engine Acura RL 2007 Workshop Manual

Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the VSA to
malfunction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are of the same size
and type as your original tires (see
page ).
In certain unusual conditions when
your vehicle gets stuck in shallow
mud or f resh snow, it may be easier
to free it with the VSA temporarily
switched of f . When the VSA system
is of f , the traction control system is
alsooff.Youshouldonlyattemptto
f ree your vehicle with the VSA of f if
you are not able to f ree it when the
VSA is on.
Immediately af ter f reeing your
vehicle, be sure to switch the VSA on
again. We do not recommend driving
your vehicle with the VSA and
traction control systems switched off.
This switch is at the right side of the
lef t vent. Press it to turn VSA on and
off.
When VSA is off, the VSA activation
indicator comes on as a reminder.
VSA is turned on every time you
start the engine, even if you turned it
off the last time you drove the
vehicle.If you install winter tires, make sure
they are the same size as those that
were originally supplied with your
vehicle. Exercise the same caution
during winter driving as you would if
your vehicle was not equipped with
VSA.
419
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
VSA and Tire Sizes
VSA Of f Switch
372
VSA OFF SWITCH
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Your vehicle has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and
their cargo. You can also use it to
tow a trailer if you caref ully observe
the load limits, use the proper
equipment, and f ollow the guidelines
in this section.The weight that
the tongue of a f ully-loaded trailer
puts on the hitch should be
approximately 10 percent of the
trailer weight. Too much tongue
load reduces front-tire traction and
steering control. Too little tongue
load can make the trailer unstable
and cause it to sway.
The
maximum allowable weight of the
trailer and everything in or on it
must not exceed 1,000 lbs (450 kg).
Towing a load that is too heavy
can seriously af f ect your vehicle’s
handling and perf ormance. It can
also damage the engine and
drivetrain.
CONT INUED
Load Limits
Tongue Load:
T otal T railer Weight:
Towing a Trailer
Driving
373
Exceeding any load limit or
improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously hurt
or killed.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully
beforestartingtodrive.
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The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
below.
When driving uphill and downhill,
use the Sequential SportShif t mode
to provide the proper engine power
and engine braking on each gear.
Select f ourth, third, second, or f irst
gear; depending on the vehicle
speeds and road condition. Do not
use f if th gear. The recommended
speed range f or each gear position is
showninthetable.
Maketurnsmoreslowlyandwider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
Use D position when towing a trailer
on level roads. D is the proper shif t
lever position to use when towing a
trailer in hilly terrain. (See ‘‘ ’’onthenextpagefor
additional gear information.) Gear position
1
2
3
4 Speed range
019mph
(0 30 km/h)
19 31 mph
(30 50 km/h)
31 41 mph
(50 65 km/h)
over 41 mph
(over 65 km/h)
3
CONT INUED
Driving Saf ely With a T railer
T owing Speeds and Gears Making T urns and Braking
Driving
on Hills
Towing a Trailer
Driving
377
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Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause trailer to
sway. When being passed by a large
vehicle, keep a constant speed, and
steer straight ahead. Do not try to
make quick steering or braking
corrections.
Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including firmly setting the
parking brake and putting the
tran smission in Park. Also, place
wheel chocks at each of the trailer’s
tires.
When
driving down hills, reduce
your speed, and shift down to second
gear. Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember, it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer. If you must stop when facing uphill,
use the foot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
When
climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red (Hot) mark, turn the air
conditioning off, reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
ro ad to let the engine cool.
If the automatic transmission shifts
frequently while going up a hill, shift
to D .
Always drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering
wheel; turn the wheel to the left to
get the trailer to move to the left,
andturnthewheelrighttomovethe
trailer to the right. Your vehicle is not designed to be
towed behind a motor home. If your
vehicle needs to be towed in an
emergency, see page .
455
3
bottom
Backing Up
Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ing
Parking
Driving on Hills
Towing a Trailer, Towing Your Vehicle
Towing Your Vehicle
378
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This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to follow basic
maintenance safety precautions.
If you have the skills and tools to
perform more complex maintenance
tasks on your vehicle, you may want
to purchase the service manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your dealer. This section also includes
instructions on how to read the
maintenance minder messages on
the multi-information display, a
maintenance record, and instructions
for simple maintenance tasks you
may want to take care of yourself. ......................
Maintenance Saf ety .380
....................
Maintenance Minder . 381
....................
Maintenance Record .391
..............................
Fluid Locations .393
......
Engine Compartment Covers . 394
........................
Adding Engine Oil .395
.........
Changing the Oil and Filter . 396
..............................
Engine Coolant .398
....................
Windshield Washers .400
....
Automatic Transmission Fluid . 400
....................................
Brake Fluid .402
....................
Power Steering Fluid . 402
....................................
Timing Belt .403
.............................................
Lights .404
..................
DustandPollenFilter . 411
................
Cleaning the Seat Belts . 411
.....................................
Floor Mats .412
.................................
Wiper Blades .413
...........................................
Wheels .415
...............................................
Tires .415
...................
Checking the Battery . 423
.............................
Vehicle Storage .425
477
Maintenance
Maint enance
379
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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
down 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 flames away from 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.
380
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 features of the multi-
info rmation 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 life.
The system also displays the code
for other scheduled maintenance
items needing service.
To see the remaining engine oil life
displayed on the lower right corner
on the multi-information display as a
percentage, turn the ignition switch
to the ON (II) position, and press the
SEL/RESET button on the steering
wheel repeatedly until the engine oil
lifeappears(seepage ). The remaining engine oil lif e is
displayed 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%
73
CONT INUED
Maintenance Minder
Engine Oil L if e Display
Maint enance
381
REMAINING ENGINE OIL LIFE
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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 engine oil life is
15 to 6 percent, the multi-info rmation
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. Press the SEL/RESET button on the
steering wheel repeatedly to select
the engine oil lif e. The message
‘‘OIL LIFE’’ along with the
percentage of oil lif e remaining and
the maintenance item code(s),
appear on the lower part of the multi-
inf ormation display.
389 390
Maintenance Minder
382
MESSAGE
MAINTENANCE
MAIN ITEM REMAINING
ENGINE OIL LIFE
MAINTENANCE
ITEM CODE (S)
MAINTENANCE
SUB ITEM (S)
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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 engine oil life is
1 to 5 percent, the multi-information
display shows a ‘‘SERVICE DUE
NOW’’ message with the
maintenance items. When you see
this message have the indicated
maintenance performed as soon as
possible. Press
the SEL/RESET button on the
steering wheel repeatedly to select
the engine oil life. The message
‘‘SERVICE OIL LIFE’’, along with
‘‘5%’’, and the maintenance item
code(s) are displayed on the lower
part of the multi-information display
when the calculated engine oil lif e is
1 to 5 percent (see page ). 381
CONT INUED
Maintenance Minder
Maint enance
383
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Press and hold the SEL/RESET
button on the steering wheel for
more than 10 seconds. The
remaining engine oil life reset
mode will be shown on the multi-
information display.
To reset the engine oil life, 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 comple te the reset
procedure within 30 seconds after
selecting the reset mode, the mode
will be cancel ed automatically.
Your
dealer will reset the display
after completing the required
maintenance service. You will see
‘‘OIL LIFE 100%’’ on the display the
next time you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position.
If maintenance service is done by
someone other than your dealer,
reset the maintenance minder as
follows:
If the oil life minder is not
displayed, press the SEL/RESET
buttononthesteeringwheel
repeatedly until it is.
Turn
the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position.
The maintenance item code or codes
indicate the main and sub items
required at the time of the oil change
(see page ).
1.
2.
3.
389
Maintenance Minder
384
U.S.
CANADA
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