a toll gate,
interchange, service area, parking
area, etc. In these areas, there is
no vehicle ahead of you, but ACC
would still try to accelerate to your
set speed.
In bad weather (rain, f og, snow,
etc.)
On a slippery road (f or example a
road covered with ice or snow).
As with any system, there are limits
to ACC. Inappropriate use of ACC
can result in a serious accident. Use
the brake pedal whenever necessary,
and always keep a safe distance
between your vehicle and other
vehicles. 326
A daptive Cruise Control (A CC)
Overview
Important Saf ety Precautions
238